THE WINNERS OF THE 55th KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL
Priit Pärn – The Dragon of Dragons Award
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILMS COMPETITION
Having watched all the competition films, the International Documentary Competition Jury consisting of: Wieland Speck – Chairman (Germany), Martin Blaney (UK), Hans Robert Eisenhauer (Germany), Piotr Rosołowski (Poland), Audrius Stonys (Lithuania) has decided to award the following prizes:
THE GOLDEN HORN for the director of the best film funded by the President of Telewizja Polska SA – Karolina Bielawska for the film CALL ME MARIANNA (Poland). Style follows the story in this sensitive, intense and complex portrayal of a brave approach to life and the steps to a new life in harmony in one’s real identity. It was encouraging to see this story being told at this time. Conceptionally convincing cinematic levels make the protagonist’s complex life experiences comprehensible in an intimate as well as universal way. The journey through life from man to woman in a dualistically dominated culture, the transformation from being a family man to the finally self-determined life as a woman throws an analytically inspired light on our society and unlocks the protagonist’s extraordinary inner strength.
THE SILVER HORN for the director of the best medium-length documentary film – Aleksandra Maciuszek
for the film CASA BLANCA (Poland, Mexico). The film addresses the subject of the outsider confronted by prejudice and rejection from an often hostile society with a universal dimension. The scenes between the mother and the son stay in one’s memory as being especially intimate and moving.
THE SILVER HORN for the director of the best feature-length documentary film – Agnieszka Zwiefka
for the film THE QUEEN OF SILENCE (Poland). The issue of a minority within a minority was presented in such a refreshing and entertaining way, lending even more weight to its universal relevance. One could not remain indifferent to Denisa’s unwavering ambition to survive and her joy of life. Particular note should be made of the versatile camerawork and editing for a film we recommend especially to young audiences.
The Award for the best cinematography funded by the HBO Polska – Matteo Tortone for the film ROADSTEAD (dir. Alessandro Abba Legnazzi). The filmmakers had a clear aesthetic and visual concept when preparing this film. The story of the residents at the sailors’ home is told through the cinematography with the camera coming up so close and intimate to the protagonists that the all-pervading melancholy is clearly palpable.
The FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Jury consisting of: Marek Hendrykowski – Chairman (Poland), Ohad Landesman (Israel), Ulrich Wimmeroth (Germany) has decided to award the International Film Critics Prize to Patryk Rebisz and Erinnisse Rebisz for the film SHOULDER THE LION (USA) – for its unique and innovative cinematic expression that presents in different ways the subjective experience of characters who lost essential parts of their being in cataclysmic events.
INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Having watched all the competition films, the International Short Film Competition Jury consisting of: Mariusz Grzegorzek – Chairman (Poland), Daniel Mulloy (UK), Igor Prassel (Slovenia), Eric Wojcik (France) has decided to award the following prizes:
GOLDEN DRAGON for the Director of the Best Film – Elizabeth Lo, for the film HOTEL 22 (USA). This film reveals a cruel reality cradled deep within the world’s richest valley. With a tender touch and an economy of means a single bus journey becomes the powerful metaphor for the state of a nation.
SILVER DRAGON for the Director of the Best Documentary Film – Mijael Bustos Gutiérrez for the film THE TALE OF LOVE, MADNESS AND DEATH (Chile). Great depth and devotion are revealed within a family that struggles with both mental and physical illness. A film made with love, tenderness and vision.
SILVER DRAGON for the Directors of the Best Animated Film – Zsuzsanna Kreif and Borbála Zétényi for the film LIMBO LIMBO TRAVEL (France, Hungary). With graphic and narrative invention, a crazy and intense world is born. An orgasmic and playful energy is revealed to live deep within the psyche of these turbulent characters.
SILVER DRAGON for the Director of the Best Short Fiction Film – Quah Boon-Lip for the film THE FREE MAN (Taiwan). A strong directorial vision builds a powerful story told by compelling actors. The narrative delves into classic themes of personal responsibility and sacrifice with great aesthetic, emotion and tension.
PRIX EFA KRAKOW 2015 for the Best European Film (nomination to the European Film Award in the short film category) – Sybilla Tuxen and Thora Lorentzen for the film THIS PLACE WE CALL OUR HOME (Denmark). Talented and rebellious teens are recorded beautifully and revealed tenderly as outside a world of violence grows steadily closer.
The International Federation of Film Societies (FICC) Jury consisting of: Maciej Gil (Poland),
Christl Grunwald-Merz (Germany), Odd Vaagland (Norway) has decided to grant the Don Quixote Award to the film DISSONANCE directed by Till Nowak (Germany) – for an unique form used to present a non-unique problem and brilliant combination of acting and animation. Two Special Mentions were awarded to the films: SIGNUM directed by Witold Giersz (Poland) – for everlasting art and humanistic message and WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT COSMOS directed by Konstantin Bronzit (Russia) – for irony, dreams and stressing the meaning of friendship.
