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DOK LEIPZIG 2018 Awards

I Had a Dream wins the Golden Dove at DOK Leipzig

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- Claudia Tosi's observation of the last decade in Italian politics won a total of three prizes, while Lord of the Toys was crowned in the German Competition of this successful 61st edition

I Had a Dream wins the Golden Dove at DOK Leipzig
Claudia Tosi, the director of I Had a Dream, collecting one of her prizes (© DOK Leipzig)

The 61st edition of the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, aka DOK Leipzig (29 October-4 November), ended with the victory of Claudia Tosi's I Had a Dream [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Claudia Tosi
film profile
]
, a retrospective observation of the last decade in Italian politics through the experience of two female politicians and friends who have drawn some tough conclusions on populism. Ultimately, the movie raises the question of whether democracy and politics are still alive. The film was awarded the Golden Dove (and €10,000) by a jury that said: “The amazing and resilient women in this film gave us hope. Even though they seem to deal with local and national issues, their consequent politically pragmatic fight resonates across the world.” The film also won the Prize of the Interreligious Jury and the FIPRESCI Prize. The Honorary Mention in the main competition went to the Croatian picture On the Water [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Goran Dević, “because it beautifully shows that despite the trauma and the scars of war, humanity and survival transcend”. 

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In the Next Masters Competition, acknowledging and supporting "innovative, unconventional works that challenge the boundaries of cinema as a medium", the jury granted the Golden Dove (€10,000) to a film seen as a piece of good news from Brazil, after the "dispiriting" events of last week: Ricardo Calil's Cinema Morocco.

The winner of the Golden Dove in the German Competition (€10,000) was a documentary with a William Golding-esque title helmed by Pablo Ben YakovLord of the Toys, which follows “the everyday life of a group of Dresden-based YouTubers – boys, a few girls, no adults for miles around – who are close to adopting right-wing positions out of boredom and forlornness, and in doing so, have several hundred thousand followers on social media". The jury appreciated the filmmaker's venturing "right down to the deepest depths" and also said: "It is deeply impressive, from both an aesthetic and a dramaturgical point of view... The film makes an unprecedented contribution to understanding just what’s going on in our world. Sometimes you hear remarks about movies that they hurt – this one really hurts, partly physically. But for a good reason." Prior to the ceremony, the film triggered heated debates on the internet. “As a festival rooted in the eastern part of Germany, we see the urge to depict those topics and realities in our programme,” says festival director Leena Pasanen

Karen Winther's story on "the long road from de-radicalisation to re-humanisation", Exit (Norway/Germany/Sweden), won three awards.

This 61st edition of DOK Leipzig was a big success, said the organisers. A total of 306 films and 12 interactive works were screened, and 47,155 visitors attended the screenings and events during the week. DOK Neuland, DOK Leipzig’s interactive exhibition, which was inaugurated four years ago and was this year created by a designer for the very first time, attracted roughly 3,000 visitors. A total of five out of the seven Golden Dove winners were made by female filmmakers, and a sixth winning film was co-directed by a woman.

DOK Industry attracted around 1,900 film professionals. Circa 850 meetings took place during the DOK Co-Pro Market, about 80 specialists participated in the one-day DOK Exchange conference, DOK Previews presented 12 film projects, and ten short-film projects were pitched at DOK Short’n’Sweet. Brigid O’Shea, the head of DOK Industry, underlined "how important the connection between DOK Industry and the film programme of DOK Leipzig is", and considers it "a great success for us that these filmmakers want to come back to Leipzig”.

Here is the full list of winners at DOK Leipzig 2018:

International Competition for Long Documentary and Animated Film

Golden Dove
I Had a Dream [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Claudia Tosi
film profile
]
– Claudia Tosi (Italy/France)

Honorary Mention
On the Water [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 – Goran Dević (Croatia)

International Competition for Short Documentary and Animated Film

Golden Dove for Short Documentary Film
All Inclusive - Corina Schwingruber Ilic (Switzerland)

Golden Dove for Short Animated Film
Egg - Martina Scarpelli (France/Denmark) 

Honorary Mention
You Are Overreacting - Karina Paciorkowska (Poland) 

Next Masters

Golden Dove for Best Feature-length Film
Cinema Morocco - Ricardo Calil (Brazil)

Golden Dove for Best Short
Escapar, the Recurring Dream - Barbara Bohr (Denmark) 

Honorary Mention
The Republic’s Couriers - Badredine Haouari (France) 

German Competition for Long Documentary and Animated Film 

Golden Dove
Lord of the Toys – Pablo Ben Yakov (Germany)

German Competition for Short Documentary and Animated Film

Golden Dove
Marina - Julia Roesler

DEFA Sponsoring Prize for an Outstanding Long German Documentary Film
Stress [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Florian Baron

Healthy Workplaces Film Award
Marina - Julia Roesler
Honorary Mention
Open to the Public [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Silvia Bellotti (Italy)

Jury of the Goethe-Institut
Exit - Karen Winther (Norway/Germany/Sweden)
Honorary Mention
Breathing Life Into Stone [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
- Katinka Zeuner (Germany)

MDR Film Prize
No Obvious Signs [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Alina Gorlova (Ukraine) 

Film Prize Leipziger Ring – Audience Award
In Search [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Beryl Magoko (Germany)

Prize of the Interreligious Jury
I Had a Dream – Claudia Tosi

Special Prize
#Female Pleasure [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
- Barbara Miller (Switzerland/Germany)

ver.di Prize for Solidarity, Humanity and Fairness
Breathing Life Into Stone - Katinka Zeuner
Honorary Mention
The Second Attack - Mala Reinhardt (Germany)

Young Eyes Film Award
Exit - Karen Winther

FIPRESCI Prize
I Had a Dream – Claudia Tosi 

mephisto 97.6-Publikumspreises for the Best Animated Film
Carlotta’s Face - Valentin Riedl, Frédéric Schuld (Germany)

Gedanken-Aufschluss - Jury of Juvenile and Young Adult Prisoners of JSA Regis-Breitingen
Exit - Karen Winther

DOK Neuland Award 
Manic VR - Kalina Bertin (Canada)

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