Moscow, August 4 — The Patriki Film Festival announced the winners of the feature film online competition for the summer 2023. The films were chosen from hundreds of submissions received between 2021 and 2023 from various countries such as Russia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, India, China, Macedonia, Mexico, Ethiopia, South Korea, and others. The International Jury, comprising members from Russia, Kazakhstan, India, and South Korea, which included previous winners of the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals as well as a consultant from the Busan International Film Festival, have selected winners from the group of participants with global awards.
The competition showcased a variety of motion pictures, including the first feature film in Seri, the oldest language in Mexico, directed by Antonio Coello. Another highlight was an intriguing documentary taking viewers on a journey aboard A Ship of Madness to the creative lab of Brazilian filmmakers, with appearances by Roger Corman. The lineup also featured new additions to the Russian avant-garde scene, such as Sergey Kalvarsky's Wavelike and Diana Galimzyanova's Plan 9 from Aliexpress, a modern homage to Monty Python.
"The International Patriki Film Festival once again demonstrates that true art and culture transcend borders and biases," shared Alexey Bokov, one of the festival's founders. "This year, we have assembled a world-class jury comprised of winners from renowned international film festivals. We are proud that, for the first time, our film festival has attracted so many skilled filmmakers from all corners of the world. This is showcased not only by the volume of submissions, but also by the rich tapestry of countries represented in our competition."
"Discovering new talent is the ultimate dream of any film critic, but this is becoming increasingly difficult as movies undergo a rigorous evaluation process, including screenings at major festivals and selection committees, before they reach the public eye. There are no "pre-viewed" films at our festival – you and I are practically the first viewers and explorers. Almost all of the films in the feature-length competition were selected from submissions to the festival's Open Call since 2021. Only two Indian and two Russian films out of 14 entries were specifically sought out from their authors and rightsholders. From the first moment I saw them, I wanted to show Pebbles, the directorial debut of P.S. Vinothraj, and Wavelike by Sergey Kalvarsky to the widest possible audience. I am grateful to the producers of Pebbles for allowing an online screening in Russia before its worldwide online premiere," said Veronika Khlebnikova, film critic, curator, and selector of the Patriki Film Festival.
The festival also featured a special out-of-competition program called "Producer's Challenge," showcasing new Russian cinema. This program was curated by the renowned journalist and producer Susanna Alperina.
"The Producer's Challenge program has captured the attention of the festival audience, indicating a demand for exploring different stories, methods, and approaches to filmmaking from the producer’s perspective. We would like to thank all producers who candidly shared their experiences in video interviews which can be accessed on the festival website at any time. We believe we shouldn’t stop here. The Producer's Challenge will be a permanent addition, and throughout the year, we will continue to host offline screenings of films with intriguing production stories in collaboration with Karo.Art," shared Susanna Alperina.
Here is the list of Feature Film Competition winners in all categories:
The competition showcased a variety of motion pictures, including the first feature film in Seri, the oldest language in Mexico, directed by Antonio Coello. Another highlight was an intriguing documentary taking viewers on a journey aboard A Ship of Madness to the creative lab of Brazilian filmmakers, with appearances by Roger Corman. The lineup also featured new additions to the Russian avant-garde scene, such as Sergey Kalvarsky's Wavelike and Diana Galimzyanova's Plan 9 from Aliexpress, a modern homage to Monty Python.
"The International Patriki Film Festival once again demonstrates that true art and culture transcend borders and biases," shared Alexey Bokov, one of the festival's founders. "This year, we have assembled a world-class jury comprised of winners from renowned international film festivals. We are proud that, for the first time, our film festival has attracted so many skilled filmmakers from all corners of the world. This is showcased not only by the volume of submissions, but also by the rich tapestry of countries represented in our competition."
