Maxime Giroux "For its immense sophistication and craftsmanship in telling a brave story bridging two disparate worlds, its generosity of spirit, masterful use of music, and exquisite performances that fuel the film's power as both an intimate love story and a profound statement on the value of passion, family and community."
Dzheffri St. Zhul "For its ingenious mixing of genres, sophisticated blend of tones and ability to create its own strange, tragicomic and original world without sacrificing any richness in regards to story, character and emotion."
May Allah Bless France!Qu'Allah bénisse la France!
Abd Al Malik "The FIPRESCI jury is pleased to grant the Discovery prize for a story of a youth displaced in their own country, struggling to find the balance between chaos and serenity, on the strength of art, music and human spirit. While the startling cinematography is purely black and white, the director Abd Al Malik managed to show the different shades of grey in his daring debut May Allah Bless France! Félicitations."
Shonali Bose "Margarita, with a Straw is both universal and groundbreaking. Director Shonali Bose and actress Kalki Koechlin have jointly created a character and a world that embody a love letter to life, with all its highs and lows, in spite of overwhelming physical limitations."
Sotiris Dounoukos "For its extraordinary exploration of the value of friendship, hope, and aspiration in an unusually brutal and austere environment... and world - made especially heartbreaking by striking performances by Doudou Masta and Mexianu Medenou."