Prague Independent Film Festival (PIFF) is an international film festival held annually in August in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, the capital of

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. The festival focuses on independent cinema. Festival founder and director is

Diana Ringo Diana Ringo (born 8 March 1992) is a Finnish film director, composer and visual artist. Her director debut is dystopian feature film drama ''Quarantine'' (2021) which was shortlisted for the 2022 Golden Globes as a foreign entry. She was also c ...

History

2016

Prague Independent Film Festival was held for the first time on 15–18 August 2016 in the cinemas Kino Evald, Kino Atlas and Kino Lucerna. The festival program consisted of 33 films. Opening film of the festival was ''Rocco has Your Name by''

Angelo Orlando Angelo Orlando (born 11 August 1965) is an Italian professional football coach and a former midfielder. He is currently an assistant director for FA Euro in New York. Playing career Orlando began his career in 1983 with Varese, where he remaine ...

. Angelo Orlando won the Best Screenplay award and the leading actor

Michele Venitucci Michele (), is an Italian male given name, akin to the English male name Michael. Michele (pronounced ), is also an English female given name that is derived from the French Michèle. It is a variant spelling of the more common (and identically ...

received the Best Actor award. Grand Prix of the festival – The Golden Eagle – was awarded to the Bulgarian drama film '' Sinking of Sozopol'' by Kostadin Bonev.

Shamim Sarif Shamim Sarif (born 24 September 1969) is a British novelist and filmmaker of South Asian and South African heritage. Her work often focuses on various aspects of identity including gender, race, and sexuality. It often draws upon her own person ...

received the Best Feature Film award for her espionage drama ''

Despite the Falling Snow ''Despite the Falling Snow'' is a 200bookby Shamim Sarif. It was first published on May 4, 2004 through Headline Book Publishing and is set during two different time periods. One part of the story is set in 1950s Moscow, Russia during the Cold W ...

'' based on the best selling eponymous novel written by herself.

Rebecca Ferguson Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress. She began her acting career with the Swedish soap opera ''Nya tider'' (1999–2000) and went on to star in the slasher film ''Drowning Ghost'' (2004). She came to in ...

was awarded Best Actress and

Anthony Head Anthony Stewart Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor and singer. Primarily a performer in musical theatre, he rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s following his role in the Gold Blend couple television advertisements for Nescafé, w ...

received the Best Supporting Actor award. Best Animated Film was awarded to ''

The Snow Queen 2 ''The Snow Queen 2: The Snow King'' (also released as ''The Snow Queen: Magic of the Ice Mirror'') and released in Russia as (russian: Снежная королева 2: Перезаморозка, lit=The Snow Queen 2: Re-Freezing, translit=Snezh ...

'' from the Russian animation company

Wizart Animation Wizart Animation is a Russian animation film, short film and television studio based in Voronezh. The studio specializes in the production of animated feature films, television shows and their distribution and promotion in the domestic and inter ...

. The film was written and directed by Aleksey Tsitsilin and produced by

Timur Bekmambetov Timur Nuruakhitovich Bekmambetov (, ; ; born June 25, 1961) is a Russian-Kazakhstan, Kazakh film Film director, director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, and tech entrepreneur. He is best known for the fantasy epic ''Night Watch (2004 fi ...

. Best Short Film was awarded to the short film ''Cora'' made by Kevin Maxwell, a student of

Santa Monica College Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public, community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. Althoug ...

who was supervised by

Salvador Carrasco Salvador Carrasco (born 16 June 1967) is a Mexican film director and professor, best known for his 1999 feature film ''The Other Conquest''. He is a professor and head of the film program at Santa Monica College. Career Carrasco wrote and directe ...

2017

The opening film of the festival was '' Collector'' by Alexei Krasovsky. Alexei Krasovsky received the Best Director, Gustav Meyrink Prize and

Konstantin Khabensky Konstantin Yurievich Khabensky, PAR (russian: link=no, Константин Юрьевич Хабенский; born 11 January 1972) is a Russian actor of stage and film, director and philanthropist. From 1997 he was part of the Saint Petersbu ...

received the Best Actor award. The film

Maya Dardel ''Maya Dardel'' is a 2017 US-Polish drama film written and directed by Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak, starring Lena Olin, Jordan Gavaris, Alexander Koch, Nathan Keyes, and Rosanna Arquette. It premiered in the Narrative Competition at the 2 ...

