A window to the world

Unusual stories captured in documentaries,animations that surpass the limits of imagination and feature films thatshowcase the world in just several minutes – an integral part of the KrakowFilm Festival are the screenings of the most important Polish documentaryfilms, short feature films and animations. Polish productions can be found inall three competition sections, as well as almost all non-competitive sectionsof the festival. The program also includes celebratory special events thatshowcase classic Polish documentaries.

Polish films in the international competitions

59. Krakow Film Festival will be opened on 26h Maywith a screening of “TheWind. A Documentary Thriller” directed by Michał Bielawski. The documentaryshowcasing the destructive force of the halny wind and the way it disrupts thelives of local inhabitants is one of the two Polish films, that will compete inthe international full length documentary competition. The second one is “Of Animals and Men” directed by Łukasz Czajka, a dramatic story, filled withfascinating archive materials, of a married couple the Żabinscy, who gaveshelter to almost 300 refugees from the ghetto during the occupation until thebreak of the Warsaw Uprising.

Polish productions will also be showcased in the international short film competition.Short documentaries, feature films and animations will compete for the awards ofthe Golden and Silver Dragon. The documentary “The Tough” by MarcinPolar will take viewers inside the recently discovered cave in the Tatras,allowing them to explore it with their own eyes, while the film “Connected” by Aleksandra Maciejczyk will allow us to empathize withthe situation of Krzysztof, who must watch the world through his wife’s eyes.Among the feature films in the international competition we can watch HelenaOborska’s “Bitten”, a mysterious story with the phenomenal MaryKomasa in the leading role and “It’s Good Like That” directed byMarcin Sauter – a contemplative journey of Nikodem, played by Adam Woronowicz,traveling through Spitsbergen tundra.

The Polish animations will be represented this year by “Portrait of Suzanne” by Izabela Plucińska – a grotesque story of a man whose foot turns into Suzanne’sformer lover, made in the plasticine animation technique for which the artistis most recognized for, “Vitae Azilia” by Joanna Wapniewska, a film fullof emotions and passions about a lost, but still vital relationship between twopeople and “ACID RAIN”, an animated record of the journey of Youngand Skinny to the ever more weird regions of the city and consciousness.

Bitten, dir. Helena Oborska

Polish competition of the 59th Krakow FilmFestival

– This willbe a young artists’ competition. In their documentaries they once again directthe lens on to their close ones, although it also happens that they reach tothe history of our country, to tell a story with their camera that is dramatic,individual, but important for us all. Even in miniatures, they search forinspiration in the lives of their grandparents. And as always, the animation triesto look at our world from a distance, from the perspective of the universe – theDirector of the Festival Krzysztof Gierat comments on the selection.

Documentariesin the Polish competition are both very intimate pictures of the family, as in “And We’ll Be Happy Again” by Krzysztof Wołżański or “The Last Voyage” by Stanisław Cousse, and portraits of unusual characters: Helena ,who has been working for 30 years in the center for lepers in “Nodirection home” by Paweł Wysoczański or artist Andrzej Strumiłło in thedocumentary “Summa” by Andrej Kuciła. The competition also includes filmsusing unusual archives and animations, such as Piotr Jaworski’s “The Antarctic Syndrome” about Dr. Terelak’s experiment, exploring the limitsof the human psyche under Antarctic isolation. As usual, there will be filmsabout the search for love “Love 404” by Agata Baumgart ordetermination to make your dreams come true “Strawberry Boys”,directed by Michał Toczek.

– The subject of the family returnsto the Krakow Film Festival. It is here not for the first time, but this year itclearly appears in a quite interesting, perhaps even surprising variant: thestory in which the grandparents of the main characters are entangled in.History turns out to be still alive, it is not a closed chapter, because itsenergy and consequences are passed on to next generations. In this group I wouldpay attention to such titles as “On strike!”, ” Ricochets” or “Never good”– says Dagmara Romanowska, KFF selector.

– Equally often the family isportrayed in the process of trauma or adaptation to the new situation.Sometimes it is a child’s partner that is not accepted by their parents or amove to another city. At other times the topic is loss and the emptiness thatis left behind – the death that destroys everything. At other times it is somesort of an anxiety that cannot be named, yet creeps in and disrupts a seeminglyhappy life. “Roots”, “Camouflage”, “View to thewall”, “Vacancy”, “It’s Good Like That”, “MyHeart” are all productions that put the family at the center of theirinterests – adds Dagmara Romanowska.

