The Constitution (Ustav Republike Hrvatske), Croatia, Czech Republic, UK, Slovenia, Macedonia

Directed by Rajko Grlic; written by Ante Tomic & Rajko Grlic; cast: Nebojsa Glogovac, Dejan Acimovic, Ksenija Marinkovic, Bozidar Smiljanic...

The Story: Four characters (or rather three and a half, since the father of the protagonist is tied up to a deathbed with amputated legs, hardly able to speak) live in the same building, yet separated by different social status, political and ideological affiliations, sexual orientation, and of course, their nationalities. The protagonist is a grumpy professor from a wealthy bourgeois family, far-right oriented patriot (his surname is Kralj - in English King), but also a homosexual and transvestite that lives with his father – an ustasha from NDH (WWII Croatian Nazi soldier), while in the small one-room apartment in the basement lives a poor married couple - a Serb employed as a police officer (who changed his name to a Croatian one and voluntarily fought in the war on the Croatian side in order to keep his job), and his Croat wife, a caring nurse. One evening, the professor dressed as his female alter ego Katarina, gets beaten by a group of young homophobes and ends up in the hospital during the shift of his attentive neighbor. She continues taking care of professor’s recovery in his apartment, starts helping his immobile father, while her concern whether her dyslexic husband is going to pass mandatory the Republic of Croatia Constitution exam begins to grow (literal translation of the film’s original title is The Constitution of Republic of Croatia). Scared that her husband might fail (and therefore lose his job), she asks the professor to help him, and he agrees. Is it possible to find some foundation for full-of-platitudes Constitution of one state in the harsh reality that still suffers from maladies of the past, eroded by intolerance and strong prejudices of all types?  

In spite of all the difficulties that have struck the 40th anniversary edition of Montreal World Film Festival, the once worldwide very prestigious manifestation has ended with a superb award-winning piece, I would say the most well-deserved Grand Prix in the at least past 8 years since I started following this event.

This delicate, an extraordinary “love story about hate” (as the film promotional material suggests) is the work of renowned Croatian filmmaker Rajko Grlic, who started his professional career in the early 1970ies in former Yugoslavia. But, the credit for this outstanding movie goes to Ante Tomic as well, a successful Croatian writer with whom Grlic wrote his internationally most acknowledged films, the last three in a row (the other two are The Border Post / 2006 and Just Between Us /2010). It is simply inevitable to emphasize the importance of screenwriting here because the greatness of The Constitution owns so much to its extremely well-written script, that is to say, carefully structured story, tighten dialogue and, above all, well-developed, colorful characters. Namely, Grlic is a rare filmmaker from former Yugoslav countries who genuinely appreciate the process of screenwriting insisting on its long-term development, i.e. many drafts (not much common for European cinema, either). Built on such a solid foundation and with Grlic’s vast experience in filmmaking, exceptionality of the final result should come as no surprise.

The Constitution is meticulously crafted, with simple and elegant camera work and compelling performances, especially by famous Serbian actor Nebojsa Glogovac as the lead; his stellar, nuanced performance (with great depth and acuity) of such a complex character, is hard to expect to be seen soon from aforementioned region. This immensely bold and brutally honest top-notch melodrama produced on a modest scale, which contains Grlic’s trademarks as dramatic conflict explored with intense emotional investment, seasoned with a refined sense of humor, skillfully deals with once again increasing intolerance in Croatia, yet its intelligent, deeply profound and insightful multilayered texture goes far beyond local, addressing an urgent global problem. Grlic’s polished and subtle directing evokes the best pieces of Douglas Sirk or Rainer Werner Fassbinder.       

According to Croatian media, Grlic’s Constitution has been announced as the most anticipated film of the year over there. And it absolutely should be, because this extremely important film, at the same time brutal and gentle, thoroughly human, healing movie is not only a peak of Grlic’s oeuvre (which is the most consistent, solid and durable in contemporary Croatian cinema) but, considering how hard it is to deliver this kind of achievement, also could stand at the very top of regional production in the last two and a half decades, or since Yugoslavia broke apart. Finally, perhaps the most appropriate comment on Grlic’s accomplishment is to borrow the title of his early, breakthrough movie: Bravo maestro!            

The Short Short Story Film Festival is a competitive international festival of films that tell a story in under six minutes in its 10th year. 

