The winners are:
From Hasakah with Love
Directed by Mohammad Farahani, Iran
Justification: For conscious and professional use of cinematic techniques; for focusing on one character and observing the war through her eyes; for resisting the easy temptation of an action film; for humane and moving perspective on the issue of ISIS and Islamic extremism, so often filled with stereotypes in the public discourse.
The Two Halves
Directed by Gwenn Joyaux, Portugal
Justification: A worm cut in half writhes like a hurt person. The whole body is in pain. I have never encountered such a metaphor in the cinema before; for an exceptionally successful combination of the author’s sensitivity, personal tone, and scientific discoveries in the field of separation.
Spit It Out // A Sparkle Uprising
Directed by Eleonora Cristin, Great Britain
Justification: For spitting out a manifesto as colorful confetti; for expressing courage and edge in an aesthetically well-thought-out form.
The jury has also selected seven films which were submitted to the online contest via the Culture.pl Facebook profile. Internet users voted for Cubosoma, directed by Gaston Amat from Argentina, for the Audience Award, which also comes with a Hero5 Session GoPro video camera and invitation for the Transatlantyk Festival.
About the Transatlantyk Festival:
This year, the seventh edition of Transatlantyk – a festival of film and music – will be held between 14th and 21st July in Łódź. Over 100 feature films and documentaries from around the world will be screened during the festival – among them, the latest productions featured in Cannes and Berlin. Premieres – presented in two sections (Panorama and Docs) – will compete for a brand new prize: the Transatlantyk Distribution Award. A series of screenings and events devoted to this year’s theme – ‘The Power of Woman’ – will also take place during the festival. Additionally, attendees will have the chance to participate in Culinary Cinema, outdoor cinema, and Cinema in Bed – one of the most extraordinary cinemas in the world, according to BuzzFeed. The tickets for single screenings and promotional packages will be available for purchase starting 4th July.