Winners of the 14th ŻUBROFFKA International Short Film Festival

Białystok, December 8, 2019

Winners of the 14th ŻUBROFFKA International Short Film Festival

The 14th ZUBROFFKA International Short Film Festival has just finished in Białystok! The festival was taking place from December 4 to 8. In 20 venues in Białystok and Podlachia. (in Supraśl, Łomża, Narew, Sokółka, Augustów, Hajnówka, Suchowola and Kleszczele), the audience could watch over 200 movies of various genres from the entire globe. The program also featured concerts, master classes for children, youth and seniors, exhibition, panel discussions, and meetings.

Over 200 guests (filmmakers, artists, journalists and film industry representatives) from such countries as Angola, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czechia, Dominican, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, France, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Venezuela arrived at the festival.

107 movies competed for awards in the eight ZUBROFFKA’s competitions.

The International Jury consisting of: Juanita Onzaga, Babis Makridis, Zbigniew Czapla, Sergei Kachkin and Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk granted the following awards:

ZUBROFFKA’s 2019 Festival’s GRAND PRIX – The Award of the Białystok Cultural Center’s Director (10.000 PLN) was received by the film Miłość bezwarunkowa / Unconditional Love (dir. Rafał Łysak, Poland). 
Jury’s reason: There are quite many good comedy documentaries, but this one is a far more significant example of a film, which is fulfilled with love, irony and tenderness in relations of close people. It has to be awarded not only because it’s a well-done film but also because of its powerful message “Real love can get through any misunderstandings and different life perceptions”.

 

The 1st Award in the Eastward Window international competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Dcera / Daughter (dir. Daria Kashcheeva, Czechia).
Jury’s reason: For the very touching story where dolls have true feelings and almost bring tears in our eyes better even from a live action movie. A movie animated in a very unique style with a mix of stop motion technique and a crazy hand held camera.

 

The Honorable Mention in the Eastward Window international competition was received by the film Kolektyviniai sodai / Community Gardens (dir. Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania). 

The 1st Award in the Whole Wide World international competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Electric Swan (dir. Konstantina Kotzamani, France/Greece/Argentina).
Jury’s reason: The award goes to a film about moving buildings, humans, animals and electricity and to a director who transfer us with the use of magical realism and dreamy atmosphere into the world of the story. Pure Latin American film by a Greek director.

 

The Honorable Mention in the Whole Wide World international competition was received by the film Je sors acheter des cigarettes / I’m Going out for Cigarettes (dir. Osman Cerfon, France). 

The 1st Award in the Students Polish competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Krzyżówka / The Crossword (dir. Jan Bujnowski).
Jury’s reason: For a film in which sensual meaning becomes unraveled even if you write wrong word.

 

The Honorable Mention in the Students Polish competition was received by the film Am Himmel / Heaven’s Meadow / Na niebie (dir. Magdalena Chmielewska, Austria/Poland).

The 1st Award in the Independent Polish competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Acid Rain (dir. Tomek Popakul).
Jury’s reason: For an intense and authentic trip which immerse us in a psychedelic state.

 

The Best Documentary Award (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Nachts sind alle Katzen grau / All Cats Are Grey in the Dark (dir. Lasse Linder, Switzerland).
Jury’s reason: The film shows brightly, that a human by its nature cannot and doesn’t want to be alone. It’s necessary for him to have someone alongside. In addition, the film is impressive in how much the author managed to convey the delicacy of the owner’s relationship with his pets.

 

The Best Feature Award (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Rapaz / Raptor (dir. Felipe Gálvez, Chile). 
Jury’s reason: For a film where conscience press on after you take responsibility for judging.

 

The Best Animation Award (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Dcera / Daughter (dir. Daria Kashcheeva, Czechy). 
Jury’s reason: For the extraordinary sensitivity and moving image of the relationship of the daughter and father, as well as the film language delighting with its originality, exceeding the limits of animation. Congratulations!

The Best Cinematography Award (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Nan Fang Shao Nv / She Runs (dir. Qiu Yang, cinematography: Constanze Schmitt, China, France).
Jury’s reason: For a film with a precise and unique visual language which builds tension mirroring the inner world of its character.

 

The Best Music Award (2.000 PLN) was received by the film The Flood Is Coming (dir. Gabriel Böhmer, music: Nacho Palacios, Switzerland/United Kingdom).
Jury’s reason: For great music and sound that build tension and a sense of horror, and creatively fill the image and expand the space of imagination.

