▷▷ PÖFF_2022_Awards

评语：◦◦ Grand Prix winner + Best Original Score award Jury comment: “During thIs last week we have seen a wide, wildly different range of films. Among them we found one, which charmed us all with its transparent, simple but bold film language, with its graceful sense of humour, with its unpretentious way of speaking about burning questions of personal life. A film which tells us that it is never too late.” Jury comment: “A distinctive, sensitive, in-depth musical journey, the original score offers us a thematic approach; it creates an evolving and unique musical world that reflects the character development and storyline. The intelligent and well-proportioned use of the score is paired with fine artistry, nuanced yet precise instrumentation and the power of the human voice.”

评语：Best Director Jury comment: “Using a sad and destroyed place, the director shows an archaic, universal drama akin to a Shakespearean tragedy. Additionally, the performances of the actors are intriguing. One can never forget the metaphoric atmosphere with poetic imagery as if in a dream. This film is a celebration of cinema and art.”

评语：Best Cinematography award Jury comment: “Visually stunning with a dream-like ambience, the film transports us to a surreal environment. Based on one of the contemporary folk tales, the cinematography doesn’t just show us the beauty but immerses the viewer in a world of the characters.”

评语：Best Screenplay award Jury comment: “The scriptwriters – one of them even being the director – build a complex universe with multiple storylines, playfully meandering with harsh colours and risky twists and turns. And they achieve something rare: by telling us an absurd tale, they bring us deep into the tortured and chaotic world that is present Israel.”

评语：Best Actor Jury comment: “For a powerful and nuanced performance as a man who imposes his presence and is a mean and manipulative father who step by step invades the life of his son.”

评语：Best Actress Jury comment: “Serious and angry, through her tense expressions she takes us to the revelation that lies ahead. In the beginning the audience hates her for being a cold mother, but as her expectations and disappointment of her marriage unravel, we empathise with her as a woman. She carries the whole film on her able shoulders.”

评语：Best Production Design award Jury comment: “We are taken to the 80s, to an extremely strange commune isolated on an island. The exterior as well as the interior locations of this alternative group are reduced to give an authentic feel. But instead of giving us the trendy retro styles of that era, the production designer creates a fresh, modern, metaphoric and poetic world for a mysterious and exciting story about desire for freedom from a place where love is forbidden.”

评语：◦◦ Best First Feature award Jury comment: “With truthful characters, powerful scenes that linger and a rich, touching story, this film dares to explore the complexities of deadly conflict and manages to become universal in translating the political into the personal. Without judgement, the director guides us safely through a multi-layered, interwoven narrative, giving his actors the space for genuine, heartfelt performances. The Best Film Award in the First Feature Competition goes to The Land Within.”

评语：Special Jury Prize #1 the Special Jury Prize for Best Directing to Pelican Jury comment: “Shot through with dry, droll, often surrealist visual humor, this film gradually reveals a tremendous heart, finding transcendence in the mundane. All of it is anchored by a central performance notable for what it holds back, and an ensemble cast of characters sketched with an assured and compassionate hand. We are delighted to give our Special Jury Prize for Best Directing to Pelican.”

评语：Special Jury Prize #2 the Special Jury Prize for originality of vision to Amar Colony Jury comment: “This film delighted us with a bold and innovative presentation of a small town community whose frank sensuality and unabashed pursuit of urges, both human and divine, are set against the resonant backdrop of a culturally rich and deeply personal setting. The director daringly takes us by the hand and leads us on a journey to his world, introducing us to his characters and their lives with affection and often with humor. We present the Special Jury Prize for originality of vision to Amar Colony.”

评语：◦◦ Best Baltic Film award Jury comment: "This film portrays a very turbulent and charged period during which people had to make critical, dramatic decisions about who to trust and what they believe in. Through its impressive cinematic language, the film captures the tense atmosphere in which the story takes place."

评语：Best Baltic Producer for Co-production award Jury comment: This film reveals a very sad chapter of world history which continues to be an open wound. Both an artistic and technical achievement, the film portrays its story in a touching and engaging way.

评语：◦◦ The Rebels With A Cause award Jury comment: “We would like to award our top prize to the film that, in our opinion, transcends limitations of its genre, and through a perfect blend of acting, storytelling, cinematography and music, creates a biopic like no other. Whether you are a life-long fan of its subject, or hear their songs for the first time, this film will pull you into its orbit and will make you feel the power of music. Our Rebels With a Cause prize goes, appropriately enough, to Rebelión.”

评语：The Rebels With A Cause Special Mention Jury comment: “Our special mention goes to a film that shines a light on a previously almost-invisible community and shows its beauty and dignity. But it also examines the borderline between artistic representation and exploitation of the so-called “underprivileged,” and makes us question our own involvement in the voyeuristic culture. The special jury mention goes to Three Thousand Numbered Pieces.”

