The Grand Prix of the festival was handed over to Piotr Dumała and his animated short “Hippos”. This is the second Canadian festival after Ottawa IAFF that awards Dumała’s film with a Grand Prix. “Hippos” shows a group of naked women and children bathing in a river. They are being secretly observed by a group of men, who, at one point decide to approach them, in a violent manner, as if inspired by the behavior of hippopotamuses. Dumała’s latest film was produced by the Warsaw based Fumi Studio. Up to now the film was awarded among others at festivals in Zagreb, Ottawa, Bilbao or Banjaluka.
The audience of the Canadian festival decided to award the latest film by Jerzy Kucia called “Fuge for cello, trumpet and landscape”. Made 13 years after “Tuning the instruments”, Kucia’s film is a poetic and nostalgic return to the land of memories, familiar scenes and sounds. “Fuge for cello, trumpet and landscape” received a couple of awards including Golden Dragon of the 54th Krakow Film Festival, Special Jury Prize of the Hiroshima IAFF and Etiuda & Anima’s Silver Jabberwocky.
The third award, the Special Mention in the student competition, went to Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi – the author of the numerously awarded “Ab ovo”. The film by Naqvi tackles the subject of pregnancy and illustrates the power of fertility lying dormant in every woman. In June 2013 “Ab ovo” was announced the Best Graduation film of the Annecy IAFF and since then awarded among others at festivals in Banjaluka and Chinese Xiamen. Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi is a student of Polish National Film School in Łódź.
Six Polish films were invited to screen in the competition of the 13th edition of Les Sommets du Cinéma d’animation including – apart from the above listed – “Baths” by Tomek Ducki, “Fat and skinny” and “An incredibly elastic man”.
In addition to screenings, the Sommets du cinéma d’animation offers a range of special activities. The festival hosts a series of original and eclectic events: exhibits, performances, discussion forums with directors and artisans, workshops, film classes, entertaining and rewarding sessions with animation professionals and renowned guests, and festive evening activities.
More information about the festival can be found on its website