Awards of the 18ου Olympia International Film Festival for children and Young People (2015)
Ι. Fiction and Animation Section
Α. International Jury Awards
- Best Feature Film
14 +, Andrey Zaytsev, Russia, 2015
For portraying in a delicate, sensitive and emotional way the power of first love.
- Best Short Fiction Film
Milky Brother, Vahran Mkhitatyan, Poland-Armenia, 2014
For giving through cinema powerful insight to an archaic world, where the survival of every being is valued.
- Best Animation Film
Of Shadows and Wings ,Elice Meng & Eleonora Marinoni, Switzerland, 2015
A poetic and masterly crafted film that reflects the age-old conflict between uniformity and freedom.
- Best Director
Flocking, 2014, Beata Gårdeler, Sweden, 2015
The director was able to guide a diverse ensemble of characters building a truthful and realistic community.
- Best Script
Flocking, 2014, Beata Gårdeler, Sweden, 2015
For dealing with a difficult topic in a brilliantly constructed manner.
- Best Boy Actor
To Gleb Kalyuzhny for his appearance at the film 14 +, Andrey Zaytsev, Russia, 2015
For bringing to life a delicate and identifiable character, which was powerful both in action and silent moments.
- Best Girl Actor
To Fatime Azemi for her appearance at the film Flocking, 2014, Beata Gårdeler, Sweden, 2015
For her impressive ability to bring across emotions of a character in crisis with excellent control and refined acting skills.
- Special Mention (feature)
Enclave, Goran Radovanovic, Serbia-Germany, 2015
The film gives in a cinematographic way, a universal story, where the young characters carry the hope of change.
- Special Mention (short fiction)
Agg, Ståle Stein Berg, Norway, 2015
For dealing with a serious subject in a challenging and powerful cinematography.
- Special Mention (short animation)
The Elephant and the Bicycle , Olesya Shchukina, France-Belgium, 2014
For a cheerful, delicate and colourful story with basic truths, that every audience can relate to.
International Jury – Rationale:
We, the members of the International Jury feel honoured to be invited to this bright and beautiful place, and to represent our countries at this Festival. We are amazed by the warmth and hospitality we have experienced in Pyrgos and we hope to visit again in the years to come.
Cinema is an aesthetic value that permeates social reality. An audiovisual language
that is able to describe humanity’s deeper contents, its light and darkness. Thus it describes its concerns, expectations and its vision. In that sense, cinema for children and young people is all about the core of those things during their coming of age while instilling knowledge, morals and aesthetics.
Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People with its cross-country, cross-Europe and international outreach and all that it has accomplished culturally during the 18 years of its existence, should be the pride for the city of Pyrgos and its creator, Dimitris Spyrou.
Β. Children’s Jury Awards
Best Short Animated Film
The Present, Jacob Frey, Germany, 2014
We chose this film because it shows the budding friendship between the dog and the child, after he gave up videogames.
Best Short Fiction Film
An American Piano, Paul Leeming, Japan, 2014
The film moved us because it was a true story, showing that music can conquer hatred and hostility.
Best Feature Film
Labyrinthus, Douglas Boswell, Belgium-Τhe Netherlands, 2014.
We picked this film because it’s based on a very original topic that is video game addiction.
All the actors were good and the production made the most of digital technology.
ΙΙ. Kids and Docs Jury Awards
Α. International Jury Awards
Best Documentary
The Living Fire, Ostap Kostyu, Ukraine, 2014
Best Short Documentary
Τo School, Soe Moe Aung, Myanmar, 2015
Special Mention
Brundibar Revisited, Douglas Wolfsperger, Germany-Czech Republic, 201
Special Mention
Coming of Age, Teboho Edkins, Lesotho-South Africa-Germany, 2015
Special Mention
Aǧri and the Mountain, Hasan Serin, Turkey, 2013
International Jury – Rationale:
The jury for the Kids & Docs section of the 18th Olympia International Film Festival for children and young people watched 24 feature and short films. The jury would like to note:
- The judicious selection of the films based on quality.
- Their varied origin from across the world.
- The variety of subjects and wide range of film-making approaches.
- The great turn-out at the screenings.
Based on these facts, the Jury believes that the Documentary Section of the 18th Olympia Film Festival
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gives local communities the opportunity to meet and communicate via images and sounds from different societies.
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encourages filmmakers from across the world.
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and, finally, consolidates the credibility, strengthens the international prestige, and contributes to the development of an important and effective cultural institution of Greek periphery.
Β. Children’s Jury Awards
Best Documentary
A Brave Bunch, The Uprising through Children’s Eyes, Tomasz Stankiewicz, Poland, 2015
We picked this documentary because it was very accomplished and well-presented. It was based on interesting testimonies and archive material and was artistically well-rounded.
Best Short Documentary
No Candies From Heaven, Vangelis Kalambakas, Greece, 2014
When an unexpected opportunity arose, the director managed to make a very accomplished and decent film while having very limited means.
ΙΙΙ. Other Awards
“Human Values Award” of the Hellenic Parliament Television Station/ Vouli-Tileorasi
”Blanka, Kohiki Hasel, Italy-Japan-The Philippines, 2015
Rationale:
The Hellenic Parliament Television is presenting for the first time at the International Olympia Film Festival for Children and Young People the «Human Rights Award» to a fiction feature film of the competition section which, exploring the inhumane conditions of neglect and commercialization in which abandoned children live in the streets and slums of Manila from a new perspective, give prominence to the values of friendship and solidarity.
CIFEJ Award
Birds of Passage, Oliver Ringer, Belgium- France, 2015
ECFA Award
Seven Ravens, AliceNellis, Slovakia-Czech Republic, 2015
OKLE Award
Enclave, Goran Radovanovic Serbia-Germany, 2015
Greek Film Clubs’ Association – Rationale:
The Jury of the Greek Film Clubs’ Association would like to present “Enclave” by Goran Radovanovic with their Best Feature Film Award. The film presents the devastating consequences of war – and civil war in particular – in a society where different cultures used to coexist in peace, in a very insightful but also sensitive and realistic way. It also promotes an optimistic message of hope for reconciliation and peace through the narrative of the forced coming-of-age of its young protagonists.
UNICEF Award
Enclave, Goran Radovanovic Serbia-Germany, 2015
Unicef – Rationale:
It is a fact that nowadays, information reaches all of us mainly via the internet but I believe that its essence reaches new levels and new depths when transmitted through some form of Art. And of course, the most direct form of Art is cinema. That’s why for quite some time now, the Hellenic National Committee for UNICEF supports and is supported in return by the International Olympia Film Festival for Children and Young People. The art of cinema, its people and all of us at UNICEF unite our voices demanding a more just and decent way of life for all children and young people.
UNICEF keeps asking from adults to consider the fact that their actions have a direct impact on the present as well as the future of children and adolescents.
The cores of UNICEF’s programs are health, education, family and the environment.
And of course Peace which means respect for all people despite their nationality, religion or beliefs.
Among other very interesting films, we picked one that took us only as far as our European neighbours, which is an important statement in itself nowadays.
The Hellenic National Committee for UNICEF proudly presents the film “Enclave” with its award.
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