评语：The Rebels With A Cause shorts award Jury comment: “We’ve seen 13 very different short films. So different, that we had to have a long discussion on what constitutes a film and what we should be looking for. But in the end, we all agreed on a film that, in its very short running time, managed to tell an exciting and emotional story and share the authors’ own worldview. Our shorts winner is Everything at Once.”

评语：◦◦ Best Critics' Picks Film award Jury comment: "A thrilling psychological chamber drama with surprising plot twists. An unexpected realtime masterpiece, with minimal but perfect film making, About us is not about us but about how to make cinema with what we have."

评语：Best Critics' Picks Special Mention Jury comment: "Made in the best tradition of Italian filmmaking, we discovered a perfect social issues film with new angle of nowadays human exploitation. Solid script, perfect direction of actors and a masterful editing show us a very promising new talent of Italian cinema."

评语：◦◦ Just Film Grand Prix award Jury: Lotte Bronshoff, Alasdair Satchel, Jaak Kilmi Jury comment: “We are pleased to award Six Weeks by Noémi Veronika Szakonyi with this year’s Just Film Grand Prix award. Six Weeks uses a very precise approach in the telling of its story, where all the details of the action on and off screen are at the service of the story. All the surprising choices the central character makes are totally organic to both the character and story. Using this carefully woven approach to storytelling it quickly gets into the head of the viewer and makes you anticipate the character’s next choices, constantly keeping you guessing at what’s to come. At the core of the film are two elements which drive it continuously forwards, the extraordinary, multifaceted performance of Katalin Román in the central role of Zsófi, partnered with Noémi Veronika Szakonyi’s extraordinarily empathetic approach to direction. The film is structured to lead up to the key question of how the central character will deal with the six weeks in Hungary where a birth parent has the right to take their child back from adoptive parents, should they find themselves compelled to do so. This bold storytelling choice led to the development of a most insightful drama. Another element that we thoroughly enjoyed exploring with the film was the question of how and when the character would be able to return to her sport, which posed greater questions around who was making the rules for her situation, reflecting a greater question of society. Six Weeks places its young audience at the centre of its attention and speaks to them in a voice that they can accept as their own. It is for all of the above reasons that we award Six Weeks the Just Film Grand Prix.”

评语：Jury special mention goes to the Hungarian film Summer to Come by director György Mór Kárpáti. Jury comment: “We would like to award our special mention to Summer to Come. It speaks to its audience with sincerity, skilfully opening a dialogue on a very difficult topic. It does this through the use of an experimental approach, which seduces its audience into following the story with great skill and care.”

评语：Just Film ECFA award Jury: Margreet Cornelius, Nicola Jones, Leo Pekkala Jury comment: “The ECFA award goes to a beautifully crafted modern coming-of-age film with many layers to it. Coming-of-age films are often related to first love and friendship but this film also portrays the effect of war on a once close family. A family full of relatable characters whose lives will be altered through a loss during a summer holiday. First, there was a novel but there is no doubt this is pure cinema. Humorous dialogue combined with beautiful settings, great camera work, and editing made us feel we were also on a summer holiday being 12 years old. Congratulations to How I Learned to Fly by Radivoje Andric.”

评语：Just Film Youth Jury Best Film award Jury: Liisa-Lotta Jürgenson, Maibritt Kilu, Emili Roots, Adrian Abner Jury comment: “We have chosen this film because of the filmmakers' bold decision to open up to difficult topics such as combining sexuality and death. It really makes you watch it with your heart.”

评语：Just Film Children's Jury Best Film award Jury: Armand Gudmundur Mets, Tõru Kannimäe, Luukas Taoubi, Eleanor Susanna Tür, Lisete Viikmäe Jury comment: “This film is remarkable for the outstanding performances from the actors, inventive storytelling, beautiful settings and humour.”

评语：Jury special mention for production design goes to the film Child Machine.

评语：The #PÖFF26 #youngfilmmaker award goes to... "Everlasting Single Man" directed by Aaron Thor Härm, Mattias Nurga Jury: Roomet Poom, Erik Norkroos, Piia-Krõõt Parktal, Sander Lebreht Jury comment: “The winning film was surprising, unique, well made and comprehensible.”

评语：◦◦ FISPRECI award Jury: Flavia Dima, Maximilian Schäffer, Margit Adorf Jury comment: “With clever hints and feints, the film throws the viewer into the setting of US border controls, where every minor action can lead to a dramatic outcome, and where bureaucracy turns complex realities into judgements and sentences. With limited means, directors Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez have made an accomplished and very mature debut film that is able to thrill audiences both large and small, both niche and mainstream.”