 

The Jury of the  ON THE EDGE international competition (experimental films and video-art) consisting of: Aleksandra Czerniawska, Mihai Grecu and Wojtek Pustoła granted the following awards:

The 1st Award in the ON THE EDGE competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film The Dawn of Ape (dir. Mirai Mizue, Japan). 
Jury’s reason: A truly experimental and edgy work. Purely psychedelic animation coming out of a fresh and hilarious concept. Abstract compositions race on the screen with no mercy for the perception of the viewer forming a mysterious trans-species communication. We can just hope that the chimpanzees, for whom the film was made, had also fun watching.

 

The Honorable Mention in the ON THE EDGE competition was received by the film Talv vihmametsas / Winter in the Rainforest (dir. Anu-Laura Tuttelberg, Estonia/Lithuania/Mexico).
Jury’s reason: Why would anyone put an ice cold set of porcelain eerie creatures and animate it in the Mexican jungle? We don’t know that, but we liked it.

 

The Jury of the Amateurs Polish competition consisting of: Ryszard Jaźwiński (president), Małgorzata Andruszkiewicz, Gabriela Opońska, Martyna Minkiewicz, Julita Różak, Oliwia Kubas and Wioletta Oszczapińska granted the following awards:

The 1st Award in the Amateurs competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Lato / Summertime (dir. Aleksandra Mazoń).
Jury’s reason: For a consistent search of form and style, stirring excellent cinematography and strong acting evoking emotions.

 

The Honorable Mention in the Amateurs competition was received by the film Błękitny ptak / Bluebird (dir. Michał Stenzel, Poland/Germany). 
Jury’s reason: For an intriguing, original film form inspired by poetry.

The International Journalist Jury consisting of: Irena Kotelovich, Flavia Dima and Neil Young awarded the following films (among the films taking part in the Students or Independent competitions:

The 1st Award (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Deszcz / Rain (dir. Piotr Milczarek).
Jury’s reason: Our winning film condenses an ambitious allegory onto a miniature canvas, witty yet poignant it addresses social and psychological matters with elegant economy while depicting a dazzling way to die.

 

The Honorable Mention was received by the film Miłość bezwarunkowa / Unconditional Love (dir. Rafał Łysak).
Jury’s reason: A family story that touches topical subject and also the heart and the funny bone.

The Polish Journalist Jury consisting of: Magda Maksimiuk, Błażej Hrapkowicz and Jakub Koisz awarded the following films (among the films taking part in the Eastward Window or Whole Wide World competitions):

The 1st Award (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Nan Fang Shao Nv / She Runs (dir. Qiu Yang, China, France).
Jury’s reason: For the awareness of form, precision of direction and the multidimensional portrait of the individual in an oppressive system.

The Honorable Mention was received by the film Maja (dir. Marijana Jankovic, Denmark/Serbia). 

Jury’s reason: For a very sensitive and at the same time emphatic approach to the subject of emigration, assimilation and this new generation, which is both “there” and “here”.

Children were the Jury members of the KIDS competition and they granted the following awards:
The Award in the KIDS 6+ competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Cat Lake City / Kociejewo (dir. Antje Heyn, Germany).

 

The Award in the KIDS 10+ competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film Gunpowder / Herbatka (dir. Romane Faure, Nathanael Perron, Léa Detrain, Benoît de Geyer d’Orth, Pei-Hsuan Lin, Anne-Lise Kubiak, France).

 

The Award in the KIDS 13+ competition (2.000 PLN) was received by the film o28 (dir. Otalia Caussé, Geoffroy Collin, Louise Grardel, Antoine Marchand, Robin Merle, Fabien Meyran, France).

 

The Audience also granted the MUSIC VIDEO Competition Award (2.000 PLN) for the music video Corps: A Corps (dir. Yoann Stehr, France).

 

The Audience as usual selected its favorite movie! THE WILD BISON AWARD – The Audience Award (6.000 PLN), funded by DrTusz company, was received by the film Miłość bezwarunkowa / Unconditional Love (dir. Rafał Łysak, Poland)!

 

The New Europe Talent Award (a trip to a film festival in Berlin) funded by the New Europe Film Sales for the most promising filmmaker from Central and Eastern Europe was received by the film film Kolektyviniai sodai / Community Gardens (dir. Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania).

Congratulations to all the Winners!
We thank the Audience for participating in the festival!

Organizer: Białystok Cultural Center – “GAG” Film Discussion Club
The festival was organized with the Białystok City’s budget
The festival was cofinanced by the Polish Film Institute

Additional information:
www.zubroffka.pl/en, www.facebook.com/zubroffka, www.bok.bialystok.pl/en


BOK Białostocki Ośrodek Kultury