NEWS
The year 2020 was also strange in the field of film festivals – several were cancelled and many took place as online platforms only, with less films than usual. By Eda Koppel
D
espite that, Estonian films reached the competition programmes of several prestigious film festivals – including Sundance, Venice, HotDocs, Annecy, Moscow, Cairo, and our own domestic Black Nights Film Festival.
Photo by Karoliina Kreintaal
Festival Highlights 2020 The team of Undergods: director Chino Moya, producer Sophie Vrenner, co-producer Katrin Kissa and make-up artist Kaire Hendrikson.
Short film Virago (directed by Kerly Kirsch-Schneider) took part in BuSHORTS san ISFF and received the Grand Prix, The year began with the short film Bad that also gave the film the right to be Hair (directed by Oskar Lehemaa) parsubmitted to the Academy Award for ticipating in Sundance Festival. 2020 can the Best Short Film. The similar right undoubtedly be called a successful year was received for the short documentary The Weight of All the Beauty (directfor Estonian short films. ed by Eeva Mägi) by the Abercrombie & Kent Award of the Melbourne International Film Festival. Also, the right to be submitted to the Academy Award was given to Struck by Lightning (directed by Raul and Romet Esko) that got the Best Estonian Short Film Award at the Black Nights Film Festival; short film My Dear Corpses (directed by Oskar Lehemaa German Golub) received (on the left) attending the Student Academy midnight screening of Hair in Sundance. Award.
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ESTONIAN FILM
DOCS
As for documentary films, two films should be especially emphasized: Immortal (directed by Ksenia Okhapkina) and A Loss of Something Ever Felt (directed by Carlos E. Lesmes) – both films were selected for the programme of HotDocs. A Loss of Something Ever Felt also won the audience award at Bogota International Film Festival. Documentary Meanwhile on Earth (produced as a minority co-production film with Estonia, directed by Carl Olsson, and Estonian co-produ cer Ivo Felt from Allfilm) took part in numerous festivals, for instance in Gothenburg, Camerimage, Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and Moscow. Estonian animation films also participated in festivals: for example, the full-length Old Man Cartoon Movie (directed by Mikk Mägi and Oskar Lehemaa) that surprised audiences in Annecy, Moscow, Shanghai, Fantastic Film Fest and Fantasia Film Festival. The film won the Silver Audience Award
