24/10/2022 - Pjer Zalica’s film, co-produced by five Balkan countries, has won the top prize in Poland, while Sisters by Linda Olte was named Best Debut in the 1-2 Competition

During a short, yet emotional, closing gala ceremony at the weekend, the winners of the 38th Warsaw Film Festival (14-23 October) were announced. The emotional aspect was provided not only by the winners in their speeches, but also by the jurors, who voiced their support for Ukraine and addressed the abortion ban introduced in Poland.

Pjer Zalica, the director of May Labour Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the winner of the International Competition, who also took home a cash prize of 100,000 PLN (approximately €20,000), urged his colleagues to keep moving forward. After all, he won his first trophy in the 1990s and has continued working since then.

In the International Competition, a couple more awards went to European filmmakers – namely, Viestarus Kairiss (Best Director for January [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Beata Dzianowicz (Special Jury Award for Shreds). The jury of the ODESA-WARSAW: Ukrainian Competition gave their gongs to Butterfly Vision [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maksym Nakonechnyi
film profile] by Maxim Nakonechny (Best Ukrainian Fiction Feature) and Boney Piles [+see also:
film review
interview: Taras Tomenko
film profile] by Taras Tomenko (Best Ukrainian Documentary Film). Linda Olte, who directed Sisters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], won the 1-2 Competition Award and the FIPRESCI Award, while Timeman [+see also:
interview: Samppa Batal, Tuomas Kohtam…
film profile] by Samppa Batal was deemed Best Film in the Free Spirit Competition. The Kings of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Laura Mora took home the Crème de la Crème Competition Award.

The Documentary Film Competition jury gave their statuette to Those Who Dance in the Dark by Jana Ševčíková and their Special Mention to One Day in Ukraine [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Volodymyr Tykhyy. Poland’s Factorial Juggling by Klaudia Folga was the young FIPRESCI jury’s pick, Dad by Anna Maliszewska snagged the Ecumenical Jury Award, and Ademoka by Adilkhan Yerzhanov was celebrated by the NETPAC jury.

The Warsaw Film Festival is one of three Polish festivals that has Oscar-qualifying status in three categories: Best Short Film (this year’s winner was Ponto final by Miguel Lopez Beraza), Best Animated Short Film (Reprise by Saskia Bulletti, Carine Chrast, Livia Neuenschander and Leance Volschenk) and Best Live-action Short Film (A Beautiful Wildflower Meadow by Emi Buchwald). Additionally, documentary shorts are traditionally rewarded at Warsaw – Everything’s Fine, Potatoes in Line by Piotr Jasiński came out on top this year, while The Trip by Rimantas Oicenka received a Special Mention.

Here is the complete list of award winners:

International Competition

Warsaw Grand Prix
May Labour Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Pjer Zalica (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Croatia/North Macedonia/Serbia/Montenegro)

Best Director
January [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Viesturs Kairiss (Latvia/Lithuania/Poland)

Special Jury Award
Beata Dzianowicz (screenwriter) – Shreds (Poland)

ODESA-WARSAW: Ukrainian Competition

Best Ukrainian Fiction Feature
Butterfly Vision [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Maksym Nakonechnyi
film profile] – Maxim Nakonechny (Ukraine)

Best Ukrainian Documentary Film
Boney Piles [+see also:
film review
interview: Taras Tomenko
film profile] – Taras Tomenko (Ukraine)

1-2 Competition

Best Film
Sisters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Linda Olte (Latvia/Italy)

Crème de la Crème Competition

Best Film
The Kings of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Laura Mora (Colombia/Luxemburg/Mexico/France)

Free Spirit Competition

Best Film
Timeman [+see also:
interview: Samppa Batal, Tuomas Kohtam…
film profile] – Samppa Batal (Finland)

Documentary Competition

Best Film
Those Who Dance in the Dark – Jana Ševčíková (Czech Republic)
Special Mention
One Day in Ukraine [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Volodymyr Tykhyy (Ukraine/Poland)

Short Film Competition

Short Grand Prix
Ponto final – Miguel Lopez Beraza (Spain/Portugal)

Best Live-action Short
A Beautiful Wildflower Meadow – Emi Buchwald (Poland)

Best Animated Short
Reprise – Saskia Bulletti, Carine Chrast, Livia Neuenschander, Leance Volschenk (Switzerland)

Best Documentary Short
Everything’s Fine, Potatoes in Line – Piotr Jasiński (Poland/Czech Republic)
Special Mention for Documentary Short
The Trip – Rimantas Oicenka (Lithuania)

Other awards

FIPRESCI Award
Sisters – Linda Olte

Young FIPRESCI Award
Factorial Juggling – Klaudia Folga (Poland)

Ecumenical Jury Award
Dad – Anna Maliszewska (Poland)

NETPAC Award
Ademoka – Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Kazakhstan/France)

Audience Award
Dangerous Men [+see also:
interview: Maciej Kawalski
film profile] - Maciej Kawalski (Poland)