“We are glad that many of you included yourself in the program this year,” said Konradas Kazlauskas, executive director of “Kino pavasaris”, paraphrasing one of the slogans of this festival. “Over 100,000 spectators visited the festival and I believe that each of them found a film that changed them for the better.”
“I thank everyone who wanted to try or remember the effect of cinema,” said festival director Algirdas Ramaška. – It was good to see full halls, friends and strangers rushing from one screening to another, nice discussions about which films left the biggest impression and are worth your precious time. Let a good cinema only be good for you – spring is starting outside, and we are already waiting for the next one – the anniversary “Cinema Spring” for all of us.
In the spring, music also rang out at the awards ceremony: the piece “Spring” was performed by the band “Abudu”, which will soon release the album “Vietos Pasauly!!”, the leader Domantas Starkauskas and the pianist Giedrius Nakas.
The winner of the competition program is a film that captures the fate of an entire nation
The last evening of the festival was traditionally dedicated to the awards of competitive programs and European creators who promise an interesting future of original cinema, which were evaluated by international juries.
10 films participated in this year’s “Kino pavasaris” Competition, which selected the first or second feature films of European directors. The jury of the festival – Polish director Paweł Łoziński, film journalist Marta Bałaga, actress Elit İşcan, head of the Berlin film festival “Perspective Deutsches Kino” department and journalist Jenni Zylka, and producer Klementina Remeikaitė – chose the best. Money prizes for the winners of competitive programs this year were traditionally established by Vilnius City Municipality.
Maciek Hamela’s film was declared the best film of the festival’s competition program “From where to where” (In the Rearview). “One car, one destination, one pain shared by many: the idea of filming people fleeing a war-torn country and preserving their stories is very human. In the rear-view mirror, you can see not only a ruined country, but also the fate of an entire nation,” said the jury. A prize of 8,000 euros was awarded to the best film of the festival.
A special mention goes to the debut of filmmaker Luna Carmoon Accumulators (Hoard). “A special mention goes out to Saura Lightfoot Leon for her fearless, timely and highly tactful portrayal of an incredibly complex young woman,” noted the jury.
The hand-painted drama “Villagers” won even two awards
The festival was particularly successful for the film by DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman “Villagers” (The Peasants), who won even two awards. After summing up the audience’s votes, it was announced as the feature film with the most likes of the festival, and the jury of journalists and film critics accredited by “Kino pavasaryje” chose “Kaimiečius” as the best Lithuanian premiere at the festival, the creators of which were awarded an award and a prize of 3,000 euros by the copyright association of audiovisual works “AVAKA” .
The best of the short competition
This year, 33 feature, documentary, animated and experimental short films from all over Europe participated in the short film competition. According to the evaluation of the international jury, which consisted of the compiler of the program, the program coordinator of Cannes “La Fabrique Cinéma” Thibaut Bracq, the Estonian director Sander Joon and the Lithuanian screenwriter, director and cinematographer Eitvydas Doškus, the winner was director Glebo Osatinski “disappointment” (Resentment).
According to the jury, this film was appreciated for its impressive cinematography, strong atmosphere, skillfully conveying life in Ukraine in the 1990s and depicting the inner turmoil and catastrophe of the main character fighting against a violent environment. The film was awarded a prize of 3,000 euros.
Director Leila Basma was also honored with a special mention. According to the jury, her film “Sea salt” (Sea Salt) is an amazing and creative montage that can change reality and deal with powerful characters.
The jury also selected the best Lithuanian short film of the festival, which announced the work of Eglė Davidavičė “She Who Knows” (The One Who Knows). The prize – 2,000 euros – was established by the content platform Telia Play, which supports Lithuanian cinema at the festival.
The start of the Smart 7 program that travels around the world
This year’s “Smart 7” program also started in “Kino pavasarije” – the annual film program of the network of seven European film festivals, which connects festivals with similar visions, traveling through 7 countries. This competition program annually includes one film from each country, and Lithuania is represented this year by Tomos Vengris “5 ½ love stories in one Vilnius apartment” (Five and a Half Love Stories in an Apartment in Vilnius, Lithuania). Later, as the program completes its journey through all 7 festivals, the jury will select its best film, the winner will be announced in November at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece.
The most viewed films of the festival since March 28. will be available in cinemas in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Alytus, Marijampole, Ukmerge, Gargždai, Utena, Varėna, Taurage, Šilute, Anykščiai, Pasvaly, Visaginas and Vilkavišky. The festival is supported by the big partners “ERGO” and “Telia Play”, partially financed by the Lithuanian Cinema Center, Vilnius City Municipality, “Kūrybiška Europa” MEDIA, the festival is supported by the municipalities of Kaunas and Šiauliai.