There is no fee to submit.

Click here for more information:
http://www.mergingartsproductions.com/Film/SSS/Submissions.aspx

by ALEX DELEON

There were many outstanding films at the 73rd Venice Film Festival this year but the awards on closing night, September 11, were as usual "iffy" to say the least. Venice has become known for good films and bad calls when it comes to dishing out the coveted Golden Lions at the end of the festival week.  To start at the bottom the worst call of all was the Best Director Silver Bear award to Amat Escalante, for the Mexican porno-horror miscarriage "La Region Salvaje" (the Untamed).  This was a totally repulsive piece of horrendous homosexual and masturbatory perversion which the jury must have been on substance abuse to select this monstrosity as a companion piece to Andrei Konchalkovsky's brilliant off-beat Holocaust study "Paradise" which got high viewer marks all week long. The outstanding absurdity of the awards evening was seeing the old Russian master and the young Mexican upstart standing side by side on the festival stage  displaying their Ex Aqueo headless flying horse statuettes in tandem.

Whether viewed as an insult to Konchalovsky or as a tribute to a younger Latino upstart half his age this was a most embarrassing juxtaposition the tension of which was only slightly relieved when the elder Russian helmer put an arm around Escalante in a gracious gesture of justification for an egregiously ridiculous jury decision.

Other selections were not quite as quizzical but were still far from satisfactory.

The big loser of the night was the one that most thought would be a big winner.  JACKIE starring Natalie Portman as the bereaved First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the days after the assassination of the century was granted what amounted to a booby prize for the screenplay when it was the acting and direction that would have walked off with awards anywhere else under ordinary circumstances. The circumstances at Venice, however, are anything but ordinary.

For one thing the rules here demand that no film can get more than one prize in order to "spread the wealth around" -- but why give the best actress prize to Emma Stone for a lightweight comedy role in "La la Palooza Land " when Natalie Portman's Jackie was a far more profound,  indeed towering performance -- that can rank with the absolute best of recent years -- think Mirren as The Queen or Streep as Thatcher -- and then hand the film a far lesser award for screenplay.

Which is not to say that Noah Oppenheim's screenplay was not the Best Screenplay in the running -- but only that the pic should have gotten that as well as acting, direction, and Picture awards -- But Venice is not about quality -- it's about spreading the wealth. Noah was so far from expecting this that he had left town long before and had to phone in his acceptance speech by overseas hookup.

All the Italian dailies were in unanimous agreement that Jackie got robbed, only the way they put it was to say diplomatically that the film "had to be content with" a (mere) screenplay award. Content my foot! -It was just a case of nitwit wealth distribution.

The big winner of the night, and a mighty surprise winner it was at that, was the nearly four hour long (225 minutes to be exact) Philippine film  Ang babaeng humayo  (The Woman Who Left), directed by veteran Pilipino helmer Lav Diaz in black and white, which walked off with the Golden Lion best film top prize. I will have to reserve comment since I did not manage to see it as the exceptionally long running time kept overlapping with other films I wanted to see. For the same reason not very many other people saw it, however, in order to justify this oddball call, the Main Competition jury commander, distinguished British director Sam Mendes, stated that "we are here to encourage people to see unusual films" ~ implication,  not to push mainstream big star vehicles. 

Nevertheless, at least two Hollywood star vehicles were rewarded:

The Grand Jury Prize silver lion for best director going to texan Tom Ford for "Nocturnal Animals" starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhall, 

and a Best Actress Volpi Cup to Emma Stone for her role in La-La Land, which also featured Ryan Gosling and Oscar winner J.K. Simmons.

Emma Stone is a very capable actress, one of the best of the younger Hollywood batch, but she clearly was not expecting to out rank Portman for best actress and, like Oppenheimer, left early and had to call in her surprised thankyous via overseas hookup.

Let's face it: When the eventual winners themselves do not expect to be in the running -- to the extent that they don't even bother to attend the awards ceremony --this is a sign that there is something fishy in the soup.  

The awarding of a special jury prize for an American film called "The Bad Batch" directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, described as "A dystopian love story in a Texas wasteland and set in a community of cannibals", was met with a cascade of boos and catcalls, defiantly shaken off by the director receiving her prize.

