On Sunday, September 15, the 19th edition of the Cinematik International Film Festival came to a close in the evening hours. Seven festival cinemas screened almost 100 feature-length and short films, often to fully sold-out theaters. The festival set new attendance records.

The international competition, titled Meeting Point Europe, showcases the best of European feature films from the past year. The winners are chosen by a jury of 15 film critics from the FIPRESCI federation.

Among the nominees were several prestigious award recipients from world festivals and notable national representatives. This year, the Cinematik jury awarded the Meeting Point Europe prize to the British co-production The Substance (2024), directed by Coralie Fargeat. The film follows aging television star Elisabeth Sparkle (played by Demi Moore), who is given the opportunity to try a miraculous substance that can make her younger, more beautiful, and perfect. However, there is a catch – she must share her time with her new self, Sue (played by Margaret Qualley), alternating weeks between the two. This extraordinary piece of modern cinema was seen by nearly a thousand viewers at the festival.

Festival audiences also selected their own favorite film through voting and ratings. The Audience Award of the 19th Cinematik festival went to the American-British-Georgian film Tatami (2023), co-directed by Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv. The film tells the story of Iranian judoka Leila (played by Arienne Mandi) and her coach Maryam (played by Zar Amir Ebrahimi) as they travel to the World Judo Championships, aiming to bring home Iran's first gold medal. Midway through the tournament, they receive an order from the Islamic Republic for Leila to fake an injury and lose, or else she will be branded a traitor to the state. With her freedom and that of her family at stake, Leila faces an impossible choice: obey her regime, as her coach urges, or fight for gold.

The second competition at Cinematik, Cinematik.doc, focuses on domestic filmmakers, with Slovak documentarians competing for awards. The Cinematik.doc Literary Fund Award went to Daniela Meressa Rusnoková for her film Grey Zone (2024). The film is a cinematic essay, a personal story, and a tribute to mothers and families of prematurely born children, high-risk newborns, and vulnerable, disadvantaged individuals. The jury praised the film for its “extraordinarily convincing, sensitive, and personal portrayal of motherhood and the care of premature infants, a topic whose everyday aspects are mostly socially invisible.”

The Mayor of Piešťany Award was given to director Paula Ďurinová for her documentary Lapilli (2024). The film is an intimate journey that delves deep into the solid matter of the earth. Traveling through diverse rocky landscapes, the director comes to terms with the sudden loss of her grandparents. The jury’s statement: “We honor the film for pushing the boundaries of audiovisual storytelling towards poetry and philosophy, and for its inventive portrayal of the grieving process, in which human time is compared with the geological time of the Earth.”

The 20th edition of the Cinematik International Film Festival will take place from September 10 to 15, 2025, in Piešťany.

Press Release Contact: Peter Konečný
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The upcoming seventh edition of the established industry event European Work in Progress Cologne (EWIP) has seen a new record number of submissions. Over 220 projects have been submitted by film makers all over Europe to get one of the highly desired spots at EWIP. Up to 30 participants of EWIP will be chosen by end of September. The plentitude of interested film makers is a clear sign for the ever rising relevance of the event among its peers.

EWIP will take place in Cologne from 14 to 16 October 2024 and is significantly supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, one of the leading film funding institutions in Europe, the Creative Europe MEDIA programme of the European Union and the City of Cologne. It is thanks to the support of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW that EWIP could be launched and has been able to establish itself in the European film industry over the past seven years. The firmly established industry event also takes place in co-operation with the Film Festival Cologne, KölnBusiness as well as the Creative Europe Desks Germany and the International Film Distribution Summit – IFDS. Since its beginnings, EWIP has taken place in the run-up to the Film Festival Cologne.

EWIP offers buyers, industry delegates and journalists the opportunity to get an overview of the latest and most exciting film projects at an advanced stage of production. The 30 or so carefully selected European co-productions will present their current state of development, show first scenes and pitch their plans in order to attract the best partners for the further production process and evaluation phases within the EWIP platform. An international jury consisting of seven renowned industry experts will choose the most promising projects as winners of the EWIP Awards.