The Jury would like to emphasise a high level of all films selected for the competition.
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION DocFilmMusic
Having watched all the competition films, the International DocFilmMusic Jury, consisting of: Jan A. P. Kaczmarek – Chairman (Poland), Miquel Galofré (Trinidad and Tobago), Jim Kolmar (USA) has decided to award the following prizes:
GOLDEN HEYNAL for the Director of the Best Film – Brett Morgen for the film KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK (USA)
SPECIAL JURY MENTION:
Ayat Najafi for the film NO LAND’S SONG (Germany, France)
NATIONAL COMPETITION
Having watched all the competition films, the National Competition Jury consisting of: Piotr Dumała – przewodniczący, Jarosław Kamiński, Hanna Polak, Grażyna Stachówna, Janusz Wróblewski has decided to award the following prizes:
GOLDEN HOBBY-HORSE for the Director of the Best Film funded by the President of the Polish Film Association – Aleksandra Maciuszek for the film CASA BLANCA (Poland, Mexico) – for a sharply true and deeply moving portrait a mother loving her son, presented in the purest cinematographic form.
SILVER HOBBY-HORSE for the Director of the Best Documentary Film – Krzysztof Kopczyński for the film THE DYBBUK. A TALE OF WANDERING SOULS (Poland, Sweden, Ukraine) – for courage and non-conformity in showing an extremely complicated and universal problem of reciprocal intolerance when facing the dangers of the contemporary world.
SILVER HOBBY-HORSE for the Director of the Best Animated Film – Tomasz Siwiński for the film A BLUE ROOM (Poland, France) – for finding exceptionally accurate visual means to express the metaphysical value of the human existence.
SILVER HOBBY-HORSE for the Director of the Best Fiction Film – Grzegorz Jaroszuk for the film STORY OF NOTHING (Poland, France) – for an original and innovative film language extending Polish cinematography means of expression.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION:
Vita Maria Drygas for the film PIANO (Poland) – for a poetic and original view on the Ukrainian revolution.
The Award of the Polish Filmmakers Association for the Best Film Editing – Jerzy Zawadzki for the film UNSTOPPABLESS (d ir. Bartosz M. Kowalski)
Maciej Szumowski Award for remarkable social awareness funded by the National Broadcasting Council – Karolina Bielawska for the film CALL ME MARIANNA – for raising an important issue of respect towards one another.
The Award for the Best Short and Documentary Films Producer in Poland funded by the Polish Audiovisual Producers Chamber of Commerce (KIPA) – Zbigniew Domagalski from Studio Filmowe Kalejdoskop for the film CALL ME MARIANNA
Polish Society of Cinematographers Award for the Best Cinematography funded by Chimney Poland for Aleksander Duraj i Armand Urbaniak for the film THE QUEEN OF SILENCE (dir. Agnieszka Zwiefka)
THE AUDIENCE AWARD
CALL ME MARIANNA dir. Karolina Bielawska
THE AWARD OF THE STUDENT JURY
Having watched all the competitive films, the Student Jury consisting of Tomasz Lasek, Marta Stańczyk, Mateusz Góra, Karolina Nieckarz, Maria Błędowska, Paulina Richert, Alicja Mazurkiewicz, Kamila Kołacz, Mateusz Kicka, Alicja Łuczyńska, Kaja Łuczyńska has decided to award film WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUR COSMOS directed by Konstantin Bronzit (Russia) – for humour, a vision of friendship and technical precision which made us feel as if there was no gravity.
DOC LAB POLAND AWARDS
DOCS TO START:
EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY NETWORK AWARD (EDN) – project of the film MR JAN AND HIS 40 GIRLS, dir. Jacob Dammas, prod. Jacob Dammas
DOK LEIPZIG AWARD – for the project of the film THE WIND, dir. Michał Bielawski, prod. Maciej Kubicki
HBO Award – for the project of the film THE DIVINES!, dir. Barbara Białowąs, Katarzyna Trzaska, prod. Katarzyna Trzaska
KRAKOW FILM CLUSTER AWARD – for the project of the film I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING, dir. Zvika Gregory Portnoy, prod. Maria Krauss
Honourable mention to the project which has developed the most during Doc Lab Poland: DIAGNOSIS dir. Ewa Podgórska, prod. Małgorzata Wabińska
Wholeyear’s artistic guardianship by DOK Leipzig: Leena Pasanen and Rada Sesic
DOCS TO GO!:
KRAKOW FILM CLUSTER AWARD – for the project of the film 21 x NEW YORK, dir. Piotr Stasik, prod. Agnieszka Wasiak