Today it's down to the final! Yesterday, eight juries had the incredibly difficult task of choosing a winning film from a large number of high-quality films. Tonight at 7 p.m. the winners will be chosen.
Of course, there are still many films in the program today. For example WOMAN ON THE ROOF from the Feature Film Competition about a 60-year-old who, slowly but surely, embarks on the rocky road to becoming herself. The already much acclaimed skin actress Dorota Pomykała will be present after the screening. The film screens at 2:30 pm at Weltspiegel. (>Tickets)
WOMAN ON THE ROOF (Anna Jadowska PL/FR/SE , 2022)
And we have a international premiere for you in the afternoon at 4 pm in the Weltspiegel: ONE OF US, a Balkan neo-noir from Albania. By the way, one of the main actors is Kasem Hoxha, member of this year's International Festival Jury! (Tickets, further times, info)
ONE OF US (Ergys Meta AL, 2022)
Click here for the whole program!
Did you miss our radio live shows yesterday or haven't had enough yet? No problem! From 12 - 2 p.m. Knut Elstermann and Radioeins will report live from the festival center (Stadthalle) again! Come by the Radioeins Lounge!
Knut Elstermann in Action
Yesterday there was quite a lot going on at Scandale (see picture). Today there is the groovy aftershow party from 10 pm: We celebrate the end of the 32nd FilmFestival Cottbus! Come by and bring all your friends! All info, audio sample & tickets can be found here!
Konzert von Acht Eimer Hühnerherzen
Tip for all parents: Sunday is Children's Day at FFC! In the Stadthalle run from 10 am and from 3 pm great children's programs that you should not miss! From cartoons to funny movies you have a varied choice. More info and tickets: 10 am and 3 pm.
Here you can see the winners of this year's award ceremony. Christian Matthée elegantly led through the evening. Congratulations to all winners!
Feature Film Competition
Main Award for the Best Film - SAFE PLACE (Juraj Lerotić, HR/SI 2022)
The Main Prize, endowed with 25,000 EUR, is donated by the Society for the Administration of Film and Television Rights (GWFF). The International Festival Jury of the 32nd FFC consists of Sabine Gebetsroither (AT), Oana Giurgiu (RO), Kasem Hoxha (DE/AL) and Igor Soukmanov (BY).Jury statement: For the courage of a filmmaker not only to reveal himself as an author, but also to reveal his soul, in this film about unconditional love for those close to him. We award the main prize for the best film to Juraj Lerotić for SAFE PLACE.
Special Award for Best Director - BREAD AND SALT (PL 2022).
The Special Award for Best Director is sponsored by Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) and is endowed with 7,500 EUR. Jury statement: The director gracefully stages the ordinariness and complexity of young people's lives in our shared world. The Special Award for Best Director goes to Damian Kocur for BREAD AND SALT.
Award for Outstanding Individual Performance - Iulian Postelnicu, MEN OF DEEDS (Paul Negoescu, RO 2022)
The prize for an outstanding individual performance is donated by Sparkasse Spree-Neiße and is endowed with 5,000 EUR. Jury statement: With him, you think that the character exists in him and is not played. The prize for an outstanding individual acting performance goes to Iulian Postelnicu from - Men of Deeds.
Competition Short Film
Main Award for the Best Short Film - LAST TIME (Rinaldas Tomaševičius, LT 2022).
The main prize for the best short film, endowed with 2,500 EUR, is donated by Druckzone from Cottbus. The jury of the Competition Short Film of the 32nd FFC consists of Peter Hoferica (SK), Eugen Kelemen (RO) and Beata Walentowska (PL) Jury statement: The main prize is awarded for an authentic portrayal of drug abuse that opens an original theme, namely trying to become a father and start a new life. Also, for the courageous directing style.
Special Award to a Director- PRIMAL THERAPY (Santtu Salminen, FI 2021).
