CRONOGRAF IDFF AWARDS, XIIth EDITION  

     The Awards Gala of CRONOGRAF International Documentary Film Festival’s twelfth edition was held Monday evening, May 18, 2015, at the Odeon Cultural Center.

The final competition line-up included 18 documentaries from 15 countries in the Main Section, 12 films from 5 countries in the CadRO Section, 9 works from Moldovan independent studios in the Local Productions Section, and 5 films in the A LIKE for Documentary Section.

     The Grand Prix and the Festival Trophy, worth €2500, offered by the International Organization for Migration, went to CARDIOPOLITICA, directed by Svetlana Strelnikova (Russian Federation). The Jury decided to award the Trophy to a film showing the strong character of Sergey Sukhanov, a cardiac surgeon forced to engage in politics in order to properly do his job and to continue saving lives, though seeming to be completely against the idea. The Jury appreciated the filmmakers’ ability to provide the audience with access and understanding through this film. The Main Section jury was comprised of Moldovan photographer and filmmaker Nicolae Pojoga (as Jury President), Swiss director and producer Christian Frei, Austrian director, editor and cinematographer Christoph Brunner, Romanian producer Aurelian Nica and Swedish director and producer Alex Shiriaieff.

     GABOR presents us with a secret extension of documentary film, but also of film in general. The secret disappears, however, when we realize that art lies in the great intimacy of the human being. Directed by Sebastián Alfie (Spain), GABOR took the Director’s Award worth €1500, offered this year by the “Mihai Eminescu” Romanian Cultural Institute in Chișinău.

     The Best Camera Award worth MDL 15,000 was offered by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to CREPUSCULE, directed and photographed by Valentyn Vasyanovych (Ukraine). By visual means, the Director of Photography creates portraits of his characters that not only reflect his own attitude towards the film`s protagonists, but also lead spectators to cry and laugh together with them.

     The Special Jury Prize worth MDL 10,000 was offered by the German Cultural Center AKZENTE to THE STORY OF MR. LOVE, directed by Dagmar Smržová (Czech Republic): an ingenuous insight into the world of a character who lives in a different world, promoting the value of life itself and of human dignity.

DANCING ALONE,  directed by Biene Pilavci (Germany), has received the Jury’s Special Mention for its courageous investigation into the labyrinth of the director’s own family, marked by abuse and violence.

The In Memoriam Victor Bucătaru Award, worth MDL 7000, was given to PMR – IN THE STATE OF LIMBO, directed by Meelis Muhu and Kristina Norman,and which also appeared in the Main Section.

The Audience Choice Award for the Main Section went once again to Sebastián Alfie’s GABOR, which tells the moving story of the blind Director of Photography who joined this year’s festival together with his dog Liberty.The audience gave him a standing ovation.

     The CadRO Section – supported this year too by the Department on Policies for Relations with Romanians Abroad (DPRRP) – were judged by UNESCO expert in cultural heritage Nicoleta Zagura, (Romania), director, writer and producer Alecu Deleu (Moldova), and journalist and media manager Alexandru Canțâr (Moldova).

     The cadRO Trophy and the 1st Prize worth €1000was awarded to KRASNA MALANKA directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk (Ukraine) for promoting the intangible heritage and the cultural realities of Romanian village life, and for the vigor of artistic and documentary expression.The prize was again offered by Festival partner, the “Mihai Eminescu” Romanian Cultural Institute in Chișinău.

     The 2nd cadRO Prize worthMDL 10,000 wasoffered by the Moldovan Union of Cinematographers to ION, directed by Olivier Magis (Belgium), for the force of following and explaining human destiny through cinematographic means.

     The 3rd Prize, worth MDL 7000, was offered by MoldCinema to NIASHCHARIAN – REBORN!,directed by Leonardo Tonitza, for putting forward Romanian cultural heritage in the context of world culture and for the ample and thorough approach to a scientific topic.

     The cadRO Jury’s Special Mention was shared between THE DEPORTED HUDBANDMEN, directed by Dumitru Pogorea (Rusian Federation), for the effort put into reconstructing dramatic historical realities, and DA-I FĂLOŞI / PRIDE AND JOY, directed by Manuel Srbin(Serbia), for color and expression.

The Audience Choice Award was given ex aequo to DA-I FĂLOŞIand PĂLTINIŞ – STORIES ON THE BORDER, the latter being directed by Andreea Ştiliuc (Romania). These awards were offered by the Moldovan Labor Institute.

     The quality and professionalism of works under the Local Productions Section was again decided by three jurors: film director and Publika TV producer George Agadjanean (Moldova), TV presenter Sergiu Bezniţchi (Moldova) and writer, director and film producer Iulian Foișor (Romania).

     The 1st Prize andthe Local Productions Trophy was awarded to Alina Radu’s ELITOCID LA PANTA DE SUS / ELITICIDE AT VERHNII USLON, for the determination in recreating the true history of our nation through the life of a single man – Ion Bâtca.

     BUNELUL / GRANDPAby Dumitru Tcaci was given the 2nd Prize for bringing the issue of deserted villages to the fore through the story of a grandfather.

     The 3rd Prize was received by Ghenadie Popescu for RÂUL CAMENCA: AUGUST 2014, for the original and humorous way of addressing pressing contemporary issues.

The prizes for this section were offered by Publika TV for the third consecutive year.

Special mentions under the Local Productions Section were received by DOMNICA, directed by Constantin Bozianu, for trying to tell the full truth about people’s lives and 20X20X40, directed by Vasile Fotescu, for the courage of addressing a form of modern slavery.

     THE DEATH INN (EPISODE 0), directed by Pavel Păduraru,was given the Special Prize offered by CURAJ TV for investigative boldness and astuteness.

     CRONOGRAF trophies are made by sculptor Valentin Vârtosu starting with the Festival’s first edition.

     The A LIKE for Documentary Section, specially designed for adolescents, was judged by a jury comprised of 5 high-school students, who awarded the short film WALLS, directed by Miguel López Beraza (Spain), with the prize for the story of two neighbors told by the walls of the building in Budapest, where they live. The MDL 10,000 prize was offered by the Moldovan Ministry of Youth and Sport. The same documentary won the Audience Choice prize.

     Lastly, the Eyes on Moldova prize, worth €500 and offered by IOM Moldova, was awarded to the Moldova-Netherlands co-production LANDLOCKED, directed by Maarten de Kroon, for the interest in our country and its citizens, and the effort in producing such films.

     The XIIth edition of the CRONOGRAF International Documentary Film Festival was held from May 12-18, 2015, in Chişinău. CRONOGRAF IDFF is organized by OWH Studio.

CRONOGRAF IDFF Press Service