If you have any requests for material, are interested in an interview or have any questions, please contact the responsible press agency mm filmpresse, Sylvia Müller, tel. 030 – 41 71 57 22, mueller@mm-filmpresse.de and Claudia Hegner, tel. 03741 – 55 03 414, hegner@mm-filmpresse.de.

"Cinema stands for diversity!"

A joint call to safeguard democracy and stand up for diversity and exchange across borders and cultures ended this year's General Assembly of the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas – CICAE on the 15th of May 2024 in Cannes.The participating cinemas and associations from 17 countries likewise called on EU citizens to exercise their right to vote in the European elections on 6-9 June 2024.

Arthouse cinemas around the world are committed to programmes that showcase diversity and artistic freedom, sometimes under difficult circumstances. As crucial cultural hubs for their local communities and through open exchange with audiences, filmmakers and their works, cinemas promote tolerance, freedom of expression and provide a crucial space for core democratic values as a whole. With its projects and actions, the CICAE continues to support cinemas in countries where these values are increasingly under threat or no longer existing at all. This increasing threat makes it all the more crucial that democracy, for example through elections, is practised by everyone.

For CICAE President Dr Christian Bräuer, it is clear that cinemas, as places of democracy, require special protection: "Those who support independent cinemas, with their diverse programmes, festivals and series for audiences of all sizes and ages and their mission to provide a forum for different ideas and cultural expressions, are strengthening any open society. Our appeal is therefore also directed at politicians to recognise the value of cinemas for the community and to ensure their survival."

Expansion of Activities to Strengthen International Collaboration across the Sector

The CICAE itself is expanding its activities to enable international collaboration across the sector following the relocation of the renowned global initiative Arthouse Cinema Training (19-25 August 2024) to Berlin and the change in management to Sebastian Naumann. The international members of the association’s Board of Directors have been working on numerous projects. These include the development of the global day of action of independent cinemas, the European Arthouse Cinema Day on 17 November 2024, and the expansion of the Arthouse Cinema Awards, in which juries of cinema exhibitors at international festivals around the world shine a spotlight on films with special cultural and artistic value. A new addition, following the spirit of international collaboration, is the platform Arthouse Cinema Hub, which enables cinemas around the world to share best practice and highlight their work and initiatives (www.arthousecinemahub.com).

Taking Stock: The State of the Sector

During the well-attended members' meeting, hosted by CICAE president Christian Bräuer, attendees from across the world presented and discussed current developments. Despite significant challenges representatives from most territories expressed optimistim about the future of the sector and reaffirmed the continuous key role of independent and arthouse cinemas for cultural diversity and the wellbeing of the international audiovisual ecosystem. In the afternoon, the members met for several workshops to develop perspectives for the association’s projects and activities.

For Christian Bräuer, international collaboration and exchange remains crucial for the wellbeing of cinemas everywhere and, by extension, for the wellbeing of the audiovisual sector as a whole.

"Running an arthouse cinema is becoming increasingly complex and demanding everywhere!", says Bräuer. "In the ‚Filterworld‘ age where algorithms dictate what we see on our small screens, cinemas offer people a unique cultural forum where audiences can engage with and focus on a wide range of programmes and perspectives. They remain the last mile for any film to reach and form a connection with their audiences. Since the end of the pandemic, audiences are returning in droves, led by the enthusiastic embrace of the cinematic experience by younger people “.

Yet, cinemas are threatened, says Bräuer, by exponential growth of operating costs and an increasingly unfavourable political climate. Bräuer:

„In order to continue their crucial mission, cinemas require political support, tailor-made funding, and regulations that provide an equitable playing field for all actors within the audiovisual ecosystem“.

 

Berlin, Germany - February 24, 2024 -Today were announced the winners of the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. Recognizing exceptional artistry and storytelling in independent cinema, the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award is given at major international festivals by an international jury of arthouse cinema exhibitors and programmers, which aims at bringing high-quality films to the arthouse cinemas. The Jury is composed of arthouse cinema exhibitors and members of the association, who apply through our website to become part of this initiative. In the case of Berlinale, the festival hosts yearly two CICAE juries, one in the Panorama Section, and the second one in the Forum Section.  

CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award - Panorama  

The Panorama Jury proudly awarded the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award to the Norwegian film "Sex" directed by Dag Johan Haugerud. The film captivated the jury with its poignant exploration of relationships, and societal norms. In their statement, the jury highlighted “the film's ability to blend humor and introspection to challenge normative images of men and society in urban Norway”. They praised the film's “strong but gentle sense of humor and its depiction of characters unafraid to express their feelings”. The jury also commended the film's “formal intelligence, which combines cinematic movements with majestic musical interludes, offering audiences a window into the constant changes and questioning of modern society” (full statement below) 

CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award - Forum 

Meanwhile, the Forum Jury honored the German film "Shahid" directed by Narges Kalhor with the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award. The jury applauded the film for “its bold and multi-layered approach, tearing down conventions and borders”. They lauded the director's ability to “balance reality and fiction, humor and tragedy, and various art forms and emotions, creating a powerful cinematic experience”. "Shahid" was celebrated for its honest and intimate portrayal of significant issues, coupled with self-irony and grace. (full statement below) 

The jury panels, composed of distinguished arthouse cinema exhibitors and professionals from across Europe, including Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Romania, carefully deliberated to select the winners. 

Panorama Jury members 

• Victor Courgeon - Melies, Montreuil, France. 

• Anna Kruse - Capitol, Marburg, Germany. 

• Ilona Van Heeckeren - Natlab, Eindhoven, Netherlands. 

Forum Jury members:  

• Anca Caramelea - Cinema ARTA, Romania. 

• Andrea Crozzoli - Cinemazero, Italy. 

• Stefan Malešević - De Balie, Netherlands 

The Arthouse Cinema Award helps the films towards distribution, by systematically informing the over 2,400 member cinemas and the numerous contacts in its network.  

As part of the award, the members of the CICAE will receive a special newsletter with a "Film in Focus", which will include information on the awarded films: synopsis, cast and technical information, international sales and distributors contacts, promotional material and when possible a screener of the film. 

The CICAE will also communicate about the Arthouse Cinema Award also in our monthly newsletter, which reaches over 4,000 contacts among which the CICAE members, film professionals, partners and supporters of the association. Likewise, the CICAE will promote the awarded films on all our social media channels, mainly Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. 

The CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award celebrates outstanding filmmaking that challenges, inspires, and resonates with audiences on a profound level. The winners, "Sex" and "Shahid," exemplify the power of cinema to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and foster understanding. 

For more information about the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award, please visit https://cicae.org/activities/awards 

Contact: Dominga Ortuzar 
dominga.ortuzar@cicae.org 

Mark your calendar to join hands with hundreds of arthouse cinemas across the world to celebrate and take a stand for democracy and (film-) cultural diversity: The 9^th edition of the European Arthouse Cinema Day will take place on 17 November 2024.

We look forward to celebrating the richness and diversity of arthouse Cinemas and European films with you. Registrations will open in the summer on our website. You can also stay up to date by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

An introductory session with information on how to participate as well as how to make the best the event will take place online on Wednesday 3 July at 2:00 p.m. CET. You can join the session at the link below (on Zoom)

For additional information please contact Quentin Bucher, Project Manager:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION OF INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE CINEMAS

The EACD is a call to action and the day where arthouse cinemas across the world join hands to showcase their vital role in preserving cultural diversity and democratic life. Especially in this pivotal election year, with crucial votes held in Europe, the US, India and beyond, the EACD highlights this unique role by sending a clear message: the arthouse movement stands up for tolerance, democracy and open exchanges beyond borders and cultures.

 

1. International ambassadors of the EACD 2024: filmmakers and actors from different countries will support the event by promoting it, and participating in events on the day
2. Free artwork and marketing materials for your cinema
3. Marketing guidelines to support your local actions
4. Opportunities to connect with cinemas worldwide
5. Sources for great films with lists of recommended films for various audiences from our international partner institutions
6. Promotion and activities on our social media channels

 

Young Horizons Industry announce 10 projects which will take part in the Project Pool section and open registration for script, IP building and marketing, and green filming consultations with experts. 

