Cannes: Student Film from AFI Directing Workshop for Women Wins Top Cinefondation Award

The short film “Share,” from AFI Directing Workshop for Women student Pippa Bianco, has been named the top film in the Cinefondation Selection at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

The selection was made by a jury headed by “Timbuktu” director Abderrahmane Sissako, and announced on Friday by the festival.

Cinefondation is made up of 18 student films from around the world, with the winner taking home a cash prize of 15,000 Euro and a guarantee that her first feature film will be presented at Cannes.

Other winners included “Locas Perdidas,” The Return of Erkin” and “Victor XX,” by film students from Chile, Russia and Spain, respectively. The second prize, which went to “Locas Perdidas,” carries a prize of 11,250 Euro, while the third prize, which was shared by “Erkin” and “Victor,” is 7,500 Euro.

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The main Cannes awards, including the Palme d’Or, will be announced on Sunday.

The winners:

First Prize: “Share”
Directed by Pippa Bianco
AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, USA

Second Prize: “Locas Perdidas”
Directed by Ignacio Juricic Merillán
Carrera de Cine y TV Universidad de Chile, Chile

Joint Third Prize:

“The Return of Erkin”
Directed by Maria Guskova
High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors, Russia

“Victor XX”
Directed by Ian Garrido López
ESCAC, Spain

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