Last night, on July 20, the 4^th Odessa International Film Festival Closing Ceremony was held in The Odessa National Theatre of Opera and Ballet. By the results of the public vote, Alexander Veledinsky’s film “The Geographer Drank His Globe Away” won the OIFF Main Award – Grand Prix. The International Jury with Alexander Rodnyansky at its head announced the winners in the Best Film, Best director and Best Acting nominations. The Golden Duke for Best Ukrainian Feature Film was handed to the directors of the biopic “Paradjanov”.

GRAND PRIX (Audience Award)

THE GEOGRAPHER DRANK HIS GLOBE AWAY
directed by Alexander Veledinsky 
Russia, 2013, 100 min

THE GEOGRAPHER DRANK HIS GLOBE AWAY (GEOGRAF GLOBUS PROPIL) trailer from Antipode Sales on Vimeo.

BEST FILM

THE GEOGRAPHER DRANK HIS GLOBE AWAY
directed by Alexander Veledinsky 
Russia, 2013, 100 min

BEST UKRAINIAN FEATURE FILM

PARADJANOV

directed by Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova 
Ukraine, France, Armenia, Georgia, 2013, 95 min


BEST DIRECTOR

Ritesh Batra, director of

THE LUNCHBOX
India, France, Germany, 2013, 104 min

BEST ACTING

Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria, in

IN BLOOM
directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß
Georgia, Germany, France, 2013, 102 min

Photo and video material from the Award Ceremony:

http://oiff.com.ua/en/2013/photovideo/f/

The Red Carpet before the Odessa Opera House traditionally gathered all honorary guests of the festival. The participants in the festival competition programs – directors Ihor Podolchak (“Dellirium”), Valentyn Vasyanovych (“Credenza”), Alisa Pavlovskaya (“I Don't Wanna Die”), Craig Viveiros (“The Liability”), Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß (“In Bloom”), Alexander Veledinsky and producer Valeriy Todorovsky (“The Geographer Drank His Globe Away”); Russian actors Alexander Kuznetsov and Olga Kabo, and also the creative team of the film “Eternal Homecoming” headed by Kira Muratova walked along the Red Carpet. Traditionally, Odessa mayor Olexiy Kostusev, Head of Odessa Oblast State Administration Eduard Matviychuk, Head of the Ukrainian State Film Agency Kateryna Kopylova and members of Ukrainian National Film Award Jury attended the 4-th OIFF closing. Special guests of the Closing Ceremony – Nonna Grishayeva, actress and TV-host, Ostap Stupka, Ukrainian actor, native Odessa citizen Mikhail Zhvanetskiy, writer, and all members of the International Competition Jury – Andriy Kurkov, Ukrainian writer, Tanya Seghatchian, British film producer, Franziska Petri, German actress, Nana Djordjadze, Cannes Award winner and Alexander Rodnyansky, successful producer, closed the Red Carpet procession. 

This year for the first time, the prize for the Best Ukrainian Feature Film was awarded on the Opera House stage. The honorary guests of the festival, actors Alexander Kuznetsov and Olga Kabo, awarded “Paradjanov” directors Olena Fetisova and Serge Avedikian the Golden statuette and money prize of 50,000 UAH. The authors of the movie thanked Odessa Film Festival, at which the film project was presented within pitching session of last year. 

Franziska Petri and Andriy Kurkov, members of the International Competition Jury – awarded the actor ensemble of Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria - film “In Bloom” - the Prize for Best Acting. It's the first award for the young actresses. 

Ritesh Batra, director of “The Lunchbox”, won the Prize for Best Director. He sent a video-address, in which he thanked all the viewers for their warm welcome. 

Alexander Rodnyansky, Head of the International Competition Jury awarded the Russian director Alexander Veledinsky the International Jury Prize for Best Film for the picture “The Geographer Drank His Globe Away”. "Our made the decision within couple of minutes and it was unanimous" - told Rodnyansky. 

By the results of the public vote, Alexander Veledinsky also won the OIFF Grand Prix – Golden Duke statuette and money prize of 12,000 Euro – for his picture “The Geographer Drank His Globe Away”. The OIFF president Viktoria Tigipko entered the stage to award the Main Prize to the director. "I value the opinion of the viewers, and the fact that their decision coincided with the opinion of the jury - we could only dream of it."

After the end of the awarding ceremony at the press briefing Viktoria Tigipko noted that number of visits increased by 15% this year and that OIFF plans to expand the festival locations. OIFF president also announced the date of the 5th Odessa Film Festival - it will be held from 11 till 19 July 2014.

"The Way" by Maxim Ksendy became the Best Short Film of the Ukrainian National Film Award. Producer of the movie received the first "Golden Duke" from the hands of the Chairman of the Board of TASkombank Vladimir Dubey: "We have been supporting the festival for 4 years already and it has grown up a lot. Especially important is the fact that the Ukrainian competition exists already for 3 years - we have seen Ukrainian cinema developing. Many directors begin their career with short films and I'm sure this golden statuette will become the golden key that opens the door to the great cinema".

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Jury has also defined the best films of Ukrainian National Film Award: "Credenza" by Valentyn Vasyanovych for "using comedy to emphasize the problems of our time" and the short film "Ukrainian Lessons" by Ruslan Batytsky, that "struck the jury with its terrible beauty and power of the cinema."

The winner of the OIFF-2013 pitching is the feature debut project “Stepne” by Cannes winner Marina Vroda. She gets the main prize of 25,000 UAH from the Festival's Official Sponsor – UDP Development Company. The Deputy Director General of UDP Roman Romaniuk awarded the prize. Marina Vroda thanked the pitching experts and wished all directors found their producer, which will become the co-author of the film. "We are pleased that our project has received support from Ukraine" - added the director. Cash reward from the UDP Development Company is awarded to the winner of the pitching session since 2011. This year, UDP also became the partner of the OIFF Film Industry Office, organized jointly with the Ukrainian State Film Agency. Besides, the project "Voroshylovgrad" by Yaroslav Lodygin won Special Jury Mention. 

The award ceremony was opened by OIFF president Viktoria Tigipko: "Ukrainian national Film Award is, perhaps, the greatest pride of our festival. This year we have received about 200 applications -  and after that no one can say that Ukraine does not make movies. Ukrainian talents learn to break through, to find the funding, realize their ideas and bring them to the festival scene. I sincerely hope that jury will have a lot more work to do next year. Our cinema has a great future. I am pleased that the festival helps to create it " - said OIFF president.