DOK Leipzig awards 7 Golden Doves at festival’s closing
Film festival offered a total of 21 prizes amounting to 77,000 euros
Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa won the prestigious Golden Dove in the International Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film with the film “Austerlitz” at DOK Leipzig, a prize sponsored by the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk broadcasting network. In this work set in black & white scenes the renowned filmmaker observes people visiting concentration camps. Among other reasons, the jury substantiated its choice with the words: “The intrinsic tranquility and beauty of his images along with the remarkable sound editing allow plenty of time to think back once again on what occurred not so long ago in the middle of Europe.” “Austerlitz” is scheduled for release to movie theatres throughout Germany on 15 December. Loznitsa has already won several awards at the largest German documentary film festival. In 2015 he received the Leipziger Ring Film Prize for his entry at DOK Leipzig entitled “The Event”, in 2014 his work “Maidan” ran in the International Competition for long films. The Golden Dove in the German Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film went to Thorsten Trimpop for his film “Furusato”. Shot in Japan, the movie employs monumental scenes to capture the repercussions of the catastrophe in Fukushima. A resident of the USA, Trimpop was represented at the Berlinale in 2005 with his most recent film, “Der irrationale Rest” (“The Irrational Remains”). Georgian director Mariam Chachia was honoured with the Golden Dove in the Next Masters Competition for “Listen to the Silence”. Her film tells the story of a deaf boy who finds an opportunity for expression via dance at a boarding school. The prize endowed by the Media Foundation of the Sparkasse Leipzig serves as seed capital for the next film project. The Finnish entry “Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest” (“Kuun metsän Kaisa”) by Katja Gauriloff was honoured with the Golden Dove for the Best Animated Documentary Film, which was sponsored by the firm TELEPOOL GmbH.
In the International Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film, Zofia Kowalewska from Poland was awarded the Golden Dove Short Documentary Film for her entry “Close Ties” (“Więzi”). The film is ranked on the shortlist at the Academy Awards in the category Documentary Short Subject. Elin Grimstad received the Golden Dove Short Animated Film for the Norwegian entry entitled “Eternal Hunting Grounds” (“Evige jaktmarker”). This film can qualify for an OSCAR® in the category Short Film, provided it fulfils the formal criteria issued by the Academy.
The Golden Dove for the Best Short German Documentary and Animated Film went to the Polish-German co-production “Patriotic Lesson” (“Lekcja patriotyzmu”) directed by Filip Jacobson.
Awarded for the first time, the Silver Dove in the International Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film distinguishes the best film on the subject of democracy and human rights. It went to “Cahier Africain” by Heidi Specogna in the form of a Swiss-German production. Heidi Specogna has already been represented at DOK Leipzig via several films. This year the Silver Dove was sponsored by Uwe Steimle, an actor. The film additionally received the prize from the newly founded Interreligious Jury (formerly the Ecumenical Jury), and is scheduled to start at cinemas throughout Germany on 10 November. The Silver Dove for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution in the International Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film went to Danish filmmaker Robin Petré for her film entitled “Pulse”.
A total of 21 prizes were awarded at this year’s festival, including 7 Golden Doves and 2 Silver Doves. With 77,000 euros in prize money, DOK Leipzig is the best-endowed documentary film festival in Germany. Four of the award-winning films along with the audience favourites will be shown again tomorrow (Sunday). A total of 309 works were screened during the festival week, which ends on Sunday.
You can find information about prize-winning films in the Filmfinder on our website at: https://films2016.dok-leipzig.
Refer to the attachment for all jury explanations and prizes, including Honourable Mentions.
You can find stills from all the films at: presse.dok-leipzig.de
All photos can be used for reporting on DOK Leipzig free of charge. For purposes of publication use the photo credit “DOK Leipzig 2016 / [Director’s name]” if not indicated otherwise in the image file.
You can find logos, impressions of the festival and this year’s festival motif here: http://www.dok-leipzig.de/en/
All the prizes at a glance
The German production “Austerlitz” by Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa was awarded the Golden Dove in the International Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film. The prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and sponsored by the MITTELDEUTSCHER RUNDFUNK (MDR) broadcasting network. The main award was presented by Wolf-Dieter Jacobi, Director for Television and Programme Director at MDR TV.
Endowed with 10,000 euros, the Golden Dove in the German Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film went to “Furusato” by Thorsten Trimpop. The film is a co-production between Germany and the USA.
The Golden Dove from the Sparkasse Leipzig Media Foundation in the Next Masters Competition went to Georgian filmmaker Mariam Chachia for her film “Listen to the Silence”. The prize money amounting to 10,000 euros serves as seed capital for the director’s next film. The prize was presented by Stephan Seeger, Managing Chairman and Director of the Media Foundation at the Sparkasse Leipzig bank. The Next Masters Competition is an integral element of the offers from up-and-coming filmmakers at DOK Leipzig and is realised in co-operation with the SLM Foundation. Professor Dr Rüdiger Steinmetz, a member of the Media Council at the SLM Foundation, delivered a welcoming speech.