– In the Polish competition we will alsosee many animated novelties, freshly completed films that will have theirpremiere screenings in Krakow. A lot of films are great debuts, which is a goodsign of the ever-growing strength and potential of our animation. At the sametime, the incredible variety of competition films will surely satisfy the mostsophisticated appetites of animation lovers – says Robert Sowa, the selector ofthe Krakow Film Festival.

One shouldn’t miss the animations saturated with the atmosphere of anxiety such asGrzegorz Koncewicz’s The Idol, and Mateusz Jarmulski’s The Hunt as well as films commenting on contemporary society like Piotr Milczarek’s “Rain” or ”Story” by Jola Bańkowska and the funny, crazy and even surrealstories like “Kaprysia” Betina Bożek or “Metro” by Natalia Krawczuk.

Strawberry Boys, dir. Michał Toczek

Panorama of the Polish document

– In the Panorama of the Polish document section, we are bragging with what is the bestand the most original in Polish production. It is, next to the competition, themost powerful presentation of our documentary thought, which is admired  and even envied at international festival. Itis here, in Krakow that international careers often start – the Director of the Festival, Krzysztof Gierat,encourages.

Thanks to this section, viewers from Krakow will take a journey to Łódź thanks to Ewa Podgórska’s film “Diagnosis”, get to know the story of a neighboringcommunity and a couple of Warsaw tenement owners regained in thereprivatization in “Zlota Street”, a documentary by Tomasz Knittel,and take part in an expedition to K2 thanks “The Last Mountain” by Dariusz Załuski.

This year,the panorama of the Polish documentaries also showcases the portraits of cinemamasters like Witold Sobociński and Bogdan Dziworski, stories of people whowitnessed WWII cruelty as children, a story of a seafood farmer in the Japanese Sea and the search for the mysterious Tereska from David Seymour’s photography.

Polish films in non-competitive sections of the festival and special screenings

Polish films can be found in almost every section of this year’s festival. In the “Stories from the world” section, the Polish-Australian production “Polish Missionaries” by Simon Target will be presented. Target travels by kayak to inaccessible corners of Papua New Guinea, where Polishmissionaries and missionaries help the local community build a better future.

In the “Laureates of Festivals” section we can find Paweł Ziemilski’s “In Touch”, awarded at IDFA festival, presenting the village of Stare Juchy, fromwhere most of the residents emigrated to Iceland. The second winner of the Amsterdam festival, which will be shown in Krakow, is a short documentary “I Dance for You” by Katarzyna Lesisz. This section will also featureMałgorzata Bosek-Serafińska’s “Year” animation, awarded at the Etiuda& Anima festival, dedicated to the memory of Marek Serafiński. It’s a diarymade up of paper everyday waste like labels, price tags, tickets, etc. andcigarette packages burned by an addict.

I Dance for You, dir. Katarzyna Lesisz

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Documentary and Feature Film Studios and Educational Film Studios, special screenings of the Polish documentary classics by Bogdan Dziworski, Kazimierz Karabasz, Władysław Ślesicki, Jerzy Hoffman,Edward Skórzewski and Krzysztof Kieślowski will take place. The screenings willtake place in an extraordinary setting – the interior of the Barbican, a medieval fortification in the center of Krakow.

During thisedition of the Krakow Film Festival, the 15th anniversary of the death of Maciej Szumowski, a Krakow journalist and filmmaker, the legendary editor-in-chiefof “Gazeta Krakowska”, will be celebrated. In the program “Around Szumowski” in addition to films by Maciej Szumowski, theworks of his children – Małgorzata Szumowska and Wojciech Szumowski will alsobe presented.

More information about films

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A total of eleven Croatian films will screen at SEEfest (South East European Film Festival) taking place this year from May 1st to 8th in Los Angeles.

The official feature film section will screen Deep Cuts, an anthology directed byDubravka Turić (Cherries), Filip Mojzeš (The White Bone Death) and Filip Peruzović(Sinking Objects) – the SEEfest screening will be the film’s North American premiere.

The feature documentary film competition will include two Croatian films: Srbenka by Nebojša Sljepčević and Neighbours by writer, director and producer Tomislav Žaja. Both films will also be having their North American premieres in Los Angeles.

