Oto's Planet;
Credit: SKILL LAB
Film Fund Luxembourg has reported that two Luxembourg works received awards at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Two Luxembourg works stood out among the five immersive works in competition and won awards. Oto's Planet by Gwenael François, a Luxembourgish majority production by Skill Lab (Julien Becker) with Quebec and France, took home the Venice Immersive Special Jury Prize.
Ito Meikyu by Boris Labbé, a co-production by Les Films Fauves (Gilles Chanial and Govinda Van Maele) with France, won the Venice Immersive Grand Prize.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden said he was "proud of these two great awards that illustrate the creativity and innovation of our artists, placing Luxembourg on the world map of immersive art. These distinctions crown hard and visionary work, and symbolise our country's continued commitment to cultural and technological excellence. Congratulations to the teams who have flown the flag for our nation so high."
Luxembourg's Minister of Culture, Eric Thill, also welcomed this success, noting: "The two awards obtained in Venice in the Venice Immersive category mark a historic milestone for the Luxembourg cultural scene. They reflect not only the avant-garde of our artists in immersive art, but also the strategic support that Luxembourg provides to contemporary creation and digital technologies. These successes strengthen our position as a leader in cultural innovation. I thank and warmly congratulate the creators for this important tribute to their talent and commitment."
Film Fund Luxembourg Director Guy Daleiden commented: "An exceptional festival for the Luxembourg film industry, with Luxembourg in the spotlight, six nominations and two awards won. This is a remarkable performance for our small country, which also reflects the cultural diversity and dynamism of our audiovisual sector". He added: "I am proud of the incredible creativity and imagination of our filmmakers".