, written and directed by

Magdalena Zyzak Magdalena Zyzak (born 1983) is a Polish filmmaker and novelist. Her directorial debut, ''Maya Dardel,'' premiered in the Narrative Competition at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival and was acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Orion Picture ...

and

Zachary Cotler Theodore Zachary Cotler (born 1981) is an American filmmaker, poet, and novelist. His first film, ''Maya Dardel'', premiered in the Narrative Competition at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival and was acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films and ...

received the Best Screenplay award and

Lena Olin Lena Maria Jonna Olin (; born 22 March 1955) is a Swedish actress. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Mentored by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, she made her screen de ...

received the Best Actress award.

Train Driver's Diary ''Train Driver's Diary'' ( sr, Dnevnik mašinovođe, Дневник машиновође) is a 2016 Serbian drama film directed by Miloš Radović. It was selected as the Serbian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Aw ...

directed by Milos Radovic received the Grand Prix, Best Feature Film and

Lazar Ristovski Lazar "Laza" Ristovski ( sr-Cyrl, Лазар Ристовски, born 26 October 1952) is a Serbian retired actor, director, producer and writer. He has appeared on stage about 4,000 times, and starred in over 40 films, TV series and TV dramas, ...

received the Best Actor prize.

Gallery

Konstantin Khabensky — 2018 (2).jpg, Actor and director

receiving his honorary award from the festival director Anna Eriksson at the Prague Independent Film Festival.jpg, Director

Anna Eriksson Anna Sofia Eriksson (born 22 April 1977) is a Finnish artist, filmmaker, composer, and singer. In September 2018, avantgarde film '' M'' directed and produced by Eriksson was having the world premiere at the Venice International Film Critics Wee ...

presenting the film M Lazar Ristovski at the Prague Independent Film Festival.jpg, Actor and producer

at the presentation of Train Driver's Diary Lazar Ristovski at the Prague Independent Film Festival (2).jpg, Lazar Ristovski presenting the film Train Driver's Diary Magdalena Zyzak and Zachary Cotler at the Prague Independent Film Festival.jpg, Directors Magdalena Zyzak and

presenting the film Maya Dardel Angelo Orlando and Saro Cosentino at the Prague Independent Film Festival.jpg , Director

and musician

Saro Cosentino Saro may refer to: Places * Saro, Cantabria, a municipality in Spain * Särö, a locality situated in Halland County, Sweden * Saro, Mali, a village in the Ségou Region of Mali *Saro, the ancient name for the Korean kingdom of Silla and its capi ...

presenting the film Rocco Has Your Name Angelo Orlando at the Prague Independent Film Festival.jpg , Angelo Orlando presenting the film Rocco Has Your Name Sinking of Sozopol Screening at the Prague Independent Film Festival.jpg , Sinking of Sozopol screening Kostadin Bonev at the Prague Independent Film Festival.jpg , Kostadin Bonev with the Grand Prix

Winners

2021

Grand Prix *'' The Final Stand'' — Directed by

Vadim Shmelyov Vadim Viktorovich Shmelyov (russian: link=no, Вадим Викторович Шмелёв; born August 30, 1967) is a Russian film director, screenwriter and producer. Biography Vadim was born on August 30, 1967. He studied at Russian State Inst ...

Best Director *''The Final Stand'' — Directed by Vadim Shmelyov Best Feature *''The Stairs'' — Directed by Peter "Drago" Tiemann Best Cinematography *''Sashka. A Soldier's Diary'' ( ru) — Directed by

Kirill Zaytsev Kirill Andreyevich Zaytsev (russian: Кирилл Андреевич Зайцев; born August 16, 1987) is a Russian actor, film director, producer. For his role in ''Going Vertical'' he received the Golden Eagle Award in 2019. Life and career ...

. Cinematography by Vladimir Klimov Best Screenplay *''Sashka. A Soldier's Diary'' — Directed by Kirill Zaytsev. Screenplay by Ivan Klochko & Igor Konyaev. Best Documentary *''OLEG'' — Directed by Nadia Tass Best Documentary ex aequo *''The Great Suppression: How Covid-19 Reignited the Fight for Life & Liberty'' — Directed by Deborah Wright Best Actor *''

Sergey Bezrukov Sergey Vitalyevich Bezrukov (russian: link=no, Серге́й Вита́льевич Безру́ков, born 18 October 1973) is a Soviet and Russian film and stage actor, singer, People's Artist of Russia, the laureate of the State Prize of th ...