The 14th SEEfest will include the screenings of eight Croatian short films. The feature competition includes Tina & Sendy directed by Hani Domazet, Mouth of Truth by Barbara Vekić, The Last Well directed by Filip Filković and writer Velimir Grgić, the American-Croatian co-production Hands of Ours, a documentary film, which will have its world premiere at the festival, directed by Aida Vidan, and the animated films Cyclists by Veljko Popović, How Steel Was Tempered by Igor Grubić, The Ballad of Pipe and Necklace by Martin Babić, and Flimflam by Marko Belić.

Since 2006, through both its festival and organised screenings throughout the year, SEEfest has been a major promoter of the cultural diversity of South Eastern Europe.

More details are available at SEEfest’s official website.

Submit your project at Warsaw Kids Film Forum until the end of May.

The call for projects for the 3rd edition of Warsaw Kids Film Forum, an international coproduction forum aimed at children’s market, was lunched today.

WKFF is the industry part of the Kids Film Festival and will take place from 25th to 27th of September 2019.

Who are we?

WKFF is an event for film industry showcasing content for children and young audience. In 3 days, 30 projects form Poland and abroad will be presented on screen and watched by producers, broadcasters, sales agents and distributors.

Accompanying events include master classes, script and marketing consulting, case studies and workshops.

What kind of projects are we looking for?

- Projects from Poland and Europe which already have treatment or script, projects in development or at an early production stage.

- Projects that already have a producer and a script writer (director is not compulsory).

- Features and TV series: animated, documentaries, live-action, transmedia.

How to participate? 㱺 Click on: http://www.warsawkidsff.pl 㱺 click on the "Registration" button 㱺 fill in the form 㱺 upload the files 㱺 wait for a confirmation e-mail.

In case of questions or any issues with registration please contact the project coordinator Zosia Horszczaruk at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Who are the participants?

In order to meet a growing demand for networking between well-developed film industries and the emerging markets, we have hosted participants from various fields. The guests of previous editions included sales agents: Sola Media, Global Screen, Attraction Distribution, SF Filmindustri, Millimages as well as broadcasters: Canal +, NRK, YLE, NDR and Netherland Film Funds; representatives of the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Polish Film Institute.

The majority of attendees were the producers who visited us from countries like: Croatia, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Israel, Latvia, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Warsaw Kids Film Forum connects professionals from markets producing high quality children’s content with film makers from countries where kid’s productions need developing.

European organisations of authors welcome the final adoption of the Copyright Directive and call on EU Member States to seize this historical opportunity to improve the livelihoods of all authors and foster Europe’s creativity.

On 15 April 2019, the Council of the European Union formally adopted the Copyright Directive. Following the European Parliament’s landmark vote on 26 March 2019, this final approval concludes the legislative process and paves the way for the implementation of the Directive in all EU Member States.

The undersigned organisations of authors welcome the Council’s approval and congratulate the European Parliament, Member States and the European Commission for their intensive efforts in reaching such a positive and historical outcome, which honors Europe’s shared values and its investment in cultural diversity and creative talents. In particular, we warmly thank the European Parliament, which played a decisive role in strengthening the Directive’s provisions addressing the systemic weak bargaining position of authors in negotiating contracts, and promoting fair remuneration.

Our organisations and their members now call on all EU Member States to engage in an ambitious and constructive implementation of the Directive so that it honors its promises to improve the livelihoods of all authors and foster Europe’s creativity.

The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) represents over 50,000 professional composers and songwriters in 27 European countries. With 57 member organizations across Europe, the Alliance speaks for the interests of music creators of art & classical music (contemporary), film & audiovisual music, as well as popular music. Web: www.composeralliance.org - EU Transparency Register ID: 71423433087-91

EWC, founded in 1977 in Germany and newly constituted in 2006 in Brussels as an international non-profit organisation, the European Writers’ Council is the federation of 45 European national organisations of professional writers and literary translators in all genres in 34 countries. EWC’s members represent more than 160,000 authors in the book sector. Web: www.europeanwriterscouncil.eu - EU Transparency Register ID: 56788289570-24.

