The closing ceremony of the XXII International Festival of Cinematic Debuts “Spirit of Fire” was held on March 26 at the Ugra-Classic Concert and Theater Center in Khanty-Mansiysk. The festival's main prize, the Golden Taiga for the best debut film, was awarded to Kazakhstani director Askhat Kuchinchirekov for his film Bauyrina Salu.
This year, the festival's competition programs included more than 40 films by emerging directors from Russia and 11 countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The theme of the festival was “The Special Language of National Cinematography.”
The first to receive awards were the winners of an open microfilm competition, the theme of which this year was “Family Values.” They were announced by the vice-president of the film festival, Maria Zvereva, and the chairman of the regional branch of the Russian Children and Youth Movement, Svetlana Omelchenko. Films awarded with special diplomas “Family traditions of Sergei Kryanin” Dmitry Prishvitsyn and Alexey Rezvanov (TimeLine Group studio, Khanty-Mansiysk), "The whole family" Kristina Vishnyakova (Yugorsk), "Zhenka" Oksana Adamchuk and Anton Vlasov (OTRK Yugra, Khanty-Mansiysk). Based on the results of online voting, the film became the winner in the age category 12–17 years “My grandfather is a hero!” Amina Abdullaeva (School of Creative Industries, photo and video production studio, Khanty-Mansiysk). Based on the results of online voting, the film won the main category. "Family traditions of Sergei Kryanin." Winner of the microfilm competition became a film "Present" Alexey Petrashevich (Moscow region).
Awards of the international competition program for films for children and youth "Your movie" presented by members of the children's jury Nikita Kubinsky and Maria Margunova. The film was awarded a special prize "Like Father and Son", directed by Bai Zhiqiang (China). The winner Indonesian film won the “Your Cinema” competition "Tegar" Anggi Frisky.
In open competition Work-in-progress, in which films in production took part, awards were presented by jury member, director of the film exhibition directorate of Public Television of Russia Andrei Shchigolev.
Special mention to the jury with the wording “Willingness to support the project in its popularization after viewing the final version” received the film "Carrying light, camera and bolt cutter" Hripsime Grigoryan about the street artist Pasha 183. The film was awarded a special mention by the jury "Delirium" Glory to Berezovsky. The winner became a tape "Presence" Apollinaria Degtyareva.
Special Prize "For the preservation of cultural traditions" from the general partner of the film festival, the company Gazprom Neft, which has been supporting the “Spirit of Fire” for 18 years, was presented by the vice-president of the festival, Maria Zvereva. The ribbon received the award “The Abnormal” by Ilya Malanin.
Competition prizes “Debut – short film” The awards were presented by members of the jury - theater and film actress Ekaterina Klimova, director, screenwriter, producer Oksana Mikheeva, film critic Yaroslav Zabaluev.
Special diploma The film received “For the new sound of cinematic language” "Aiyy Kuo" Ayaala Adamova.
Prize “Small Silver Taiga – Short Film” was awarded to the tape "Give me the money and I'll leave" Alexandra Titova.
The main prize of the competition is “Small Golden Taiga – Short Film” – the film was awarded "Black" Vicky Degteva.
The festival organizers have prepared a surprise for the participants and guests of the show. In honor of the 80th anniversary of the director, founder and ideologist of the “Spirit of Fire” Sergei Solovyov, his rare photographs from the album “Life with its amazing dynamics. At a speed of 1/100 of a second." Few people know that his love for cinema began with photography. At the age of eight, he received a camera as a gift, and since then photography has become an integral part of his life.
Prizes The competition for Russian debuts was presented by members of the jury - director, screenwriter, producer Angelina Nikonova, composer, People's Artist of Russia Maxim Dunaevsky, theater and film actor Maxim Stoyanov, cameraman Eduard Moshkovich. The chairman of the jury, director and screenwriter Alexander Veledinsky, and jury member, theater and film actress Svetlana Ivanova, participated in the final meeting remotely.
Prize "Silver Rose" for the best work with music went to the film "Last price" Naura Garmelia.
