Here are the winners of the 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF!
The onsite edition of the 13th TAURON Young Horizons International Film Festival has come to an end. The winners of the festival competitions and the audience vote were announced at the award gala at Kino Muranów in Warsaw. See who won this year!
The Katarzyna Stoparczyk Young Horizons Main Award
The jury, composed of Marzena Cieślik, Karina Terzoni, and Maciej Chmiel, granted the Katarzyna Stoparczyk Young Horizons Main Award to the best Polish film. The award of PLN 30,000, funded by the festival organisers, was given to the director and the producer of Candidates of Death: Maciej Cuske and Ewa Hoffmann. This is the jury’s justification for their choice: For the courage to portray a close-knit relationship between the protagonists, and a true connection in a typically hermetic, locked-in male world; for representing a wise approach to parenting, where adults support young people who enter adulthood as they remain open to one another; for the producers’ determination to complete such a long-term project.
This year, for the first time, the Young Horizons Main Award is named after Katarzyna Stoparczyk. This is a tribute to the journalist, who worked at Trójka (Polish Radio Three) for many years, creating broadcasts for children and their families, and providing young people with a platform to freely express their thoughts and feelings.
The Audience Award
The Audience Award was granted by the viewers participating in the screenings in Warsaw and Wrocław. The audience decided that the best film in the Main Competition section at the 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF was the visually stunning French animation Lucy Lost (dir. Olivier Clert). The partner in this year’s Audience Award was TAURON Group.
Main Competition
Lucy Lost was also awarded in the Main Competition by a jury composed of Magdalena Glapińska, Krzysztof Komander, and Dawid Muszyński. The film received the award for a moving take on the subject of adolescence and searching for one’s identity in times of war, as well as the power of imagination that makes it possible to get through the worst. This animation brings both smiles and tears of emotion to the viewers’ faces.
As part of the Main Competition, the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) Jury, composed of Liviana Lunetto, Mariella Harpelunde Jensen, and Agata Hofelmajer-Roś, awarded Julián (dir. Louise Bagnall, Guillaume Lorin, Mark Mullery), thus explaining their selection: This animated film takes a very compassionate approach to children and the characters’ choices, respecting their right to make decisions in their own time. The carefully crafted 2D animation is pure visual poetry that co-exists smoothly with the protagonists. The soft and gentle illustration style that reflects the main protagonist’s nature also deserves recognition.
Discoveries Competition
The jury, composed of Agata Napiórska, Malwina Hajduk, and Artur Zaborski, awarded Gugu’s World (dir. Allan Deberton). This is their justification: The film is a sensitive representation of childhood which reminds us that nobody has to decide to be just one version of themselves. Gugu quickly becomes a character one can relate to. We appreciate the film for the lack of ostentatious preachiness, for the beautiful shots, and for the story focusing on an incredibly loving relationship between a grandchild and a grandmother. This is truly top quality cinema.
As part of the Discoveries Competition, the Youth Jury awarded Extra Geography (dir. Molly Manners), for a story that every viewer can relate to and a beautiful visual form. As teenagers, the jury members felt that the filmmakers really acknowledged and understood them. The Youth Jury was composed of young cinema lovers: Gabriela Stańska, Basia Szycman, Marta Purat, and Zoja Wróblewska.
Documentary Competition
The jury, composed of Ula Malko, Agnieszka Gołębiowska, and Bartosz Dajnowski, awarded Candidates of Death (dir. Maciej Cuske) in the Documentary Competition. They said that it was a compassionate film about growing up, friendship, fatherhood, and men’s emotions, where the love for cinema and sharing a passion can cement a relationship and help it last many years.
Congratulations to the creators of all the winning films!
You can watch the films featured in the online programme of the 13th TAURON Young Horizons IFF on our VOD platform from 8 to 25 October.
