Diego Quemada-Diez's The Golden Cage and French drama Suzanne by Katell Quillévéré won top awards at the 54th Thessaloniki International Film Festival,2013

The Golden Cage directed by Mexican filmmaker Diego Quemada-Diez and Suzanne by Katell Quillévéré received top awards at the 54^th  Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which concluded over the weekend. The Thessaloniki International Film Festival took place November 1 - 10.  Greece's largest film event awarded its topawards, the Golden Alexander Theo Angelopoulos to the Diez's feature, which centers on teenage Guatemalan immigrants traveling to the U.S. The film also picked up the Best Director the Audience Award as well as a prize recognizing "human values."

Winner of the Silver Alexander, Quillévéré's Suzanne is the story of a family and a love affair told through the journey of a young woman called Suzanne. In addition to the Silver Alexander, the film's star Sara Forestier picked up the Best Actress Award as well as a Best Supporting Actor nod for Francois Damiens. Venezuela's Bad Hair (Pelo Malo) received Thessaloniki's Bronze Alexander. Directed by Mariana Rondón and centered in a poor neighborhood in Caracas, the film revolves around a young boy who is determined to straighten his hair, which causes his hard working mother to panic in a homophobic frenzy.

Best Feature Film Award - Golden Alexander

La Jaula De Oro (The Golden Cage)  by Diego Quemada–Diez, Producers Inna Payan, Luis Salinas & Edher Campos, Screenwriters Diego Quemada–Diez, Lucia Carreras & Gibran Portela, Mexico/Spain, 2013
Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander

Suzanne by Katell Quillévéré

Special Jury Award - Bronze Alexander

Pelo Malo (Bad Hair) by Mariana Rondón

Best Director Award

Diego Quemada–Diez for La Jaula De Oro (The Golden Cage)

Best Screenplay Award

Tae-Gon Kim for 1999, Myeon-Hue (Sunshine Boys)

Best Actress Award

Sara Forestier for Suzanne, Director Katell Quillévéré

Best Actor Award

Christos Stergioglou for I Aionia Epistrofi Tuo Antoni Parakeva (The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas)

Jaime Vadell for La Chupilca Del Diablo (The Devil's Liquor)

Outstanding Achievement as a Supporting Actor

Francois Damiens for Suzanne
(Mariana Rondón's Bad Hair)

Special Mention For Cinematography

Mahmoud Lotfy for Al-Khoroug Lel-Nahar (Coming Forth By Day)

Audience Awards:

For a film in the International Competition section

La Jaula De Oro (The Golden Cage)  by Diego Quemada–Diez, Producers Inna Payan, Luis Salinas & Edher Campos, Screenwriters Diego Quemada–Diez, Lucia Carreras & Gibran Portela, Mexico/Spain, 2013

For a film in the Greek Films section – Michael Cacoyannis Award

I Teleftea Farsa (One Last Joke) by Vassilis Raisis, Producer Vassilis Raisis, Screenwriter Gavriil Efstathiou, Greece, 2013

FIPRESCI Awards

International Competition:

Pelo Malo (Bad Hair) by Mariana Rondón, Producer Marité Ugás, Screenwriter Mariana Rondón, Venezuela, 2013

Greek Film 2013:

I Aionia Epistrofi Tou Antoni Paraskeva (The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas) by Elina Psykou, Producers Yorgos Karnavas & Elina Psykou, Screenwriter Elina Psykou, Greece/Czech Republic, 2013