II International Film Festival for Children and Youth “Hero”: Closing Ceremony and Drawing Results.

II International Film Festival for Children and Youth “Hero” being one of the large-scale regional film events of the year, ended in Krasnoyarsk on May 23. The results were announced at the Closing Ceremony. Guests and participants shared their impressions on the festival and wished the event to develop. The founder is the Ministry of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk region, the organizer is Krasnoyarsk State Autonomous Cultural Organization Enisey Kino.

World movies and stars

A number of 166 best films by directors from 36 countries were selected. The competition program comprised 64 pictures and non-competition one consisted of 52 films. More than a half works is made by Russian production teams. Screenings took place in 18 locations in 5 cities of the Krasnoyarsk region, including Krasnoyars, Aban, Divnogorsk, Norilsk and Uzhur. Around 130 shows with 9000 viewers were held for the 5 days of the festival. More than 1000 people attended meet-the-artist events, workshops, and round tables. Moreover, thousands of Krasnoyarsk citizens got acquainted with star guests of the festival through many live tv and radio programs.

Many famous people attended the festival as participants and jury members, including Vitaliya Kornienko (Ice 2, Vampiry sredney polosy) and Oleg Chugunov (Major Grom, The Blackout); actor and director Anton Bogdanov (Fire, Yolki); authors of popular animated films Alexey Tsitsilin (Secret Magic Control Agency), Konstantin Feoktistov (Tri bogatyrya i Kon' na trone (Three heroes and a horse on the throne), Denis Chernov and Tatyana Belova (Finnick), and foreign cinematographers such as Farid Sajjadi (Iran), Eldiyar Madakim (Kyrgyz Republic); Elena Turova (Belarus); Dimitris Koutsiabasakos (Greece) and many other. They presented their works, met viewers, and attend festival locations in other cities of the Krasnoyarsk region during these five festival days.

Screenings of world and Russian premiers, meeting with artists, participation in workshops, red carpet show, photo shooting with movie stars immerse the audience in the atmosphere of big movie night. The Hero Festival became not only the place for fun but also for networking. Thus, the round table on important cinema issues were held in Uspensky cultural and historical centre on the last day of the festival. Participants discussed thought-provoking questions such as: what role modern children's and youth cinema in Russia and the world plays in the formation of intellectual and moral values of the younger generation; What issues need to be resolved at the federal and regional levels in Russia for the revival of children's and youth cinema and many other questions. The event was attended by Yulia Verkhushina, Deputy Head of Administration of the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk region; Anzhelika Trofimova, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk region; Vladimir Alenikov, chairman of the jury of the festival, film director, screenwriter, producer (Moscow), as well as other Russian and foreign guests of the festival. The moderators are Irina Mastusova, Executive Director of the Association of Animated Films, Deputy Chairman of the Commission for the Development of Culture and Preservation of the Intellectual Heritage of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation of the 7th convocation, member of the Public Council of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation (Moscow) and Irina Belova, General Director of Yenisey Kino.

Closing Ceremony and winners of the competition program:

The Closing Ceremony of the II International Film Festival for Children and Youth “Hero” trully became a show. Recently the jury members drew the results, making participants waiting.

Participants competed for 8 sets of awards. The Best Short Feature Film prize went to Mumin Latifi, director of Etude from Tajikistan. The picture tells the story about the eternal problem of fathers and children. The prize was awarded by Arkady Zinov, Minister of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk region. “Krasnoyarsk region became the centre of attraction for everyone who adores the atmosphere of professional cinema for children and youth for the past 5 days. Thousands of spectators watched the festival films and got a chance to meet the authors at different festival locations. Luckily, the festival does not end there because the best festival films will be shown in different cinema halls of the Krasnoyarsk region, from Shushenskoye to Dudinka from South to North, starting from tomorrow until the end of June. – said Arkady Zinov.

The award for the Best Animated Short Film went to Tatyana Kiselyova for her picture My Friend Tiger. The story is about the friendship of an ordinary girl with a wild animal.

Finnick (Riki Group, Russia) by Denis Chernov, being one of the hits of this season won the Best Animated Feature Film prize. Jury appreciated hight quality 3D graphics, proper directing, and well-thought-out script.

Hubert van Wijk from the Netherlands and his Safiya’s Film wont the Best Documentary for Children and Youth award. This is a touching story about the difficulties faced by children whose parents are divorced. In addition to an important and relevant topic, the film has a very unusual style of narration, including both elements typical of documentary films and those used in fiction.

Pictures that are made by children and teenagers took part in the nomination Who is your hero. The winner is Anna Selivanova (Russia) and her animated adventure drama Sea Story. It tells about the inhabitants of the underwater world going in search of lost algae. The jury members, headed by Vitaly Kornienko, especially noted the integrity of the content and the thoughtfulness of the central storyline.

