Winners of the 66th Krakow Film Festival!
Yesterday marked the close of a great celebration of documentary, animated and short cinema – the 66th Krakow Film Festival officially came to an end during a ceremonial gala in a packed Kino Kijów. It was there that filmmakers from around the world awaited the announcement of the jury verdicts, and the audience discovered the films awarded in this year’s competitions. Among them were also exceptional short films – fiction, documentary and animation – which impressed the juries with their courage, form and storytelling power. Meet the Polish winners of the short film competitions at the 66th KFF!
The jury of the National Competition for short films, comprising Olga Bobrowska, Łukasz M. Maciejewski, and Maria Zbąska – having watched all competition entries – decided to award three Golden Hobby-Horses. The Golden Hobby-Horse for Best Short Fiction went to Alexandra ‘Sasha’ Kutsen for They Were All Named Anzhelika. The jury honoured the film: For its colourful, frenetic, and mischievous tale reminding us that the pressure to succeed is a prison, while freedom lies in the right to make mistakes.
The Golden Hobby-Horse for Best Short Documentary was awarded to Jakub Piątek for Bacewicz x Bomsori. The verdict reads: Once we fall in love with the protagonist, all theoretical justifications become irrelevant. For a simple and beautiful portrait in which one artist is reflected in another across the boundaries of time and space.
The Golden Hobby-Horse for Best Short Animation went to Alicja Jasina for Almost There or a Weenie. The jury offered the following justification: A simple yet striking visual form provides a splendid foundation for a story that emerges partly from the gut, partly from the heart — humanly ordinary and, for precisely that reason, utterly convincing. An absolute belter.
The Silver Dragon for the Director of the Best Documentary Film went to Paweł Chorzępa for The Tuners. The jury offered the following justification: Discovering tension and suspense in the most unexpected of places, the film draws our attention to people who usually work in the shadows. This documentary elevates craftspeople to the status of key workers, while keeping the audience on the edge of their seats until the very end.
The Award of the Polish Association of Art-House Cinemas for the maker of a first or second fiction film – in the form of promotional distribution support to the value of PLN 5,000 – was presented to the film Ghosts, directed by Karol Ulman. The jury’s verdict underscored: Karol Ulman’s Ghosts, an auteur tribute to Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s famous Night Train, approaches the subject of confronting the past in an extraordinarily subtle and poetic manner. Thoughtful cinematic language combined with excellent performances ensure that in the space of just several minutes we are presented with a complete work – a story that invites reflection and multi-layered interpretation.
A Special Mention from the Polish Association of Art-House Cinemas went to Song of the Night directed by Oskar Sadowski. The justification reads: Song of the Night by Oskar Sadowski tackles an important and timely issue with remarkable courage – one that remains taboo for many. The outstanding and surprising performances deserve particular praise.
More informations can be found here.