The Golden Dove for the Best Animated Documentary Film went to the Finnish entry entitled “Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest” (“Kuun metsän Kaisa”) by Katja Gauriloff. The prize is sponsored by the firm TELEPOOL GmbH and endowed with 3,000 euros.
In the International Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film, the Golden Dove for the Best Short Documentary Film went to the Polish entry “Close Ties” (“Więzi”) by Zofia Kowalewska. The director receives 5,000 euros in prize money. The Norwegian entry entitled “Eternal Hunting Grounds” (“Evige jaktmarker”) by Elin Grimstad was honoured with the Golden Dove for the Best Short Animated Film, which is equally endowed with 5,000 euros. The Silver Dove for the Best Short Documentary and Animated Film went to the Danish filmmaker Robin Petré for her film “Pulse”, a co-production between Hungary, Portugal and Belgium. This prize is endowed with 2,000 euros.
The Golden Dove in the German Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film is coupled to 5,000 euros in prize money and was awarded to the Polish-German co-production “Patriotic Lesson” (“Lekcja patriotyzmu”) directed by Filip Jacobson.
Awarded for the first time, the Silver Dove in the International Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film distinguishes the best film on the subject of democracy and human rights. It went to the Swiss-German co-production “Cahier Africain” directed by Heidi Specogna. The prize is endowed with 5,000 euros and was awarded by its sponsor, Uwe Steimle.
The Healthy Workplaces Film Award is coupled to 5,000 euros in prize money granted by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and was awarded to the German film “Zwischen den Stühlen” directed by Jakob Schmidt. The prize was presented by Marta Urrutia, Corporate Promotions Manager at EU-OSHA, and additionally includes subtitles in several European languages, the production and duplication of a DVD, as well as the organisation of film screenings. The MDR Film Prize amounting to 3,000 euros for an outstanding eastern European documentary film went to the Polish-Russian co-production “Convictions” (“Ubezhdeniya”) directed by Tatyana Chistova from Russia. The prize was presented by Dr Katja Wildermuth, Head of the Editorial Department for History and Documentary Film at MDR.
Jakob Schmidt received the DEFA Sponsoring Prize for an outstanding long documentary film within the German Competition for his film entitled “Zwischen den Stühlen”. The prize is linked to a 4,000 euro grant and was presented by Stefanie Eckert, consultant to the Executive Board. The Ver.di Prize for Solidarity, Humanity and Fairness went ex aequo to Jakob Schmidt for the film “Zwischen den Stühlen” and to German-Kurdish director Ayşe Polat for “The Others” (“Ötekiler”), a co-production between Germany and Turkey. The prize is coupled to 2,500 euros in prize money and was awarded within the German Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film.
The Goethe-Institut Documentary Film Prize for the best long German documentary film is coupled to acquisition of the licence and subtitles in up to 10 languages, as well as 2,000 euros, and went to Jakob Schmidt for his film “Zwischen den Stühlen”.
Heidi Specogna received the Prize of the Interreligious Jury for the Swiss-German co-production entitled “Cahier Africain”. The prize is coupled to 2,500 euros in prize money and was donated jointly by the Interreligious Round Table Leipzig organisation together with the firm VCH-Hotels Deutschland GmbH – in association with the Verband Christlicher Hoteliers e.V. group, including Hotel MICHAELIS in Leipzig. The FIPRESCI Jury awarded its prize within the International Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film to Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Yann Coridian (France) for “A Young Girl in Her Nineties” (“Une jeune fille de 90 ans”).
The Young Eyes Film Award is endowed with 2,000 euros and was given to the Polish director Anna Zamecka for her film “Communion” (“Komunia”). The distinguishing honour was awarded by a youthful jury to a film from the Official Selection. The DOK Neuland Audience Award for the audiences’ favourite at the interactive exhibition was determined by counting the audience ballots cast. The winner is the German 360° documentary “T)raumzwang” by Pascal Hanke. The mephisto 97.6 Audience Award for the best animated film in the Official Selection was also determined by counting the audience ballots cast. It went to the Polish director Renata Gąsiorowska for her animated film entitled “Pussy” (“Cipka”).
The Gedanken-Aufschluss Prize went to the film “Fighter” by Susanne Binninger (Germany). The award was given by a jury comprised of juvenile and young adult inmates from the JSA Regis-Breitingen Juvenile Detention Centre to one of the films nominated for the DOK im Knast programme for films screened in prison.
The DOK Leipzig and EWA Development Prize to the best female-driven film project was awarded in the course of the DOK Co-Pro Market and went to “Leftover Women” by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia, an Israeli-German co-production from Shlam Productions, Medalia Productions and Neue Celluloid Fabrik. The prize is coupled to 1,000 euros and one year of advisory consulting by DOK Leipzig.
