Results and motivations of 58th Zlín Film Festival
What films was awarded?
International Expert Jury for Feature Films:
Anna Geislerová (CZE)
Katja Dor-Helmer (AUT)
Hüseyin Tabak (GER)
Mariusz Palej (POL)
Jitendra Mishra (IND)
Golden Slipper - for the Best Feature Film for Children
Supa Modo (KEN, GER, 2018), directed by Likarion Wainaina
Motivation:
Each of us has a hero, superhero and super powers inside ourselves. Though we need our family and friends around to help us to believe and become one. Supa Modo talks about a heavy topic in a light and sensitive way. People leave the cinema with hope, not a sadness. The film has strong female characters, creativity and humour.
The City of Zlín Award - for the Best Children Performance in a Feature Film for Children
Mihajlo Milavić and Silma Mahmuti for the roles of Jovan a Milica in the film The Witch Hunters (SRB, MAC, 2018), directed by Raško Miljković
Motivation:
Beautiful cooperation. Two unseparable performances. They lift each other, they pull each other. They are strong and fragile. We cried, we laughed. Each of them is as strong as their partner.
Golden Slipper - for the Best Feature Film for Youth
Barley Fields on the Other Side of the Mountains (GBR, 2017), directed by Tian Tsering
Motivation:
„For freedom I would walk anywhere,“ says one of the characters. The film reminds us that freedom is indispensible and not certain. It is important to keep in mind that freedom is important to fight for. Tibet is still under the Chinese rule and people of Tibet are not free. Beautiful camera work, poetical storytelling, space for one´s own interpretation. Enough words. Wonderful and important film.
The Miloš Macourek Award - for the Best Youth Performance in a Feature Film for Youth
Milya Corbeil-Gauvreau for the role of Manon in the film Cross My Heart (CAN, 2017), directed by Luc Picard
Motivation:
Her presence on the screen is incredibly strong. We do believe her sensitive, tender, but totally authentic performance. We think and believe we could see a future big film star.
Special Mention
Pipsi (IND, 2017), directed by Rohan Deshpande
Motivation:
Film is about a friendship, family, values, power to believe in imagination and keeping innocence in hard conditions. Great children´s performances.
Home Team (URG, ARG, BRA, 2017), directed by Carlos Morelli
Motivation:
Follow your dream a don´t leave the path. Don´t forget where you come from. We give this special mention for the message it carries. Nothing replaces education. It is a protection from poverty.
Joint International Jury of Children and Adults for Animated Films:
Manuk Depoyan (ARM)
Evgeniia Zhirkova (RUS)
Jakub Pistecký (CZE, CAN)
Andrej Škoda (CZE)
Damian Szpunar (POL)
Oliver Høitomt (NOR)
Golden Slipper - for the Best Animated Film
Blueberry Hunt (CZE, 2017), directed by Alexandra Májová, Kateřina Karhánková
Motivation:
A charming and perfectly timed story about two bears in search of a snack, that brought laughter and joy to us all. With beautiful animation, a strong colour palette, and a very appealing paper cut out design, we were all craving blueberry dumplings by the time the story was finished.
The Hermína Týrlová Award - Award for Young Artists aged under 35 (the prize belongs to the director)
Kuap (SUI, 2018), directed by Nils Hedinger
Motivation:
A brilliantly told story about a hero’s journey from embryo to frog. The elegantly simple characters, strongly communicated the story emotionally which merged very successfully against a live action background. The animation, filled with original ideas, reminded us that each of our journeys through life has its own unique relationship with time.
International Children’s Jury for Feature Films for Children:
Dorotka Rychnovská (CZE)
Elizabeth Jasmina Fechterová (CZE)
Hugo Fergusson (NLD)
Ingeborg Klaveness Sinnerud (NOR)
Javano Zwiers (NLD)
Main Prize of the Children’s Jury - for the Best Feature Film for Children
Los Bando (NOR, 2018), directed by Christian Lo
Motivation:
We liked the idea to make a movie about a band going on tour. It is an original and funny story with main heroes in our age who are facing various problems on the road. We love the main heroes. The actors acted very well. Locations and music were fantastic part of the film.
International Children’s Jury for Feature Films for Youth:
Hubert Iwanowski (POL)
Alisa Michailovna Krajnova (RUS)
Karin Konešová (CZE)
Ruslan Rashidovich Mustafin (RUS)
Veronika Vítková (CZE)
Main Prize of the Youth Jury - for the Best Feature film for Youth
Cross My Heart (CAN, 2017), directed by Luc Picard
Motivation:
We chose this movie because of its atmosphere, story and because we want people to know about this movie.
