Rotterdam Winners: ‘Variations On A Theme’ and ‘Master’ Take Home Top Honors
Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar Win €40,000 Tiger Award at IFFR
Filmmakers Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar have been awarded the prestigious €40,000 ($47,000) Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) for their feature documentary, Variations On A Theme. The film explores the story of an elderly goat herder who is ensnared in a scam related to her father’s long-awaited WW2 reparations.
This marks the second feature from the South African duo, following their debut fiction film, Carissa, which premiered in the Orizzonti section at the Venice Film Festival in 2024.
The jury for the Tiger Competition, comprised of Iranian actress Soheila Golestani, Brazilian director Marcelo Gomes, French actor-director Ariane Labed, London Film Festival head Kristy Matheson, and Croatian writer Jurica Pavičić, reached a unanimous decision in awarding the prize.
“Possessing a deep poetic language, we found this to be a thoughtful and moving portrait of a community living under the spectre of colonial legacies and familial bonds in this world and the next,” stated the jury in their remarks.
In addition to the Tiger Award, two Special Jury Awards of €10,000 each were given: Swedish director Angelica Ruffier’s La Belle Année, which intimately portrays a woman’s journey through grief, and Georgian filmmaker Ana Urushadze’s Supporting Role, focusing on an actor grappling with his faded career.
The top prize in the Big Screen Competition, which encompasses popular, classic, and arthouse cinema, was awarded to Bangladeshi director Rezwan Shahriar Sumit for his film Master. Set against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s July Revolution, the film features Nasir Uddin Khan as an activist facing the erosion of his ideals.
The jury—comprising Jan-Willem van Ewijk, Sara Ishaq, Loes Luca, Chris Oosterom, and Mila Schlingemann—praised both the narrative and the lead performance. They remarked, “This is a universal story about a person striving to hold onto their moral compass, only to be reshaped by the persuasive and destructive forces of power and capitalism.”
They added, “What begins as a seemingly straightforward tale of idealism versus corruption unfolds into something far more complex and layered. With colorful strokes and surrounded by lively, authentic extras, the main character masterfully embodies this moral ambiguity through a superb leading performance, revealing how power ultimately has its way.”
The Big Screen Award is accompanied by a €15,000 ($17,000) cash prize for the filmmakers. Additionally, IFFR offers €15,000 to the Dutch distributor that acquires the film’s local distribution rights.
In other awards, Supporting Role received the Fipresci Award, while Filipino director P. R. Monencillo Patindol’s i grew an inch when my father was honored with the Netpac Award for best film from Asia and Pacific regions. The Youth Jury Award went to Ah Girl by Singaporean director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla.
The 55th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam is currently taking place from January 29 to February 8.