Prize of the Guild of Cinematographers named after Pavel Lebeshev "For best cinematography" was awarded to Dmitry Znamenshchikov for the film "Last price".
Prize named after Alexander Abdulov "For Best Actor" received Mikhail Ivanov for the tape "Lapin" Asya Poleshkevich and Vlada Krasnoslobodtseva.
Prize named after Alexander Abdulov "For Best Actress" was awarded to Irina Salikova for the film "Contacts" Dmitry Moiseev.
The main prize in the Russian competition is "Golden Taiga" for the best domestic debut film, named after Sergei Solovyov (financed by the family of Sergei Solovyov) - received the work of Naur Garmelia "Last price". The film tells about the life of a Russian family in war-torn Abkhazia. The heroes grow hazelnuts for sale and hope to get rich thanks to a sudden “nut fever”.
People's Choice Award "Flowers of Taiga Hope" based on the results of audience voting, the film was also awarded "Last price".
To present the prizes of the international competition, members of the jury took to the stage - the chairman of the jury, director, screenwriter, production designer, composer Benedek Fligauf, director, screenwriter Nuishin Meraji, director screenwriter Palani Vinotraj, film critic Stas Tyrkin.
Stas Tyrkin noted that the jury’s decision to award four films at once indicates the very high quality of the program.
Special Jury Mention the film was awarded "Abduction" Karana Tejpal (India).
International competition prize "Bronze Taiga" for the debut film awarded to the film "Own" Daniel Bandeira (Brazil).
Prize "Silver Taiga" awarded to the project for the debut film "Tilt angle" Anna Dahlinger and Stanislav Fomichev (Russia).
The main prize of the XXI International Festival of Film Debuts “Spirit of Fire” – "Golden Taiga" for the best debut film of the festival - went to the film "Bauyrina salu" Askhat Kuchinchirekova (Kazakhstan). The film tells about the local tradition, according to which a child is handed over to older relatives to be raised.
The director especially noted that he was glad to receive a prize in the land of nomads, since the film is dedicated to the nomadic tradition: “This is very important for the region and for us, many thanks to the jury!”
Next, Emir Kusturica took the stage to present the prize, according to tradition. "Golden Taiga" by the festival president. The award went to the work of director Konstantin Bogoslavsky "Cuba, Marina". As Emir Kusturica noted, this is a very good picture. In turn, director Konstantin Bogoslovky thanked the festival president for such a high assessment.
Emir Kusturica also presented an award "For contribution to the development of cinema" composer, people's artist of Russia, legendary composer Maxim Dunaevsky.
"Thanks a lot. I am very honored and grateful to be among such artists who have been awarded this award, and to receive it from the hands of Kusturica himself.", admitted Maxim Dunaevsky.
As a token of gratitude, he performed the composition “Ah, this evening” from the film “Ah, Vaudeville, Vaudeville.”
Governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug Natalia Komarova in an address to the guests, spectators, participants, president, jury members and partners of the “Spirit of Fire”, she thanked everyone for the unity shown these days - support for the dead and injured in connection with the tragic events in the Moscow region on March 22.
“Our masters Sergei Solovyov and Alexander Abdulov believed that cinema gives people warmth and light and expresses hope. Continuing traditions, festival president Emir Kusturica, in turn, passes on his talent to the young and all those who love cinema,” – noted the governor.
Natalya Komarova emphasized that representatives of 18 states took part in the events of the business and cultural program this year, who became ambassadors of the festival and the peoples of the countries they represent.
The head of the region also presented an award to the International Organization of Northern Regions “Northern Forum” “For the preservation of the traditions and heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic and the North”. She went to the film “How the Don Cossack became a reindeer herder” Natalya Makovetskaya (chief editor of the national broadcasting group of State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Yugoria"). The president of the festival, Emir Kusturica, came onto the stage, and together with Natalya Komarova, they traditionally slammed the clapperboard with the words that the XXII International Festival of Film Debuts “Spirit of Fire” was declared closed.
