The Fifth Ukrainian National Film Critics Award "Kinokolo" Announces its Winners
Ceremony in the bunker: despite the war, the ceremony was held in Ukraine to award cinematographers on behalf of the Ukrainian film critics' community.
The ceremony of the Fifth National Film Critics Award "Kinokolo" was held in Ukraine on the 20th of October. The event was broadcasted live on the national public TV channel Suspilne Kultura from a bunker studio.
Ukrainian cinema critics recognized Pamfir as the Best Feature Film. Its author Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk was recognized as the Best Director and Scriptwriter, and also received the Discovery of the Year prize for the best full-length debut. The leading actor Oleksandr Yatsentiuk received the Best Actor award. The film tells the story of a man who returns home to the Western Ukraine from his work abroad before the traditional Malanka carnival and rebuilds connections with his turbulent past. The world premiere of the film took place during the Directors' Fortnight program of this year's Cannes Festival.
Oksana Cherkashyna was recognized as the Best Actress for the lead role in Klondike (this is her second "Kinokolo" statuette after the Bad Roads in 2020). The film of director and screenwriter Natalka Vorozhbyt Are you OK? about the war-traumatized Ukrainian girl in Europe won in the nomination of the Best Short Feature Film. Oleksii Radynskyi's Infinity: According to Florian about the legendary Kyiv architect Florian Yuriev was recognized as the Best Documentary. The prize for the Best Animated Film was awarded to WIR, EUROPA by Maryna Stepanska and Anna Dudko — a book trailer to Laurent Gaudé's poem Nous, l'Europe. Banquet des Peuples. The award For Achievements was received by film historians of the Dovzhenko-Center state film archive Stanislav Bytiutskyi, Aliona Penzii, and Oleksandr Teliuk, who organized the Strange, Chimeric, Fantastic, a cycle of public screenings of rare Ukrainian films in 2022.
Special awards were received by Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius (posthumously), who was taken hostage and killed by Russian soldiers in late March during the shooting of his film Mariupolis 2, as well as Dmytro "Orest" Kozatskyi — a defender of Mariupol, who co-directed The Last Day at Azovstal and shared the legendary photos of “Azovstal” with the world.
The National Award of Film Critics "Kinokolo" was established in 2018 as an annual award to recognize the achievements of Ukrainian cinematography and film industry figures over the past year on behalf of Ukraine's film critics' community. In the previous years, Stop-Zemlia, Atlantis, Homeward, and Donbas have named the best films of the year.
The award ceremony was held live at the Suspilne Kultura TV channel. According to the tradition, it took place on the day of the Kyiv Critics’ Week opening, which lasts up to the 26th of October.
List of prize winners:
The Best Feature Film
Pamfir, director: Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk, production: Oleksandra Kostina, Yevheniia Yatsuta, Artem Koliubaiev, Aliona Tymoshenko, Laura Briand, Bohdana Shevchyk, Claudia Smeya-Rostvorovska, Giancarlo Nasi, Adolf El-Assal, Silvana Santamaria.
The Best Short Feature Film
Are You OK?, director: Natalka Vorozhbyt, production: Denys Krupnov, Natalka Vorozhbyt.
The Best Documentary
Infinity: According to Florian, director: Oleksii Radynskyi, production: Liuba Knorozok.
The Best Animated Film
WIR, EUROPA, directors: Maryna Stepanska, Anna Dudko, production: Halyna Shyian.
Discovery of the Year
Pamfir, director: Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk.
The Best Director/Directress
Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk (Pamfir).
The Best Actor
Oleksandr Yatsentiuk — Pamfir, director: Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk.
The Best Actress
Oksana Cherkashyna — Klondike, director: Maryna Er Horbach.
The Best Screenplay (full-length and short fiction films)
Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk — Pamfir.
For Achievements (to Ukrainian authors of works about Ukrainian or foreign cinema, as well as to international authors of works on Ukrainian cinema — to film critics, film historians, journalists, curators, bloggers etc.).
Stanislav Bytiutskyi, Aliona Penzii, Oleksandr Teliuk for the cycle of film screenings Strange, Chimeric, Fantastic.
Special awards
Dmytro "Orest" Kozatskyi, Mantas Kvedaravicius.
Backstage of the ceremony in the bunker