18/04/2016 - The 21st Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris ended last week by announcing its winners

l-r: Petr Kazda, Michalina Olszanska and Tomáš Weinreb with their award for I, Olga Hepnarová

The most recent Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris’ New Europe – New Names competition saw two winners of the Best Film Award – I, Olga Hepnarová [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Tomáš Weinreb, Petr Kazda
film profile] (Czech Republic) by Petr Kazda and Tomáš Weinreb, and Thirst [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Svetla Tsotsorkova
film profile] (Bulgaria) by Svetla Tsotsorkova.

Agnieszka Smoczyńska from Poland won the Best Director Award for her film The Lure [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agnieszka Smoczyńska
film profile], while Bulgarian actress Monika Naydenova – in her debut role – from Thirst was named Best Actress in this competition programme. Uliks Fehmiu from Serbia received the Best Actor Award for his performance in Our Everyday Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ines Tanović
film profile] by Ines Tanovic.

Ukrainian director Vitaly Mansky won the Best Film Award in the Baltic Gaze competition. His documentary Under the Sun [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vitaly Mansky
film profile] portrays the North Korean regime from the inside. Lithuania’s Mantas Kvedaravičius won the Best Director Award for his documentary Mariupolis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mantas Kvedaravicius
film profile], about the people living in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This is the first time a Lithuanian filmmaker has been awarded in a Kino Pavasaris competition programme.

The Best Actress Award went to Trine Dyrholm for her role in Danish film The Commune [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Thomas Vinterberg
film profile]. Oleg Maximov won the Best Actor Award for the documentary Don Juan [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Jerzy Sladkowski, in which he played himself.

The jury also handed out the Special Mention to Granny’s Dancing on the Table [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Swedish director Hanna Sköld.

The Slovakian short Fear, directed by Michal Blaško, won the Best Film Award in the Short Film competition programme.

The audience’s favourite feature at this year’s festival was Truman [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Cesc Gay
film profile] by Spaniard Cesc Gay, with festivalgoers naming (Otto) as their favourite short film, directed by Dutch filmmakers Marieke Blaauw, Joris Oprins and Job Roggeveen.

More than 100,000 people visited the Kino Pavasaris screenings in the five largest Lithuanian cities this year.

Here is the complete list of winners:

New Europe – New Names competition

Best Film
I, Olga Hepnarová [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Tomáš Weinreb, Petr Kazda
film profile] – Petr Kazda and Tomáš Weinreb
Thirst [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Svetla Tsotsorkova
film profile] – Svetla Tsotsorkova

Best Director
Agnieszka Smoczyńska – The Lure [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Agnieszka Smoczyńska
film profile]

Best Actress
Monika Naydenova – Thirst

Best Actor
Uliks Fehmiu – Our Everyday Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ines Tanović
film profile]

CICAE Award
A Good Wife [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Mirjana Karanović

Baltic Gaze competition

Best Film
Under the Sun [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vitaly Mansky
film profile] – Vitaly Mansky

Best Director
Mantas Kvedaravičius – Mariupolis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mantas Kvedaravicius
film profile]

Best Actress
Trine Dyrholm – The Commune [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Thomas Vinterberg
film profile]

Best Actor
Oleg Maximov – Don Juan [+see also:
trailer
film profile]

Special Mention
Granny’s Dancing on the Table [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Hanna Sköld

Audience Award for Best Feature
Truman [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
interview: Cesc Gay
film profile] – Cesc Gay

Short Film competition

Best Film
Fear – Michal Blaško

Special Mention
End of Puberty – Fanni Szilágyi

Audience Award for Best Short
(Otto) – Marieke Blaauw, Joris Oprins and Job Roggeveen