On Sunday, the European film festival “Scanorama” announced the winners of the short film competition “European Flashes.” This year, the award for best short film went to France, according to a press release from the organizers.
The competition’s best film was named as French director Juliette Marrécau’s “Dear Marseille.” The international jury was impressed by the film’s creative verve and vitality. It said the creative team had managed to combine wit, originality and sensitivity, and to explore serious political themes with lightness and subtlety. From the clever play on words in the film’s title to the inventive blend of fiction and documentary filmmaking, it all came together in a portrait of friendship and a city, brimming with a spirit of resistance and hope for the future. The winner received a prize worth €5,000.
Simona Jurkuvėnaitė’s documentary “Summer Mysteries” was named best Lithuanian short film. According to the jury, the film presents a series of eloquent moments, revealing ordinary Lithuanians talking about faith, childhood and memories during summer celebrations. The jury praised the creators’ respectful approach to the film’s subjects, which allowed them to open up, and their voices to intertwine in a fragmentary polyphony encompassing both everyday life and the experience of wonder. The winner received a cash prize of €3,000.
Italian director Antonio la Camera’s film “Wall of Sound” received a special mention. According to the jury, it makes the most of minimalism: a single location, two female characters, just a few lines of dialogue and one owl. With bold sound-design choices, the film creates a powerful emotional impact and impresses with the inventiveness of its experimental expression.
The youth jury, which joined the competition judging for the first time, gave its award to Czech director Terézia Halamová’s film “Between Dog and Wolf.” The young film professionals praised the film for its topical themes and distinctive perspective on the life of a young stripper. The main character Rudo’s job prompted the jury to discuss the desire for money, the body’s transformation into a commodity, and the work’s parallels with the online platform “OnlyFans.”
The jury also highlighted the use of drugs, a topic relevant to young people, which the film explores through Rudo’s chaotic nightlife. Expressive cinematography and a soundtrack conveyed both the excitement of the night and the anxiety and loneliness beneath it. Love, longing and anxiety are concepts familiar to young people and their worldview. The youth jury said they would use the film to educate their peers.
This year’s short film competition programme was curated by film critic Neringa Kažukauskaitė, assisted by programme coordinator Arnoldas Stramskas. The competition jury was chaired by film journalist, programmer and writer Léo Soesanto. He was joined by film journalist and video essayist Leigh Singer, and film critic, researcher and University of Barcelona lecturer María Adell Carmona.
This year, the European film festival “Scanorama” will take place from November 5 to 22 in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Alytus, Panevėžys, Marijampolė, Vilkaviškis, Visaginas and Gargždai.
Photos by Jevgenija Cholodova
