Awards of the 19th Olympia International Film Festival
for Children and Young People (2016)
Ι. Fiction and Animation Section
Α. International Jury Awards
Best Feature Film
Celestial Camel, Yury Feting, Russia, 2015, 90΄
An impressive film that tells a coming of age story in a specific cultural context. It presents a way of life in harmony between human beings and nature.
Best Short Fiction Film
Sing, Kristof Deak, /Hungary, 2015, 25΄
A wonderfully composed film that shows a peaceful and silent revolution of children against the unfair adult world.
Best Animation Film
Colors in the subway, Kim Myung-eun, South Korea, 2015, 7΄
The film transforms the first travel in the subway of a little boy, into a poetic adventure
Best Director
To Renars Vimba, for the film Mellow Mud, Latvia, 2016, 105
For creating a strong atmosphere, where characters and environment are integrated.
Best screenplay
To Renars Vimba, for the film Mellow Mud, Latvia, 2016, 105
For an original story of two siblings who are left alone and have to cope with a difficult world.
Best young actor in feature film
To Selim Kaya for his appearance at the film Blue Bicycle, Umit Koreken, Turkey-Germany, 2016, 94΄
For a sensitive interpretation of the character.
Best young actress in feature film
To Elīna Vaska for her appearance at the film Mellow Mud, Renars Vimba, Latvia, 2016, 105΄
For her powerful and expressive interpretation of a girl struggling for her future.
International Jury – Rationale:
Cinema is an art form that presents the social reality through various aesthetic approaches and in an intercultural context. The children have the right to create art and by enjoying cinema, they gain access to this very right. During the process of coming of age and of understanding the meaning of citizenship in a democratic society, cinema gives them the means to participate and to co-create. Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People reflects social concerns, global dialogues and personal narratives and offers them to the children as educational assets through works of high aesthetic value. The Festival’s concentrated cultural worth, contains multiple benefits and creates cultural added value not only for young people but also for the local community. The Festival is an example of putting into practice positive peace, cultural osmosis, fighting against stereotypes and defending a sustainable future full of smiles for children and young people around the world.
Β. Children’s Jury Awards
Best Feature Film
Children of Chance, Malick Chibane, Γαλλία/France, 2016, 96΄
We liked the script because it showed that true friendship helped the children. The actors were really into their parts and also the film had the best soundtrack.
Best Short Fiction Film
King’s Day, Steven Wouterlood, The Netherlands, 2015, 25΄
The film impressed us because it showed in a very expressive way how children are oppressed by their parents while the contemporary and upbeat music contradicted this practice and gave an overall great sentimental balance.
Best Short Animated Film
Violet, Maurice Joyce, Ιρλανδία, 2015, 8΄
We liked it because it was very original, poetic and with fanciful animation.
ΙΙ. Kids and Docs Jury Awards
Α. International Jury Awards
Best Feature Documentary
Cambridge, Eldora Traykova, Bulgaria, 2015, 64΄
The director captures in an essential and naturalistic way a remarkable Roma community, which has realized that the key to their future is education. Approaching the characters with great delicacy and respect she challenges the audience to question their often stereotypical way of approaching marginalized communities.
Best Feature Documentary Director
Coming and Going, Tianlin Xu, Germany – China, 2015, 89΄
For her thorough observation of the characters and a stunning visual language focusing on the contrast between rural and urban Chinese society.
Best Short-Medium length Documentary
The lagoon, Aaron Schock, Μεξικό – ΗΠΑ/Mexico – USA, 2016, 38΄
For an intimate and honest portrait of two siblings in their own protected but fragile environment. Poetically shot, the audience senses the threat of a paradise that is destined to be lost.
