ELBE DOCK FILM KNOWS ITS WINNERS
ELBE DOCK KNOWS ITS WINNERS: SHORT FILM CATEGORIES WERE DOMINATED BY FEMALE DIRECTORS
At the conclusion of the 7th ELBE DOCK International Film Festival, the jury selected the winning films. The ELBE DOCK Award for Central European Short Film (CENTRAL) went to the director "Sabina" for her film Blood and Flowers and the ELBE DOCK Film Award for Scandinavian Short Film (NORDIC) went to Hilke Rönnfeldt's A Study of Empathy. In the CENTRAL category, the jury also awarded a special mention to Katarína Gramatová's film A Good Mind Grows In Thorny Places.
The final ceremony took place on Saturday 7 September 2024 at 19:00 at the former GEH8 cargo station in Dresden.
This year, over 1100 films were submitted for all competition categories, from which 52 films were selected - 12 for the Pavel Koutecký Award and 40 films for the ELBE DOCK NORDIC and CENTRAL competition categories.
ELBE DOCK AWARD FOR CENTRAL EUROPEAN SHORT FILM: BLOOD AND FLOWERS
The CENTRAL category was won by the animated film Blood and Flowers by Polish director Sabina and her project Poor Girl's Production. The film tells the story of a girl who has had enough of everything. She decided to kill everyone she knew and then embarked on a journey of self-discovery with the ghost of her beloved dog. "This film is an energetic celebration of girl power. It tells the story of a strong protagonist who deals with complex emotions with humor. Stunning visuals, an engaging soundtrack and delightful comedic moments enhance the experience. The director balances between laughter and depth, both of which excel in animated storytelling", the jury justified its decision.
SPECIAL MENTION OF THE ELBE DOCK AWARD FOR CENTRAL EUROPEAN SHORT FILM: A GOOD MIND GROWS IN THORNY PLACES
The jury also decided to award a special mention in this competition category. It was awarded to the Slovak film A Good Mind Grows In Thorny Places by Katarína Gramatová. The story takes place in the Slovak countryside with its main character Adam, a twelve-year-old woodcutter. The little boy fights the stereotypes in the village, denies his origins and tries to show that he is the exact opposite of how his friends see Roma. The jury justified its decision as follows: "Special recognition goes to the multi-layered, original image from the Slovak countryside, imbued with subtle humour and irony."
ELBE DOCK AWARD FOR SCANDINAVIAN SHORT FILM: A STUDY OF EMPATHY
In the NORDIC category, the jury decided to award the prize to Hilke Rönnfeldt's A Study of Empathy. The film is produced by Asbjørn H. Kelstrup (Frau Film). It tells the story of two women, Dana and Penelope. Dana wants to show empathy and Penelope, on the other hand, explores empathy. Penelope starts her art experiment and Dana has to deal with her own emotions. "The jury decided to award the ELBE DOCK AWARD FOR SHORT SCANDINAVIAN FILM to a film that captures the sensitive nuances of human relationships and art in an original way. The film, made by talented filmmakers, uses precise and concise film language to tell a timely and important story in modern society," the jury explained its decision.