We know the winners of the four competitions of the 15th Short Waves Festival! 11 prizes worth a total of 37500 PLN went to the films that were selected during the deliberations of experienced jury teams and as a result of the audience vote. The rich, diverse and daring program of the festival brought equally bold and unafraid of innovative solutions winners. Get to know them!
International Competition
Jury: Angelika Ramlow, Carlos Ramos, Zuza Banasińska
➔ Audience Award – 2 000 PLN
A Kind of Testament / Stephen Vuillemin / France / 2023 / 17’
➔ III Award: 2000 PLN
Why Are You Image Plus? / Diogo Baldaia / Portugal / 2023 / 9’
For a beautifully shot analog film with experimental inserts, which in an extremely sensitive way is able to create a captivating and intimate atmosphere, talking about the topic of death in a tenderly humorous tone.
➔ II Award: 4000 PLN
I Saw the Face of the Devil / Julia Kowalski / France / 2023 / 35’
For skillfully breaking the taboo related to the subject of exorcism and Polish radical Catholicism, in a film that, through the interplay of camera movements, editing and impressive acting, creates an extraordinary combination of horror and social commentary.
➔ I Award: 6000 PLN
Dildotectonics / Tomás Paula Marques / Portugal / 2023 / 16’
For a film that tells a queer story in an unusual way – giving insight into the craft of making ceramic dildos. It subtly interweaves a fairy tale with a documentary to turn outdated stereotypes into images of tender feelings.
Polish Competition
Jury: Filip Kozłowski, Ygor Gama, Ren Scateni
➔ Audience Award – 1000 PLN
Skraj (Edge) / Edmund Aleksander Krempiński, Jakub Dylewski / Poland / 2023 / 18’
➔ II Award – 3000 PLN
Skraj (Edge) / Edmund Aleksander Krempiński, Jakub Dylewski / Poland / 2023 / 18’
For the risk the creators took by blurring the boundaries between film and visual arts to embark on an electrifying, personal journey where sensitivity becomes a powerful political tool.
➔ I Award – 5000 PLN
ZIMA / Tomasz Popakul, Kasumi Ozeki / Poland / 2023 / 26’
For a colorful fairy tale that both stimulates the imagination and disturbs; it’s dark and pleasant at the same time. It breaks the boundaries between community and environment, plays with traditional beliefs and religious motifs, and deals with national myths.
MOVES
Jury: Jacek Łumiński, Henk van der Meulen, Helena Jonsdottir
➔ Audience Award – 1000 PLN
And Me, I’m Dancing Too / Mohammad Valizadegan / Iran / 2023 / 21’
➔ Special Mention
Backflip / Nikita Diakur / France, Germany / 2022 / 12’
For the story in which a dancer tries to train a digital avatar to perform the titular “backflip”. Creating a humorous choreography, the author creates a modern version of slapstick comedy.
➔ II Award – 3500 PLN
Dear Passengers / Madli Lääne / Estonia / 2022 / 11’
For careful, cinematic observation, which transforms an anonymous situation into a lively dance party and makes us aware of the need for intimate contact and interaction that connects us all.
➔ I Award – 5000 PLN
Unless We Dance / Fernanda Pineda Palencia, Hanz Rippe Gabriele / Colombia / 2023 / 15’
For the compelling testimony of the black community which, in the face of persecution and the threat of violence, decides to express itself and empower itself through dance. In the film, we get intimate and powerful images of a group of brave men for whom the act of dancing turns out to be a matter of identity and survival.
RAW
➔ Audience Award – 5000 PLN
Enflightenment / Wey Yinn Teo / Malaysia / 2023 / 11’
