Sergey Dvortsevoy's Cannes competition title Ayka [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sergey Dvortsevoy
scheda film] has triumphed at the 28th Festival of East European Cinema in Cottbus (6-10 November), winning the Main Prize for Best Film, worth €25,000, and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.

The main jury, composed of Leonid Demchenko, programme director of the Baltic Debuts Film Festival and the Russian representative of Eurimages, Polish director Anna Jadowska, Ukrainian producer Anna Palenchuk, Georgian director Gio Mgeladze, and Uwe Kockisch, an actor from Cottbus, justified their choice with the following statement: "For letting us come really close to the main character and live her life. For consistent storytelling, harsh camera work and intense acting. The documentary approach enables us to cross the boundary between fiction and real life, which opens our eyes to the struggles of economic migrants, which is a global challenge of our time."

(L'articolo continua qui sotto - Inf. pubblicitaria)

Another Cannes title, The Load [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ognjen Glavonić
scheda film] by Ognjen Glavonić, received the Special Mention and the FIPRESCI Prize. As a project in development, the film took part in Cottbus' industry section, coco, five years ago. 

The Special Prize for Best Director, worth €7,500, went to Ivan I Tverdovskiy for the Karlovy Vary entry Jumpman [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ivan I. Tverdovsky
scheda film]. In 2016, Tverdovskiy won Best Film at Cottbus with Zoology [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ivan I. Tverdovsky
scheda film].

Bulgaria's Martina Apostolova received the Award for Outstanding Actress (€5,000) for her role in Nadejda Koseva's Irina [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Martina Apostolova
scheda film], which also picked up the Best Debut Film Prize (€3,000). 

The Award for Outstanding Actor, valued at €5,000, went to Estonia's Reimo Sagor for Take It or Leave It [+leggi anche:
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Polish filmmaker Łukasz Grzegorzek received the Prize for Best Youth Film for A Coach's Daughter, and Bosnia and Herzegovina's Aida Begić won the DIALOGUE Prize for Intercultural Communication for Never Leave Me [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]. These awards are worth €3,000 each. 

Here is the full list of award winners:

Feature Film Competition

Main Prize for Best Film
Ayka [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sergey Dvortsevoy
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Special Mention
The Load [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ognjen Glavonić
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Special Prize for Best Director
Ivan I Tverdovskiy - Jumpman [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ivan I. Tverdovsky
scheda film] (Russia/Ireland/France/Lithuania)

Award for Outstanding Actress
Martina Apostolova - Irina [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Martina Apostolova
scheda film] (Bulgaria)

Award for Outstanding Actor
Reimo Sagor - Take It or Leave It [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] (Estonia) 

Best Debut Film
Irina - Nadejda Kosev

FIPRESCI Prize
The Load - Ognjen Glavonic 

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Ayka - Sergey Dvortsevoy

Spectrum

DIALOGUE Prize for Intercultural Communication
Never Leave Me [+leggi anche:
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u18 Youth Film Competition

Prize for Best Youth Film
A Coach's Daughter - Łukasz Grzegorzek (Poland) 

Short Film Competition

Main Prize
The Christmas Gift - Bogdan Mureșanu (Romania)

Special Prize
60 Kilos of Nothing - Piotr Domalewski (Poland)