Young German actress Paula Beer, 20,  receiving a "promising newcomer" prize, was so ulpy and gulpy that she could barely get her words of thankfulness out and seemed like she was about to collapse or faint. The film in question was called ."Frantz", by major French director François Ozon.

Filipino director Lav Diaz, 57, holding his Best Picture Golden Lion.

He was probably as surprised as anyone and didn't bother to rent a tux for the occasion.

Lavrente Indico "Lav" Diaz is a Filipino independent filmmaker. He is known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, having made several of the longest narrative films on record. 

At the Oldenburg International Film Festival in Germany, the European Film Academy has announced this year’s nominations for the EUROPEAN DISCOVERY – Prix FIPRESCI, an award presented annually in co-operation with the international federation of film critics to a young and upcoming director for a first full-length feature film. This year’s nominations were determined by a committee comprised of EFA Board Members Dagmar Jacobsen (Germany) and Angeles González-Sinde (Spain), filmmaker and 2015 nominee Tom Sommerlatte (Germany), expert Mihai Chirilov (Cluj FF, Romania), and FIPRESCI representatives Isabelle Danel (France), Krzysztof Kwiatkowski (Poland), and Neil Young (UK). On invitation by the festival, the committee met in Oldenburg and decided on the following nominations.

EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2016 – Prix FIPRESCI: NOMINATIONS

The European Film Academy congratulates the nominees. The nominated films will soon be submitted to the more than 3,000 EFA Members to elect the winner. The European Discovery 2016 – Prix FIPRESCI will then be presented at the European Film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, 10 December, in Wroclaw, European Capital of Culture 2016. Streamed live on  - streamed live on www.europeanfilmawards.eu. 

The Toronto International Film Festival®announced its award winners at a ceremony at TIFF Bell Lightbox today, hosted by Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival. To watch the presentation, visit tiff.net/ceremony. The 41st Festival wraps up this evening.
 
The short film awards below were selected by a jury comprised of American filmmaker Abteen Bagheri (That B.E.A.T.), French filmmaker Eva Husson (Bang Gang), and Canadian filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls).
 
SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Alexandre Dostie’s Mutants. The jury remarked, “Mutants takes a summer in Quebec and infuses it with a ribald lyricism. Awkward moments of sexual awakening paired with self cannibalism and self immolation rise it above standard nostalgia. It was a film that took chances with both its subject matter and humour, and framing it through the eyes of children. Congratulations.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize.
 
SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
The Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film goes to Raymund Ribay Gutierrez’s Imago. The jury remarked, “Some films are not easy to watch. But it's a beautiful thing to find a filmmaker who has a daring voice. We feel that with this movie we witnessed a bold, cinematic statement, and we cannot wait to see what features this director will give to the world.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize.
 
The jury gave honourable mentions to Or Sinai’s Anna, and Orlando von Einsiedel’s The White Helmets.
 
The Canadian awards below were selected by a jury comprised of producers Luc Déry (Incendies, Monsieur Lazhar) and Anita Lee (Stories We Tell, Invention), filmmaker Mina Shum (Double Happiness, Ninth Floor), and cultural critic and novelist Hal Niedzviecki.
 
CITY OF TORONTO AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Johnny Ma’s Old Stone (Lao shi). The jury remarked, “For its remarkably mature, powerfully rendered portrait of an innocent taxi driver caught in a proto-capitalist China, the jury is pleased to select Old Stone.” This award carries a cash prize of $15,000, made possible by the City of Toronto.
 
CANADA GOOSE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie for Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau). The jury remarked, “For its uncompromising, electrifying portrait of youthful idealism and democratic exhaustion in contemporary Canada, and for its capacity to stir both heart and mind, the jury is thrilled to select Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves.” This award carries a cash prize of $30,000 and a custom award, sponsored by Canada Goose.
 
THE PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZES)
The Festival welcomed an international FIPRESCI jury for the 25th year. The jury members composed of jury president Steffen Moestrup (Denmark), Neta Alexander (Israel), Michael Sicinski (USA), Diego Faraone (Uruguay), Jake Howell (Canada), and Louis-Paul Rioux (Canada).

Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for the Discovery programme is awarded to Mbithi Masya for Kati Kati. The jury remarked, “With a generous and poetic tone, not without a degree of anger at personal and political injustice, FIPRESCI is pleased to present the prize in the Discovery programme to an exciting and unique new voice in cinema, Mbithi Masya for his debut feature Kati Kati.”
 
Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for Special Presentations is awarded to Feng Xiaogang for I Am Not Madame Bovary. The jury remarked, “For its ambitious rendering of a woman’s Kafkaesque struggle as she takes on the Chinese legal system, and sophisticated play of both form and content, FIPRESCI presents the prize in the Special Presentations programme to Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary.”
 
NETPAC AWARD
As selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema for the 5th consecutive year, the NETPAC Award for World or International Asian Film Premiere goes to Maysaloun Hamoud’s In Between (Bar Bahar). Jury members include jury chairperson Jeannette Paulson Hereniko (USA), Bina Paul (India), and Sabrina Baracetti (Italy). The jury remarked, “A confident debut about three contemporary Palestinian women living in Tel Aviv whose strong bond of sisterhood supports an exploration and shift in relationships, careers, and sexuality.”
 
TORONTO PLATFORM PRIZE
This is the sophomore year for Platform, the Festival’s juried programme that champions director’s cinema from around the world. The Festival welcomed an international jury comprised of legendary filmmakers Brian De Palma and Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, and acclaimed actor Zhang Ziyi, who awarded the Toronto Platform Prize to Pablo Larraín for Jackie. The jury remarked, "Our decision was unanimous. We found one film that combined an extraordinary script with precise direction and unforgettable acting. For its exploration of the myth of American Camelot and its preeminent performance by Natalie Portman, the 2016 prize goes to Jackie.” The award offers a $25,000 cash prize and a custom award.
 
The jury awards a special mention to Khyentse Norbu’s Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait (he-mà he-mà), “for a film that is a metaphor for our time. In an age of technology, this film uses masks to reconnect its characters with human instinct and emotion.”
 
GROLSCH  PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
This year marked the 39th year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favourite Festival film for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This year’s award goes to Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. Writer-director Damien Chazelle captures the story of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Grolsch. The second runner up is Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe. The first runner up is Garth Davis’s Lion.
 
The Festival presents a free screening of the award-winning film La La Land tonight at 6 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 4 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall.
 
The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire. Justine has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen and a gang led by Vernon and Ord who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired in the handover, a heart stopping game of survival ensues. The second runner up is Julia Ducournau’s Raw. The first runner up is André Øvredal’s The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
 
The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to Raoul Peck for I Am Not Your Negro. With unprecedented access to James Baldwin’s original work, Raoul Peck completes the cinematic version of the book Baldwin never finished — a radical narration about race in America today that tracks the lives and assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers. The second runner up is Fisher Stevens’ Before the Flood. The first runner up is Steve James’ ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail.

DROPBOX DISCOVERY PROGRAMME FILMMAKERS AWARD
The Dropbox Discovery Programme Filmmakers Award goes to Yanillys Perez for Jeffrey. Jury members include Lane Kneedler, Director of Programming at AFI, producer Caroline Benjo of Haut et Court, and Alice Tynan of Dropbox. The jury remarked, “A true collaboration between subject and storyteller, Jeffrey weaves verite and socially conscious observation together with poetic moments of magical realism. With this beautiful combination, director Yanillys Perez not only captures the boundless spirit and imagination of her protagonist, but also offers new possibilities for narrative filmmaking. We believe people will love discovering Jeffrey." The production team is awarded a free Dropbox for Business account.

#TIFF16

FILMS IN PROGRESS 30 INDUSTRY AWARD

SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA – OIAF ANNOUNCES 2016 COMPETITION WINNERS

The 40th Anniversary of the OIAF features a number of Canadian prize winners.

OTTAWA (September 24, 2016) - The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), North America’s leading animation film festival, announced the winners of its 2016 Official Competition today at an awards ceremony held at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts. This year, the OIAF received a total of 2311 entries from 86 different countries. Of those, 80 short films and 7 feature films were chosen for competition.

The Nelvana Grand Prize for Independent Short went to Diane Obomsawin’s J’AIME LES FILLES (I LIKE GIRLS), a colourful series of narratives where women recount the discovery of homosexual desire in short, sweet vignettes. The Grand Prize for Features went to LOUISE EN HIVER, directed by Jean-François Laguionie who won a Grand Prize at the OIAF in 1982 with La traversée de l’Atlantique à la rame.

