POLISH FILMS WIN AWARDS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
There still seem to be some awards left in store for Julia Orlik's “I'm Here” and Mariusz Wilczyński's “Kill It and Leave This Town”. This time, the award-winning animated films received even more prizes at Anifilm in the Czech Republic. Another award was also given to the Polish co-production for children – “Even Mice Belong in Heaven” by Denisa Grimmová and Jan Bubeníček.
The organisers of Anifilm set themselves the goal of presenting current trends, modern technologies, and animation techniques. The event isn't only a festival space for cinema buffs eager to watch multiple excellent films, but also a perfect place for meetings and confrontations for industry representatives. The festival supports animators, producers, and distributors currently working on new projects.
In addition to the awarded animated films, the program also included other Polish productions. Yelyzaveta Pysmak's “My Fat Arse and I”, Daria Kopiec's “Your Own Bullshit”, and Justyna Pazdan's “Anemone Temple” also completed for awards. The non-competitive segment featured Edyta Adamczak's “Eatself”.
Recognised as the best student animation of the festival “I'm Here” tells the story of an elderly man who is looking after his paralysed wife. Despite his old age and own health issues, he tries his best to alleviate her suffering, which is getting more severe every day. He is aided by his daughter, who tries to reconcile the care given to her mother with her own work at the hospital and her personal life. Each of them has different views on how the woman should be looked after, which leads to many arguments.
In turn, “Kill It and Leave This Town”, which received the award for best animated feature is about a man who – fleeing despair after the loss of his loved ones – hides in a safe land of memories, where time stands still and all his loved ones are still alive. Over the years, the city keeps developing in his imagination. One day, childhood heroes and idols known from literature and cartoons, who are eternally young in the minds of future generations, arrive uninvited. When the protagonist discovers that everyone has grown old and there is no such thing as eternal youth, he decides to return to real life.
The Audience Award went to the Polish co-production “Even Mice Belong in Heaven”. The script, based on the book by Iva Procházkowa, tells the story of two mortal enemies – the little mouse Whizzy and Whitebelly the fox who – as a result of an unfortunate accident – meet in animal heaven. Both protagonists lose their natural instincts and become best friends over time. Together they set off on a journey not only to find the mouse's Dad, but most of all to find themselves and face their own weaknesses. The film “Even Mice Belong in Heaven” is about hope, love, and courage. It is a story of friendship that seems impossible.
The complete list of winners can be found here.