KFF Industry Awards and KFF Special Mentions

The live broadcast of the Industry Gala has ended. We’ve met the first festival winners. KFF Industry awards were received by participants of Doc Lab Poland. The special mentions went to directors of competition films. The Awards Ceremony of the Krakow Film Festival, during which we will get to know the winners of the main awards and audience awards, will take place on Saturday, June 6 at 7:00 p.pm. CET.

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Having watched all the competitive films the International Documentary Jury of the 60th Krakow Film Festival consisting of: Łukasz Żal – chairman (Poland), Renata Santoro (Italy), Tod Lending (USA), Eva Mulvad (Denmark), Martin Horyna (Czech Republic) has decided to award the following prizes:

SPECIAL MENTION for Hey! Teachers! directed by Yulia Vishnevets (Russia)

For the richness of a multi-faceted story set in a seemingly ordinary backdrop, and for the insightful, bitterly ironical take on how the Russian public education system can sometimes break down the idealism of certain teachers whose altruistic goal is to educate and improve the lives of their students.

The FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Jury consisting of: Jan Storø (Norway), Jihane Bougrine (Maroko), Nachum Mochiach (Israel) has decided to award the International Film CriticsPrize to Margreth Olin, Katja Hogset, Espen Wallin for The Self Portrait (Norway)

‘The Self Portrait’ is the kind of movies that hits you from the beginning and stays with you. It’s a perfect example of real-life cinema boasting both authenticity and aesthetic vision. Heart-breaking and relevant, both brave and emotional, it is a powerful documentary about illness and art where photography can change our vision of life.

The Krakow Film Festival recommendation to the European Film Award in a documentary category:
The Self Portrait, dir. Margreth Olin, Katja Hogset, Espen Wallin (Norway)
Punta Sacra, dir. Francesca Mazzoleni (Italy)

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Having watched all the competition films, the International Short Film Jury consisting of: Jan Komasa – chairman (Poland), Marko Škop (Slovakia), Dekel Berenson (Great Britain), Paola Orlić (Croatia), Csilla Kato (Romania) has decided to award the following prizes:

SPECIAL MENTION – for Dad You’ve Never Had directed by Dominika Łapka (Poland)

For a daring act of filming a painful and long-awaited family confrontation which goal is to search for truth, dignity but most importantly proof of love. For allowing us to look into what is usually hidden and perceived as shameful but quickly becoming familiar in the most unsettling way.

SPECIAL MENTION – for Nina directed by Hristo Simeonov (Bulgaria)

An intimate portrait of a young girl trapped in a life of poverty and crime, and her encounter with a middle-class woman who is in the midst of dealing with her own bourgeois misfortune. Beautifully acted, sensitively written, understated and authentic, Nina tells the story of those in society who go unseen, while the rest of us go about our daily lives, with no judgement or over-dramatization, but simply as life unfold, for millions of people around the world, every single day.

Jury Award for the Best European Film (Krakow Candidate to the European Film Award 2020 in the short film category) – Golden Buttons directed by Alex Evstigneev (Russia)

The International Federation of Film Societies (FICC) Jury consisting of: Mira Bernardes-Rusin (Poland), Terry Cloke (Great Britain), Chris Hormann (New Zealand) has decided to grant the Don Quixote Award to the film Innocence directed by Ben Reid (Great Britain).

This was a unanimous decision by the jury for a film that stood out amongst an impressively strong selection of films. The film is on the surface a tense crime film but it uses this as a starting point to explore an often ignored section of society and in cinema, those who are born with Down syndrome. The jury commented on the lead actor Tommy Jessop, who has Down syndrome, with his presence and central performance rising above the traditional cliché to be the proactive force that propels the film forward, not as a victim but as a fully formed and rounded character. We wish to commend the filmmakers for their resolve in bringing a marginalised group of people to the fore, displaying a decidedly humanistic outlook which is very much in keeping with the spirit of this award.

and the Special Mention to the film: I Need the Handshakes directed by Andriej Kuciła (Poland).

This film also stood out for the jury in showing the central relationship of a mother (Valiantsina) and daughter (Taссiana) living in extraordinary and trying circumstances. Taссiana has been paralysed since birth but has been cared for all her life by Valiantsina, now in her 90’s. It’s a startling expression of unconditional love and devotion by a mother for her child despite a life of sacrifice. The beautiful cinematography of the filmmaker brings the story to life, as does Taссiana’s moving poetry which she has created despite her physical disability.

INTERNATIONAL DocFilmMusic COMPETITION

Having watched all the competition films, the International DocFilmMusic Jury, consisting of: Stephen Nomura Schible – chairman (USA), Rachel Leah Jones (USA / Israel), Leszek Możdżer (Poland) has decided to award the following prize:

SPECIAL MENTION – Rubika Shah for White Riot (Great Britain)

For capturing a fan-based movement’s success in harnessing the potential of music (and musicians) to impress social awareness upon listeners, and for its precise, crafty interplay between form and content. By highlighting a certain moment in history, the film calls attention to present-day political and cultural crises wherein we could all learn a thing or two about audience-performer dialectics and racial/ethnic justice — in art and in life.

