‘Simon of the Mountain' Takes Top Prize at Cannes Critics' Week

Simon of the Mountain, the debut feature from Argentinian director Federico Luis, has won the Grand Prize at the 63rd edition of Cannes Critics' Week.

Argentinian actor and singer/songwriter Lorenzo Ferro stars in the coming-of-age story of a young man struggling with a mental disorder. Luxbox is handling international sales on the film.

Blue Sun Palace from U.S.-Chinese filmmaker Constance Tsang won the French Touch Prize of the Jury for best first feature in the Cannes sidebar. The drama is a look at the lives of Chinese immigrants living in Queens. Charades are selling Blue Sun Palaceinternationally, with WME representing rights in North America.

The Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for best actor went to Ricardo Teodoro for his performance in the Queer romantic drama Baby from Brazilian director Marcelo Caetano, where Teodoro plays an outsider trying to survive in the mean streets of São Paolo.

The Gan Foundation Award for Distribution went to Jour2Fête to support its French distribution campaign for the tennis drama Julie Keeps Quiet from Belgian director Leonardo Van Dijl.

The Leitz Cine Discovery Prize for best short film went to Montsouris Park by Guil Sela.

French producer Sylvie Pialat headed up this year's Critics' Week jury, alongside Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire, French director Iris Kaltenbäck, Belgian cinematographer Virginie Surdej and the Canadian film critic and journalist Ben Croll.