International Expert Jury for European First Films:
Alexandra Strelková (SVK)
Peter Machen (GBR)
Adam Dvořák (CZE)
The Europe Award - for the Best European First Film
The Best of All Worlds (AUT, 2017), directed by Adrian Goiginger
Motivation:
A warm and challenging film with a potent message of hope. Told beautifully and truthfully from a life lived. Verena Altenberger and Jeremy Miliker broke hearts and raised aspirations as mother and son. Beautiful.
Special Recoginition
Once Upon a Time in Indian Country (GER, 2017, directed by Ilker Çatak)
Motivation:
Its stunning and accessible visual style makes for a film for a generation. A wild, fun coming-of-age trip that will receive a large audience with, at its heart, a message of responsibility.
International Expert Jury for Student Films Zlín Dog:
Mateusz Możdżeń (POL)
Johana Švarcová (CZE)
Tariq Hager (USA)
Main Prize for the TOP Film of Zlín Dog with prize money of EUR 1000
Leave of Absence (ISR, 2016), directed by Moshe Rosenthal
Motivation:
Grand Prix award goes to Leave of Absence because of the film´s originality and success in capturing the poetry of a moment. The charisma of the film´s protagonist infects the piece with a touching humanity. The story chatches a rare moment of charge or existential awakening in the protagonist and manages to be both light but meaningful at the same time. This is an ecclectic tragic comecy treating a character and time in life seldom potrayed in film.
Genre prizes
Best Animated Film
Hybrids (FRA, 2017), directed by Florian Brauch, Matthieu Pujol, Kim Tailhades, Yohan Thierau, Romain Thirion
Motivation:
The animation section was very strong and was the most difficult section to award. Some films recommended themselves on the basis of the stories they told, others for their very strong visual component, and others still for their personal originality. At the end, the prize goest to Hybrids for the outstanding craftmanship and detail involved. Special mention goes to „Irony“ for its original and clever storytelling.
Best Documentary Film
The Last Prior (CZE, 2017), directed by Petr Januschka, Tereza Vágnerová
Motivation:
The Last Prior presented itself to us, as a clear winner for the number and quality of moments capturing the humanity and quirkiness of both the Prior location and its people The film provides a snap shot of a time, place and culture on a verge of extinction and while comic throughout never felt exploitive of the subject portrayed – Prior is the place where its people escape from a world they don´t understand and feel has left them behind.
Best Live-Action Film:
Into the Blue (CRO, 2017), directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Motivation:
The quality of the films in the live-action section was very high. „Into the Blue“ nevertheless distinguished itself, treating the new once topics of coming-of-age, rivalry and friendship with authenticity and skill. The setting and cinematography and the real performances of the children actors endowed the short film with a certain sensuality and elektricity throughout. The film managed to tease out a number of complex films from an otherwise simple story. A film about children and acted exclusively by children is a perfect award winner for a festival for children and youth.
Prizes awarded by non-statutory juries:
EFCA – International jury:
Margret Albers (GER)
Josep Arbiol (ESP)
Ekaterina Bordacheva (RUS)
ECFA Doc Award
Wilder Than Wilderness (CZE, 2018), directed by Marián Polák
Motivation:
With enchanting images director Marian Polak brings the young audience in touch with nature and wildlife that sourrounds us - sometimes in unexpected places like factories, trainstations and army ranges. Who would have thought that a tank could be finally good for something?! We get a feeling that nature follows its own cycles and find its way but that we have to treat it with respect and care.
International Ecumenical Jury:
Marianela Pinto (ECU)
Jonáš Vacek (CZE)
Ylva Liljeholm (SWE)
Ecumenical Jury Award
Supa Modo (KEN, GER, 2018), directed by Likarion Wainaina
Motivation:
The ecumenical jury gives the prize to an emotional story, simple, pure but still profound. This film invites us to face death from the perspective of a little girl who does it with dignity, joy and courage. Like a real superhero. The filmteams both the real one and the one in the movie show creativity on many levels. The cinematic skills integrate perfectly with the storytelling and engage the audience without telling too much. This film is about miracles.
Audience awards:
Golden Apple - for the Best Feature Film
The Third Wish (CZE, 2017), directed by Vít Karas
Golden Apple - for the Best Short Animated Film
Trunky (RUS, 2017), directed by Ekaterina Filippova
ČT: D Audience Award – for the Best Short Animated Film
Belly Flop (JAR, 2018), directed by Jeremy Collins, Kelly Dillon