NATIONAL COMPETITION

Having watched all the competition films, the National Competition Jury consisting of: Magdalena Łazarkiewicz – chairwoman, Joanna Szymańska, Elwira Niewiera, Izabela Plucińska, Paweł Dyllus has decided to award the following prizes:

The Award of the Polish Filmmakers Association for the best film editing – Katarzyna Orzechowska for The Whale from Lorino

Maciej SzumowskiAward for remarkable social awareness – Aleksandra Potoczek for xABo: Father Boniecki (Poland)

The Award for the best short and documentary film producer in Poland funded by the Polish Producers Alliance – KIPA – Mikołaj Pokromski i Aldona Pokromska from Pokromski Studio for The Whale from Lorino (Poland)

Best Cinematography Award under the patronage of the Polish Society of Cinematographers funded by Coloroffon Film and Naima Film – Kamil Małecki for Last Days of Summer (Poland)

SPECIAL MENTION for documentary film – Pollywood directed by Paweł Ferdek

For a multi-colour journey into the world of film dreams and the hope that everything is possible.

SPECIAL MENTION for animated film – I’m Here directed by Julia Orlik

For the creative idea of capturing the final minutes of life, for tenderness and subtlety.

SPECIAL MENTION for feature film – Noamia directed by Antonio Galdamez

For a successful attempt at genre cinema

SPECIAL MENTION for acting – Julia Kuzka for Last Days of Summer and Alice and the Frog

THE AWARD OF THE STUDENT JURY

Having watched all the competitive films, the Student Jury consisting of Karolina Hołub, Paweł Kędziora, Jędrzej Kościński, Dominika Laszczyk-Hołyńska, Mateusz Leśniak, Małgorzata Mączko, Marta Pęcak, Monika Pietras, Krzysztof Strumiński, Bartek Tesarz, Wojciech Tutaj, Dorota Żak decided to award film Sunless Shadows directed by Mehrdad Oskouei (Iran, Norway)

For bringing us closer to the world, in which religious fundamentalism and male culture lead to the crime and regulate its punishment; the world that is a worse prison for multidimensional women than a correctional institution, student jury decided to award the film “Shadows without the Sun” directed by Mehrdad Oskouei.

The Whale from Lorino, dir. Maciej Cuske

KFF INDUSTRY AND DOC LAB POLAND AWARDS

ANIMATED IN POLAND

Animated in Poland Best Pitch Award – a coupon for 10 days of sound post production in Sound Mind studio run by Michał Fojcik – „Gonâve”, dir. Róża Duda and Michał Soja, prod. Krakow Film Klaster

Animated in Poland Special Mention – founded by CeTA, which is 30 000 PLN non-cash contribution to the winner director/producer’s project – „Slow Light”, dir. Kijek/Adamski, prod. Animoon

DOC LAB POLAND AWARDS 2020 FOR THE PROJECTS PRESENTED AT DOCS TO START

HBO Award – 10 000 PLN in cash – „Debut”, dir. Aleksandra Maciejczyk, prod. Marta Gmosińska, Lava Films

ColorOffOn Award – image post-production services worth of 25 000 PLN – „Don’t Mess with Gienek”, dir. Grzegorz Szczepaniak, prod. Joanna Popowicz WF Anagram

DOK Leipzig Special Mention – invitation to Co-pro Meetings in Leipzig – „Gypsy Gadji”, dir. Dasa Raimanova, prod. Rafał Sakowski, Story Vehicle

FIPADOC Special Mention – invitation to pitch the project at FIPADOC Industry Days – „Easy Rider Behind the Iron Curtain”, reż. Andrzej Miękus, prod. Olga Bieniek, FilmIcon

Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mention – invitation to key European documentary industry event – „Nina Gets Married”, dir. Andrzej Szypulski, prod. Anna Reichel, Fine Day Promotion

Polish Docs Pro Special Mention – support of international promotion and invitation to one of the key world documentary industry event – „When Harmattan Blows”, dir. Edyta Wróblewska, prod. Marta Dużbabel, With Passion Production

DOC LAB POLAND AWARDS 2020 FOR THE PROJECTS PRESENTED AT DOCS TO GO!

ColorOffOn Award – image post production services worth of 25 000 PLN – „Until the Wedding”, dir. Daniel Stopa, prod. Małgorzata Staroń, Joanna Tatko, Staron-Film

Institute of Documentary Film Special Mention – invitation to East Doc Platform – „Workcenter”, dir. Aniela Gabryel, prod. Agnieszka Dziedzic (Koi Studio)

Władysław Ślesicki Film Foundation Special Mentions – invitations to key European documentary industry events –
„I am one of them”, dir. Nadim Suleiman, prod. Jacek Bławut, Luiza Pietrzak, Palmyra Films„Lesson of Freedom”, dir. Tadeusz Chudy, Bartosz Łuniewski, prod. Rafał Sakowski, Story Vehicle