Ever since it was founded, the Mastercard OFF Camera Film Festival, which wrapped its 14^th edition on 12 September in Kraków, has celebrated independent cinema and filmmakers. This year’s winners exemplify that with their work – particularly their freedom of mind and spirit.

The Kraków Film Award, a cash prize of $25,000, was given to Dutch director Isabel Lamberti for her film Last Days of Spring [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Isabel Lamberti
fiche film]. The Dominika Kulczyk Productions Award of 100,000 PLN (approximately €21,800) went to Amateurs [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] by Iwona Siekierzyńska, a subtle dramedy that revolves around a theatre group consisting of actors with Down’s syndrome, who are preparing to stage a Shakespeare play.

Agata Buzek and Jacek Braciak, who starred in Łukasz Grzegorzek’s My Wonderful Life [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Łukasz Grzegorzek
fiche film], snagged the Best Actress and Best Actor nods, respectively. The FIPRESCI jury awarded Gaza Mon Amour [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] by Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser, while thesp Nicolas Przygoda was given the Mastercard Rising Star Prize.

The festival audience picked The Getaway King [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] by Mateusz Rakowicz, revolving around a charming, Robin Hood-like crook in the 1980s, as their favourite film. Also, the Polish Producers Association (KIPA), together with post-production studio Chimney Poland, Coloroffon, DI Factory and Fixafilm, founded the KIPA Production Debut Award, which went to three different producers: Marta Habior for Dolce Fine Giornata [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Jacek Borcuch
fiche film], Anna Wereda for Amateurs and Marcin Ostatek for Scandal [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film].

Apart from the two competitions, a number of non-competitive sections fleshed out the programme of the 14^th Mastercard OFF Camera Film Festival: American Indies; Best of Fests; Camera on Andrzej Chyra – Parquet; Different Shades of Crisis; Freedom, Equality, Solidarity; Love on the Brain; Nordic Horizons; and Panorama. The event unspooled between 3 and 12 September 2021.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Kraków Film Award
Last Days of Spring [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Isabel Lamberti
fiche film] - Isabel Lamberti (Netherlands/Spain)

Dominika Kulczyk Productions Award – Best Film in the Polish Competition
Amateurs [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] – Iwona Siekierzyńska (Poland)

Best Actress
Agata Buzek - My Wonderful Life [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Łukasz Grzegorzek
fiche film] (Poland)

Best Actor
Jacek Braciak - My Wonderful Life

FIPRESCI Award
Gaza Mon Amour [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] - Arab Nasser and Tarzan Nasser (Palestine/France/Germany/Portugal/Qatar)

Mastercard Rising Star Prize
Actor Nicolas Przygoda

Audience Award
The Getaway King - Mateusz Rakowicz (Poland)

KIPA Award for Best Production Debut
Marta Habior – Dolce Fine Giornata [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Jacek Borcuch
fiche film] (Poland)
Anna Wereda – Amateurs
Marcin Ostatek – Scandal [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] (Poland)