DOCUMENTARY FILMS AWARDED AT KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL
On 6 June 2015, at the closing gala, the awards of the 55th Krakow Film Festival were given.
The heroes of this year's festival are Polish documentary film-makers, who gathered three main awards in the international documentary film competition, in which 20 documentary films from around the world competed. The Golden Horn for the best documentary film went to Karolina Bielawska, the director of "Call Me Marianna." The jury of the documentary competition, consisting of: Wieland Speck – the chairperson (Germany), Martin Blaney (Great Britain), Hans Robert Eisenhauer (Germany), Piotr Rosołowski (Poland), Audrius Stonys (Lithuania), explained giving the main award to the film in the following way: Moving, complex and painted with appropriate sensitivity and with the use of appropriate means, portrayal of the protagonist, who courageously strives to achieve harmony with her own identity. The fact that the film was made just now is quite encouraging. The convincing cinematography concept makes the difficult experiences understandable both on personal and universal level. Depicting the protagonist on her road to the change of sex in a culture determined by dualist thinking and her transformation from the head of the family into the self-reliant and proud woman throws analytical light on our society and reveals the protagonist's exceptional inner strength .
"Call Me Marianna" was also honoured with the audience's award. Karolina Bielawska also received National Broadcasting Council's Maciej Szumowski award for particular sensitivity in social matters, and Zbigniew Domagalski, the film's producer, was chosen the best short and documentary film producer by Polish Audiovisual Producers Chamber of Commerce (KIPA).
The Silver Horn went to Aleksandra Maciuszek for her film "Casa Blanca." According to the jury, the film deals with the subject of an outsider struggling with prejudices and rejection by often hostile society in a universal dimension. The scenes taking place between mother and son stay in one's memory as extremely intimate and moving ones.
Aleksandra Maciuszek won also in the Polish competition at this year's Krakow Film Festival. The jury, consisting of: Piotr Dumała – the chairperson, Jarosław Kamiński, Hanna Polak, Grażyna Stachówna, Janusz Wróblewski decided to give the Golden Hobby-horse for poignantly true and deeply moving portrayal of love between mother and son, shown in the purest film form.
The second Silver Horn went to the hands of Agnieszka Zwiefka for the film "The Queen of Silence." The jury appreciated that the film shows the problem of minority within minority in a very fresh and funny way, thanks to which the film gains universal dimension. The viewer cannot remain indifferent to Denisa's unshakeable ambition and joy of life. Particularly of note are cinematography and editing, which make the film recommendable especially for young viewers. The cameramen of the film "The Queen of Silence," Aleksander Duraj and Armand Urbaniak, were given the best cinematography award of Polish Society of Cinematographers.
The Silver Hobby-horse for the best documentary film went to Krzysztof Kopczyński for his film "The Dybbuk. A Tale of Wandering Souls" for courage and uncompromisingness in showing a particularly complicated, universal problem of mutual intolerance in the face of dangers of contemporary world.
In the Polish competition, the Jury's Special Mention went to "Piano" directed by Vita Maria Drygas for poetic and original look at the image of the Ukrainian revolution. Jerzy Zawadzki got the best editing award for the film "Unstoppables."
Invited by the European Film Award, for the first time Krakow Film Festival recommended three films in the feature-length documentary film category: "The Dybbuk. A Tale of Wandering Souls," "Call Me Marianna," "Unstoppables."
At the ceremonial closing gala of the 55th Krakow Film Festival, the awards of the DOC LAB POLAND programme was also given.
The most interesting projects received awards, funded by the partners: HBO Europe, Krakow Film Cluster, the festival DOK Leipzig and European Documentary Network. Within the frames of DOCS TO START, four awards were given:
HBO AWARD – financial award in the amount of 10 000 PLN, for the documentary film project "Divine!", dir. Barbara Białowąs, Katarzyna Trzaska, produced by Katarzyna Trzaska. The award was presented by Hanka Kastelicova, the producer of HBO Europe, responsible for documentary film productions.
Krakow Film Cluster Award – production voucher in the amount of 10 000 PLN (to hire film equipment from cluster companies for the needs of making the awarded project), for the documentary project "I would like to tell you everything," dir. Zvika Gregory Portnoy, produced by Maria Krauss.
DOK Leipzig Award – invitation to the 11th International Co-production Meeting at the DOK Leipzig festival, defrayal of expenses such as accreditation and accommodation for three nights, for the documentary project "Wind," dir. Michał Bielawski, produced by Maciej Kubicki
European Documentary Network Award – participation in the workshops organised by EDN, for the documentary project "Mr Jan and his 40 girls," dir. and produced by Jacob Dammas
Within the frames of DOCS TO GO! Krakow Film Cluster Award was given – post-production voucher in the amount of 25 000 PLN(to hire post-production studios from cluster companies for the needs of making the awarded project) – for the documentary project "21 x New York," dir. Piotr Stasik, produced by Agnieszka Wasiak. The award was presented by Aneta Zagórska, the representative of Krakow Film Cluster.
In addition, the director of DOK Leipzig – Leena Pasanen and Rada Šešić, festival selector (Amsterdam, Sarajevo), decided to give special mention to the DOCS TO START project which developed during the programme to the largest extent. The special mention, in the form of a year-long artistic supervision by Leena Pasanen and Rada Šešić, went to the documentary project "Diagnosis," dir. Ewa Podgórska, produced by Małgorzata Wabińska.
The full list of award-winners on the website of Krakow Film Festival.