The Federation of European Film Directors (FERA), founded in 1980, represents film and TV directors at European level, with 43 directors’ associations as members from 33 countries. We speak for more than 20,000 European screen directors, representing their cultural, creative and economic interests. Web: www.filmdirectors.eu - EU Transparency Register ID: 29280842236-21

The Federation of Screenwriters Europe is a network of national and regional associations, guilds and unions of writers for the screen in Europe, created in June 2001. It comprises 25 organisations from 19 countries, representing more than 7,000 screenwriters in Europe. Web: www.scenaristes.org - EU Transparency Register ID: 642670217507-74

 

MALTA (April 16, 2019) - Australian born Maltese film director Julian Galea came to Malta to shoot his second movie following the success of his debut feature film Love to Paradise which won Best Film at Malta International Film Festival.

Galea can’t get enough of his mother country and while shooting in 2016 got the idea for the new film while he was eating pastizzi on the doorstep of his Aunty Carmen’s house in Spinola Bay.

Named after St. Julian, Galea wanted to showcase his namesake in the film.

“QUOTE” - “I’ve always grown up hearing from my father, who is from Mosta, and my mother, who is from St. Julian’s, that Malta was the most beautiful place in the world - I had no idea how right they were until I came here for the first time with my father many years ago. It made me appreciate Malta so much more and I’m very grateful”.

After honing his craft in New York working under big Hollywood Emmy Award Winning director Reed Morano (The Handmaid’s Tail), and living in Los Angeles to learn the business - Galea chose his motherland of Malta to shoot his films and make the most out of his insight.

“QUOTE” - “It’s obviously very different going from a large Hollywood film with mountains of money to riding Maltese buses with drivers screaming “Move back please!” and sharing hobz biz-zejt sandwiches with our international actors between locations. In the end though, we’re all after the same thing, and that’s getting the shot to tell your story”.

Galea’s hope with the new film is that it will help promote Malta as a filming location and tourist destination.

“QUOTE” - “While some people may have never been to Malta, I hope this film gives them a reason to want to come visit and perhaps the spark they needed to book a trip”.

Made in Malta will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates independent film and wants to see Malta on the big screen.

“QUOTE” - “It’s a love story which is easy for people to relate to and I feel grateful to have been able to bring this story to life in Malta”.

There is no stopping Galea, who has already started working on his third film which he plans to shoot after the release of Made in Malta.

“QUOTE” - “While I’m already in pre-production on my next film, I’m excited to be able to come and spend some more time in Malta over the next year. Who knows, with any luck I’ll be inspired to make another movie set it in Malta again. I do miss my hobz biz-zejt!”.

Made in Malta opens on May 8 at Eden Cinemas and is released by Galea Pictures.

For further information visit - madeinmaltamovie.com

For ticket sales visit - edencinemas.com.mt

For press inquiries contact - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please find attached the first press release of the 54th Karlovy Vary IFF.

The press release is available for downloading here. 

The visual of the 54th KVIFF are available for downloading here.

If you wish to obtain hi-res images from our website, please use the login  “press” and new password “2019”. A “Download” button then appears as you move the mouse cursor over the image. Please credit “Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary”.

Launched by the European Commission with the European Audiovisual Observatory who is managing the project, this new directory of European films will help professionals, the public authorities and citizens to find information about European films and their availability on-line in video-on-demand (VOD) services throughout the European Union. Access it free here.

LUMIERE VOD was launched today at the Council of Europe by Mariya Gabriel, the EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society and the Council’s Secretary General, Thorbjorn Jagland in the presence of Silvia Costa, MEP and Rapporteur for Creative Europe and President of the ARP, film maker Radu Milaileanu.

The database contains information on over 35 000European films offered 150 000 times on VOD. This data has been taken from 250 different VOD catalogues available in 28 European countries.

Today, just 29% of films offered by VOD services in the EU are European and until now there have been no European databases of films available on VOD, only national online tools. This is in spite of the fact that Europe is a major player in world cinema, with more than 18 000 films produced between 2007 and 2017 and a global production volume which has increased by 47 % between 2007 and 2017.

Mariya Gabriel, the Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, said: “Europe has been – and still is – a huge player when it comes to film production. It is up to us to ensure that European works enjoy the audience that they deserve. LUMIERE VOD, covering already more than 150 VOD services and 35 000 European films, is an initiative taken in the frame of  our #Digital4Culture strategy"

Susanne Nikoltchev, Executive Director of the European Audiovisual Observatory stated that “the creation of LUMIERE VOD is a logical development of the Observatory’s research and already valuable expertise concerning the VOD markets in Europe.”

Both the European Commission and the Observatory hope that this new platform will provide greater transparency concerning the European VOD market. It may indeed help increase the presence, visibility and circulation of European films across borders.

