On June 8th, 2014, the winners of the 25th Kinotavr Open Russian film festival were announced in Sochi. The grand prize has been awarded to the ‘silent’ film Test, directed by Alexander Kott. It also received more awards than any other film. The Test was also awarded the prize of the Guild of Film Critics and Film Scholars, and the prize for the best cinematography.
Traditionally, the film critics are the first to make their choice. A diploma of the Guild of Film Critics and Film Scholars “for an uncompromising stand of an artistic message” was awarded to the drama Fool by Yuri Bykov, and its prize was given to the Test by Alexander Kott. Both victors acknowledged that it was especially important for them to receive the award of film critics.
The jury of film distributors, presided this year by Vadim Smirnov, the general manager of the Twentieth Century Fox C. I. S., bestowed its award on the Correction Class directed by Ivan I. Tverdovsky.
However, all these directors mounted the stage more than once to get their awards. Yuri Bykov received an award ‘for the best script’, Ivan I. Tverdovski was awarded the prize for the best debut, and Alexander Kott went up the stage to receive the award for the best cinematography given to Levan Kapanadze, the cameraman of his film Test.
“I am so happy for Levan. Unfortunately, he could not come, because he is shooting a TV series Fatherland. The cameramen are hard-working people that do everything for a film. Levan is a real artist, it is great and so comfortable to work with him” quoth Alexander Kott.
A special diploma of the jury of the main contest was awarded to the film Whatayacallme directed by a newcomer, Nigina Saifullaeva. The Tariverdiev prize for the best film music was given for the first time not to a composer, but to a director who, according to the jury, created the best musical score for the film. It was bestowed on Svetlana Proskurina for the film Goodbye Mom. The editor, while receiving the award, told she was really astonished to get it because she originally planned to make this film without any music.
The actor Alexey Filimonov, who played in Oksana Bychkova’s Another Year, was considered the best actor. The prize was received in his name by one of the screenwriters, Natalia Meshchaninova. The best actress prize was given to Severija Janušauskaitė, a Lithuanian actress who played one of the main parts in the Star, a melodrama by Anna Melikyan who was also acknowledged as the best director.
With such a spread of prizes the grand one could probably have been won by any of the contest films. But finally it was the Test by Alexander Kott that became the winner of the the 25th Kinotavr Open Russian film festival. Looking at the director, one could see that he did not expect such a victory. For him, the Test was a dream film, a long-awaited experiment that came to a happy end.
“You cannot imagine for how long have I been dreaming to shoot this film after graduating from the University of Cinematography” quoth Alexander Kott while receiving his award.
Alexander Rodnyanski, the President of the Kinotavr festival, observed that the purpose of this festival is probably exactly to make such dreams a reality.
MAIN PRIZE OF FESTIVAL KINOTAVR
TEST by Alexander Kott (For the realisation of the dream)
PRIZE FOR BEST DIRECTION
PRIZE FOR BEST DEBUT
CORRECTIONS CLASS by Ivan I. Tverdovsky
PRIZE FOR BEST ACTRESS
Severija Janusauskaite (STAR by Anna Melikyan)
PRIZE FOR BEST ACTOR
Alexei Filimonov (ANOTHER YEAR by Oksana Bychkova)
PRIZE FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Levan Kapanadze (TEST by Alexander Kott)
GORIN PRIZE FOR THE BEST SCRIPT
Yuri Bykov (FOOL by Yuri Bykov)
TARIVERDIEV PRIZE FOR THE BEST FILM MUSIC
GOODBYE MOM by Svetlana Proskurina
SPECIAL DIPLOMA OF THE JURY
WHATAYACALLME (STORM WARNING) by Nigina Saifullayeva (For the gentle breathe and artistic integrity)
PRIZE OF FILM DISTRIBUTORS JURY
CORRECTIONS CLASS by Ivan I. Tverdovsky
PRIZE OF THE GUILD OF FILM CRITICS AND FILM SCHOLARS Elephant
TEST by Alexander Kott
DIPLOMA OF THE GUILD OF FILM CRITICS AND FILM SCHOLARS
FOOL by Yuri Bykov (For the non-compromised artistic message)
Test wins at Kinotavr
Alexander Kott’s love story [pictured] awarded the Grand Prix and the prize for best cinematography
9 June, 2014 | By Martin Blaney, Screendaily
Alexander Kott’s Test was the big winner at this year’s Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
The jury headed by Cannes prize-winner Andrey Zvyagintsev awarded its Grand Prix “for the realisation of the dream” and the prize for best cinematography to Kott’s love story, set against the first hydrogen bomb tests in the Kazakh Steppe at the beginning of the 50s.
In addition, Kott’s film received the Elephant Trophy from the Guild of Film Critics and Film Scholars.
Test is handled internationally by Anton Mazurov’s fledgling Russian sales company Ant!pode Sales & Distribution, which saw its other four new titles by four women directors coming away from this year’s Kinotavr with trophies and diplomas in their luggage:
– Anna Melikian’s Star received the prizes for best direction and best actress (Severija Janusauskaite)
– Oksana Bychkova’s Another Year – best actor (Alexey Filimonov)
– Svetlana Proskurina’s Goodbye Mom – best film music
– Nigina Saifullayeva’s debut Whatayacallme – Special Diploma of the Jury “for the gentle spirit and artistic integrity”
The decisions by the Main Competition’s jury thus recognised the talent among the growing number of women directors working in Russian cinema.
Indeed, as artistic director Sitora Alieva had noted ahead of this year’s edition, a “feminisation” of Russian film was underway when eight of the Main Competition titles were by women.
In addition, Ivan I. Tverdovsky was awarded the prize for best debut and the award from the Distributors’ Jury for his first feature Corrections Class.
Yuri Bykov’s third feature to compete in Sochi, Fool, received the prize for best screenplay and a Diploma from the Guild of Film Critics and Film Scholars “for its uncompromising artistic message”.