This year’s Short, Feature and Kids Competition screenings were judged by 3 official juries. The Competition Short Jury included animator Ann Marie Fleming (Canada), Brooke Keesling (USA) - Director of Animation Talent Development at Disney Television Animation, and Sarina Nihei (Japan), animator and winner of the OIAF 2015 Grand Prize for Short Animation. The Competition Feature Jury includes animation historian Giannalberto Bendazzi (Italy), former Grand Prize winner and animator Peter Millard (UK), and animation director and optical effects specialist Elise Simard (Canada). The third jury is comprised of Ottawa-area children between the ages of 8 and 12 who judge the Shorts and Series for Young Audiences Competition.

A selection of the Festival’s award-winning films will be screened on Sunday, September 25 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. in the BEST OF OIAF 16 screening at the ByTowne Cinema (325 Rideau Street). Tickets are available online at www.animationfestival.ca and will be sold at the Box Office.

OIAF 2016 AWARDS

Nelvana Grand Prize for Independent Short Animation

J’AIME LES FILLES (I LIKE GIRLS)

Diane Obomsawin

Canada

2016

FROM THE JURY

"Fresh, funny, sweet. We were delighted by the charming coming of age tales, told from different perspectives. The vignettes were strong. The design and colours were excellent. Simple, lovely animation."

Grand Prize for Best Animated Feature

LOUISE EN HIVER

Jean-François Laguionie

France & Canada

2016

Honourable mention

CAFARD, Jan Bultheel (Belgium/France/The Netherlands)

CATEGORY AWARDS

Cartoon Network Award for Best Narrative Short Animation

L’AVEUGLE, VAYSHA (BLIND VAYSHA)

Theodore Ushev

Canada

2016

FROM THE JURY

“A beautiful retelling of an old world tale with contemporary relevance. It had an interesting and moving message. The stylized woodblock prints were beautiful."

Award for Best Experimental or Abstract Animation

SUIJUN-GENTEN (DATUM POINT)

Ryo Orikasa

Japan

2015

FROM THE JURY

"Loved the texture. The granularity of the sound and medium had a visceral quality. Poetic beauty and integration of text, texture and sound. It was mysterious. I don't know what it was... but I was moved."

Award for Best Undergraduate Animation

CIALO OBCE (FOREIGN BODY)

Marta Magnuska

Poland

2016

FROM THE JURY

"A unique story. A mesmerizing metaphor for self-acceptance. Raw sound design was delightfully disturbing."

Walt Disney Animation Award for Best Graduation Animation

FRANKFURTER STR. 99

Evgenia Gostrer

Germany

2016

FROM THE JURY

"Subtle but very beautiful. Surprising narrative and emotional impact was achieved by minimalist technique ... a touching story about everyday life of a member of society that is often invisible."

Award for Best Commissioned Animation

HONDA ‘PAPER’

PES

USA

2015

FROM THE JURY

"A tour de force. The handmade qualities stood out. Appreciated the complex planning and execution of this brilliant piece."

Award for Best Short Film Made for Young Audiences

THREE LITTLE NINJAS DELIVERY SERVICE

Karim Rhellam & Kim Claeys

Belgium

2016

Honourable Mentions

ACCIDENTS, BLUNDERS, CALAMITIES, James Cunningham (New Zealand)
NOVEMBRE, Marjolaine Perreten (France)

Award for Best Animated Series Made for Young Audiences

SHAUN THE SHEEP ‘THE FARMER’S LLAMAS’

Jay Grace

UK

2015

Honourable Mentions
SUMMER CAMP ISLAND, Julia Pott (USA)

HEY DUGGEE ‘THE OMLETTE BADGE’, Grant Orchard (2015)

 

CRAFT AWARDS

Award for Best Script

FIRED ON MARS

Nick Vokey and Nate Sherman

USA

2016

FROM THE JURY

"Clever and funny... and kind of sad."

Award for Best Design

THE ABSENCE OF EDDY TABLE

Rune Spaans

Norway

2016

FROM THE JURY

"Grotesque and beautiful. Amazing to see painting style translated into CG. Appreciated the sophisticated colour palettes and the unique character design."

