The winning films were chosen by an international jury consisting of the jury president Leonor Silveira, Portugese actress and the president of a National Portuguese Film Institute ICAM; Turkish film producer and programme coordinator of Istambul International Independent Film Festival Zeki Peynirci; founder of the Austrian student film festival “film:riss”, artistic director of the young talent platform “Cinema Next” and curator of “Cinema Next Europe” at the Crossing Europe Film Festival Linz, Dominik Tschütscher; and German film and theatre actess Anjorka Strechel.
Matvejevaitė, director of the winning film, has been studying film directing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre since 2014. In her 23-minute film, she asks how you would feel if you knew the exact date of your death. The Beloglazovai family - Kolia, Lena, their daughter Sonia and teenage son Igor - live in an old house in Vilnius. The story is set on the day when fourteen-year-old Igor must die. All the family members know that and in their own way are trying to deal with this burdensome waiting. The winning film received a prize worth 12,000 EUR in equipment for the next project. The prize was supported by Vilniaus Kino Klasteris.
The Last Day also won the best Lithuanian short film competition. The director Matvejevaitė received a prize of 3,000 EUR, supported by the Audiovisual authors and producers rights association “AVAKA”.
Special Jury mentions went to the Estonian short Elo (2017) directed by Helen Takkinand, produced by Esko Rips, and the Latvian short If Trees Could Talk directed by Armands Začs, produced by Elīna Gediņa Ducena.
Scanorama held its closing ceremony in Vilnius on 19 November, before moving on to three more cities in Lithuania, running through 26 November.
Best Short Film and Best Lithuanian Short Film:
The Last Day / Paskutinė diena (Lithuania)
Directed by Klaudija Matvejevaitė
Produced by Veronika Cicėnaitė
Special Mentions:
Elo (Estonia)
Directed by Helen Takkinand
Produced by Esko Rips
If Trees Could Talk (Latvia)
Directed by Armands Začs
Produced by Elīna Gediņa Ducena.
