Winners of the 55th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival have been announced in Kyiv. The main award went to the feature film “Camouflage”, directed by Mykyta Gibalenko.

This was reported by UP Culture.

The awards ceremony took place at the Kyiv Cinema House, the festival organizers reported.

Actress Anna Yaremchuk-Bobalo, who played the main character’s mother, and Jan Struckmeier, a consultant and member of the German film crew, received the Grand Prix for “Camouflage”.

The film’s plot centers on the story of 22-year-old Vitalii, who tries to build a new life after moving to Munich in 2021. However, the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine presents him with new challenges.

The filmmakers received the Scythian Deer statuette and a cash prize of $5,000.

“I dreamed of the film being seen in Ukraine. In Venice, Germany, Brazil, where we screened it, audiences were deeply moved after watching it and asked what they could do for Ukraine and how they could help.

The film tells the story of our tragedy, of how we are forced to leave our homes against our will, how we have to integrate into other countries, and how this makes us return home, to our native, melodious language,” Anna Yaremchuk-Bobalo said from the stage.

The film “Open World”, directed by Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk, won the national competition.

“We were touched by the film’s tone – playful and tender at the same time, bringing warmth and lightness to a sense of longing familiar to many of us,” the jury members explained.

Special mentions were awarded to “DIM TV” by Sofiia Hera and “Fig” by Novruz Hikmet (Azerbaijan, Ukraine).

The Ukrainian Film Critics Union jury awarded a diploma for Best Film in the national competition to “Bratchyk” by Khrystyna Braslavska (Ukraine). The film was recognized for its “directorial and acting excellence, multifaceted characters, and sensitive exploration of the LGBTQ community in the context of war.”

For her contribution to Ukrainian cinema, the honorary Scythian Deer award was presented to People’s Artist of Ukraine Ada Rohovtseva.

The award for Best Feature Film in the international competition went to “Filipiñana” by Rafael Manuel (the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France).

The award for Best Short Film went to “Diego”, directed by Melissa Silvera (France).

“Reminiscence” by Iryna Melnychenko (Switzerland) won in the student film competition.

“It is a pleasure to stand in a hall steeped in the theme and atmosphere of cinema […] My colleagues and I agreed on almost all of the decisions regarding the winners.

“We had discussions, but no arguments. In particular, there was no disagreement over the film that would receive the Grand Prix,” said Oleg Sentsov, director and chair of the international competition jury, during the ceremony.

The Audience Award went to “Homeless” by director Kai Stänicke (Germany, Switzerland).

The debut documentary “War Has No Children” by Dmytro Todoriuk (Ukraine) was named the winner of the documentary competition.

“Its title asserts that darkness will not give rise to its own continuation, and that there are those who keep moving forward despite everything,” jury member Svitlana Zinovieva explained the choice.

The winner of the Teen Screen competition was “Like a Kite” by Alan Deberton (Brazil), which tells the story of the challenges of growing up and relationships between parents and children.

Actress Lisa Wagemelreik received a special mention for Best Actress for her performance in “All These Apologies Around”, directed by Frederike Migom.

The diploma for Best Cinematography went to Ángel Jara Taboada, cinematographer of “The Newcomers” (Mexico, Spain).

“We evaluated the lighting, shots, and how the camera conveys emotions. But one work made us see more than just an image,” the jury explained.

Background: The Molodist Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in Eastern Europe. It was founded in 1970. Initially, the event was held as a two-day showcase of short films made by students of the Film Department at the Karpenko-Kary Kyiv State Institute of Theatre Arts. Over time, however, the festival grew in scale.

The organizers say the festival’s main mission is to promote the development of young professional cinema.

Earlier, the documentary “Traces” by Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk won an award in one of the categories at the Bergen International Film Festival in Norway.