With further developments, this tool could additionally provide an indication of the level of implementation of the quota of 30 % of European works for VOD services contained in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and thus contribute  to the policy objective to ensure and increase the presence of European works in VOD services available in the European Union.

The launch of LUMIERE VOD was made possible thanks to the support of Amazon Prime Video, Ampere Analysis, Apple, CNC, EuroVOD, FilmDoo, Filmin, Filmtoro JustWatch, Kino Fondas, La Cinetek, La Pantalla Digital, Le Kino.ch, Mediathèque Numérique, Netflix, realeyz, uncut, UniversCiné, VOD Club, VOD.lu, Vodeville.

The European Audiovisual Observatory

Set up in December 1992, the European Audiovisual Observatory's mission is to gather and distribute information on the audiovisual industry in Europe. The Observatory is a European public service body comprised of 41 member states and the European Union, represented by the European Commission. It operates within the legal framework of the Council of Europe and works alongside a number of partner and professional organisations from within the industry and with a network of correspondents. In addition to contributions to conferences, other major activities are the publication of a Yearbook, newsletters and reports, the compilation and management of databases and the provision of information through the Observatory’s Internet site (http://www.obs.coe.int)

goEast 2019 – Winners Announced at Festival of Central andgoEast 2019 – Winners Announced at Festival of Central andEastern European Film: Main Prize for ACID // Best DirectorGoes to THE GENTLE INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD

ACID (KISLOTA, Russia, 2018, directed by Alexander Gorchilin; production: Sabina Eremeeva) is the winner of the main award at the 19th edition of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film – the Golden Lilly for Best Film, endowed with 10,000 euros in prize money. The five-member international jury under the direction of Teona Strugar Mitevska justified their choice by observing that the masterful debut film manages to make the energy and desperation of the millennial generation tangible. As the jury emphasised in their statement: “This is a brilliantly written and constructed story, convincing from the beginning through the end in the way it follows its characters in their urban contemporary setting.”

The evening awards ceremony at Caligari FilmBühne served as a fitting grand finale for goEast 2019. Following on a week full of cinema, virtual reality, discussions, lectures and exhibitions, featuring screenings of 109 films and more than 200 film guests from the international cinema scene, the winners of the Competition were revealed and awards with a total value of 36,000 euros were presented.

Adilkhan Yerzhanov won the Award of the City of Wiesbaden for Best Director (endowed with a prize of 7,500 euros) with THE GENTLE INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD (LAZKOVOE BEZRAZLICHIE MIRA, Kazakhstan, France, 2018). As the jury explained in their statement: “Set in a world full of absurdity and indifference, this film is a visually stunning and moving drama about love, the complexity of human conditions and relationships, seasoned with deadpan humour. This is modern and classic cinema in the same package, which confirms the director as an auteur power.” The jury praised the director’s artistic talent for details, evident in frames full of poetic beauty, minimalist yet stylised interiors, calm but expressive faces and rich and colourful landscapes.

The film HOME GAMES (DOMASHNI IGRI, Ukraine, France, Poland, 2018, directed by Alisa Kovalenko) was honoured with the Award of the Federal Foreign Office for Cultural Diversity, accompanied by prize money in the amount of 4,000 euros. The film, which portrays a young Ukrainian woman pursuing her dream of a professional football career with persistence and conviction in spite of her socially precarious family situation, inspires hope, according to the jury, which commented further: “This film treats the idea of new family structures in multiple regards, and on many levels as well as in diverse forms.”

The jury presented an Honourable Mention to COLD NOVEMBER (NËNTOR, FTOHTË, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, 2018, directed by Ismet Sijarina) for “bravely and truthfully telling the story of national trauma through the perspective of a person next door.” The film, set in Pristina in 1992, addresses the war in former Yugoslavia while telling a tale of everyday life and survival in the darkest of times.

Festival director Heleen Gerritsen expressed her happiness at the realisation of another successful edition of goEast: “goEast 2019 was once again characterised by an incredible amount of diversity in genres and by genuine dialogue: at the film talks, in the cinemas, but also at the parties and interdisciplinary event series ‘Pan-European Picnic’, filmmakers and artists from Central and Eastern Europe and the audience from Wiesbaden and the surrounding area came into contact with one another. Our efforts to establish a stronger presence for the festival out in the city definitely paid off.”