Project Pool 

The aim of the new section called Project Pool is to create an extra space for projects which are looking for partners. Each project in this section will get its own table for 1:1 meetings with potential partners and extra visibility at the forum.

List of selected projects

• “Alert Little Eyes”, animated series, Studio Filmów Rysunkowych, Poland
• “Biscuit, The Enormous Bee”, animated series, Gloaming Productions / Seymour & Otto, United Kingdom
• “Cloudy & Stormy”, animated series, Laniakea Pictures, Poland
• “Do the Dead Eat Strawberry Cake?”, live-action series, Blue Duck Arts, Hungary
• “Fantasylum”, animated film, Mizar Films, co-producer Kinhouse, Poland
• “Gaja’s World – Follow Me”, live-action film, Felina Films, Slovenia 
• “Hello, Oscar!”, animated series, Atom Art, Latvia
• “Kosmix: Secret Mission”, animated film, Krutart, Czechia
• “Toink!”, animated series, Animal Tank, Belgium
• “Zabavia”, animated series, MOREFILM, Poland

 Project Pool titles joined previously selected 21 projects which will be pitched on stage during the forum. 

Full list of projects: https://industry.younghorizons.pl/projects/

Consult your project with experts

Registration for 45-minute consultations is now open. This year, creators can book a meeting with three experts: Marina Narishkin, an international expert in the Business of Entertainment, Serial Entrepreneur, IP Brand Builder, Heiko Martens, a dramaturge script doctor and co-author in all stages of fictional material development, from rough pitch to finished script, and Laila Lala, a green consultant and a founder a Greenigma.

Consultants’ Tables is a place where screenwriters or producers can discuss scripts and marketing or sustainability strategies for their projects. Consultations will be held on 1 and 2 October during the forum. People who cannot come to Warsaw can book online consultation.

More information on how to book a consultation: https://industry.younghorizons.pl/news/consultants-tables-registration-is-open/

Accreditation for Young Horizons Industry are on sale until 23 September. 

Young Horizons Industry is co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, Creative Europe MEDIA sub-programme, City of Warsaw, and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage within a frame of the Polish Creative Industries Development Center programme "Rozwój Sektorów Kreatywnych", and organised in partnerships with Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission, ORKA, FIXAFILM, Wroclaw Feature Film Studio, Animond, No Problemo Music, Łódź Film Commission, Silesian Film Fund, Podkarpackie Regional Film Fund, Krakow Film Fund and Malopolska Film Fund of the Small Forms, Polish Producers Alliance (KIPA), Polish Animation Producers Association (SPPA), Crew United, m:brane, CEEA Forum, Animarkt Stop Motion Forum, Animation Production Days, Just Film Industry Days, Coprocity, Children's Media Foundation. 

Media patrons: Cineuropa, Film New Europe, C21Media, Licencing Magazine, Skwigly 

Under the patronage of the Polish Screenwrites' Guild.

The 15th edition of New Horizons Studio+ took place from the 18th till 21st of July during the 24. mBank New Horizons International Film Festival (18-28 July 2024).

Organized by the New Horizons Association and Creative Europe Desk Poland, it consists of workshops and lectures on various aspects related to the project promotion and development.

New Horizons Studio+ selects European director-producer pairs who are developing their first or second feature film. Emerging talents from Poland, Czechia, Romania, Spain, The Netherlands and Ukraine took part in the programme under the supervision of the following experts: Alvaro Vega (DobleSentido), Gabriele Brunnenmeyer (MIDPOINT Institute), Joanna Solecka (Alphapanda Polska) and Anna E. Dziedzic (Crew United).

The New Horizons Studio+ program was completed with a masterclass with the director and producer of the film The Girl with the Needle, Magnus von Horn and Mariusz Wlodarski, titled From the corridors of the Film School to the Red Carpet in Cannes…

The workshop program was concluded by a pitching contest. The participants had an opportunity to pitch their projects to an international jury. You can find the list of the awards and awarded projects below.

