XVIII Zerkalo International Festival draws its outcomes
On July 2, the International Film, Music and Architecture Festival Zerkalo. Tarkovsky's Philosophy ended in the Museum and Exhibition Centre of Ivanovo. Black Dog by the Chinese director Hu Guan won the Main Prize. The Film Festival took place from June 28 in Ivanovo and seven towns of the region, becoming a landmark event in the region's cultural life; the festival featured 'full house' screenings of both in-competition and out-of-competition films, premieres and special events.
"It is my first time in Russia, my great thanks to you for this hospitality. This was an incredible programme!", said Deepti D'Cunha, a member of the Jury.
Stas Tyrkin, film critic and Program Director, Mayak Festival and the Khudozhestvenny Cinema, was the host of the closing ceremony.
This year the Main (International) Competition featured 9 films produced in 13 countries. The jury of the international competition included Deepti D'Cunha, the artistic director of MAMI Mumbai Film Festival; Yelena Duffort, journalist and author of the French cinema website Kinoglaz.fr; Alena Shumakova, the selector of films from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe at the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals, as well as at the IFFs in Rome, Beijing, Pingyao, Trieste and Turin; the Chinese writer and film producer, author of the world bestseller One Night in Beijing Tammy Tai, and the Russian theatre and film actress, a laureate of the Nika Award, Moscow International Film Festival and Window to Europe Festival Darya Ekamasova.
This year the Main (International) Competition featured 9 films produced in 13 countries. The jury of the international competition included Deepti D'Cunha, the artistic director of MAMI Mumbai Film Festival; Yelena Duffort, journalist and author of the French cinema website Kinoglaz.fr; Alena Shumakova, the selector of films from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe at the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals, as well as at the IFFs in Rome, Beijing, Pingyao, Trieste and Turin; the Chinese writer and film producer, author of the world bestseller One Night in Beijing Tammy Tai, and the Russian theatre and film actress, a laureate of the Nika Award, Moscow International Film Festival and Window to Europe Festival Darya Ekamasova.
The Jury awarded the Main Prize to the film Black Dog by the Chinese director Hu Guan, which had won Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes Festival earlier this year (to be released in Russia from July 25). Best Director Prize went to Emilia Gašić, the creator of 78 Days.
"This was an unbelievably sincere jury, I haven't had such emotions for a very long time. We took a unanimous decision selecting the best director. This film just kept us seated and thrilled everyone", noted Darya Ekmasova.
The jury recognized the Yakut film Cuckoo by Evgeny Nikolaev with a special prize, mentioning it as "An impressive debut challenging spectators". The director thanked the organizers and the jury of the festival and expressed deep appreciation to the producer, composer and the whole film crew.
According to the tradition of Zerkalo festival, spectators pick their own favourites. Director, Department of Culture of Ivanovo Region Natalia Trofimova awarded the Audience Choice Award in the international competition.
"Spectators in our region are wonderful and rewarding, we have real cinema fans here who did their best not to miss a single film and gave well-deserved feedback on out cinema forum", noted Trofimova.
The audience selected the film Father's Son by the director Ilya Zimin born in Ivanovo.
"This is a great over-estimation of my work; I am very thankful to the audience. I promise to work hard going forward to justify this over-estimation", said the director receiving the award.
The Near and Dear programme offered a retrospective selection of the brightest Russian films of the recent years. The spectators recognized the film Healthy Man by Petr Todorovsky and Ivan Sosnin's 30 Seconds in the short-film section. Era by Veniamin Ilyasov received the Prize of Ivanovo Cinema Club Ekran i Ty.
"The audience choice award is of the highest value. As I am from a filmmaker family, I remember conversations when directors were asked about why they made the film, what their point was. And most often they said they made it for themselves <...>. But when I started making films, I was perfectly sure I wanted spectators to like my film, to find like-minded people among them. So, I am blissed-out to receive this prize", underlined Petr Todorovsky receiving the award.
"Spectators in our region are wonderful and rewarding, we have real cinema fans here who did their best not to miss a single film and gave well-deserved feedback on out cinema forum", noted Trofimova.
The audience selected the film Father's Son by the director Ilya Zimin born in Ivanovo.
"This is a great over-estimation of my work; I am very thankful to the audience. I promise to work hard going forward to justify this over-estimation", said the director receiving the award.
The Near and Dear programme offered a retrospective selection of the brightest Russian films of the recent years. The spectators recognized the film Healthy Man by Petr Todorovsky and Ivan Sosnin's 30 Seconds in the short-film section. Era by Veniamin Ilyasov received the Prize of Ivanovo Cinema Club Ekran i Ty.
"The audience choice award is of the highest value. As I am from a filmmaker family, I remember conversations when directors were asked about why they made the film, what their point was. And most often they said they made it for themselves <...>. But when I started making films, I was perfectly sure I wanted spectators to like my film, to find like-minded people among them. So, I am blissed-out to receive this prize", underlined Petr Todorovsky receiving the award.
