MIFF: Gold and Silver Saint George Prizes Awarded at Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony of the 42nd Moscow International Film Festival was held on October 8 at the Rossiya Theater. Top honors Juried prizes went to films from Russia, France/Egypt, South Korea, United Kingdom, Turkey, and Israel.

 

The main prize was awarded to the Russian film "Blockade Diary" directed by Andrei Zaitsev.

Actor and producer Alexey Agranovich was the host of the ceremony. The first festival prize was awarded for the best short film. The winner was announced by the chairman of the jury, Russian producer Marina Zhigalova. The jury also included the Russian-Swiss director Elena Khazanova and the British director Guy Davis.


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"We very thoughtfully approached the choice of the film that won the main prize. Our decision was absolutely unanimous. We give the main prize to a film that amazed us, where every frame is a work of art that cannot be forgotten, "Zhigalova said.

"Silver Saint George" for the best short film - "I'm afraid to forget your face," Egypt / France, directed by Sameh Alaa.

The prize was awarded to the chairman of the FIPRESCI jury, film critic from Egypt Amal El Gamal.

The prize for the best documentary was announced by the chairman of the documentary competition jury, Russian cameraman Yuri Yermolin. The jury also included American director Mitchell Johnson and Danish producer Anna Kenke.

"The competition program of documentaries was presented by a wide genre palette. Nevertheless, among these various films, our hearts were especially touched by a picture on the eternal theme of "love your neighbor." This is shown here by the example of one family, where music from dissonance turns into a harmonious duet , "Ermolin noted.


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Silver Saint George for Best Documentary - Nocturne, South Korea, directed by Gwangcho Chong.

The prize was accepted by the Minister Plenipotentiary, Counselor of the Embassy, ​​Director of the Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea Wi Myung Jae.

"In recent years, Korean films have achieved good results and I think another one has been added to them ," said Ms. Wee Myung Jae.

Russian director Svetlana Druzhinina received a special prize for many years of service to cinema

The winner of the award was announced by the actress, member of the jury of the 42nd Moscow International Film Festival Marina Alexandrova.

"There is a lot of good movies, but it seems to me that there is much less that one can watch with the whole family. Even less often such films survive the time, and thanks to Svetlana Druzhinina we have such films. I think the universe of her films is even better than the universe of superheroes. Vivat, Svetlana Druzhinina! " - said the actress.

Druzhinina was unable to attend the ceremony, but wrote down an appeal in which she thanked Marina Alexandrova for playing the role of her favorite heroine, Catherine the Great.


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The prize for Druzhinina was accepted by actor Dmitry Kharatyan.

"Svetlana Sergeevna is a real national treasure. It is no coincidence that the prize has such a wording. The main award for the director is to make his own film, which Svetlana Sergeevna continues with success. She continues to work: the fourth "Midshipmen" have already been removed, the fifth is being prepared for production , "the artist said.

The jury of the main competition this year included European filmmaker Alexander Iordatescu, British film critic Brian Weiner, Egyptian writer and journalist Mahmoud Soliman, and Russian actress Marina Alexandrova. The jury is chaired by Russian director and producer Timur Bekmambetov.


Silver Saint George for Best Male Actor - Gur Bentwich, "Like Cheese in Butter", Israel

"The pandemic changed us, but judging by our laureate, someone knew everything in advance, because he made a film about himself, played in the film himself, and took off his wife in the main female role ," Marina Aleksandrova said while presenting the award ...

Gur Bentwich recorded a short video message in which he thanked the Moscow Film Festival. Yana Kotlyar-Gal, the cultural attaché of the Israeli Embassy in Russia, received the award for it.


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Silver Saint George for Best Actress - Megan Purvis, Hilda, UK

"It is a real pleasure to present the award to a young girl who is not even known in her country. According to the jury, she is at the very beginning of the journey. Our decision was unanimous. Her role was performed with incredible expressiveness, and she showed an amazing maturity for her young age. Her role scared us, touched us, amazed us , "said British film critic Brian Weiner at the award ceremony.

The award for the actress went to the director of the film, Rishi Palam.

