‘Riverstone’ Wins Top Prize at Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema

Sri Lankan director Lalith Rathnayake’s “Riverstone” claimed the Golden Cyclo, the top prize at the thirty second Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema, which concluded Feb. 3 following a week-long showcase of Asian cinema in the French city.

The worldwide jury, presided over by Chinese director Wang Bing and including Korean director Shin Su-won, Iranian producer Katayoon Shahabi, and French director, producer and screenwriter Joël Farges, acknowledged the movie for its examination of political disaster in Asia and its affect on atypical residents. According to the jury’s quotation, the drama demonstrates how “the serious crisis of political power in Asia threatens the survival of ordinary people” while reflecting “the current situation on the continent.”

The jury praised the performances and famous that Rathnayake “fully expressed the humanistic spirit” of the tailored work, singling out the movie’s “sharp criticism of contemporary politics” as a contributing issue to its victory. The movie beforehand gained top awards at the Shanghai and Singapore movie festivals.

Wang Bing also acquired the pageant’s Honorary Golden Cyclo from the Vesoul Urban Community and City of Vesoul.

Kyrgyzstan’s “Kurak,” co-directed by Erke Dzhumakmatova and Emil Atageldiev, secured the Grand Prize of the Jury for what the panel described as its “subject importance and universality.” The jury counseled the movie as “accomplished in every cinematic respect,” highlighting each the performances and path. Atageldiev died in 2024. “Kurak” gained top prizes at Busan last 12 months.

The Jury Prize went to Taiwanese filmmaker Tsao Shih-han’s “Before the Bright Day,” which also earned the Netpac Jury Prize. The movie facilities on a boy navigating fears of warfare and violence while rising up in an abusive family and scuffling with faculty life, set against a middle-class Taiwanese household dealing with financial hardship. The jury famous the director’s skillful distinction between stillness and motion, with the protagonist “frozen” inside the violent dwelling however “constantly on the move” outdoors, seemingly trying to flee a world of battle.

The Netpac jury, led by Indian pageant programmer Raman Chawla, praised the movie’s “sophisticated blend of historical scale and domestic drama, navigating the divide between national crisis and personal growth with cinematic precision and heart.”

The worldwide jury also awarded two particular mentions: a first particular point out to Iranian filmmaker Abbas Nezamdoost’s “Duality” for its authentic cinematic strategy, and a second particular point out to Thai director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Venice prizewinner “Human Resource” for its path.

“Human Resource” went on to gather the Marc Haaz Jury Prize. The unanimous jury determination acknowledged the movie’s exploration of being pregnant and bodily autonomy, noting its “understated narration, nuanced performances, and precise, rigorous visual and sound design.” The panel highlighted the movie’s central query about how “an ordinary woman” experiencing being pregnant finds “her body become a social body, exposed to the gaze, judgement and control of others.”

The Critics’ Jury Prize also went to “Kurak,” with the panel citing the filmmakers’ “courage in tackling a painful topical issue with careful direction.” “Riverstone” acquired a particular point out from the same jury for its psychological exploration of justice and conscience, supported by strong lead performance and cinematography.

The Prize of the Friends of Émile Guimet went to “Riverstone,” with the jury praising it as a highway journey movie that includes a confrontation between an empathetic prisoner and three law enforcement officials, representing an “inverted duality between good and evil.” The jury famous the sudden pacing and cinematography. Indian director Tannishtha Chatterjee‘s “Full Plate” received a special mention from the same jury for its portrayal of women’s lives across different social and non secular backgrounds in India, with the panel highlighting the movie’s depiction of sisterhood and hope.

“Full Plate” also claimed the Public’s Choice Award for Feature Film. The documentary prize went to Bernard Louargant’s French movie “Li Chevalier, Encre et Âme.”

In the youth classes, “Kurak” took the High School Jury Prize, while Palestinian filmmaker Alaa damo’s “Hassan” gained the Youth Jury Prize.

The pageant’s thirty third version is scheduled for Feb. 2-9, 2027.