The best documentaries of the Astra Film Festival 2024 were awarded on Saturday evening at the State Philharmonic in Sibiu - Thalia Hall, where filmmakers and audiences celebrated documentary cinema with a dynamic and emotional awards ceremony. Three Romanian productions received special appreciation: "Alice On & Off," by Isabela Tent (Best Film in the Romania Section), "Maia – Portrait with Hands," by Alexandra Gulea (Best Director, Romania Section), and "Dad,"* by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc (Best Director Award, Central and Eastern European Section). Additionally, young director Daniel Țîcu received a Special Mention in the Student Section. The festival continues online until November 10. Program and tickets available here: [https://www.astrafilm.ro/ro/2023/program-complet/online-aff](https://www.astrafilm.ro/ro/2023/program-complet/online-aff)
"This year’s nearly 300 cinematic projects took us on 300 journeys around the world, helping us understand diverse human experiences. Astra Film Festival tells a story about people who make films, watch films, and whose lives have been changed by films. When culture is not always a priority, it's exceptional to sustain a festival for over 30 years," said Dumitru Budrala, founding director of Astra Film Festival.
Astra Film Festival 2024 awarded prizes in the Romania, Central and Eastern Europe, Emerging Voices in Documentary Film, and DocSchool competitions, along with prizes for innovative projects in the special DocTank program.
Central and Eastern Europe Section
Eleven films were selected in this section, judged by Jan Gogola (director, script editor, and lecturer at Tomas Bata University in Zlín), Christian Popp (producer), and Pedro Segura (film critic and distributor from Mexico).
The Best Film Award of the Eastern Europe Section went to "The Forest," directed by Lidia Duda, "with masterful cinematography, where the setting becomes more than scenery; it transforms into a symbol of protection and vulnerability, a mental space reflecting the boundaries of our identity and provoking us to consider how we protect what we hold dear," as stated by the jury.
The Best Director Award was given to the documentary "Dad," by Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc, "a film that offers a courageous, concrete, and deeply vulnerable exploration of social and intimate violence," according to the jury's reasoning.
Emerging Voices in Documentary Film Section
Ten films competed in this section, judged by Victor Morozov (film critic), Faridah Gbadamosi (film programmer at Tribeca), and Renata Santor (Research and Programming Coordinator at the Venice Film Festival).
The Best Film Award went to "Night Rebellion," by Nelson Makengo, "a film shot almost entirely at night, achieving an impressive technical feat while never losing focus on the humanity of its characters and their ability to find solutions through collaboration," according to the jury's motivation.
In the same category, the Best Director Award was given to Farahnaz Sharifi for "My Stolen Planet," where the director "uses her personal journey to map out the turbulent realities of her nation, capturing both its enduring struggles and the hope of an optimistic future centered around the crucial role of women," as the jury stated.
Romania Section
This category, judged by Ana Vlad (lecturer and director), Toma Peiu (director), and Ellen Evans (director), featured 13 films, and the Best Film Award went to "Alice On and Off," by Isabela Tent, "a family portrait that lingers with the viewer long after the final credits," a documentary bringing to the forefront "a young artistic mother in a shadowy, liminal universe filled with risks and brutality," as the jury commented.
The Best Director Award was given to Alexandra Gulea for the documentary "Maia - Portrait with Hands." The jury was impressed by "memorable sequences demonstrating the director's confidence in her cinematic vision and consistent approach, on the borders of non-fiction."
A Special Mention was awarded to Adrian Dohotaru for his documentary "The Death of Iosif Zagor," "a debut feature structured as an internal revelation, offering a penetrating look into a profound social crisis," according to the jury's motivation.
Student Section
In the Student Section, which featured 15 films, director Maria Luiza Pârvu and screenwriter and film critic Nagy V. Gergő awarded Best Film to "Dreaming of Putin," by Nastia Korkia and Vlad Fishez, a film that "reflects a dystopian historical moment, where the ghosts of tyrants infiltrate the depths of our social being through digital technology."
The Best Director in this section was awarded to the documentary "Homage to an Apartment," by Paula Ďurinová, "a film that uses a poetic visual language to create a love letter to a place that brings together the memories of her dissident grandparents."
The documentary "All Day is Night" by Daniel Țîcu received the Jury's Special Mention in the same category. "The young director patiently and persistently observes his great-grandfather on his deathbed," as noted by the jury.
DocTank Special Program Awards
Eight projects were selected this year. The Astra Film Doc Tank Emerging Voices Award, sponsored by VOYO, was awarded to a documentary that "turns the search for victims of forced labor camps in Communist Romania into a meditation on memory and justice" - "The Digs," by Diana Munteanu (director) and Ana Maria Vijdea (producer).
The Astra DocTank Postproduction Award, sponsored by Chainsaw Europe Studio, went to "How Come We Ended Up Here," by Toma Peiu and Luiza Pârvu, for "the unique way it explores the complexity of cultural intersections and captivating visual aesthetics."
The Astra DocTank Consultancy Award, sponsored by Raina Films (Consulting and Festival Strategy Analysis), was given to "RATAFÁK – Puppet of Fear," director and producer Marek Vaňous (Slovakia).
The Astra DocTank East Silver Market Award, offered by the Institute of Documentary Film, was awarded to the documentary "Love Porn," by Ruxandra Gubernat (director) and Tudor Hermeneanu (producer).
About Astra Film Festival. The Astra Film International Documentary Film Festival in Sibiu, launched in 1993 as an innovative project, is one of the most important non-fiction film festivals in Europe, recognized by the European Film Academy with direct nomination rights for the European Film Awards. AFF is held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and organized by Astra Film, CNM Astra, and the Astra Film Foundation.
Strategic Partner: Ministry of Culture
With support from the Sibiu County Council, the National Film Center, the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sibiu, and the Filmmakers' Union, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Dacin Sara Association, and AFCN. Project co-financed by the Sibiu Local Council through the Sibiu City Hall.
Main Sponsor: ING Bank
Sponsors: Mecatronics, Groupama, URSUS, Martini, Cinelab, Reef Distribution Dome, Luthelo, TheRefresh, Algeco, Decathlon, Produced in Sibiu, Kulinarium, Cărturești, GLS, Cotnari, Agence K, Pepsi, Cartofiserie, Promenada Sibiu.
DocTank Sponsors: ProTV, VOYO, Chainsaw Europe Studio, Raina Film Festival Distribution, Institute of Documentary Film.
Recommended by: Europa FM
Main Media Partner: PRO TV, VOYO
Cultural Partner: TVR, TVR Cultural, TVR Info, TVR Cluj
Media Partners: TV5 Monde, Euronews Romania, Radio Romania Cultural, News.ro, G4media, Hotnews, Spotmedia, Vorbitorincii.ro, Tribuna, Turnul Sfatului, Sibiu 100%, Mesagerul de Sibiu, Ora de Sibiu, Sibiu Independent, Sibiul Azi, Știri de Sibiu, Hermannstädter Zeitung, Nine O'Clock, Edupedu, Observator Cultural, MovieNews, Cinefan, Cinefilia, Revista FILM, LiterNet, Zile și Nopți, Radio Color, Cineuropa, Film New Europe.
Monitoring Partner: MediaTrust
Communication Partner: PiArt Vision
