First Crossings: who is going to choose the best student film?

The recipient of the First Crossings Award for the best student film will be decided by an international jury of four filmmakers and short film experts: Alessandro Comodin, João Nicolau, Ester Ivakič and Jukka-Pekka Laakso.

The jury will view the competition program on Friday, 2 October, when two programs of student films from Slovenia, Italy, Croatia and Austria will be screened at 10:00 and 12:30 at Kinemax in Gorizia. The selection was created as part of the First Crossings platform, which Kinoatelje has been developing since 2018 in collaboration with film academies and schools on both sides of the border and throughout the wider region. This year, the programme takes on a competitive character for the first time, with a €500 cash prize.

Alessandro Comodin is an Italian filmmaker whose films often move between documentary and fiction, between observing reality and a freer form of cinematic storytelling. His film I tempi felici verranno presto will also be presented at Tribute to a Vision.

 

 

 

João Nicolau comes from Portugal. He is a director, screenwriter, editor and musician whose films combine humour, music, fantasy and a playful approach to cinematic form. As part of this year’s festival programme, he will present his new film A Providência e a Guitarra and also take part in a conversation about his work.

 

 

 

 

Ester Ivakič is a Slovenian filmmaker of the younger generation, known for her short films and her feature debut Ida, ki je pela tako grdo, da so še mrtvi vstali od mrtvih in zapeli z njo. Her work explores intimate relationships, everyday life and unusual shifts between the real and the imaginary, while remaining open to playfulness and experimentation.

 

 

Jukka-Pekka Laakso has been the director of the Tampere Film Festival since 2002, one of Europe’s most important short film festivals, which annually presents a broad cross-section of contemporary short film production. At this year’s Tribute to a Vision, in addition to serving on the jury, he will also present a selection of Finnish short films in the Excursion: Finland section, taking place on Wednesday, 30 September at 20:30 at the Kulturni dom in Nova Gorica.

 

 

The student films will thus have the opportunity to be viewed and discussed at the festival by four filmmakers with very different cinematic experiences – ranging from auteur cinema and experimentation to many years of curatorial work with the short form. The winner will be announced on Friday, 2 October, at 20:00 at Kinemax, during the ceremonial presentation of the Darko Bratina and First Crossings Awards. In addition to the cash prize, the winning film will also be publicly presented as part of the festival evening.