'' — The Final Stand Best Supporting Actor *'' John Schneider'' — The Stairs Best Music Score *''The Final Stand'' — Score by Yuri Poteenko Best Short Film *''The Stench'' — Directed by Won Jang Best Short Film Director *''Radda Novikova'' — Moscow Slide Best Experimental *''Geneva Jacuzzi's Casket'' — Directed by Chris Friend Best Student Film *''Old Cliff Rising'' — Curtis Roland Best Art Direction *''The Swamp'' — Directed by Erkki Perkiömäki Best Animation *''Feeling Lonely'' — Directed by Julian Nazario Vargas Best Music Video *''

Mari Kraimbrery Marina Vadimovna Zhadan (russian: Мари́на Вади́мовна Жада́н, uk, Мари́на Вади́мівна Жада́н; born 21 August 1992), better known under the pseudonym Mari Kraimbrery (russian: Мари́ Кра́ймб� ...

- Pryatalas v vannoi'' — Directed by Serghey Grey

2020

Grand Prix *''

Lost Transmissions ''Lost Transmissions'' is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Katharine O'Brien. It stars Simon Pegg, Juno Temple, and Alexandra Daddario. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 28, 2019 and it was released on March 13, 2020 b ...

'' — Directed by

Katharine O'Brien Katharine O'Brien is an American film director, screenwriter, film editor, camera operator, art director, and executive producer best known for her work on ''The Automatic Hate'' and '' Lost Transmissions''. Career She started directin ...

Best Feature Film *''Man from Beirut'' — Directed Christoph Gampl *Best Director **Raimundas Banionis — ''Purple Mist'' Best Screenplay *''Purple Mist'' — Raimundas Banionis Best Actor *

Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. H ...

— ''Lost Transmissions'' Best Actress *

Juno Temple Juno Temple (born 21 July 1989) is a British actress. She has appeared in the films ''Notes on a Scandal'' (2006), ''Atonement'' (2007), ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2008), ''The Three Musketeers'' (2011), ''The Dark Knight Rises'' (2012), '' Mag ...

— ''Lost Transmissions'' *

Lucie Vondráčková Lucie Vondráčková (born 8 March 1980 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czechs, Czech popular singer and theatre and film actress. She has won a number of awards, including the Best Actress award at the 2020 Prague Independent Film Festival for ...

— ''Beyond her Lens'' Best Short Film *''Unknown Mother'' — Wai Yin Wong Best Music Video *''Nice Shoes'' — Directed by Jonathan Lawrence Best Student Film *''Out of Touch'' — Directed by Bobby Murphy Best Art Direction *''Eerie Fairy Tales'' — Directed by Meet Sander Best Documentary *''Living in the Age of Miracles' — Directed by Mia Tomikawa Best Cinematography *''Man from Beirut'' — Cinematography by Eeva Fleig Best Animated Film *''Spectre's Bride'' — Directed by Francesca Borgatta Best Experimental Film *''Last Film'' — Directed by Martiros Vartanov

2019

Grand Prix *'' M'' — Directed by

Gustav Meyrink Prize (Jury Prize) *'' The Snow Queen: Mirrorlands'' — Directed by Robert Lence, Alexey Tsitsilin Best Feature Film *''M'' — Directed by Anna Eriksson Best Director *Kostadin Bonev — ''Away from the Shore'' Best Screenplay *'' Night Walk'' —

Aziz Tazi Aziz Tazi is a Moroccan film writer, director and producer featured in ''Forbes Africa''s 30 Under 30. Tazi made his directorial debut with the feature film ''Night Walk''. The crime drama was acquired by Lionsgate and is the first Moroccan ...

Best Actor *

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...

— Night Walk Best Short Film *''Aji'' — Anastasia Berezovsky Best Music Video *'' Dark like the night. Karenina-2019'' — Directed by

Radda Novikova Radda Vyacheslavovna Novikova (russian: Радда Вячеславовна Новикова) is a Russian film and television director (born on 25 October 1974). Novikova is well known for directing comedy television series ''Girls with Makarov'', ...