Award for Best Animation Technique

VELODROOL

Sander Joon

Estonia

2015

FROM THE JURY

"Inventive use of perspective. Great sight gags - unique and not your typical go-to. Does what animation does best - transforms. Loved the sparse colours and design."

Award for Best Sound

SQUAME

Nicolas Brault

Canada

2015

FROM THE JURY

"Powerful, dramatic, enveloping, moving. Surprising developments for this piece: We found ourselves enveloped in the perfect marriage of sound and picture. Dramatic as the sounds and story moved. Pleasantly surprised that it was the body was made of sugar."

OTHER AWARDS

DHX Public Prize

FIRED ON MARS

Nick Vokey and Nate Sherman

USA

2016

Canadian Film Institute Award for Best Canadian Animation

BLIND VAYSHA 

Theodore Ushev

Canada

Narrative Short Animation

Honourable mentions

4MIN15 SEC AU REVELATEUR, Moia Jobin-Paré

BEGONE DULL CARE, Paul Johnson

VIA Rail Award for Best Canadian Student Animation

NIHIL

Khoebe Magsaysay

Sheridan College

2016

Honourable Mentions

DER TOD IST EIN DANDY, Daniela Vargas (Vancouver Film School)

THE CLITORIS, Lori Malepart-Traversy (Concordia)

DE RACINES ET DE CHAINES, Francis Lacelle & Robert M Lepage (INIS)

BOUNCING BLUNDERS, William Martin (Sheridan College)

The Holland Film Meeting has announced the award winners of both the Co-Production Platform and the Work-in-Progress selection of its 29th edition.

Congrats Rob for another brillant win

MAFF 2016 AWARDS

Grand Prix –  Soul of the Elephant

Austria, directors Beverly Joubert, Dereck Joubert

An artistically beautiful film about one of the world’s largest animals with a strong but subtle conservation message. It cleverly weaves historical with current filming for a personal expedition into the soul of the elephant.

1st Prize (Nature) – Ostrich – A Life on the Run

Austria, directors Mike Birkhead, Martyn Colbeck

An unexpected gem of a film about an often overlooked animal. Perfectly combined creative elements with an African flavour.

1st Prize (Man and Nature) – Revolution

Canada, director Rob Stewart

Highly personal approach about a species that is vital for the entire ecosystem of our planet.
 

Best Director (Nature) – Giraffe – Up High and Personal

Austria, director Herbert Ostwald

Clever use of edit and camera angles in a quirky and informative film about the giraffe.

Best Director (Man and Nature) – Daughter of the Lake

Peru, director Ernesto Cabellos

A beautiful and meditational look into intelligent activism to protect Peru’s natural water resources.
 

Best Photography (Nature) – Chiemsee – A Sea in Bavaria

Germany, photographers Kay Ziesenhenne, Jan Haft

Cinematically magnificent film using multiple camera techniques to experience a lake area in Southern Germany.

Best Photography (Man and Nature) – Fragile World

Estonia, photographer Ants Tammik

A unique perspective about two parallel worlds presented with a hint of humour and warmth. A precise and distinctive framing both visually and thought-wise.

SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE JURY

1. Mystery Monkeys of Shangri-La

Austria, director Jacky Poon

Extremely challenging subject of rare monkeys respectfully filmed with strong dramatic narrative.

2. Passion for Planet

Germany, director Werner Schuessler

A film featuring film-makers who are also passionate conservationists.

HIGHLY COMMENDED DIPLOMAS

1. The Sea of Life

Spain, director Mónica González

Environmentally caring educational film about the diversity of the ocean.

2. Nature’s Superdads

France, director Pascal Cardeilhac

Humorous insight into male-led care of offspring. Delightful.

3. Africa’s Trees of Life (Series)

South-Africa, director Stefania Müller

Botanically-centered perspective of life in Africa.

4. America’s National Parks – Yellowstone

Germany, director Oliver Goetzl

Nicely paced emotional ride through America’s first national park.

5. Vamizi – Cradle of Coral

Sweden, director Mattias Klum

Great conservation story.

6. Call of the Ice

France, director Mike Magidson

Interesting personal quest to experience raw nature.