Special Mention
Gaurav and the kites, André Hörmann, Germany, 2015, 25΄
For its convincing cinematographic narrative of a courageous boy, who we believe that inspires children to follow their dreams
Special Mention
Sky, Loes Janssen, The Netherlands, 2015, 15΄
For the personal approaching of a very delicate subject in a very insightful sound design
International kids & Docs Jury – Rationale:
The Jury of the Docs and Kids competition saw a selection of films from 14 different countries around the world. First of all, it was a journey through worlds to discover from China to Paraguay, from Turkey to Bangladesh, from Finland to Afghanistan. We got to know a lot of people closely, especially kids and young people. Through the films we saw we got to know, understand and love a lot of personalities, their hopes and feelings. Documentary filming is always about human relationships and part of our main focus was the relationship between the director and crew and the people they observed and worked with in their films. Secondly, the jury had to find a good cinematographic film, interesting for kids and young people as well as for adults. We’ve seen some excellent work when it comes to the cinematography and the sound design. Editing is a kind of storytelling. So we judged the films more according to the storytelling than to technical skills. The use of narration, sometimes overwhelming, and the rhythm of action and silence was another criteria to judge in the films. The jury had a certain distance to some mainstream parts in the films, especially concerning the use of the music. And of course we considered the difference between very well budgeted films and low budget films. But ultimately the story and the feeling was more important to us than the money invested in the production. The films had important topics such as the fight for freedom in a difficult environment especially for girls and women. At times we were shocked by the world of oppression put upon young people, but at the same time we sometimes missed a more critical approach and ways to resist against that oppression. This message was another criteria for the jury. All films had great quality and are worth to be shown and it was difficult to choose one, but we had to according to our criteria.
Β. Children’s Jury Awards
Best Feature Documentary
Landfill Harmonic–A symphony of the human spirit, Brad Allgood-Graham Townsley, USA-Paraguay, 2015, 84΄
for the way it showed that passion and love for what you do gives you the strength to overcome any obstacle and get to the top.
Best Short-Medium length Documentary
Ninnoc, Nikki Padidar, The Netherlands, 2015, 19΄
because it most beautifully conveyed the value of being unique and not being afraid to show it.
Special Mention
The Land of the Enlightened, Pieter-Jan De Pue, Belgium-Ireland-The Netherlands-Germany-Afghanistan, 2016, 87΄
for an impressive technically sound and lyrical film
ΙΙΙ. Other Awards
“Human Values Award”
Children of Chance, Malick Chibane, France, 2016, 96΄
Rationale: The Hellenic Parliament is presenting with the “Human Values Award”, a film of the International Competition section, that skillfully tells the life and death story of a group of children in a French sanatorium during the German occupation. The film showcases the values of solidarity, friendship and resistance against the occupying forces.
ECFA Award
Celestial Camel, Yury Feting, Russia, 2015, 90΄
CIFEJ Award
The Trap, Jayaraz Rajasekharan Nair, India, 2015, 81΄
Rationale: This poetic and touching film shows the beauty of nature and simple life that is free for everyone. However, the poorest children have still no access to education, though child labor is forbidden, but still exists. This film is a poetic protest against this inhuman phenomenon.
OKLE Award
Blue Bicycle, Umit Koreken, Turkey-Germany, 2016, 94΄
Greek Film Clubs’ Association – Rationale: with its minimalist directorial style, its script’s directness, its silences and gazes, it shows the necessity and effectiveness of the unyielding struggle for truth and justice. In a society ruled by poverty, inequality and favorable treatment of the powerful, children living in this reality take a leading role in facing it with maturity, sensitivity and resourcefulness.
UNICEF Award
Children of Chance, Malick Chibane, France, 2016, 96΄
Unicef – Rationale: A Film Festival for Children and Young People essentially serves the diffusion of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. Because art can only exist if the rights of every human being are respected: The right to life, the right to education, to healthcare, to security… to identity. Those are values that were born in Western Civilisation, and were founded in the souls of all the residents of the Old Continent – Europe. Still, in the 1940’s, in the heart of this same continent, those very values were trespassed, ridiculed and destroyed. People were punished for their origins and/ or ideas. Today, during the second decade of this new century, again in the heart of Europe, they’re intending to deny each person the right to dream of their future and to follow their own path, in a less bloody but nevertheless ruthless and arrogant way. Among this year’s films – each of which defends a core humanitarian value – one stood out for reminding us of the cruelty of certain historical periods of the previous century, while keeping the freshness of a group of young boys who, even though they suffer from a serious illness, they never stop enjoying life and hoping for a brighter future. The fragrance of youth dissolves the stench of sickness.
Nomination for the “Young Audience Award” of EFA
Mellow Mud, Renars Vimba, /Latvia, 2016, 105΄
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English