Rampart wins the European Debut Competition at Kino Pavasaris
- Marina Redžepović and Giedrius Kiela grabbed the acting awards during an otherwise sad ceremony, overshadowed by the tragic death of filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius
The closing event of the Vilnius Film Festival Kino Pavasaris, which took place 24 March-3 April, paid homage to Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravičius, who had lost his life hours earlier amidst the war in Mariupol, Ukraine. “We lost a director who did a heroic job documenting the brutality of war. It’s hard to find words at this moment. Mantas himself was not a big talker. Therefore, I invite everyone to observe a minute of silence in honour of the deceased and the people who were killed fighting for the freedom of Ukraine”, said the head of the festival Algirdas Ramaška at the beginning of the evening. He noted that, on the opening day of Kino Pavasaris - the Ukrainian Day - when Kvedaravičius’ film Mariupolis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mantas Kvedaravicius
film profile] was screened, no one could have thought that this same film would be repeated on the last day of the festival, under such tragic circumstances. “Mantas dedicated his work to areas of conflict, the reality of war and the humanity that shines in that darkness. His cinema was and will be extremely important beyond today,” added Ramaška.
The rest of the ceremony was traditionally dedicated to the winners of the European Debut Competition, the Short Film Competition and the Meeting Point Vilnius Industry Event. Among the 10 titles in the European Debut Competition, the festival’s jury consisting of Nico Marzano, head of Cinema at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, journalist, author and film critic Beatrice Fiorentino, directors Andrius Blaževičius, Jacqueline Lentzou and Norika Sefa, named Rampart [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Serbian director Mark Grba Singh as Best Debut, emphasising its skilful use of family archival footage which puts forward some sensitive issues, such as change and its absence. The Spanish creative duo Helena Girón and Samuel M. Delgado took the best directors prize for their film They Carry Death [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Samuel M Delgado and Helena…
film profile], for it explores “historical darkness and takes the viewer on an epic, mysterious journey that frighteningly connects the past with the present.” Marina Redžepović from Croatia, who starred in Sonja Tarokić's The Staffroom [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Tarokić
film profile], was named Best Actress, while the Best Actor award went to Giedrius Kiela for his role in Laurynas Bareiša’s The Pilgrims [+see also:
film review
interview: Laurynas Bareisa
film profile].
35 films from across Europe competed in the Short Competition. The international jury consisting of Jutta Wille, project coordinator of the German Short Film Association, Laurence Boyce, programme director of the PÖFF Shorts section of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and director, animator and illustrator Skirmanta Jakaitė, granted the main award to the animation short Impossible Figures and Other Stories I by Polish director Marta Pajek, while Swiss director Jela Hasler received a Special Mention for On Solid Ground.
Kornél Mundruczó's Evolution [+see also:
film review
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interview: Kornél Mundruczó and Kata W…
film profile] received the award of the FIPRESCI jury, consisting of film critics Mitchievici Angelo Nicolae (Romania), Daniel Oliveir (Portugal) and Bernard Besserglik (France), while the audience chose The Worst Person in The World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Trier
film profile] as its favourite film.
The Meeting Point Vilnius industry event winners were also announced and can be found in the full awards list below:
European Debut Competition
Best Actress
Marina Redžepović - The Staffroom [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Tarokić
film profile] (Croatia)
Best Actor
Giedrius Kiela - The Pilgrims [+see also:
film review
interview: Laurynas Bareisa
film profile] (Lithuania)
Best Director
Helena Girón and Samuel M. Delgado – They Carry Death [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Samuel M Delgado and Helena…
film profile] (Spain, Colombia)
Best Film
Rampart [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Mark Grba Singh (Serbia)
Short Film Competition
Best Short Film
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I - Marta Pajek (Poland, Canada)
Special Mention
On Solid Ground – Jela Hasler (Switzerland)
FIPRESCI award
Evolution [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kornél Mundruczó and Kata W…
film profile] - Kornél Mundruczó (Germany, Hungary)
Audience Award
The Worst Person in The World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Trier
film profile] - Joachim Trier
Meeting Point Vilnius Awards
Lithuanian Film Center Award
Christina [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nikola Spasic
film profile] - Nikola Spasić (Serbia); Forever, Forever [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anna Buryachkova
film profile] - Anna Buryachkova (Ukraine)
Special Mention
Kurak - Erke Dzhumakmatova & Emil Atageldiev (Kyrgyzstan, Switzerland)
Producers Network Award
Mariam Khatchvani for The Stone (Georgia), Jonas Trukanas for Pensive [+see also:
film review
interview: Jonas Trukanas
film profile] (Lithuania)
Sunny Side of Docs Award
Roberta [+see also:
film review
interview: Elena Kairytė
film profile] - Elena Kairytė (Lithuania)
AVAKA Best Lithuanian Pitch Award
Elena Kairytė for Roberta and Titas Laucius for Parade [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Titas Laucius
film profile]
Talents Nest Award winners
Baltic Pitching Forum Award
Kanykei Orozoeva (Kyrgyzstan)
Torino Short Film Market Award
Guzlat Egemberdievar (Kyrgyzstan), Victoria Alexandria Brikmann (Latvia)
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