17/10/2016 - The Polish film festival came to a close this weekend, with the juries paying special attention to Polish and other European films

The 32^nd edition of the Warsaw Film Festival came to a close this weekend, with the closing ceremony held in Warsaw’s Multikino on Saturday, 15 October. Films were awarded prizes in the categories of international feature, documentary, first or second feature and short film, with the Warsaw Grand Prix going to Iranian title Malaria [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Parviz Shahbazi. Of the 20 awards given, 17 went to either European films or co-productions, with the juries paying special attention to domestic Polish films.

Ralitza Petrova (Bulgaria), Maria Sadowska (Poland), Bence Fliegauf (Hungary), Mehmet Can Mertoğlu (Turkey) and Rodrigo Plá (Mexico) made up the festival’s grand jury. The big winner was the Iceland’s Heartstone [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
film profile] by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, a sensitive, naturalistic portrait of budding sexualities, winning the Best Director award and a Special Mention for the actor, Baldur Einarson, in addition to the Ecumenical Jury Award. Receiving the award in Einarson’s stead, the film’s director remarked that the young actor “pushed his limits during the shooting of the film. It’s a hard job for a 13-year-old boy, but he was very determined and he did a great job.”

The best film in the first or second feature category, as chosen by jury members Iza Igel (Poland), Julia Sinkevych (Ukraine), Reza Dormishian (Iran), was France’s Toril [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Teyssier
film profile] by Laurent Teyssier. The thriller, set in the countryside, is about a 20-something who starts growing marijuana in order to pay the bills. The special mentions went to the Polish title, Playground [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bartosz M. Kowalski
film profile], by Bartosz M Kowalski that premiered in San Sebastián in September, an idiosyncratic first feature, and a dark-humoured twist on the coming-of-age stories by one of the most intriguing emerging European filmmakers, Croatia’s Quit Staring at My Plate [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hana Jušić
film profile] by Hana Jušić.

Another Polish film to receive an award at the festival was Communion [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Anna Zamecka for Best Documentary Feature, as decided by the jury, composed of Pietra Brettkelly (New Zealand), Wojciech Kasperski (Poland) and Žiga Virc (Slovenia). The director, who already won the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at the 69^th Locarno Film Festival, dedicated the award to Polish women. “In the last couple of weeks, [they] have had to fight for their basic human rights,” said Zamecka. “We will win this battle.”

For the first time ever, there was an award for the Best Film presented during the Warsaw Screenings at the festival’s CentEast Market as well. It was given out at the closing gala, on Sunday, 16 October. Of the 12 selected new Polish titles, the international professionals taking part in the market chose The Last Family [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dawid Ogrodnik
film profile] (Aurum Film) by Jan P Matuszyński as Best Film, which will receive a cash prize of €4,600 (PLN 20,000).

Funded by and organised with the support of the Polish Film Institute, the programme of the 30^th Warsaw Screenings, taking place from 14-16 October 2016, included Polish majority and minority co-productions. Presented among them were Andrzej Wajda’s last film, Afterimage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Zofia Wichlacz
film profile], Memories of Summer [+see also:
trailer
interview: Adam Guziński
film profile] by Adam Guziński and Playground by Bartosz M Kowalski.

Here is the complete list of award winners of the 32^nd Warsaw Film Festival:

Warsaw Grand Prix
Malaria [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Parviz Shahbazi (Iran/France)

Best Director
Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson – Heartstone [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson
film profile] (Iceland/Denmark)

Special Jury Award
Ahmad Thaher – Blessed Benefit [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Jordan/Germany/Netherlands/Qatar)

Special Mention
Baldur Einarsson – Heartstone

Competition 1-2 Winner
Toril [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurent Teyssier
film profile] – Laurent Teyssier (France)

Special Mention
Playground [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bartosz M. Kowalski
film profile] – Bartosz M. Kowalski (Poland)
Quit Staring at My Plate [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hana Jušić
film profile] – Hana Jušić (Croatia/Denmark)

Best Documentary Feature
Communion [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Anna Zamecka (Poland)

Special Mention
An Insignificant Man – Khushboo Ranka, Vinay Shukla (India)

Free Spirit Award
The Giant [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Johannes Nyholm
film profile] – Johannes Nyholm (Sweden/Denmark)

Special Mention
Anomie – Vladimir Kozlov (Russia)

Short Grand Prix
First Pole on Mars – Agnieszka Elbanowska (Poland)

Best Live Action Short
Play Off – Tomasz Gąssowski (Poland)

Best Animated Short
The Talk. True Stories About The Birds And The Bees – Alain Delannoy (Canada)

Best Documentary Short
Love Bite: Laurie Lipton and Her Disturbing Black & White Drawings – James Scott (UK)

Special Mention
Fabricated – Brett Foxwell (USA)

FIPRESCI Award for Best Debut from Eastern Europe
Godless [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ralitza Petrova
film profile] – Ralitza Petrova (Bulgaria)

Young FIPRESCI Jury Award
Hristo [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Grigor Lefterov
film profile] – Grifor Lefterov, Todor Matsanov (Bulgaria)

Ecumenical Jury Award
Heartstone – Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson

Netpac Jury Award for Best Asian Film
Blessed Benefit – Mahmoud Al Massad