The FIPRESCI International Film Critic’s Award in the fiction feature category went to THE GENTLE INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD (LAZKOVOE BEZRAZLICHIE MIRA, Kazakhstan, France, 2018, directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov) “for a colourful fairy tale composed through camera-driven humour,” as the jury put it in their statement. The film relates the bittersweet story of a Kazakh family as a mafia tragicomedy with existential underpinnings à la Camus.

In the documentary film category, STRIP AND WAR (Belarus, Poland, 2019, directed by Andrei Kutsila) took home the second FIPRESCI Prize. The jury honoured the documentary film about a war veteran and his stripper grandson (which celebrated its world premiere at goEast) “for the detached representation of the coexistence of different values and generations”.

For their piece AFTERMATH VR: EUROMAIDAN, artist duo Alexey Furman and Sergiy Polezhaka received the Open Frame Award for virtual reality works, presented by the BHF BANK Foundation and endowed with prize money in the amount of 5,000 euros. In the duo’s VR project, the viewer slips into the role of a demonstrator during the protests at Kiev’s Maidan Square. According to the jury, the work transforms the beholder into an active participant who can intervene in events through a combination of immersive storytelling and the interactive potential of virtual reality, adding further: “The experience leaves a lasting impression, creating a memory over time [with this] unique journalistic format [that] bears a great potential for social relevancy.”

The jury awarded an Honourable Mention to TRAIL OF ANGELS by Kristina Buožytė for the film’s great display of creative ingenuity. “The challenge of creating a poetic journey through the imagery of a traditional painter has been done respectfully and intelligently,” as the jury explained in their statement.

This year saw the first presentation of the RheinMain Short Film Award, supported by Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain and endowed with 2,500 euros in prize money. The jury, composed of representatives of cultural associations from the Rhine-Main region with an Eastern European focus, selected I CAN BARELY REMEMBER THE DAY (MALO SE SJEĆAM TOG DANA, Croatia, 2018), a directorial debut from Croatian actor Leon Lučev, explaining their choice by noting that the film adeptly interweaves contrasting themes of life and death, joy and grief with one another. “The director develops that which the protagonist is incapable of expressing through the cinematography, the choice of stylistic devices as well as the brilliant performances from the ensemble cast. This is a touching film,” as the jury emphasised.

The project THE MOTHERS’ CRUSADE (Belarus, directed by Alexander Mihalkovich) won the inaugural edition of the Renovabis Research Grant (3,500 euros) for a planned documentary film treating civil and/or minority rights. The jury chose to honour this story about women in Belarus who are fighting back against abuse in a powerful male-dominated institution, namely the country’s military. “We appreciate the perspective of one mother’s courageous struggle, which gives us an insight into a much broader culture of violence in Belarus,” as the jury explained in their statement.

LANDING by Moldavia’s Ksenia Ciuvaseva was honoured with the goEast Development Award, sponsored by Russian Standard Vodka and endowed with prize money in the amount of 3,500 euros, as the best project in the scope of the East-West Talent Lab. The jury emphasised that the film is a very personal story that explores such grand themes as loss, absence and love, adding: “The filmmaker and her father are both trying to bridge a gap in time and space through the exchange of video letters. We are looking forward to seeing where this journey will take both of them.”

For 2019, goEast media partner 3sat, which has offered to purchase one film from the programme for broadcast annually since the festival’s inception, has chosen the Competition entry MOMENTS (CHVILKY, Czech Republic, Slovakia 2018) by Beata Parkanová. The film will celebrate its television premiere on 3sat co-inciding with goEast’s 2020 edition.

The 19th edition of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film took place from 10 to 16 April in Wiesbaden, Germany. Among the highlights, in addition to an exciting Competition section, were appearances by internationally celebrated filmmakers such as Krzysztof Zanussi, Sergei Loznitsa and Jury President Teona Strugar Mitevska. The Symposium, under the title “Constructions of the Other: Roma and the Cinema of Central and Eastern Europe”, and the interdisciplinary event series “Pan-European Picnic” were also met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the festival audience and the festival’s many guests from the worlds of academia and filmmaking.

