30/08/2021 - In addition, two Czech documentarians scooped Special Jury Mentions for their latest oeuvres

Director Stefan Arsenijević accepting his Crystal Globe for As Far as I Can Walk (© Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary)

The awards ceremony of the 55^th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ended up being dominated by Stefan Arsenijević’s interpretation of the classic Serbian medieval epic poem Strahinja Banović, As Far as I Can Walk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stefan Arsenijević
film profile], in which African migrants stand in for Serbian national heroes. In addition to netting the top prize, the Crystal Globe, Arsenijević’s sophomore feature took home the Best Actor Award for Ibrhaim Koma, the Ecumenical Jury Award and the Europa Cinemas Label, along with a Special Jury Mention for the film’s DoP, Jelena Stanković. As Far as I Can Walk “tells a great and humanistic love story, well balanced between accurate documentary images and timeless poetry. It’s a film taking on the harsh experiences of migration, and with an epic dimension which eventually turns into a Passion story,” commented the ecumenical jury.

Czech documentary maker Erika Hníková received the Special Jury Prize for her observational doc Every Single Minute [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Erika Hníková
film profile], which follows a married couple raising their young son in accordance with strict guidelines in order to make him into the best sportsman possible. Dietrich Brüggemann took home the Best Director Award for his sardonic and occasionally surreal comedy on fatherhood and the romantic tribulations of the generation of thirty-somethings, Nö [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dietrich Brüggemann
film profile]. Éléonore Loiselle was awarded for her (mostly silent) performance in Nicolas Roy’s Canadian feature debut, Wars. Two more Special Jury Mentions went to Vinette Robinson for her role as sous-chef Carly in Philip Barantini’s one-shot restaurant drama Boiling Point [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philip Barantini
film profile] and to Sonja Tarokić’s feature debut, The Staffroom [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Tarokić
film profile], a dynamic drama revolving around the conflicts, agendas and power struggles in a school staffroom, which also received the Ecumenical Jury Commendation. Festival visitors voted for the domestic biopic-drama Zátopek [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Ondříček
film profile] by David Ondříček, which landed in local cinemas following its festival premiere – as such, it picked up the Právo Audience Award.

Vladimir Munkuev’s Yakut drama Nuuccha, revolving around the topic of the forced assimilation of nations into tsarist Russia, won the Grand Prix in the East of West Competition, with Dina Duma’s debut tragic coming-of-age drama Sisterhood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dina Duma, Antonia Belazelk…
film profile] pocketing the Special Jury Prize. Emerging Czech documentarian Adéla Komrzý received a Special Jury Mention for Intensive Life Unit [+see also:
trailer
film profile], her documentary on palliative care in the Czech Republic, which also netted the Special Jury Mention from the FEDEORA jury, which applauded the film for “bravely tackling the sensitive topic of palliative care, opening up conversations about death being a part of life”.

The 56^th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will be held from 1-9 July 2022.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Crystal Globe Competition

Crystal Globe
As Far as I Can Walk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stefan Arsenijević
film profile] – Stefan Arsenijević (Serbia/France/Luxembourg/Bulgaria/Lithuania)

Special Jury Prize
Every Single Minute [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Erika Hníková
film profile] – Erika Hníková (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

Best Director Award
Dietrich Brüggemann – Nö [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dietrich Brüggemann
film profile] (Germany)

Best Actress Award
Éléonore Loiselle – Wars (Canada)

Best Actor Award
Ibrahim Koma - As Far as I Can Walk

Special Jury Mention
The Staffroom [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sonja Tarokić
film profile] – Sonja Tarokić (Croatia)

Special Jury Mention
Vinette Robinson – Boiling Point [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Philip Barantini
film profile] (UK)

Special Jury Mention
Jelena Stanković (cinematographer) - As Far as I Can Walk

Právo Audience Award
Zátopek [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Ondříček
film profile] – David Ondříček (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

East of the West Competition

East of the West Grand Prix
Nuuccha – Vladimir Munkuev (Russia)

East of the West Special Jury Prize
Sisterhood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Dina Duma, Antonia Belazelk…
film profile] – Dina Duma (North Macedonia/Kosovo/Montenegro)

Special Jury Mention
Intensive Life Unit [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Adéla Komrzý (Czech Republic)

Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema
Michael Caine

Festival President’s Award for Contribution to Czech Cinema
Jan Svěrák

Festival President’s Award
Ethan Hawke

Non-statutory Awards

Award of International Film Critics
The Exam [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Shawkat Amin Korki
film profile] - Shawkat Armin Korki (Germany/Iraq/Qatar)

Ecumenical Jury Award
As Far as I Can Walk – Stefan Arsenijević

Ecumenical Jury Commendation
The Staffroom – Sonja Tarokić

FEDEORA Award
Otar’s Death [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ioseb 'Soso' Bliadze
film profile] – Ioseb “Soso” Bliadze (Georgia/Germany/Lithuania)

FEDEORA Jury Special Mention
Intensive Life Unit – Adéla Komrzý

Europa Cinemas Label
As Far as I Can Walk – Stefan Arsenijević