Love & Anarchy’s short film programmer Annu Suvanto was pleasantly surprised with the variety of styles and genres in his year’s National Competition. It was a very high quality selection this year, she says. “Short films are an inseparable and an important part of film culture. They deserve support and attention. We at Love & Anarchy are very happy to be able to provide a yearly arena for fresh short films and their makers”.
The National Competition Award went to Yasmin Najjar’s 28 Days Left, which competed in La Cinef student film selection at the Cannes Film Festival this spring. It draws from Najjar’s own experiences in voluntary military service while also handling the darkest sides of war: the plight of Palestine.
The R&A Shorts Award, sponsored by The Trade Union for Theater and Media Finland, Teme, is worth 2000 euros. All the winners were decided by a jury of professionals: producer Emilia Haukka, cinematographer Christopher Wessels and Eliška Děcká, Head of International Promotion for Short Films at the Czech Audiovisual Fund.
The jury stated that Najjar’s film “deals with complex issues wrapped in a narrative of belonging and loss. It heralds the rise of a talented voice in Finnish filmmaking – and an important voice of the post-migration generation”.
Institut français de Finlande and Finnish Film Foundation sponsored the Road to Clermont award, given out this year for the first time. It went to Viljami Penttilä for his film Major Bag Alert. “The film has both: universal story appeal and a personal voice required in the competitive international market”, the jury stated.
The New Wave Award aims to support the professional career of a promising filmmaker at the beginning of their career. It was well earned by Carmen Baltzar for her first film All the Love in My Body, “a poignant film about being rendered invisible.” Finnish Film Foundation sponsored the 1500 euro prize.
Finnish Film Foundation also sponsored the Moving People and Images Award, 1500 euros. Erol Mintaş was consulted by the jury as a diversity advisor on the selection of the award. It was given to Ekaterina Zhuzhleva for her animation things that i was gathering.
The Best Student Film Award was given to Viena Kytöjoki for her documentary Killing Me Softly. Like 28 Days Left, it also takes place in the military, although in the canteen and with donuts.
The jury decided to give out a Special Mention. The recipient was Martta Tuomaala with her film Am I Calling You at a Bad Time, a “carnival of telecommunication” as the jury called it.
The audience got to vote for their favourite. The Audience Award went to Beyond the Bed of Reeds by Ksenia Onoprienko. It is a warm depiction of childhood friends coming together in a clumsy manner. Sponsored by Kinos Rentals, the prize is a gift card worth 2000 euros.
All the awarded films will be screened at the Love & Anarchy Festival on Saturday, September 26, in the National Competition Winners screening at Kino Töölö, at 3:00 PM. A selection of R&A’s National Competition shorts will be available after the festival on the Cyon.media platform. Individual films can be rented for 3,99 euros, with proceeds going directly to the filmmakers. The films available on the platform are Eye Swap, Kai, The Forest You Live In, In Memoriam/Islanders, Beyond the Bed of Reeds, Strive, Familyleech, things that i was gathering, Photographs Not Taken and Overtime.