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The last edition of the Basque film festival, Zinemaldia.Cat, concluded yesterday, organized by the local Basque club with a gala where award winners of the Golden Txapela were announced. The winners in the various categories were the film Amama, and documentaries Jai Alai Blues and Gure Sorlekuaren Bila. In addition to these, special mention went to the feature-length film Pikadero.  Zorionak to all!

Barcelona, Catalonia.  The Basque film festival in Barcelona, Zinemaldia.Cat, concluded last night with the Golden Txapelas (Txapela D’Or). Winners were the film Amama, by Asier Altuna which took the Golden Txapela Euskadi Basque Country and the Best Picture for “conducting an internal reflection on the Basque soul, through its symbolism, poetry and aesthetics, praising both tradition and progress.”

Another fiction film Pikadero by Ben Sharrock, received special mention by the jury for “its approach to the situation of young people in times of crisis, showing humor and affection for his characters and original staging.”

In the documentary category the Euskadi Basque Country Golden Txapela when to Jai Alai Blues, by director Gorka Bilbao.  The film “fills a void in the recent Basque and US history by taking an unknown issue and mixing it skillfully with spectacle and the balance between old materials and current recordings,” according to the jury.  

Finally, the documentary Gure Sorlekuaren Bila  took the Azkue Foundation Award – Golden Txapela for the best work in Basque, for trying to show the search of Basque identity in a sincere, giant adventure film full of humor.”

The festival’s jury was comprised of Pere Vall (Frames), Patrícia Bonet (Catalan Films), Agustí Argelich (Filmets), Miki Esparbé (actor) and Melina Matthews (actress).