a record number of spectators and a special awards statue

The Vilnius City Film Festival « Kino Spring », which celebrated its 30th anniversary for more than two weeks, reached the finish line: Sunday night, the organizers announced the winners of competition programs and the most audience-winning film.

« Thank you to everyone who has celebrated 30 years of life in cinema, » said festival director Algirdas Ramaška. The New decade -old Film Spring.

Simona Bieliūnė, Vice -Mayor of Vilnius City Municipality, noted that the 30 -year -old Film Spring not only grew up as a unique, bold, socially responsible festival presenting the brightest film works, but also became an integral part of the life of Vilnius city.

“Its distinctiveness is that the presentation of the work of different creators to Vilnius, city guests and international audiences is very sensitive, often uncomfortable but much needed, relevant to us as human and society. I am delighted that as a sponsor of this festival, Vilnius City Municipality also awarded the awards to the winners of the competition programs and the short competition, supporting and encouraging the most talented, those who change the public, ”she said.

A special statue for the anniversary awards

During the evening, the festival was distributed to the best of the anniversary of the artist Vilius Dringelis. According to him, the awards sculptures symbolize the urban flowers of the city that bloom in the spring with a curious eye ring, revived curious film creatures. The creative process used various foil imprints embossed near the Forum Cinemas Vingis cinema, Kino Spring office, Gedimino Avenue and elsewhere – they mark the festival and Vilnius city.

“I have created these awards very sensitively and sincerely because I grew up with Cinema Spring. I formed in the festival cinema halls as a person, discovered various accesses to visual aesthetics, I was inspired by stories and scenography films that changed my life and inspired me so strongly that I chose the creator’s path in my early teens, ”the artist said.

Photo by T. Stuk / A. Solomin

The winner of the competition program – a film about human rights and bodies

8 films participated in this year’s Film Spring competition program, which included the first or second features of European directors. Of these, Denis Krupnov, the founder of Reason8 Films, the international jury of the festival, consisting of a Polish film critic, programmer, producer, founder of Reason8 Films,

Director, producer Giedrė Žickytė, chief compiler of the Sandans Film Festival program Heidi Zw marketker and Iranian director Mania Akbari, selected the best. The winner of the competition was established by Vilnius City Municipality, as every year.

Director Dea Kulumbaegashvili, the best film of the festival competition program, was published in the Best Film of the Festival. « We award an uncompromising film that, through extremely beautiful and often anxious images, aims to investigate how cultural oppression violates and controls human rights and bodies. It has a perfectly coordinated surreal poetry and provocative portrait of our modern world, » the jury said. The film was awarded a prize of € 8,000.

Romanian director Bogdan Mureșanu was evaluated by a special mention. According to the jury, his film « The New Her Neither did the New » is fascinated and witty with the imagination of double fear and the reality of absurdity, forming life in a totalitarian system, while revealing the strength of resistance and hope.

The best of the brief competition

This year, 33 feature, documentary, animated and experimental short films from all over Europe participated in this short film competition. Gabriele Cegialytė, a coordinator and project manager at Romanian director B. Mureșanu, Romanian director B. Mureșanu, and project manager Gabrielle Cegialytė and Bulgarian film critic, journalist Mariana Hristova, evaluated the winner of director Rúnar Rúnarson’s short « O ».

« We were lucky enough to see a movie that had touched so deeply that has been with us for a long time, » said the jury. The film was awarded a prize of € 3,000, established by Vilnius City Municipality.

The director Agnes Skonasar Karlsson was also honored with a special mention. According to the jury, her film « helpfulness », despite the rapid rhythm and very intense dramaturgy, forced questions to ask, leaving many answers and admiration for directing and acting.

The jury also collected the best Lithuanian short film. It was published by Arnas Balčiūnas’ work « Passing Napoleon’s Cap ». According to the jury, this is a narrative that skillfully preserves the secrets of the family relationships. The prize – 2,000 euros – was established by Telia Play, a Lithuanian cinema platform.

The O « O » stop shot.

The audience’s favorite and the best Lithuanian durable

Like every year, not only the film industry professionals, but also the audience were evaluated by the Film Spring films. After summing up their feedback, the festival’s feature film, which won the most sympathy. It became the « seed of the Holy Fig, » Mohammad Rasoulof, a filmmaker.

Another important festival award is the best Lithuanian premiere. It became the documentary narrative of director Giedrė Beinoriūtė « Sacrum and Profanum in Pievėnai ». The Avaka Association of Audiovisual Rights, Avaka, presented 3 thousand. a prize.

The prize of the Vida Ramaškienė Foundation – for perseverance and courageous attitude

Another special nomination is the prize of the young filmmaker, established by Vida Ramaškienė, founder of the Film Spring Spring, and went to the editing director Ignas Narbutaitė. According to V. Ramaškienė, the prize is aimed at creators whose experiences include filming sites, film education, editing directorial and video art.

« It is distinguished by a sensitive relationship with the material, the ability to combine details with a broader vision of the work, and we recognize its editing work from sensitivity and humor. I. Narbutaitė was awarded a prize of € 2,000.

A Smart 7 competition program traveling in Europe

For the third time, the Smart 7 competition was also shown in the Spring Cinema. This network of seven European film festivals combines similar visions of festivals, and the annual film of their stamped films travels over 7 countries. It includes one film from each country every year, and this year is represented by Laurynas Bareiša’s « sisters ». Later, at the end of the program, the jury will pick her best film at all 7 festivals. Smart7 festivals’ network activities are supported by Creative Europe Media.

The most watched festival films from March 24 Can be seen in cinemas. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Lawyers of the Festival: Sorainen, Great Partners: Ergo and Telia Play, partly funded by the Lithuanian Film Center, Vilnius City Municipality, Media Creative Europe, supported by Kaunas, Šiauliai and Panevėžys cities.