7. Magic of the Wilderness, 2. Oulanka and Paanajärvi – The Healing Power of Nature

Finland, director Petteri Saario

How nature and wildlife help restore humans’ wellbeing.

8. Safari Tourism: Paying to Kill

France, director Olivia Mokiejewski

Raising public awareness.

9. The Kunság – The Secret Life of the Hungarian Puszta

Hungary, director Szabolcs Mosonyi

Rarely seen insight into Hungarian wildlife.

10. The Fight for the Fjords

Norway, director Vigdis Nielsen

Current conservation story.

SPECIAL PRIZES

Children and young people’s favorite film

The Sea of Life

Spain, director Mónica González

Estonian Ministry of the Environment

Between Sea and Land

Estonia, director Aare Baumer

Matsalu National Park

The Kunság - The Secret Life of the Hungarian Puszta

Hungary, director Szabolcs Mosonyi

Lääne County

Fragile World

Estonia, director Ants Tammik

Haapsalu

The Sea of Life

Spain, director Mónica González

Tallinn Zoo

Fly Albatross! The Great Relocation Project

Japan, director Shiro Kagawa

Estonian Fund for Nature

The Frogs' Journey​

​Estonia, director Jaak Kilmi

Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to everyone with a film at the festival!​

The European Film Academy and EFA Productions are proud to present this year's short film nominations. At each of the 15 participating film festivals, an independent jury presented one European short film in competition with a nomination in the short film category of the European Film Awards.

Nominated are:

Bristol Short Film Nominee
9 DAYS – FROM MY WINDOW IN ALEPPO
by Issa Touma, Thomas Vroege & Floor van der Meulen
Netherlands 2015, documentary, 12 min

Cork Short Film Nominee
90 DEGREES NORTH 
90 GRAD NORD
by Detsky Graffam
Germany 2015, fiction, 21 min

Berlin Short Film Nominee
A MAN RETURNED
by Mahdi Fleifel
UK/Lebanon/Denmark/the Netherlands 2015, documentary, 30 min

Venice Short Film Nominee 
AMALIMBO
by Juan Pablo Libossart
Sweden/Estonia 2016, animation, 15 min

Uppsala Short Film Nominee
EDMOND
by Nina Gantz
UK 2015, animation, 10 min

Vila do Conde Short Film Nominee 
HOME
by Daniel Mulloy
Kosovo/UK 2016, fiction, 20 min

Krakow Short Film Nominee
I'M NOT FROM HERE
YO NO SOY DE AQUÍ
by Maite Alberdi & Giedrė Žickytė
Denmark/Chile/Lithuania 2015, documentary, 26 min

Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Nominee
IN THE DISTANCE
by Florian Grolig
Germany 2015, animation, 7 min

Sarajevo Short Film Nominee
LIMBO
by Konstantina Kotzamani
France/Greece 2016, fiction, 30 min

Drama Short Film Nominee
SHOOTING STAR
ПАДАЩА ЗВЕЗДА (PADASHTA ZVEZDA)
by Lyubo Yonchev
Bulgaria/Italy 2015, fiction, 28 min.

Tampere Short Film Nominee
SMALL TALK
by Even Hafnor & Lisa Brooke Hansen
Norway 2015, fiction, 21 min

Locarno Short Film Nominee
THE FULLNESS OF TIME (ROMANCE)
L'IMMENSE RETOUR (ROMANCE)
by Manon Coubia
Belgium/France 2016, fiction, 14 min

Valladolid Short Film Nominee
THE GOODBYE
EL ADIÓS
by Clara Roquet
Spain 2015, fiction, 15 min

Ghent Short Film Nominee 
THE WALL
LE MUR 
by Samuel Lampaert
Belgium 2015, fiction, 8 min

Rotterdam Short Film Nominee 
WE ALL LOVE THE SEA SHORE
TOUT LE MONDE AIME LA BORD DE LA MER
by Keina Espiñeira 
Spain 2016, fiction/documentary, 18 min

The European Film Academy congratulates the nominees. The nominated films will soon be submitted to the more than 3,000 EFA Members to elect the winner. The European Short Film 2016 will then be presented at the European Film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, 10 December, in Wroclaw, European Capital of Culture 2016. Streamed live on: www.europeanfilmawards.eu.

Director Dome Karukoski