A special mention of the New Horizons Studio+ went to the Ukrainian project The Earth is Flat – I Flew Around and Saw It (directed by Maksym Nakonechnyi, produced by Daria Zakharova).

Agnieszka Skalska, the producer of the film Two Mothers (Poland), received a special award in the form of accreditation entitling her to participate in CocoLab – an industry event of the Connecting Cottbus festival for young producers.

Laura Egidos Plaja, producer of the Spanish debut March 14th, received an award from the Producers’ Guild of Poland in the form of mentoring by an experienced member of the Guild.

The award in the form of a letter of intent from Canal+ online regarding the TV broadcasting of the finished film went to the project In Good Faith (Poland/Czechia) directed by Anna Wowra and produced by Tomáš Pertold.

The Main Prize of New Horizons Studio+ and the London Film Academy went to the film Almost Happy (Poland), directed by Ewa Podgórska, produced by Daria Maślona. The prize is script consultancy for the project sponsored by the London Film Academy.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all the participants, partners and media patrons: EAVE, MIDPOINT Institute, London Film Academy, Canal+ online, Producers Guild of Poland, Romanian Cultural Institute, Cervantes Institute, Embassy of the Netherlands in Poland, Crew United, Cineuropa, Film & TV Kamera, and Film New Europe.

The 24th edition of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film came to a festive conclusion on Tuesday evening. The awards ceremony at Caligari FilmBühne formed the grand finale for an emotional and eventful festival week at goEast. After seven days full of cinematic art, workshops, numerous discussions, lectures, film talks and exhibitions, featuring screenings of 90 films and with more than 200 guests from the international film industry present in Wiesbaden, the winning films of the Competition, the East-West Talent Lab and the RheinMain Short Film Competition were honoured and presented with prizes valued at a total of 28,000 euros.

The Awards

SILENCE OF REASON (MKD/BIH, 2023), by director and producer Kumjana Novakova, won the Golden Lily, endowed with 10,000 euros in prize money, for the 24th edition of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film in Wiesbaden. The forensic video essay deals with the subject of rape as a weapon of war. The International Jury, chaired by Nicoletta Romeo, explained its selection with the following statement: "The Golden Lily for Best Film goes to SILENCE OF REASON for the original and radical form in which this experimental essay film manages to convey the horror of the systematic mass rapes in Bosnia in the 1990s, through the written minutes and the oral recordings extracted from trial testimonies of survivors and the raw footage deteriorated by time. The repeated mass crimes committed amidst everyone's silence and indifference become a universal document of every war crime perpetrated everywhere against women, managing to break the silence and taboos, thus becoming a milestone for everlasting memory."

Director Maryna Vroda won the Award of the City of Wiesbaden for Best Director (endowed with 7,500 euros) with STEPNE (UKR/DEU/POL/SVK, 2023). The pastoral social drama revolves around the experiences of Anatoly, who returns to the village of his childhood to care for his aging mother. In the words of the Jury: "What starts as a simple family story of a few days in the life of a vulnerable and lonely man becomes an elegiac tale of an isolated place in the post-Soviet Ukrainian countryside, of past generations and their history, and a requiem to a vanishing world through a choral perspective. Vroda's powerful cinematic debut film manages to portray the life of a disappearing, melancholic universe, its pain and lost hopes, with tenderness, authenticity and a mature gaze."

A Special Mention went to the intimate family documentary 1489 (ARM, 2023) by director Shoghakat Vardanyan. The Jury praised the film in the following statement: "Made by an artist with no filmmaking experience who nonetheless displays an undeniable, natural talent and impeccable instinct, this film is a visceral, unembellished punch to the gut. An incredibly courageous and intimate account of the pain inflicted by the Nagorno-Karabakh war on an Armenian family. Though their wounds will never completely heal, their portrayal also offers hope and catharsis to multitudes of people suffering such tragedies around the world."