Here is an overview of this year’s prize winners:

Golden Lilly for Best Film ACID / KISLOTA, Russia, 2018, directed by Alexander Gorchilin; production: Sabina Eremeeva

Award of the City of Wiesbaden for Best Director THE GENTLE INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD / LASKOVOE BEZRAZLICHIE MIRA, Kazakhstan, France, 2018, directed by Adlikhan Yerzhanov

Award of the Federal Foreign Office for Cultural Diversity HOME GAMES / DOMASHNI IGRI, Ukraine, France, Poland, 2018, directed by Alisa Kovalenko

Honorable Mention COLD NOVEMBER / NËNTOR, FTOHTË, Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia 2018, directed by Ismet Sijarina

International Film Critic’s Award – FIPRESCI (fiction feature) THE GENTLE INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD / LAZKOVOE BEZRAZLICHIE MIRA, Kazakhstan, France, 2018, directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov

International Film Critic’s Award – FIPRESCI (documentary film) STRIP AND WAR / Belarus, Poland, 2019, directed by Andrei Kutsila

Open Frame Award AFTERMATH VR: EUROMAIDAN, Ukraine, 2018, directed by Alexey Furman and Sergiy Polezhaka

RheinMain Short Film Award I CAN BARELY REMEMBER THE DAY / MALO SE SJEĆAM TOG DANA, Croatia, 2018, directed by Leon Lučev

Renovabis Research Grant THE MOTHERS’ CRUSADE, Belarus, directed by Alexander Mihalkovich

goEast Development Award LANDING, Moldavia, directed by Ksenia Ciuvaseva

You can find photo materials in our download section: www.filmfestival-goeast.de/de/presse/downloads

goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film is hosted by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum and made possible with the support of numerous partners. Primary funding partners are the State Capital Wiesbaden, the Hessen State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts, Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland, Renovabis, BHF BANK Foundation, Adolf und Luisa Haeuser-Stiftung für Kunst und Kulturpflege, the German Federal Foreign Ministry and Deutsch-Tschechische Zukunftsfonds. Media partners include 3sat, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Deutschlandfunk Kultur.

EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2019 OPENS FOR SUBMISSIONS

EnergaCAMERIMAGE, the biggest international film festival devoted to the art and craft of cinematography has launched the selection process for its 27th edition taking place on November 9-16 in Torun, Poland.

All filmmakers, producers and distributors are invited to submit feature films, documentaries, music videos, TV pilots and student etudes for the festival's consideration.

Please note the submission deadlines and do not miss your chance to submit your films, pilots or music videos. From now on we are accepting entries, so please go to EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2019 >> Submit your project to fill out an appropriate online entry form. See more details below.

In addition to the numerous out-of-competition festival sections, there will be a number of competitions included in the program. We now accept submissions for the following:

● Main Competition (fiction films)
● Student Etudes Competition (fiction etudes)
● Polish Films Competition (fiction films)
● Documentary Shorts Competition - up to 40 minutes running time
● Documentary Features Competition - over 40 minutes running time
● Music Videos Competition (official music videos)
● Directors' Debuts Competition (fiction films)
● Cinematographers' Debuts Competition (fiction films)
● First Look - TV Pilots Competition (pilots or 1st episodes of TV series)

Before submitting your entry, please read the TERMS AND CONDITIONS of the competitions available at our website and make sure you are able to provide an appropriate preview screener (online screeners accepted) and a final screening copy. To check out the Terms and Conditions and to fill out a film submission form go HERE.

DEADLINES: 

Main Competition 
Directors' Debuts Competition 
Cinematographers' Debuts Competition 
Polish Films Competition 
- early deadline: May 31, 2019 (no fee) 
- late entry deadline: June 30, 2019 late entry fee required: PLN 300 (approx. 70 euro)

Documentary Features Competition 
Documentary Shorts Competition 
- deadline: 30 June, 2019 (no fee) 

Music Videos Competition 
First Look - TV Pilots Competition 
Student Etudes Competition 
- deadline: 31 July, 2019 (no fee) 

Please note that EnergaCAMERIMAGE Festival is an ACADEMY AWARD® qualifying festival in the Documentary Short Subject category. This means that the winners of the Golden Frog in Documentary Shorts Competition will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual ACADEMY AWARDS® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

EnergaCAMERIMAGE Festival has also been named a STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD® qualifying festival which means that all films nominated in the Student Etudes Competition at EnergaCAMERIMAGE will qualify for consideration of the Student Academy Awards®, provided the filmmakers will otherwise comply with the Academy Rules, including being a full time student of an eligible film school and making the film as a part of the school work.

Join the selection process and see you at EnergaCAMERIMAGE!