Imperium Wins Best Film at 70th BFI London Film Festival

Sergei Loznitsa's Imperium has won the best film award in the competition at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, with the prizes announced as the edition came to a close, according to Variety. The film is built from footage shot by Italian cameramen in the Soviet Union in the early 1970s.

The competition jury was led by filmmaker Sam Pollard. Its members included Mariano Llinás and Julie La Bassiere, chief strategy officer at DDA.

The Sutherland Award for a first feature went to Thailand's 9 Temples to Heaven, directed by Sompot Chidgasornpongse. A special mention in the first feature competition went to Bertil Nilsson's Masc. The first feature jury was headed by Amir El-Masry, alongside Alemberg Ang and Rosa Bosch.

The Grierson Award for documentary went to Asmahan Bkerat's Concrete Land, with a special mention for Theo Rollason's Queer Edward II, which takes Derek Jarman's Edward II as its subject. Sandhya Suri led the documentary jury, with Kate Fitzpatrick and Andee Ryder.

Rahul Roye's Aman won the Short Film Award and is streaming free on BFI Player until Oct. 25. Elizabeth Hobbs' Daughters of the Late Colonel received a special mention in the shorts section. The shorts jury was headed by Helen Simmons with Leo Reich and Jack Casey. Audience voting for best feature film and best British discovery closes Oct. 21.

Previous audience and discovery winners

Last year, Chloé Zhao's Hamnet took the audience prize for best feature, while Yemi Bamiro's Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story won the British discovery prize.