Monday, July 13, 2015

50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award Winners


Every year I follow what's going on with this Czech film festival but not always write about it; this year feel that there are some good films that I need to recall and hopefully try to watch eventually. Besides the festival had this year a milestone anniversary with a half a century in existence, which has to be celebrated under any circumstances and especially now that festivals have a trend that suggest that some could disappear sooner than later.

Surprisingly an American movie won the top award, which is not common to the festival; but if I was surprised with winner, the director of Bob and the Trees, Diego Ongaro was also surprised, check what he said about winning a very relevant world film award with his debut feature film: “This really is a surprise. We had virtually no money to shoot the film so I had to invest my and my wife’s money, and I would like to thank everybody involved in making the film”.

The film premiered at 2015 Sundance and is described as a vérite-style drama where Bob Tarasuk plays himself in the film about a Massachusetts logger and farmer. Tasaruk also expressed his amazement with the following statement: “I have never won anything so far. Indeed, I have never left the States before, but my grandmother was Czech and my grandfather Ukrainian so I dedicate this award to them.” The film also won the Ecumenical Jury Award.

Worth mentioning is that much buzzed Tangerine, Sean Baker's iPhone-shot celebration of transgender life in LA got the Forum of Independents prize which honors boundary-pushing work.

These are the award winners announced on July 11, 2015.

Official Competition

Grand Prix: Bob and the Trees, Diego Ongaro, USA

Special Jury Prize: Jeder der fällt hat Flügel (Those Who Fall Have Wings), Peter Brunner, Austria
Special Jury Mentions
La Montagne Magique, Anca Damian, Romania, France and Poland
Antonia, Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, Italy and Greece

Best Director: Visar Moring for Babai, Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia and France

Best Actress: Alena Mihulová in Domácí péče (Home Care), Slávek Horák, Czech Republic and Slovakia
Best Actor: Kryštof Hádek in Kobry a užovky (The Snake Brothers), Jan Prušinovský, Czech Republic

Grand Jury
Tim League, USA
Angelina Nikonova, Russia
Olafur Darri Olafsson, Iceland
Hengameh Panahi, France
Ondrej Zach, Czech Republic

East of the West Competition
Best Film: Szerdai gyerek (The Wednesday Child), Lili Horváth, Hungary and Germany
Special Jury Mention: Lumea e a mea (The World is Mine), Nicolae Constantin Tănase, Romania

Documentary Film Competition

Best Documentary Over 60 minutes: Mallory, Helena Třeštíková, Czech Republic
Special Mention: Vaterfilm (The Father Tapes), Albert Meisl, Austria

Best Documentary Under 30 minutes: Muerte Blanca (White Death), Roberto Collío, Chile
Special Mention: Women in Sink, Iris Zaki, Israel

Forum of Independents Competition: Tangerine, Sean Baker, USA
Audience Award: Youth, Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, France, Switzerland and UK

Non-Statutory Awards

FIPRESCI Award: Box, Florin Şerban, Romania, Germany and France
Europa Cinemas Label Award: Babai, Visar Morina, Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia and France

Ecumenical Jury Award: Bob and the Trees, Diego Ongaro, USA
Special Jury Mention: Pesn pesney (Song of Songs), Eva Neymann, Ukraine

Federation of Film Critics of Europe and The Mediterranean Award (FEDEORA)
Best Film of East of the West Competition (tie)
Sutak (Heavenly Nomadic), Mirlan Abdykalykov, Kyrgyzstan
Szerdai gyerek (The Wednesday Child), Lili Horváth, Hungary and Germany

Works in Progress Most Promising Project Award: Park, Sofia Exarchou, Greece

Crystal Globe of Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema: Richard Gere
Festival President’s Award for Contribution to Czech Cinematography: Iva Janžurová

Check video from fest with winners -is is Czech BUT check the clips for each of the winners (with English subtitles).



To check news at official site go here and download the 11/7/2015 Final Press Release.

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