Best Student Film *''Hinge'' — Directed by Lisa Ann Mayo Best Art Direction *''Land of Winter'' — Directed by Tommy Creagh Best Documentary *''To tell a Ghost'' — Directed by Chris Piotrowicz, Stefan Ehrhardt Best Cinematography *''Away from the Shore'' — Cinematography by Konstantin Zankov Best Animated Film *''Burning Bright'' — Directed by Aaron Bierman Best Experimental Film *''We are in a Dream'' — Directed by Henna Välkky, Eesu Lehtola

2018

Grand Prix *'' Octav'' — Directed by Serge Ioan Celebidachi Honorary Award *

Best Feature Film *''Ivanov'' — Directed by Dimitri Falkovich Best Director * Graham Streeter — ''I May Regret'' Best Screenplay *''I May Regret'' — Graham Streeter Best Actor * Marcel Iures — Octav Best Short Film *''Mr. Goody'' — Jason MacDonald Best Music Video *''#INSTAGRAM'' — Directed by

Valeriya Gai Germanika Valeriya Gai Alexandrovna Germanika (russian: Валерия Гай Александровна Германика, born Valeriya Igorevna Dudinskaya (russian: Вале́рия И́горевна Дуди́нская); born 1 March 1984, Moscow) ...

Best Art Direction *''Dance to the Party'' — Directed by

Wayne Isham Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958) is an American film director and music video director who has directed films and music videos of many popular artists. Early life and education Isham was born in December 2, 1958. He attended the University ...

Best Documentary *''Ballad of the Righteous Merchant'' — Directed by

Herbert Golder Herbert Golder (born 1952) is a professor of Classical Studies at Boston University. He has a Ph.D. in classical languages and literature from Yale University. His specialty is Greek mythology and he has to his credit a number of books and films. ...

Best Cinematography *''Ivanov'' — Cinematography by Georges Lechaptois Best Animated Film *''Moon's Milk'' — Directed by Ri Crawford Best Experimental Film *''It Grows Dark'' — Directed by Benjamin Capps

2017

Grand Prix *''

'' – Directed by Milos Radovic Best Feature Film *''Train Driver's Diary'' – Directed by Milos Radovic Best Director * Alexei Krasovsky – '' Collector'' Best Screenplay *

and Magdalena Zyzak – ''

'' Best Cinematography * Rana Kamran – ''

Mah e Mir ''Mah e Mir'' ( ur, , lit=Moon of Mir) is a 2016 Pakistani biographical film directed by Anjum Shahzad, produced by Khurram Rana, Sahir Rasheed, Badar Ikram and written by Sarmad Sehbai. The film is based on the life of the famous poet Mir Taq ...

'' Best Actor *

– ''Train Driver's Diary'' *

– ''Collector'' Best Actress *

– ''Maya Dardel'' Best Short Film * ''The Light Thief'' – Eva Daoud Best Experimental Film * ''Time – Retrograde'' — Directed by David Ellis Best Art Direction * ''Ghosts on the Road to Camalt'' – Directed by Jason Tovey Best Music Video * ''God Came 'Round'' – Directed by

Derek Frey Derek Frey (born April 23, 1973) is an American film producer and director who is the current head of Tim Burton Productions and Lazer Film Productions. He has been a producer on numerous Tim Burton-directed films including ''Miss Peregrine's H ...

Best Student Film * ''Muñecas'' – Directed by Ozzy Ozuna Gustav Meyrink Prize (Jury Prize) * ''Collector'' – Directed by Alexei Krasovsky

2016

Grand Prix * '' Sinking of Sozopol'' — Directed by Kostadin Bonev Best Feature Film * ''

'' — Directed by

Best Director * Kostadin Bonev — ''Sinking of Sozopol'' Best Screenplay *

— ''Rocco Has Your Name'' Best Cinematography * Konstantin Zankov — ''Sinking of Sozopol'' Best Actor *

— Rocco Has Your Name Best Actress *

— Despite the Falling Snow Best Supporting Actor *

— Despite the Falling Snow Best Short Film * ''Cora'' — Directed by Kevin Maxwell Best Experimental Film * ''NO SIGNAL'' — Directed by David Ellis Best Animated Film * ''

'' — Directed by Aleksey Tsitsilin Best Comedy Film * ''Seth'' — Directed by Zach Lasry Best Horror Film * ''Woods'' — Directed by Sean van Leijenhorst Best Art Direction * ''Forgiveness'' — Directed by Rima Irani Best Special Effects * ''Forgiveness'' — Directed by Rima Irani Best Music Score * ''Green Lake'' — Directed by Derek Frey Best Music Video * ''FIRE'' by

The Winery Dogs The Winery Dogs are an American rock supergroup formed in 2012 by Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy. Background The idea of the band started out as a project featuring drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist Billy Sheehan, who were aimin ...

— Directed by Steven Lyon

References

{{reflist
Pražský festival nezávislých filmů , atlasceska.cz (Czech)

External links

Official website of the Prague Independent Film Festival

PIFF 2016 Press Release
Film festivals in Prague August events Summer events in the Czech Republic