"Megan Purvis plowed tirelessly all year before we started filming. We threw her in the hottest corners of London so that she was there in the character. Hilda is just a small fraction of what Meghan will do in the future , "said the director.

Silver Saint George for Best Director - Rishi Palam, Hilda, UK

"This award will go to the person who raised important and difficult issues. And he did it with incredible skill and originality. He presented a family history, but in an unusual way - through music and dance, " said Egyptian writer and journalist Mahmoud Soliman presenting the award.

The triumphant of the ceremony, Rishi Palam, admitted that he and his team of only 16 had to go through many obstacles while making the film.

"This film became a lesson that if you try, one day everything will work out. In my life, I have repeatedly met with the refutation of this expression, because I look at my generation and understand that for most people dreams do not always come true. That is why I thank the festival for taking the risk and including this film in the program. There are a lot of new voices and talents, and the festival is the place where they can be nurtured , "Rishi Palam emphasized.

Special Jury Prize "Silver Saint George" - "In the Shadows", Turkey, directed by Erdem Tepegez.

"We decided to give a special prize to a painting with a very strong vision, touching upon a current topic. It is a film that challenges humanity in a world where there seems to be no one left, in a profound way. This is a story of hope that shows that even in the darkest moments we can find light , "said Alexander Jordatescu while presenting the award.

The award went to director Erdem Tepegez and cameraman Haik Kirakosyan.

"For independent filmmakers, the support of the festival is important. I would like to dedicate this prize to my uncle, whom I lost a month ago as a result of an industrial accident , "said the director.

"Golden Saint George" for the best film - "Blockade Diary", Russia, directed by Andrey Zaitsev.

"We argued a lot, our discussions were a creative process, and I understood my role as a person who can organize the creative process so that everyone can express their opinion. When it came time to make a decision, we thought what the grand prize meant. And we came to the conclusion that this is not an award for professional skill, not for actors, but still a prize for a message, for the fact that the film says important things to all of us, today's viewers, and that we, as members of the jury, want to say ourselves - how are we we understand that we are living in a difficult time. I think that it is far from over, we still face many trials in life, and most importantly, we must all remember that the greatest sin is the sin of despondency. We will survive everything, everyone will be happy, we will become better after going through the tests that fall on us. As one of the heroes of this film said, the main thing is that all these tests are not in vain, "said the chairman of the jury Timur Bekmambetov when presenting the grand prix.

Andrei Zaitsev, receiving the award, admitted that this picture would not have been without the leading actress Olga Ozzolapini.

"80 years have passed, and, frankly, no one in the world knows about the blockade in Leningrad. We were at festivals with "14+", they asked me what you are shooting a movie about, I answer and suddenly I see puzzled looks. The phrase "blockade of Leningrad" remained understandable only to us, in the whole world no one knows about it, but this is our fault. We are not talking about this. Since we do not fully understand, it turns out that this did not happen and this suffering went away like water through the sand, and since this did not happen, it means that it can be repeated with much more severe blockades and at a much higher cost , "stressed Andrei Zaitsev.

The 42nd Moscow International Film Festival was closed by the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova.

"Thanks to those who found the courage, were not scared and flew in. Thanks to those who were really serious about cinema, followed these serious films, did not hug or kiss, which is difficult at the festival. To those who took part in the festival and celebrated this holiday with us. We will remember this festival for a long time. And I hope that next year this hall will be full, " Olga Lyubimova concluded.

Chopard watch and jewelry company is inextricably linked with the world of cinema. For over 20 years, she has been the official partner of the Cannes Film Festival and has been producing the Palme d'Or. In 2016, which became the year of Russian cinema, Chopard began cooperation with the Moscow International Film Festival. As a partner and official jeweler of the Moscow International Film Festival, the company presented an updated design of all prizes, developed personally by the co-president and artistic director Carolina Scheufele.

In 2020, Chopard celebrates the 5th anniversary of its collaboration with the Moscow International Film Festival. As in previous years, the Swiss company will make statuettes of the Golden Saint George, Silver Saint George, a special prize "For conquering the heights of acting and loyalty to the principles of the school of KS Stanislavsky -" I Believe. Konstantin Stanislavsky ", and will also hold the anniversary Chopard Talent Award.

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