Winners of XVIII International Festival Zerkalo
- Main Prize - Black dog by Hu Guan (China)
- Best Director Prize - Emilija Gašić, 78 Days (Serbia)
- Special Jury Prize “Fascinating debut that challenges its audience” - Co-сkoo by Eugeny Nikolaev (Russia)
- Main Competition. Audience Prize - Father’s son by Ilya Zimin (Russia)
- Near And Dear Program. Audience Prize - Intensive care by Peter Todorovsky (Russia)
- Near And Dear. Short Films Program. Audience Prize - 30 seconds by Ivan Sosnin (Russia)
- Prize of the Ivanovo Film Club "The Screen And You" - Era by Veniamin Ilyasov (Russia)
This year presents a new prize symbolizing the harmony of mundane and spiritual life. This is a unique sculpture created by nature and an artist. Its author is the artist Irina Chechetko.
Over 80 films were screened during the five days of the Festival. The premiere of the archival record of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1978 lecture for the students of the High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors was a special event featured within the Festival, causing a real stir across Ivanovo community, guests and participants of the Festival.
Over 80 films were screened during the five days of the Festival. The premiere of the archival record of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1978 lecture for the students of the High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors was a special event featured within the Festival, causing a real stir across Ivanovo community, guests and participants of the Festival.
A unique video footage was created to support the audio recording. The Festival also featured the documentary film Marina's House dedicated to Andrei Tarkovsky's sister Marina who played a great role in preserving her brother's archives across the globe and the development of Zerkalo Film Festival, which, to a large extent, still exists thanks to her efforts. The Festival also featured Lilia Klassen's project Going the Stalker Path telling the story of the making of the film Stalker celebrating its 45th anniversary.
Along with the Museum and Architecture Centre and one of the oldest cinema theatres Lodz, the art space at Ivanovo railway station functioned through all the days of the Festival as a truly vibey reading room. Anyone could check out newly published books from the partners of the promo (the script writing team of Eksmo-AST Holding and Litres digital book service) and take a book they liked absolutely for free. The reading room offered around 500 books from over 80 writers.
Next to the reading room ROSIZO exhibition took place as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the film Mirror. Also taking place there were the screenings of latest documentaries DK USSR. A Tour about the history of Soviet culture and Zurab dedicated to the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. Also on June 29, the art space of the railway station hosted the finals of the Third Russian National Video Art Competition Tarkovsky's Worlds co-organized by ROSIZO, MOSKINO and the Russian Festival of Short and Debut Films KOROCHE. Vera Sadovskaya's film Love won at the eponymous nomination. Ruslan Shuvalov's work Nikolai Gumilev. Childhood became the best at Childhood nomination. The group of authors including Viktoriya Ilyenko, Dmitry Chernitsyn, Evgeny Bocharov and Anna Buzyreva took the lead in Nostalgia nomination with their video fragment Nostalgia. The film by Oleg Fedorov Planet Earth won at Space nomination. The jury further distinguished Margarita Artemova's Wind Song at Scenery nomination.
As the tradition goes, the opening of the Festival took place in Andrei Tarkovsky's native town Yuryevets. The gala choir and orchestra performance led by the renowned conductor Philipp Chizhevsky took place at the central Georgievskaya Square. The two-time laureate of the Golden Mask theatre prize and international awards, Philipp Chizhevsky founded Questa Musica project, which brought together top Moscow's instrumentalists and a unique choir. Tailored to the opening ceremony, an original programmed was offered having been inspired by the film Mirror celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It featured pieces by Bach, Artemyev, Pärt, etc. The ceremony featured exclusive photo and video materials, with the actor Aleksey Chadov and the actress Irina Rozanova hosting the event.
Along with the Museum and Architecture Centre and one of the oldest cinema theatres Lodz, the art space at Ivanovo railway station functioned through all the days of the Festival as a truly vibey reading room. Anyone could check out newly published books from the partners of the promo (the script writing team of Eksmo-AST Holding and Litres digital book service) and take a book they liked absolutely for free. The reading room offered around 500 books from over 80 writers.
Next to the reading room ROSIZO exhibition took place as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the film Mirror. Also taking place there were the screenings of latest documentaries DK USSR. A Tour about the history of Soviet culture and Zurab dedicated to the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. Also on June 29, the art space of the railway station hosted the finals of the Third Russian National Video Art Competition Tarkovsky's Worlds co-organized by ROSIZO, MOSKINO and the Russian Festival of Short and Debut Films KOROCHE. Vera Sadovskaya's film Love won at the eponymous nomination. Ruslan Shuvalov's work Nikolai Gumilev. Childhood became the best at Childhood nomination. The group of authors including Viktoriya Ilyenko, Dmitry Chernitsyn, Evgeny Bocharov and Anna Buzyreva took the lead in Nostalgia nomination with their video fragment Nostalgia. The film by Oleg Fedorov Planet Earth won at Space nomination. The jury further distinguished Margarita Artemova's Wind Song at Scenery nomination.
As the tradition goes, the opening of the Festival took place in Andrei Tarkovsky's native town Yuryevets. The gala choir and orchestra performance led by the renowned conductor Philipp Chizhevsky took place at the central Georgievskaya Square. The two-time laureate of the Golden Mask theatre prize and international awards, Philipp Chizhevsky founded Questa Musica project, which brought together top Moscow's instrumentalists and a unique choir. Tailored to the opening ceremony, an original programmed was offered having been inspired by the film Mirror celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It featured pieces by Bach, Artemyev, Pärt, etc. The ceremony featured exclusive photo and video materials, with the actor Aleksey Chadov and the actress Irina Rozanova hosting the event.
The international film, music and architecture festival Zerkalo. Tarkovsky's Philosophy will be hosted with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Government of Ivanovo Region.
