The French are leaving Poland with an award. “Custody” is the winner of the Tofifest International Film Festival.
The Grand Prix Award of the Festival, i.e. the Golden Angel of Tofifest in the ON AIR Competition, goes to French “Custody” by Xavier Legrand. The Silver Angel of Tofifest goes to Mariam Khatchvani from Georgia. Flisak of Tofifest was awarded to Malgorzata Kozuchowska, special Golden Angel for Artistic Insolence to Maciej Stuhr, and the Closing Ceremony culminated with the magnificent “Music is a woman” concert.
This time, the French have conquered Torun. Xavier Legrand, who was one of the guests of Tofifest just a couple of days ago, and had a meeting with the festival audience, now wins the most important prize of the festival.
Awards in the On Air Main Competition
The Jury has awarded his film for the following attributes: A very mature portrait of a conflict within a family, which creates such a tension that one may have an impression that they are watching a thriller, and for an accurate and complete film work.
“Custody” (Polish première at Tofifest), is a shocking testimony to a family collapse, which makes the child suffer the most. Xavier Legrand has characterised the film in the following way: This film is built on fear. A man willing to do anything to win back his woman creates that fear, and the woman, on the other hand, wants to leave him and get away from his aggressive behaviour.
The Silver Angel of Tofifest and the title of the Best Director in the “On Air” Competition went to Mariam Khatchvani for her work in “Dede” (Polish première at Tofifest), which is a Georgian and Qatari co-production. The Jury has awarded the film for “telling a simple parable, in an austere and moving way, and creating an authentic world.”
The Jury has also awarded two special mentions. One was for “Patti Cake$” by Geremy Jasper from the USA, and the other for “Ravens” (“Korparna”) by Jens Assur from Sweden. The first one was awarded for “characters that deny stereotypes and original acting,” and the other for “simple and very poetic cinematography that portrays the isolation of rural life.”
Awards from the Young Jury
Two young juries also evaluated the films featured in the “On Air” Competition. The Young Jury gave an award to “Mobile Homes” by Vladimir de Fontenay (Polish première at Tofifest), a Canadian and French co-production, while the Student Jury awarded the animation from Iran – “Tehran Taboo”, directed by Ali Soozandeh.
Angels for Polish films and short films
The winner in the “From Poland” competition dedicated to Polish films was “The Fastest” by Lukasz Palkowski.
The winner in the “Shortcut” competition dedicated to short films was Emi Buchwald from Poland for her “Education”. The Jury awarded the Golden Angel for “creating a film that affects us on many levels, and a lesson in exposing the dangers of lack of independent thinking.”
Additionally, the jury in the “Shortcut” competition awarded two special mentions. One went to an Estonian and Croatian co-production titled ”Corner”, directed by Lucija Mrzljak, and the other to a Hungarian film titled “Invisibly” (“Láthatatlanul”), directed by Áron Szentpéteri. The Hungarian film had its Polish première at Tofifest. The first of films was awarded for “being a perverse story about setting limits in a world based on imagination,” and the other for “the consistency of abstract thinking in a reality that plays tricks on you.”
Three special prizes were awarded as well. The Golden Angel for Artistic Insolence was presented to an excellent actor Maciej Stuhr, and the Flisak of Tofifest — an award for the people of cinema associated with the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region — to actress Malgorzata Kozuchowska. The festival also awarded a special Golden Angel to the President of Torun Michal Zaleski.
The Closing Ceremony culminated with an impressive music concert under the title “Music is a woman”, which was part of the “Energy of Film Music” section. During the concert, Ania Karwan, Paulina Przybysz, Krzysztof Zalewski, and the magnificent Astrolabium Chamber Choir performed between ten and twenty hits of film music. They included “Flashdance… What a Feeling” originally sang by Irene Cary, or “Paper Planes” by M.I.A., among others. The idea of creating the concert came from festival director Katarzyna “Kafka” Jaworska, and it was co-produced with Bartosz Staszkiewicz, an excellent musician and arranger, and a winner of a Fryderyk Award. He was also the author of all arrangements and conducted his own orchestra, during the concert.
Postscript: The winner of the Audience Award is going to be announced tomorrow.
Awards of the Tofifest International Film Festival 2017
The ON AIR Competition for Débuts and Sophomore Films (Main Competition)
- Grand Prix of Tofifest — Golden Angel: “Custody”, dir. by Xavier Legrand, France. A prize in money (20,000 PLN) accompanies the statuette for the producer, funded by Piotr Calbecki, Marshal of Kujawsko-Pomorskie; and 20,000 PLN for the director, funded by Michal Zaleski, President of Torun.
- Silver Angel (an award for the best director): Mariam Khatchvani, Georgia, for directing in “Dede”. The statuette is accompanied by a prize in money (20,000 PLN), funded by the Director of the Polish Film Institute.
- Special Mention of the Jury: “Patti Cake$”, dir. by Geremy Jasper, USA
- Special Mention of the Jury: “Ravens” (“Korparna”), dir. by Jens Assur, Sweden
- Young Jury Award: “Mobile Homes”, dir. by Vladimir de Fontenay, Canada / France
- Student Jury Award: “Tehran Taboo”, dir. by Ali Soozandeh, Germany / Austria
FROM POLAND Competition for Polish films
- Golden Angel: “The Fastest”, dir. by Lukasz Palkowski The statuette is accompanied by a prize in money (2,000 PLN) for the producer of the winning film.
SHORTCUT International Competition for Short Films
- Golden Angel: “Education”, dir. by Emi Buchwald, Poland The statuette is accompanied by a prize in money (15,000 PLN) for the producer of the winning film, funded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Prof. Piotr Glinski, Ph. D.
- Special Mention of the Jury: “Corner”, dir. by Lucija Mrzljak, Estonia / Croatia
- Special Mention of the Jury: “Invisibly” (“Láthatatlanul”), dir. by Áron Szentpéteri, Hungary
Audience Award
- “The Fastest”, dir. by Lukasz Palkowski
Special Prizes
- The Golden Angel for Artistic Insolence: Marek Koterski, Poland
- The Golden Angel for Artistic Insolence: Katarzyna Nosowska, Poland
- The Golden Angel for Artistic Insolence: Maciej Stuhr, Poland
- The Golden Angel for Lifetime Achievement: Jan Englert, Poland
- Flisak of Tofifest: Malgorzata Kozuchowska, Poland
- Honorary Golden Angel: Michal Zaleski, President of Torun
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