Phantom Owl Forest’s main actress Paula Rits at Schlingel International Film Festival, where she received the Best Children’s Actor Award
Photo by Luxfilm
Photo by Nafta Films
Virago’s team in the middle of the Q&A at Warsaw International Film Festival
AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S FILMS
tival greeted Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves, Orpheus by Priit Tender and Teofrastus, which also received a special mention. Warsaw International Film Festival had three Estonian films in their selection: Lotte and the Lost Dragons, Your Honor by Andres Puustusmaa and short film Virago by Kerli Kirch Schneider. Short horror film Bad Hair by Oskar Lehemaa conquered the horror film scene. Among other festivals, it was screened at Fantasia and Fantastic Fest. EF
To Share or Not to Share, directed by Minna Hint and Meelis Muhu premiered at Hot Docs, in the program The Changing face of Europe. Short documentary Waiting for a Miracle, directed by Aljona Surzhikova was also selected by Hot Docs. In Bed with a Writer, directed by Manfred Vainokivi premiered at Dok Leipzig, where it was selected for the International Competition Programme. The Weight of In Bed with a Writer
Photo by KVIFF
A BREAKTHROUGH FOR DOCS
Lotte and the Lost Dragons (Estonia-Latvia) directed by Janno Põldma and Heiki Ernits, started its festival circuit at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, where the Estonian animated adventure premiered in Generation Kplus. The film later travelled to more than 25 film festivals, among others Stockholm Junior, Shanghai, Warsaw, Giffoni, Cinekid and Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.
Ksenia Okhapkina at Karlovy Vary, where Immortal was awarded with the Grand Prix for the Best Documentary Film
All the Beauty by Eva Mägi was in the International Short Film Programme there. Immortal, directed by Ksenia Okhapkina premiered at Karlovy Vary, where it won Grand Prix for Best Documentary Film. The film was later selected to festivals such as IDFA’s Best of Fests section, Viennale and many other international festivals. Immortal was the winner of the International Competition of the 26th edition of the Astra Film Festival. The Circle, a film about an eco-community, directed by Margit Lillak, premiered at the 23rd Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
Teofrastus
Short puppet film Teofrastus, directed by Sergei Kibus made it to more than 40 festivals. Next to others, it was selected by festivals such as Zlin, Shanghai, Ottawa. Among other awards, it received the Best Children’s Film Golden Gunnar at the Fredrikstad Animation Festival. Phantom Owl Forest, directed by Anu Aun, made it to the most important children’s films festivals: Zlin, Giffoni, Shclingel. Among other numerous awards, the film received three prizes at Shclingel: European Children’s Film Award by the Saxon Ministry of Culture, Diamant Award for the Best Children’s Actor and the Award of the FIPRESCI Jury. ESTONIAN FILM
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