OFF CAMERA DIARY: CLOSING
Oct 10 | Author: Mike Plante
AKA One of the most greatest awards celebration I have been to.
Festival attendees, filmmakers, local crowds and TV stations packed the Kijow theater for the awards celebration and closing night film, CHILDLESS.
After opening announcements, President of the Off Camera Society Szymon Miszczak and Artistic Director Michal Oleszczyk gave their thanks and other mentions. Both guys are so accommodating – extremely knowledgeable about films, always available to help out with festival logistics, and even translating the QnA sessions for the crowd. This seemed to lead the entire staff at the fest, always available, always happy to help and easy going under stress.
The fest presented the two winners of their cell phone short film contest. No English subtitles, but the first one had a neon-clothed half-bleached hair guy dumpster diving at a graveyard to get some flowers. An old woman passed by and gave the ultimate photo op. The cameraman said (I’m assuming) “smile for the camera”, and her crooked stern jumped into an amazing grin. Wonderful. The guy ended up being a singer for a pop band, throwing the still-good flowers into the crowd.
The second winning film was harder to translate from imagery, but a cute girl took a shower, a guy in a suit then took her out. I think it was a romcom, it got a lot of laughs.
Then a moment to take the night up a notch. Director Paul Morrissey brought Warhol legend Holly Woodlawn to the stage in a wheelchair. She thanked the crowd and fest for a good time with the Warhol retrospective (they not only screened TRASH, but you got it on DVD with the official catalog – she also performed a live show “Tea with Holly” during the fest), then exclaimed the festival wanted her to sing. She made herself more comfortable without her jacket. The crowd went nuts as Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side, written for her, started to play. The giant screen behind her displayed stills of her career, as she sang along on the mic as the song played. When the crowd sang “do do-do do-do” at her command, you felt strange and special. Morrissey came back to get her to more big applause.
The main part of the evening – the awards. The President of main sponsor Noble Bank presented a special award and 10,000 euros to Alex Holdridge for his IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS.
Artistic Director Michal Oleszczyk and President of the Off Camera Society
Szymon Miszczak
Alex Holdridge
Thinking that was the main award, most of the competition filmmakers relaxed. Then jury president Zbigniew Preisner and Jacek Majchrowski, the president of the city of Krakow, got up and said a few words. Then they announced the festival winner, Azazel Jacobs for MOMMA’S MAN. Completely stunned, Jacobs finally made it to the stage. After figuring out he really won, he thanked the fest and the city, then added he has been having tons of problems with his landlord and this prize would “help” with that and go towards the next film(s).
Jacek Majchrowski, Zbigniew Preisner and Azazel Jacobs
I suppose to be fair I should find something more critical to say about the fest. There were too many good choices playing against each other, like a lot of fests. Some attendances were low, which is too bad. I think the weekdays and certain theaters were the problem. But the weekends and bigger theaters did really well. And the parties at a gorgeous train station were under attended. But packed houses for Dan Sallitt and competition films, and crowds laughing and crying at the right moments? Pretty great.
“These are statues erected for independent filmmakers.”
In essence, Off Camera was one of the best film festivals I’ve been to. Taking huge chances in independent cinema from around the world, where character motivation is challenging and vibrant, with sidebars of American films new and old that would rarely screen in America. The fest had involved crowds, a huge and accommodating staff, and incredible support from the city. Six full camera crews covered the films and events, and the president of the city giving out awards. Filmmakers were flown in and put up from five continents. And the main award might be the biggest in the world, in order to help a filmmaker make another film, maybe even two.
And this is the first time they have put the festival on? Wow.
See also:
Oct 13 at 16:39
Much thanks for these updates, which Dan Sallitt pointed me towards. Michal had me scout Tribeca for potential films to show, and I was intensely curious how it would all shake down. Sounds like it was magnificent.