CRYSTAL STATUETTE FOR "ECHO"
In the past twelve months “Echo” directed by Magnus von Horn was invited to more than 30 international film festivals becoming one of the most often screened Polish short films abroad. Apart from many awards “Echo” has been receiving appreciation by gaining numerous special mentions as well. Recently the film has been honoured with Grand Prix of the 5th International Film Festival “In the Family Circle” in Russia.
The Jury of the 5th International Film Festival “In the Family circle” in Russian Yekaterinburg handed the award to Magnus von Horn’s short film for: “revealing and understanding the problem concerning the crisis of family bonds in the present world”.
„Echo” – produced at Polish National Film School in Łódź – is a story of two teenage boys who brutally killed their friend. Helped by a police psychologist they are reconstructing the chronological order of events. Gradually, they begin to realize the noxiousness of the murder and its consequences. However, they will not discover the scale of the crime until they meet the victim’s parents. The viewer is whitnessing the slow process of coming to understanding the scale of commited crime and racking emotions the characters are facing.
Tragic story of teenage criminals shown by Magnus von Horn has become extremely popular at numerous film festivals abroad, also those significantly important when it comes to short film production such as in 2009: Festival Tous Courts Aix-en-Provence (France), Munich International Festival of Film Schools (Germany), Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal (Canada), Odense Film Festival (Denmark), Short Film Corner at Festival de Cannes (France) and following in 2010: Sundance Film Festival (USA), Worldwide Short Film Festival (Canada), Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Japan), Curtas Vila do Conde (Portugal) and Melbourne International Film Festival (Australia).
Numerous successes of “Echo” can be measured by following awards: Grand Prix at Festival Tous Courts, Aix-en-Provence in France (2009) and at Open St. Petersburg Student Film Festival “Beginning” in Russia, the award for the best film made by a young filmmaker at Munich International Festival of Film Schools, Horizon Award at 24fps International Short Film Festival in USA or main prize of Alpinale Shortfilmfestival Nenzing in Austria.
Magus von Horn was born in 1983 in Göteborg (Sweden). He studied Film Theory at Göteborg University (2002-2003) and then worked as an assistant camera operator on several Swedish film productions (2003-2004). Since 2004 he has been studying Film Directing at the Film School in Łódź. He has made a number of short documentary and fiction films, which include “Radek” (2006), “Milk Teeth” (2007), “Odlot” (2008) and above mentioned “Echo” (2009).
More information on IFF “In the family circle” can be found at www.vkrugu7i.ru