The Republican Amateur Film Festival, which has come of age but remains remarkably young in spirit, has awarded its winners.
On 30 September in Vilnius, 68 films were screened in the cinema hall of the Lithuanian Union of Cinematographers, presented by filmmakers from all over Lithuania. The programme included animation, fiction, documentaries and experimental films; Everyone competed in their own category. The jury was composed of renowned film professionals: film director Saulius Beržinis, scriptwriter and actor Sigitas Siudika, cinematographer Algimantas Mikutėnas.
The best animated film is “Natos” by Rebecca Salomea Kavaliauskaitė, a student of Vilnius College of Technology and Design, which tells the story of a unique desire to create one’s own music, which does not have any foreign sheet music. The film’s distinctive style and unique atmosphere left the audience indifferent and captured the hearts of the jury.
The talented young people are to be congratulated, as the award for Best Documentary was also given to young filmmakers. The Best Documentary Award and Diploma went to students of Vilnius College of Technology and Design Juta Juškaitė, Greta Markevičiūtė and Jokūbus Laurynas Daugėla for their film “Vilnius Classics”, which tells the story of a street musician. The film reveals the mysterious beauty of Vilnius and the classical nature of the city in many ways.
The Best Feature Film – Amelia Benderavičiūtė’s film “Ophelia” was also awarded with the festival’s statuette and diploma.
This year, amateur cinema classic Vidas Valentas has cleverly recalled the roots of amateur cinema by editing scanned images from a narrow strip of film capturing scenes he shot decades ago. The story of posing and troubled young men from the 20th century evoked memories for some, while for others it gave a glimpse into the playfulness of the old amateur cinema. The jury awarded Vido Valents’ film “Fotokamera” the prize and diploma for the best experimental film.
The jury also awarded special diplomas to the authors of other films.
Kamilė Padleckytė, a student of Vilnius College of Technology and Design, was awarded a diploma for the best cinematography work in the animated film “The Abandoned House”. The film has a special horror mood, which is not so common in amateur films. There are admired the author’s ability to convey the main character’s sense of fear.
This year’s programme showed the growing interest of young people in artistic filmmaking. The Animation School’s huge programme of cartoons created by children and students was fascinating. At the same time, the work of the older generation and the determination to uphold the deepest traditions of amateur cinema were also encouraging.
