After sweeping the board at the BAFTA Cymru awards earlier this year, S4C’s powerful film about family inheritance and heartbreak in rural Wales, Martha, Jac a Sianco has been recognised at a major international film festival.
The production, an adaptation of Caryl Lewis’ novel by the same name, won the Narrative Film Award at the prestigious Moondance Film Festival, held in Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Now in its tenth year, the festival is popularly known as the ‘American Cannes’ and its main aim is to present films and scripts which raise awareness about vital social issues.
Rhian Gibson, S4C’s Director of Commissioning, said: “Martha, Jac a Sianco is a landmark film for S4C, reflecting the Channel’s fiction strategy of providing authors and directors with a platform with which to challenge audiences with innovative and original content.
“I’m delighted this beautifully-shot film, which features powerful performances, gripping, relevant themes and a captivating soundtrack, has received recognition at this leading international indie film festival.”
Martha, Jac a Sianco’s producer, Lona Llewelyn Davies, said: “We’re delighted to have won an award at such an important and prestigious event as Moondance. Martha, Jac a Sianco, with its powerful portrayal of rural life in a small nation, has obviously struck a chord. Following major success at home, it’s a privilege to receive international recognition in this way.”
Martha, Jac a Sianco, produced for S4C by Apollo, part of Boomerang Plus plc, won six Bafta Cymru awards earlier this year, including the prize for Best Actress, won by Sharon Morgan, and the Best Actor award for Ifan Huw Dafydd.
It also won the Best Director of Photography: Drama, Best Design, Best Make-Up and Best Original Music Soundtrack categories.