"Discovering new talent is the ultimate dream of any film critic, but this is becoming increasingly difficult as movies undergo a rigorous evaluation process, including screenings at major festivals and selection committees, before they reach the public eye. There are no "pre-viewed" films at our festival – you and I are practically the first viewers and explorers. Almost all of the films in the feature-length competition were selected from submissions to the festival's Open Call since 2021. Only two Indian and two Russian films out of 14 entries were specifically sought out from their authors and rightsholders. From the first moment I saw them, I wanted to show Pebbles, the directorial debut of P.S. Vinothraj, and Wavelike by Sergey Kalvarsky to the widest possible audience. I am grateful to the producers of Pebbles for allowing an online screening in Russia before its worldwide online premiere," said Veronika Khlebnikova, film critic, curator, and selector of the Patriki Film Festival.
The festival also featured a special out-of-competition program called "Producer's Challenge," showcasing new Russian cinema. This program was curated by the renowned journalist and producer Susanna Alperina.
"The Producer's Challenge program has captured the attention of the festival audience, indicating a demand for exploring different stories, methods, and approaches to filmmaking from the producer’s perspective. We would like to thank all producers who candidly shared their experiences in video interviews which can be accessed on the festival website at any time. We believe we shouldn’t stop here. The Producer's Challenge will be a permanent addition, and throughout the year, we will continue to host offline screenings of films with intriguing production stories in collaboration with Karo.Art," shared Susanna Alperina.
Here is the list of Feature Film Competition winners in all categories:
- The Grand Prix (Best Feature Film) went to Seven Ridges (2022, Mexico) directed by Antonio Coello.
- Pebbles (2021, India) directed by P.S. Vinothraj won the Best Director Award.
- The Best Screenplay Award went to Larks in a Burdock Field (2021, Azerbaijan, Russia) directed by Kseniya Lagutina.
- Everything is Cinema (2021, India) directed by Don Palathara received an award For a Fresh Angle and New Discoveries in Cinematography.
- Wavelike (2022, Russia) directed by Sergey Kalvarsky received the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Visuals.
- A special award from the Patriki Film Festival went to Kan Pamenar (2022, Iran) directed by Ashkan Darvishi.
"The competition turned out to be remarkably unexpected, dramatic, and intriguing, largely thanks to its global coverage. Personally, I was most impressed by the motion pictures from India. They possess a profound wisdom and subtle artistry. Bravo!" shared Pavel Lungin, the Chairman of the Feature Film Competition Jury.
"Beyond its program, this festival stands out for its online format. I believe that all festivals will eventually go online, including Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. Many films in the competition left a deep impression on me, but I particularly enjoyed the Mexican film Seven Ridges and the Russian film Wavelike. The entries from Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, and Iran, in my opinion, showcase exceptional direction and are commendable works. Despite all issues with my internet connection, the online jury meeting was highly productive and convivial. I hope the festival is looking at a bright future," shared Nirmal Dhar, a film critic and journalist from India, who also sat on the festival’s Jury.
"Patriki Film Festival offers exceptional programs, especially the films in competition. They possess immense strength, individuality, and incredible diversity. As a jury member, I was enthralled by the films and had a tough time selecting the winners," commented Hong Sang Woo, a film expert from South Korea and consultant to the Busan International Film Festival.
"Being a part of the jury for an online film festival has been a completely new experience for me. I was delighted to see films from various continents and discovered talented filmmakers whose work I am excited to follow. I would like to express my gratitude to the entire Organizing Committee led by an amazing expert and wonderful person Alexey Bokov, for their professionalism and clear coordination," said Aziz Zhambakiev, a cinematographer and film director from Kazakhstan.
The Patriki Film Festival was established in 2018 by investor and entrepreneur Marina Jigalova and Alexey Bokov, a Russian producer and founder of the Event Production School.
Since its inception, the festival's audience has grown to 300,000 people, and the online views of showcased films have surpassed one million. In 2022, the international festival received over 3,000 submissions from 100 countries.
