Congratulations to Michael Pearce. DigiCult’s production Rite has won La Prix De La Realisation (Best Director Award) at the 28th Festival of European Cinema in Lille this week. In the words of festival representative Clara Mamelle:

“The Selection Committee and the whole team of the European Film Festival thank you for sending your short film for this 28th edition – without you, the selection would not have been the same!

Amongst the 1,916 films received, we selected those that seemed to us the very best: 62 short films of unmatched quality, mirroring both the diversity of styles, of registers, and of origins.

Beyond the pleasure that we, members of the organization, took in discovering your work, and later presenting it to the public of Lille, there is the pride of seeing the selection applauded by the audience throughout the week and several times by the different juries during the closing ceremony.

For the 28th consecutive year, the Festival is a great achievement, but this year has been exceptional and we want to thank you again, because the quality of the short films offered is undoubtedly the key to the success of this 27th edition and the enthusiasm of spectators at the Festival!”