3sat Feature Film Broadcast Selection: BAURYNA SALU 

goEast media partner 3sat, which has awarded one feature film from the Competition section with a television broadcast package every year since the festival's inception, selected BAURYNA SALU (KAZ, 2023) for the honour in 2024, with the statement: "Through its aching and touching examination of the nomadic Kazakh tradition of the same name, the quiet, but vibrant feature-length debut 'Bauryna Salu' by Ashkat Kuchinchirekov offers authentic insights into an unknown world and its life and work practices. Speckled with tender and light-hearted coming-of-age moments, the drama, which premiered in San Sebastian and which is carried by its captivating young lead Yersultan Yerman, advances to the raw, emotional core of its deliberately reduced conflicts. While a hand camera sensitized for the fugitive moments of everyday life both epitomizes and makes present the naturalistic approach of the mise-en-scène, the moody colours of the film – emphasizing earthy comfort and ice-blue solitude – transcend the fictional and let intimately shimmer through the personal childhood memory of a broken soul silently awaiting answers."

The film is slated to celebrate its television premiere on 3sat during the 2025 edition of goEast. In 2023, the honour went to the Latvian film JANUARY (LVA/LTU/POL, 2022), directed by Viesturs Kairišs, which was broadcast on 27 April.

A PICTURE TO REMEMBER (UKR/FRA/DEU, 2023), directed by Olga Chernykh, was honoured with the CEEOL Award for Best Documentary Film – the award, now in its third edition, is sponsored by the Central and Eastern European Online Library and endowed with 4,000 euros in prize money. The essay-like generational portrait takes viewers back on a journey to the Donetsk of the past. In the jury's words: "An essayistic dream-like account of a family's long journey through the war with the use of poetic introspection which conveys the complexities of a country at war, balancing between past and present and confronting private archives with public, collective memory. Through the experiences of three generations of women the film presents the human experience of war with tenderness through a mature and poetic use of found footage and a brilliant filmmaking craft."

A Special Mention went to KIX (HUN, 2023), directed by Dávid Mikulán and Bálint Révész. The coming-of-age story traces the path of young protagonist Sanyi Marku. As the jury commented: "The long-term observation documentary makes us follow the cinematic odyssey of Sanyi and his family, from the careless freedom of childhood – in wild and anarchic sequences, full of love and delicacy towards its young protagonists – to the conformity and grimness of adulthood. Through a personal and political lens, we witness a rarely seen portrait of an impoverished working-class family in modern day Budapest, where social institutions are absent or not efficient and young adults seem to be deprived of hope, their lives following a predictable downward spiral of events, triggered by a lack of a welfare system which provides no hope for a better future."

In the documentary film category, the FIPRESCI jury, composed of Bojidar Manov, Katrin Hillgruber and Catalin Olaru, also chose to honour KIX (HUN, 2023), from the directorial duo of Dávid Mikulán and Bálint Révész. As the jury members shared in their statement: "Ten years ago, a chalk line on the asphalt of Budapest led a film student to the unsupervised boys Sanyi and Viktor. The documentation of their actions between pranks and street art has become a testimony to social sensitivity and anarchic joie de vivre and thus a cinematic stroke of luck. The FIPRESCI Award goes to Dávid Mikulán and Bálint Révész for their documentary 'KIX'."

The FIPRESCI International Film Critic's Award in the category of fiction feature went to PLAGUE (RU/SA, 2024), directed by Dmitrii Davydov. In the jury's words: "For its impeccable framing, the uncompromising view of violence as personal incentive in a male dominated society, and the inventive way in which it applies western movie dynamics to a rural landscape never before associated with this particular genre the FIPRESCI Award for Best Fiction Film goes to PLAGUE."

The RheinMain Short Film Award, sponsored by Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain and endowed with 2,500 euros in prize money, went to QIRIM (CZE, 2023) by Kateryna Khramtsova. According to the jury's statement: "We award the RheinMain Short Film Award to a film that experiments with a variety of creative elements to express the very personal situation of its main character. The film does not make it easy for us – it asks relevant questions to which there are no clear answers: how to behave in extreme situations, identity questions, the extent of courage, commitment and solidarity. Another quality of this film is its direct, immediate aesthetics, which draw us in, absorb us. We appreciate that the filmmaker conveys that such a story must be told, now and at any time."

