< 7th ARCTIC OPEN Grand Prix Goes To Boris Khlebnikov’s Snegir>
Arkhangelsk’s 7th ARCTIC OPEN International Film Festival has come to an end. Attended by an audience of 7,000+, the four-day event held its award ceremony at Arkhangelsk Drama Theater.
The Grand Prix went to Boris Khlebnikov for his film Snegir (16+).
It follows the hard working days of a fishing crew onboard the old Snegir amid the inhospitable North Sea. 18-year-olds Nikita and Maxim are new to the crew and yet to witness the underside of lengthy voyages: the relentless storm is right ahead. The drama features Alexander Robak and Timofey Tribuntsev.
Alongside ARCTIC OPEN Cup, Boris Khlebnikov landed also the money award from the festival sponsor, Progress-Stroy Group.
“It’s been my long-time dream to get to Arkhangelsk. At one point we even chose it to be our shooting location, but it did not work out due to previous financial arrangements. I am happy to be here. This festival reminds me of the time when the world was open. I’d like to wish everyone peace,” said Boris Khlebnikov.
Best Feature Debut went to Maria Loyter and her Stars Girls (18+), Best Documentary to Yuri Mokienko’s Fathers (18+), and Best Short to Suitcase by Iran’s Saman Hosseinpuor and Ako Zandkarimi.
Working in parallel with ARCTIC OPEN Jury was the Media Jury, a special panel consisting of Arkhangelsk-based filmmakers and journalists. Its Special Award went to Vladimir Krivov’s documentary The Detached (12+). Vladimir received one more prize – participation in the expedition onboard the Arctic Floating University – from the hands of NArFU Rector Elena Kudryashova and Director of NArFU Institute for Strategic Arctic Development Alexander Saburov.
“We are proud of maintaining our role as a co-founder of this wonderful festival. During all these seven years, the festival has proved a great event that showcases our region as a center of science and culture not only in the Russian Arctic, but in the global Arctic space. Joining it are the filmmakers from around the world,” said Elena Kudryashova.
This year’s Official Selection featured 53 films from 17 countries. Four more films and one presentation of the series Of Pomor Descent were shown as part of the non-competition program.
Filmed this past summer in one of the villages near Arkhangelsk, the STS comedy series Of Pomor Descent starring Pavel Derevyanko was presented at the festival by its creative producer Dmitry Belavin. The people of Arkhangelsk were the first to see it. In this new story, Pavel Derevyanko appears as himself, playing actor Pavel Derevyanko who goes to the village of Kholmogory to get into the character of scholar Lomonosov.
The winning feature films, shorts and documentaries received as prizes paintings by Arkhangelsk’s artists – the courtesy of the National Copyright Holders Support Fund. Artists Rashid Sagadeev, Evgeny Zimerev and Alla Simakova presented their paintings personally as keepsakes of the Russian North.
Winners:
SNEGIR (16+) by Boris Khlebnikov– Grand Prix.
START GIRLS (18+)/ Maria Loyter/ 2023 / Russia – Best Feature Debut
THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN MOON (16+) /Svetlana Samoshina / 2023 / Russia – Best Feature Direction
COLD AS MARBLE (18+) /Asif Rustamov, Roelof Jan Minneboo / 2022 / Azerbaijan, France – Best Feature Script
ANGELUS (12+) / 2022 / Russia – Sergey Tsipis – Best Camerawork
STAR GIRLS (18+)/ 2023 / Russia – actress Yulia Snigir – Special Mention “For Daring Acting and Self-Irony”
SUITCASE (16+) / Saman Hosseinpuor and Ako Zandkarimi / 2023 / Iran – Best Short
THE SONS OF THE GREAT BEAR (18+) / Dmitry Chirkov / 2023 / Russia – Best Shor Film Direction
THE ROAD TO THE CLOUDS (12+) / 2022 / Russia, Uzbekistan – Ivan Sosnin – Best Short Film Script
THE HOUSE ON WHEELS / 2022 / Russia – Artur Bakulev – Best Short Film Camerawork
KEEP (16+) / Lewis Rose /2023 / Great Britain – Special Mention “For the Highly Artistic Interpretation of the Theme of Humanism”
TIP OF THE EARTH (6+) / Eduard Novikov / 2023 / Russia, Yakutia – Special Mention “For the Best Rendition of the Arctic Imagery”
FATHERS (18+)/ Yuri Mokienko / 2023 / Russia – Best Documentary
CLOUD-SHAPED PEOPLE (18+) / Evgenia Leushkina / 2023 / Russia – Best Documentary Director
THE FACE (16+) / 2023 / Russia –Sergey Dogorov, Irina Vasilyeva, Marina Gornostaeva – Best Documentary Script
THE SEVEN DAYS OF AUTUMN (6+) / 2023 / Russia – Mali Pos – Best Documentary Camerawork
WHERE AM I, MOM? (18+) / Alena Shchipitsina / 2023 / Russia – Special Mention “For Superb Directing Skills – Soulful Portrayal of a Lifeline”
POLAR EXCURSION (18+) / director Sergey Masalsky / 2023 / Russia – Special Media Jury Mention “For Revealing the Nature of Man in the Face of Challenging Life Choices”
THE DETACHED (12+) / Vladimir Krivov / 2022 / Russia – Special Media Jury Mention
THE CAPTAIN OF SUMBAWA OCEAN (16+) / Harsa Perdana, Muhammad Farhan / 2022 / Indonesia– Special Media Jury Mention “For the Original Look into Human Relations in a Challenging Setting”
But ARCTIC OPEN does not end there. Its next Film Marathon starts in January. Spanning more localities within Arkhangelsk region and beyond, it will be screening its films in local museums, libraries, cinemas. Traditionally, ARCTIC OPEN will visit other parts of Russia and will continue delivering more training sessions.
In the first six months of 2024, the 7th ARCTIC OPEN IFF will be screening its films in Syktyvkar and at St. Petersburg’s Lenfilm Studio.
KinoPort. ARCTIC OPEN is run by BEREGINYA Pomor Culture Foundation with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, Pomor Governor Center, and Arkhangelsk Ministry of Culture. The 7th ARCTIC OPEN IFF lists among the international film festivals registered with the Russian Ministry of Culture. ARCTIC OPEN is co-organized by Northern (Arctic) Federal University.