The strongest program this year was presented in the Best Feature Film nomination and it icludes comedies and dramas, stories about love, the difficulties of growing up, sports and responsibility. Yet the award eventually went to the film Neighbors (Switzerland and Syria) (dir. Mano Khalil). It is an amazing story about intolerance, kindness, mercy and purity of the child's mind. This film proves that even in dark times you can find a stroke of light, that even the most simple and insignificant things can give real happiness, and that friendship can change the world for the better.

Producer Madakim Eldiyar, who presented a national picture Shambhala (Kyrgyz Republic) by Artykpai Suyundukov, won the Grand Prix and the Audience Choice Award. Both the audience and the jury members noted the visual beauty of the project, strong acting work, and a high-quality script.

Besides the main awards, the jury decided to give special prizes:

- for the best cinematography in a feature film to Beach Dream (dir. Arash Sajjadi Farid, Iran);

- for the best camera work in the special nomination Who is your Hero to Underground (dir. Victor Marshalik, Russia);

- for the best female role in a full-length feature film to Sofi Vitauta in Only Me is Normal (dir. Anton Bogdanov, Russia);

- for the best female role in a full-length feature film to Sofi Vitauta in Only Me is Normal (dir. Anton Bogdanov, Russia);

- for the best script for a short feature film Weightlessness (dir. Ivan Sosnin, Russia);

- for a vivid cinematic interpretation of a literary work in a short feature film to Hot Stone (dir. Lolita Naranovich, Russia);

- for the best acting in a short feature film to Damir Nurmamatov in Salvador Dali (dir. Eldiyar Madakim, Kyrgyz Republic, 2021);

- for magic and kindness to the animated feature film Stars of the Seventh Heaven (dir. Elena Turova, Belarus);

- for the best script of an animated feature film to Secret Magic Control Agency (dir. Alexey Tsitsylin, Russia);

- for the best puppet animation to Grandmother Matilda (dir. Miguel Anaya Borja, Mexico);

- for the Best Screenplay to the Animated Short Film Good Night (dir. Haj Nobin, India, 2021, 4 min., 0+);

- for understanding the complexity of the profession of a film director to Director (dir. Azad Jafarpour, Morad Agparat, Iran);

- for revealing the topic of love and overcoming difficulties to the short feature film What to tell you in front of the tunnel (dir. Nacho Ros Bernal, Spain, 2022)

- for revealing the topic of love and overcoming difficulties to the documentary film Crossing the Pool (dir. Radheya Dzhegateva, Australia, 2021);

- for revealing the topic of helping teenagers in difficult family circumstances to Referee! Substitution! (dir. Tim van Giles, Netherlands, 2021);

- for revealing the topic of the right to life of wild animals to the film How to Train Your Bear (dir. Vladimir Marin, Russia, 2021);

- for the best animation in the children's nomination Who is your Hero? to The Story of Poof the Fox (dir. Tatyana Klimova, Russia, 2021);

“The Hero Film Festival has grown extraordinarily fast, not only in quantity of participants but in a quality of pictures as well in comparison with the last time. I truly enjoyed watching all these professional works. For sure the Hero Festival has its own brand. It not a usual film forum, trust me. I have been to dozens of different film festivals and for sure, the Krasnoyarsk Hero Festival is not like any of them. It means that the festival has a lot of good things waiting ahead – said Vladimir Alenikov, the chairman of the jury.

The winners are determined, the prises are awarded and the participants are already on their way home. However, Echo of the II International Film Festival for Children and Youth “Hero” starts on May 24 right after the main program. The best films will be shown in cinemas all around Krasnoyarsk region: from Shushenskoye to Dudinka, from South to North. Shows will continue until June 30.

In 2022 jury consists of foreign experts, and the program includes films from Russia and abroad. Meet-the-artist events as well as workshops, lectures, education laboratories, round table and discission platforms will be held during the forum.

Reference Information:

II International Film Festival for Children and Youth “Hero” is the only one professional international competition for children and youth in Russia from Eastern Siberia to Sakhalin. The founder is the Ministry of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk region, the organizer is Krasnoyarsk State Autonomous Cultural Organization Enisey Kino. The festival takes place once in two years in the Krasnoyarsk region. The President of the festival is Vladimir Grammatikov, Honored Artist of Russia, film director, screenwriter, Disney Company creative producer. The Chairman of the Jury is Vladimir Alennikov, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, film director, screenwriter, writer, and producer.

In 2022 jury consists of foreign experts, and the program includes films from Russia and abroad. Meet-the-artist events as well as workshops, lectures, education laboratories, round table and discission platforms will be held during the forum.

Information for Media:

tel.: +7-902-941-44-77 – Nina Chupakhina, special projects department

- Festival trailer: youtu.be/Mi8sgle2K-8.