Critics' accolade for “a complex comedy”

Robert Pattinson in Karlovy Vary for the closing weekend of the festival Photo: Film Servis KVIFF

With Twilight star Robert Pattinson in attendance for the last weekend of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (to introduce the Australian road movie The Rover by David Michôd) the 53rd edition of the event also revealed its prize selections.

First off, were the Non-Statutory Awards. Among them was the FIPRESCI (International Film Critics) accolade for a co-production from Argentina, Brazil and France, Sueño Florianópolis, directed by Ana Katz. The citation read: “An elegant and complex comedy built with subtle humour and powerful characters.”

Director Ana Katz with her Fipresci jury award at Karlovy Vary Photo: Film Servis KVIFF

The Ecumenical Jury bestowed their award on Redemption (Geula), directed by Israelis Joseph Madmony and Boaz Yehonatan Yacov and dealing with a father trying to save his ill daughter. The same jury also commended: Winter Flies (Všechno bude), directed by Olmo Omerzu, from Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, and Slovakia and Miriam Lies (Miriam miente) by Natalia Cabral and Oriol Estrada from the Dominican Republic and Spain.

The Fedeora Award from the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean for the best film from East of the West – Competition section was bestowed on Suleiman Mountain (Suleiman Gora), directed by Elizaveta Stishova from Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

The Europa Cinemas Label Award for the best European film in the Official Selection (Competition) and in the East of the West (Competition) was awarded to I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians ("Îmi este indiferent dacă în istorie vom intra ca barbari"), directed by Radu Jude, a co-production between Romania, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, and Germany.

The jury citation said: “Through its many layers we saw the challenging ways of storytelling, rethinking one’s own approach to the darker pages of one’s history while refusing trivialisation through comparison with other events. Its intellectual approach to the topic at times makes you feel uncomfortable, but it also makes you laugh. It fights for the freedom of the arts against censorship and nationalism.”

Read about the main jury awards here.