Once again, the festival's title media sponsor in 2023 was Independent Media which owns prominent lifestyle brands such as The VOICE, Novy Ochag (New Hearth), Pravila Zhizny (Rules of Life), TechInsider, Men Today, The Symbol, Grazia, and Robb Report.
Furthermore, this year, the festival began a strategic partnership with START, an online streaming platform and a top original content producer among video services based in the CIS. START has brought viewers many iconic series like Central Russia's Vampires, Gold Diggers, Container, Dva Holma (Two Hills), Chyornaya Vesna (Black Spring), Byvshie (The Exes), and many others.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
The Patriki Film Festival was founded in 2018, and the international online film festival was first held in 2022. Over the years, its audience has grown to 300,000 people, and the films showcased at the festival have received over 1 million online views. The festival was co-founded by Marina Jigalova, investor, entrepreneur and producer, and Alexey Bokov, a Russian producer and Founder of the Event Production School.
ABOUT INDEPENDENT MEDIA:
ABOUT INDEPENDENT MEDIA:
Independent Media is a leading media holding in Russia. It boasts a monthly audience of over 64 million users per month across all its resources and produces 130,000 pieces of content annually. The company’s current portfolio features 8 lifestyle brands: VOICE, Novy Ochag (New Hearth), Pravila Zhizny (The Rules of Life), TechInsider, Men Today, The Symbol, Grazia, and Robb Report.
Each IM brand is an online multimedia platform offering unique and high-quality content and a wide range of services for users and the best solutions for business partners and advertisers. This year, Independent Media celebrates the 30th anniversary of its operations in Russia.
ABOUT START:
ABOUT START:
The START online streaming platform makes and shows TV series that become leaders of the most-watched ratings. The platform features an impressive online library of movies, series, and cartoons from the world’s leading studios and more than 170 TV channels. All content is available in a single subscription without any additional fees or ads.
The company is a top 5 Russian video service according to TelecomDaily and one of the 30 Most Expensive Runet Companies in the Forbes rating. Despite being one of the youngest companies on the list, START is a leader in original content production, as shown in TelecomDaily's 2021 study.
START has produced a variety of successful original projects, including Soderzhanki (Gold Diggers), Byvshie (The Exes), Vampiry Sredney Polosy (Central Russia’s Vampires), and Konteiner (Container), as well as dozens of other films, series, and documentaries. The company’s projects won major industry awards in Russia and have been recognized worldwide. For example, 257 Reasons to Live won the Best Performance Award at Canneseries. START series were the first to become part of Netflix Originals (Better than Us), Amazon Originals & Exclusives (Gold Diggers), and Apple Originals (Container).
START has produced a variety of successful original projects, including Soderzhanki (Gold Diggers), Byvshie (The Exes), Vampiry Sredney Polosy (Central Russia’s Vampires), and Konteiner (Container), as well as dozens of other films, series, and documentaries. The company’s projects won major industry awards in Russia and have been recognized worldwide. For example, 257 Reasons to Live won the Best Performance Award at Canneseries. START series were the first to become part of Netflix Originals (Better than Us), Amazon Originals & Exclusives (Gold Diggers), and Apple Originals (Container).
The online streaming platform is part of the START Group which boasts a studio that produces original projects, a content distribution business, including All Media, the START ADS advertising company, and the START AIR and START WORLD TV channels. START was founded by general producers of the Yellow, Black and White studio and is co-owned by MegaFon.
ABOUT KARO.ART:
ABOUT KARO.ART:
KARO.Art is a unique project that is unparalleled in the Russian cultural scene. Its team regularly organizes cinematographic events that are vital to urban life – from premieres with post-show discussions to exclusive releases for distribution in Russia. KARO.Art also creates alternative schedules for the KARO movie theater chain with a focus on showcasing Russian art house films in Moscow, Moscow Region, Saint Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, and Novosibirsk. KARO.Art's shows make up a maximum of 8.7% in the main chain's monthly schedule.