The main event of the XXI International Debut Film Festival «Spirit of Fire” took place, as it should, by the end of the closing ceremony. All members of the international jury came on stage to present the awards of the main — i.e. international — competition. According to Bauddhayan Mukherji, an Indian director, producer and founder of Little Lamb Films, his colleagues and he watched seven films that made them «cry, laugh and wonder how the characters’ fates ended up in the films of first-time directors».
One of the awards went to a film about profound loneliness that reveals the protagonist’s inner experiences. The Bronze Taiga for a debut film was awarded to “Far Away Eyes», directed by Wang Chun-Hong, Taiwan (China).
The film scholar and critic Gulbara Tolomushova from Kyrgyzstan awarded the film that, according to her, explores the topic of the new generation responsibility for its future through the image of a fragile but steadfast young lady. The Silver Taiga Award for a Debut Feature Film went to «On Either Sides of the Pond,» directed by Parth Saurabh, India.
The president of the jury, director, scriptwriter, producer, People’s Artist of Russia Pavel Lungin mentioned that all the seven films in the competition program dealt with the difficulties of human condition, life’s hardships, happiness, and that the jury was amazed by the fundamental humanism of the films they watched, and that was really great. The jury took a unanimous decision to confer the main award of the XXI International Debut Film Festival «Spirit of Fire”, the Golden Taiga for the best debut film on «Parallax», directed by Shahram Ebrahimi from Iran.
Receiving the award, Shahram Ebrahimi paid tribute to Sergei Solovyov who founded this ambitious film festival that brings together different cultures and nations – what is much needed in today’s world. He also thanked the organisers and all the friendly and hospitable people of Khanty-Mansiysk.
