Festivals
The main prize of Visions du Réel 2016 was awarded to Chinese director Shengze Zhu for her film "Another Year". The Interreligious Jury awarded its Prize to "Liberation, The User's Guide" by Alexander Kuznetsov, and picked two films for Commendations in addition.
The International Film Festival Fribourg has dedicated ist anniversary to women. More than half of the 126 films screened have been directed by woman directors. Thus, Fribourg set an example in a male dominated film industry.
The prize winner of the Ecumenical Jury, "Fuocoammare" (Fire at Sea) by Gianfranco Rosi, was also awarded by the International Jury with the Golden Bear.
The Film Festival Max Ophuels Prize in Saarbruecken, dedicated to young talented film directors in German-speaking countries, in 2016 screened 16 productions in the competition. The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury was awarded to the German entry "Der Nachtmahr" (The Nightmare).
"Returning Home" (Å vende tilbake) by Henrik Martin Dalsbakken from Norway is the winner of the NDR Film Prize at the 57th Nordic Film Days. The Church Film Prize of the INTERFILM Jury was awarded to "Virgin Mountain" by Dagur Kári from Iceland.
In 2015 the festival celebrated its 25th anniversary. A Croatian film won the top award: "Zvizdan" (The High Sun) by Dalibor Matanić. The Ecumenical Jury awarded "Imena višne" (The Ungiven) by Branco Schmidt, also from Croatia.
The 58th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Films in 2015 started with a new artistic direction. Leena Pasanen, successor of Claas Danielsen, initiated a major change...
Winner of the Grand Prix at Molodist 2015 is the Israeli film "Princess" by Tali Shalom Ezer. The Ecumenical Jury awarded its prize to "Ixcanul" (Volcano) by Jayro Bustamante from Guatemala.
The 64th Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg's motto is "Weltkino." (World Cinema) - as open as succinct and more appropriate to the megatopic of the moment...
Yesterday October 17 the juries at the 31st Warsaw Film Festival awarded their prizes. "Boi Neon" (Neon Bull) by Gabriel Mascaro from Brasil won the Warsaw Grand Prix. The Ecumenical Jury awarded a Palestinian film, "The Idol".
As part of a Western retrospective Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" opened the 12th International Film Festival Miskolc. The Ecumenical Jury awarded its prize to "Superwelt" (Superworld) by Austrian director Karl Markovics.
In Venice 2015, the INTERFILM Jury choose the winner of the 5th INTERFILM Award For Promoting Interreligious Dialogue. It decided upon the Iranian Orizzonti entry "Wednesday, May 9", directed by Vahid Jalilvand.
After weeks of uncertainty the 39th World Film Festival started on August 27th. The Ecumenical Jury had to decide for an award winner among 24 films screened in the World Competition section. As winnner of the Ecumenical Prize the jury choose "The Midnight Orchestra", directed by Jerôme Coen Oliver.
Jigeumeun matgo geuttaeneun teullida (Right Now, Wrong Then) by Hong Sang-soo, South Corea, is the winner of the Golden Leopard of the Film Festival Locarno 2015. The Ecumenical Jury awarded a Commendation to the film, giving its main prize to Ma dar behesht (Paradise) by Sina Ataeian Dena from Iran.
"Moskvich, My Love" by director Aram Shahbazyan is the winner of the Ecumenical Jury Prize in Yerevan 2015. The festival dedicated two extensive programmes to the memory of the Armenian genocide 100 years ago. "We Exist" showed films about the Armenian genocide itself, whereas "Never Again" focused on other examples of a holocaust.
In 2015, the International Film Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary. Winner of the Crystal Globe, the festival's top award, is the U.S. independent production "Bob and the Trees" which also got the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.
"Behaviour" (Conducta), a Cuban film by director Ernesto Daranas, is winner of the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Zlín 2015. The Jury also awarded a Commendation to "Mina Walking", an Afghan-Canadian co-production directed by Yosef Baraki.
A French film is winner of the Golden Palm in Cannes 2015: "Dheepan" by Jacques Audiard, telling a story about refugees from the civil war in Sri Lanka. The Ecumenical Jury awarded its Prize to Nanni Moretti's "Mia madre".
After screening 504 films from 55 countries, the 61st International Short Film Days Oberhausen 2015 ended on May 5 with the award ceremony in the Lichtburg Filmpalast. The Ecumenical Jury awarded a film from Spain.
Freedom of expression and the emergence of exceptional women were the central issues of the 46th edition of the festival. In its sidebar programs it offered a focus on Georgia and the Atelier with the Armenian film director Harutyun Khachatryan.
The 29th FIFF (Festival International de Films de Fribourg showed 150 films from 57 countries, among them the 12 long feature films in the International Competition. From these, the Ecumenical Jury chose its winner: "Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere" by Diep Hoang Nguyen, Vietnam.
At the International Children's and Young People's Film Festival in Malmö 2015 the Church of Sweden Youth Film Award was conferred to "X+Y" by British film director Morgan Matthews.
The 65th Berlinale opened on February 5 with Isabelle Coixets "Nobody Wants the Night". 19 films competed for the Golden and the Silver Bears. The International Jury headed by jury president Darren Aronofsky awarded the Golden Bear to "Taxi" by Jafar Panahi.
The 36th Max Ophuels Prize presented 16 entries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the competion for long feature films. Awarded for the first time the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury went to "The Drift" (Driften) by Karim Patwa, Switzerland.
On November 16, the festival closed with the Award Ceremony. The Ecumenical Jury awarded its Prize to "Nabat by Elchin Musaoglu from Aserbaijan.
As opening film the 24th Festival of East European Cinema in Cottbus presented "Underdog" (Fehér isten) by Kornél Mundruczó. After the leave of Roland Rust the festival direction has changed to Bernd Buder. He choose twelve films for the competition.
A film from Iceland is the winner of the Nordic Film Days Luebeck 2014: "Life in a Fishbowl" by director Baldwin Z won the prestigious NDR Film Award. The Church Film Prize by the INTERFILM Jury went to "1001 Grams" by Bent Hamer from Norway.
The festival announces latest political films to the crises in Syria and the Ukraine. The opening film tells about another controversial political matter: Edward Snowden and the wiretap practices of the NSA which he made public.
In spite of the difficult situation in the Ukraine the International Film Festival Molodist in Kyiv will take place also this year. It opens on October 25 with „Trois cœur“ by Benoît Jacquot (out of competition).
A film from Estonia is the winner of the Ecumenical Film Prize: "In the Crosswind" (Risttuules), directed by Martti Helde. The jury labeled it a "cinematic requiem" for the victims of the Soviet oppression in Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Grand Prix was given to the Chinese competition entry "The Coffin in the Mountain" by director Xin Yukun.