The Special Award to a Director is donated by Tiede+ and is endowed with 1,500 EUR. Jury statement: For the wonderful irony and complexity of the story and the successful capture of comedy through acting and image.
Competition Youth Film
Award for the best youth film - LARRY (Szilárd Bernath, HU 2022)
The prize for the best youth film is endowed with 5,000 EUR and donated by the city of Cottbus. A Polish-Czech-German student jury selected the winner. Jury statement: It was a pleasure to participate in the festival as a jury, thank you for the opportunity to make this decision, even though it was not easy. The film we selected taught us an important life lesson: Every weakness you have can be turned into an opportunity. Congratulations to Mr. Bernath and his film Larry.
DIALOG Award for Understanding between Cultures: BREAD AND SALT (Damian Kocur, PL 2022)
1.500 EUR donated by Rotary Club Cottbus
Jury: Irine Beridze (film and cultural scientist), Kornii Hrytsiuk (filmmaker), Cornelia Klauß (filmmaker/writer), Dr. Stefanie Kaygusuz-Schurmann (Head of Department Education&Integration of the City of Cottbus) Jury statement: With great enthusiasm we chose the film "Bread and Salt" by Damian Kocur. The film shows, as if under a burning glass, what happens when dialogue fails. The director negotiates "language" on many levels: Slang, the different connotations of words, transcultural communication, the unspoken. He also uses music as a dramaturgical resonance chamber, showing how it can connect and divide.
Prize for the best debut film: LARRY (Szilárd Bernath, HU 2022)
3,000 EUR donated by the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg and the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. Jury: Prof. Dr. Sylvia Claus, BTU Department of Art History, Prof. Anna Lundqvist, BTU Department of Landscape Architecture, Dr. Miriam Friz Trzeciak, BTU: Chair of InterculturalismJury statement: The choice was difficult given the diversity and quality of the films we were allowed to evaluate, and then easy given the radiance of the winning film. It is an extremely convincing coming-of-age film and at the same time a differentiated portrait of post-socialist society, in which, beyond all clichés, social exclusion and violence, but also friendship, human affection and the resulting strength and ability of the individual to act are shown. Lead actor Bennett Vilmany embodies a fragile masculinity and plays so convincingly that he creates the illusion of being Larry himself. The Best Debut Film Award goes to the film Larry by Szilard Bernath from Hungary.
FIPRESCI Award from the | of the Féderation Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique MINSK (Boris Guts, EE 2022)
Jury: Tina Waldeck (film critic from Germany), Calin Boto (film critic from Romania), Colette de Castro (film critic from France).Jury statement: The film, which begins with a strikingly sweet relationship, offers a visual experience that unfolds in real time. An inescapable choreography of horror that draws the viewer into this spectacle of brutality from which there is no way to hide. For this unsparing look at police violence in a puppet state - The International Critics Award goes to Minsk by Boris Guts.
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury: MINSK (Boris Guts, EE 2022)
donated by SIGNIS and INTERFILM Jury: Martin Horálek, Simone-Münch-Egli, Agnès Rovoyard, Gereon TerhorstJury statement: Julia and Pasha are a young couple in love. They dream of starting a family in Minsk, where they live a normal life. Suddenly, everything changes when they find themselves in the middle of political protests. They are confronted with violence and torture by the police and a sense of helplessness and how to fight "fairly" for their own existence and values. This one-shot movie delights its audience with the combination of plot and cinematic style and leaves no one untouched from the cinema.
Audience Award: THE LAST RACE (Tomáš Hodan, CZ 2022)
3.000 EUR donated by Lausitzer RundschauJury: Audience of the Cottbus Film Festival
MIOB in Shorts Award Amygdala (Maria Hatzakou, GR 2021)
Crossing Europe - Filmfestival Linz Pictures of the award winners of the 32nd FilmFestival Cottbus can be found in our press portal from about 22:30.
This article will be updated throughout the day.