Grand Prix of main feature film competition — ‘The Gold of Listapad’ — goes to Ukrainian Tribe (directed by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy)
Creators of the film Tribe awarded Grand Prix of Listapad-2014
The 21st Minsk International Film Festival awards were presented at Moskva cinema, during Listapad’s closing ceremony. Russian film The Fool, directed by Yuri Bykov, won ‘Best Director’ while ‘Best Camera Work’ went to Corn Island (Georgia-Germany-France-Czech Republic-Kazakhstan-Hungary), directed by George Ovashvili. The special jury award ‘For Love of People and Unique Sense of Humour’ was presented to the Georgian-Ukrainian picture Blind Dates, directed by Levan Koguashvili.
The Youth on the March competition saw the ‘Best Film’ go to Indian Court, directed by Chaitanya Tamhane. ‘Best Cast’ went to The Wonders (Italy-Switzerland-Germany), directed by Alice Rohrwacher, while American film A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, by Ana Lily Amirpour, gained a special honorary mention for its ‘Original Perspective’.
The Grand Prix for Best Documentary went to Judgment in Hungary by Eszter Hajdú. The special prize of the jury went to the Last Limousine (Russia-Germany), directed by Darya Khlestkina. The diploma ‘For Sophisticated Philosophic and Poetic Experiment’ was awarded to the German film Fog (Nebel), directed by Nicole Vogele while the diploma ‘For Best Visualisation of Humanism’ went to Polish Deep Love, directed by Jan P. Matuszynski. Meanwhile, the diploma ‘For Making A Collective Portrait in Extreme Conditions’ went to the Russian film Blood, directed by Alina Rudnitskaya.
The international jury of cinema press awarded ‘The Silver of Listapad’ to Ukrainian Tribe, directed by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, for ‘Film as an Art Phenomenon’, as well as to Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. The award for ‘Best Actress’ went to Russian Darya Savelieva, for her role in The Hope Factory, directed by Natalia Meshchaninova. The award for ‘Best Actor’’ went to Emir Hadžihafizbegović, for These Are the Rules (Croatia-France-Serbia-Macedonia), directed by Оgnjen Sviličić.
This year, Valery Todorovsky headed an international jury of cinematographers for the main feature film competition. “The choice in favour of the winning film was made unanimously. We awarded four films, which impressed us with their indisputable artistic and cinematographic advantages. These are the best films and they’ve been created in a mastery fashion,” he said.
People who sincerely love cinematograph come together
By Mikhail Svetlov
True film atmosphere reigns at 21st Minsk International Listapad Film Festival
Such opinion was voiced by the Israeli director of Belarusian origin, a member of the jury of children and youth film competition Listapadzik-2014, Yevgeny Ruman.
Yevgeny Ruman was born in 1979 but immigrated with his family to Israel when he was 11. Since then, he has visited Belarus only twice — for Listapadzik. Last year, he was awarded a special Listapadzik prize for directing the full-length film Igor and the Cranes’ Journey.
“I enjoy Minsk very much, arriving with warm feelings. Even many years later, I feel at home here,” he admits. Speaking about Listapadzik, he noted that he enjoys helping judge the children’s contest, which lasts several days. “Benevolent people who sincerely love cinematography gather in Minsk, so that a true film atmosphere is felt.” Mr. Ruman hopes to work jointly with Belarusian film partners at some time in the future.
Good times for cinema
21st International Listapad Film Festival gathers unprecedented full houses
Svetlana Svetlichnaya
The magic beam of cinema, long weekends and sunny weather turned Nezavisimosti Avenue into a real hive of activity. Several generations of outstanding filmmakers, in wide-brimmed hats and fur coats, arrived: from Stanislav Govorukhin, smoking his tobacco pipe, and Svetlana Svetlichnaya in a miniskirt, to fashionable directors from competition programmes — such as Mikhail Segal and Ilmar Raag.
Many visitors and festival veterans recognise that today’s Listapad has acquired a European lustre. It can truly call itself the largest forum in Eastern Europe. Its motto of ‘innovative cinema’ is upheld by each film being introduced by producers or directors — or both together. Serious tycoons of the film industry now arrive in Minsk, and the forum programme has become bright and diverse. Whichever film you choose to see, you’ll experience the magnitude of modern cinema.
Regardless of place of residence
By Veniamin Mikheev
Results of the national film contest summed up at Listapad-2014
Scene from the film The Lost Cause. Return to Bischofswerda
The results of the national film contest have been summed up as part of the International Listapad-2014 Film Festival in Minsk, with the best works by Belarusian film directors awarded during a ceremony hosted by Minsk’s Pobeda cinema.
The Belarusian-Swedish documentary Perekrestok (Crossroads) — directed by Anastasia Miroshnichenko, and the Belarusian film Afghanistan. I Remember — directed by Halima Hasanova, received prizes for ‘Best Documentary’ while Belarusian cartoon Rondeau-сapriccioso, by Igor Volchek, was named ‘Best Animated Film’.
Awards also went to Belarusian animated Old Piano Tales. Chopin — directed by Irina Kodyukova, feature film Granny, Vanya and the Goat (France-Belarus, directed by Darya Yurkevich), and two documentaries: Minsk Ghetto Chronicles (Belarus, directed by Vladimir Lutsky) and The Lost Cause. Return to Bischofswerda (Belarus, directed by Yuri Gorulev).
It was the first time a national film contest had been held as part of the International Listapad Film Festival. The contest gathered 24 entries, including ten documentaries, seven animated films, and seven feature films.
The authoritative international jury of cinematographers comprised director Arutyun Khachatryan (as chairman), the Head of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts’ Department of the History, Theory and Management of Filmmaking, Olga Medvedeva, and Latvian film critic, producer and director Bruno Ascuks.
The contest focused on the creativity of Belarusian film-makers, regardless of country of residence, showing the real talents of Belarusians in producing innovative cinema.
Stanislav Govorukhin awarded Special Prize of President of Belarus
Prominent Soviet and Russian film director, actor and script writer Stanislav Govorukhin has been honoured with the Belarusian President’s Prize ‘For Preserving and Developing Traditions of Spirituality in Cinematography’
Stanislav Govorukhin awarded Special Prize of President of Belarus
The People’s Artist of Russia confessed that the Belarusian President’s Prize is a great honour and a huge surprise. Mr. Govorukhin noted that he is a regular participant of the film festival and a holder of four main awards of the cinema forum; however, he has failed to attend the festival in recent years. “I was so happy to receive an invitation this year,” he smiles.
Hopes rewarded
Minsk Listapad Film Festival bestows awards in documentary film contest for national film schools, featuring young and hopeful directors
Alexander Kaufmann’s Being You, Being Me (ZELIG School for Documentary, Television and New Media, Italy) was awarded the prize ‘For Best Film of the Young Documentary Contest’.
The Russian Documentary Film Guild diploma — ‘For a Thoughtful, Good-hearted Portrait, Full of Bitterness and Humanism’ — went to Vakhtang Jajanidze (Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgia State University, Georgia) for his From Monday to Monday.
The diploma ‘For Extraordinary Narrative and Visual Solution’ was bestowed upon the National Film School of Denmark.
