Sorry, Birdman, but you can count the NZIFF crew amongst the peevish Boyhood faction. This year’s French Academy Awards provided far more retrospective gratification. Wim Wenders’ Salt of the Earth took the Best Documentary award – and if you missed it at NZIFF or need to see it again, it’s released in New Zealand this month. Another legend of the 70s German New Wave, Volker Schlondorff took the Best Adaptation Award for Diplomacy. Pierre Niney’s uncanny impersonation of Yves Saint Laurent took the Best Actor Award.

You’ll get no argument from our team about the choice for Best Actress and Best First Film: the English title may be clumsy, but Love at First Fight, currently screening at the French Film Festival, is a treat we recommend: a fresh and funny romantic comedy with a thoughtful undertow. But it was Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu from our 2014 programme that came close to trouncing all comers: Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Sound and Music.

Meanwhile across the ditch, we couldn’t help noticing how well The Babadook fared at the AACTA Awards. And we stood up and cheered when Tender took the prize for best broadcast documentary and Ukraine Is Not a Brothel the award for documentary feature.