Kinotavr Film Festival announces winners

Director Alexander Veledinsky’s The Geographer Drank Away His Globe (2013) won the Grand Prix at the Kinotavr Russian Film Festival in the Olympic city of Sochi on Sunday evening.

The screen adaptation of the best-selling book of the same name by Alexei Ivanov follows the life of Viktor Sluzhkin, a teacher of geography in a secondary school in the Ural city of Perm. The comedy chronicles the stresses of his work, family and love for a student. Actor Konstantin Khabensky, who previously played a Russian spy in the British film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), took best actor for his portrayal of Sluzhkin. Made for a Russian audience, it remains to be seen whether the film will gain any platforms internationally.

Documentary maker Vitaly Mansky won best director for Pipeline (2013), a journey along the length of a gas pipeline that runs from Western Siberia to Western Europe, explores the commonalities between the different groups that live along the route. Pipeline also took the critics’ prize.

Natalia Merkulova’s and Alexei Chupov’s sex comedy Intimate Parts (2013), a favourite among many festival attendees, walked away with the best debut prize and best actress for Yulia Aug. A collection of separate, unrelated stories, the film delves into the sex lives of middle-class Muscovites to a degree not seen in Russian film before. In development for over three years, the films comes at a time when the Russian government is pushing a more conservative agenda as to the sexual morals of the country, including a law banning ‘gay propaganda’. There has been speculation that the film could have troubles gaining distribution in Russia. It will have its international premiere at Karlovy Vary Film Festival in July.

Kinotavr is the largest festival of national cinema of its kind in the world. It will celebrate its 25th anniversay next year.

Full Prize Winners

Grand Prix
The Geographer Drank Away His Globe (2013)
Dir: Alexander Veledinsky

Best Director
Vitaly Mansky
Film: Pipeline (2013)

Best Debut
Intimate Parts (2013)
Dir: Natalia Merkulova & Alexei Chupov

Best Actress
Yulia Aug
Film: Intimate Parts (2013)

Best Actor
Konstantin Khabensky
Film: The Geographer Drank Away His Globe(2013)

Best Cinematography
Shandor Berkeshi
Film: Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari (2012)

Best Script
Denis Osokin
Film: Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari (2012)

Best Music
Alexei Zubarev
Film: The Geographer Drank Away His Globe (2013)

Special Jury Diploma
Male actor ensemble of film Thirst (2013)

Film Distributors Prize
The Geographer Drank Away His Globe (2013
Dir: Alexander Veledinsky

Best Short Film
F5 (2012)
Dir: Timofey Shalnin

Guild of Film Critics & Academics Prize
Pipeline (2013)
Dir: Vitaly Mansky

Guild of Film Critics & Academics Diplomas
Intimate Parts (2013)
Dir: Natalia Merkulova &A lexei Chupov

Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari (2012)
Dir: Alexei Fedorchenko

Audience Prize for films shown on the square
Legend No 17 (2012)
Dir: Nikolai Lebedev