In the East-West Talent Lab, which was realised once again with the generous support of Renovabis and the Deutsch-Tschechischer Zukunftsfonds, the annual Project Market Pitch took place in front of a three-member jury. The jury awarded a Special Mention to the film project SACRED SONGS by Georgian producer Mariam Bitsadze, with the words: "We would like to give a special mention to a project which gives a unique insight in the lives of several women from one family in a male dominated world. Access to the world outside is given to them through their performances of sacred songs of their religion, which are normally sung by men. We would like to support the director's effort to open up their world to us."

The Pitch-the-Doc Award, a non-cash prize package consisting of consulting services valued at 500 euros, went to the project ECHOES OF AVEY by Atanur Nabiyeva from Azerbaijan. In the jury's words: "While an ancient mountain is vanishing the director of this project is trying to capture her childhood memories and the collective memory of her community in a poetic way before it is permanently gone. We feel this project deserves to be developed further and assisted in its genuine quest for its subtle filmic language."

THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER’S FAMILY PORTRAIT from producer Irina Gelashvilli was honoured with the Renovabis Research Grant (endowed with 3,500 euros). As the jury explained: "The jury decided to give the main award to an already awarded project which was founded by a government and taken away from the director. We would like to support his artistic revenge which seems to promise much more than what he started out with. We appreciated that he did not give up and the sense of humour behind the project."

The EEFFN – Eastern European Film Festival Network, which is committed to increasing the visibility and impact of Eastern European cinema throughout Europe and counts goEast as a member festival, presented the "EEFFN Award" for the first time in 2024. The purpose of the award is to honour one film from Central and Eastern Europe annually that has distinguished itself through exceptional artistic merit, innovation and influence on the Eastern European film industry. This year, the festival showed the EFFN Award winning Latvian film JANUARY by director Viesturs Kairišs  (LVA/LTU/POL, 2022).

The 24th edition of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film took place in Wiesbaden, Germany, from 24 to 30 April. In addition to a multifaceted Competition section and intensive encounters in the cinema, this year's festival highlights included guest appearances by internationally celebrated filmmakers and representatives of film institutions. The Symposium, entitled "The 'Other' Queers: Cinematic Images from the Periphery of Europe", was met with a very high degree of enthusiastic participation and sold-out cinema screenings. With the supporting programme Cinema Archipelago, made possible with the generous support of Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, the festival explored new territory beyond the cinema for the third year in a row, including, among other things, a successful exhibition under the title POLITICAL TEXTILE and panel discussions addressing queer anti-war activism in Ukraine, among other topics. Finally, the festival also featured a special film series devoted to the film nations of Kosovo and Albania.

Here is a full overview of all of this year's award winners:

1. Golden Lily for Best Film

SILENCE OF REASON (ŠUTNJA RAZUMA, MKD/BIHP, 2023), director/producer: Kumjana Novakova

2. Award of the City of Wiesbaden for Best Director

STEPNE (UKR/LTU, 2022), director: Maryna Vroda 

3. Special Mention 

1489 (ARM, 2023), director: Shoghakat Vardanyan

4. CEEOL Award for Best Documentary Film

A PICTURE TO REMEMBER (FOTO NA PAMYAT, UKR/FRA/DEU, 2023), director: Olga Chernykh

5. Special Mention of the International Jury

KIX (HUN, 2023), directors: Dávid Mikulán and Bálint Révész 

6. 3sat Broadcast Selection

BAURYNA SALU (KAZ, 2023), director: Ashkat Kuchinchirekov  

7. FIPRESCI International Film Critic's Award (fiction feature) 

PLAGUE (CHUMA, RU/SA, 2024) director:  Dmitrii Davydov 

8. FIPRESCI International Film Critic's Award (documentary film) 

KIX (HUN, 2023), directors: Dávid Mikulán and Bálint Révész   

9. RheinMain Short Film Award

QIRIM (CZE, 2023), director: Kateryna Khramtsova 

10. Pitch-the-Doc Award 

ECHOES OF AVEY (AZE) director: Atanur Nabiyeva

11. Renovabis Research Grant

THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER’S FAMILY PORTRAIT (AZE/GEO) Producer: Irina Gelashvilli