PRESS release
The 30th International Festival of Local Televisions, Golden Beggar, concluded on Saturday, October 19, with a festive awards ceremony honoring the best short films from around the world. A total of 140 productions represented 44 countries. Among the most successful countries were the USA, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and, surprisingly, Slovakia.
Surprisingly, because for the first time, Slovak local television stations also entered the competition. Four stations—TV Hlohovec, TV Trnava, TV Rimava, and Bardejov Television—participated. Lucia Michelčíková, Head of Communications at the Council for Media Services, awarded the Council’s Prize for the best documentary to “Projekt Agátka” from TV Rimava. But the other local stations were not left without awards either. Bardejov Television won the award for best war-themed documentary for a film about the Slovak National Uprising. Samuel Rosický from Trnava received the award for best report, and TV Hlohovec won the award for a series of news contributions from their local broadcast.
The festival program had to be shortened due to financial constraints, but this shorter version still delivered many great moments, as those who were a part of it would surely attest. One of the standout moments of the festival was the pre-premiere of the Slovak feature film Professional Parent, presented in person by the young, talented director Erik Jasaň. The screening took place for the fifth time at the Detention Facility on Floriánska Street, where prisoners had the opportunity to be the first to see his film.
The film’s premiere then took place on Thursday at the Veritas Cultural Center, with a large turnout, especially of young viewers. After Jasaň’s film, another young Slovak filmmaker, Lukáš Vízner, had the chance to showcase his work. His collection of films charmed the audience with its subtlety, emotion, and display of great talent, earning him the award for Best Student Film in the international competition. Both Vízner’s and Jasaň’s works have recently garnered much interest and confirmed the rise of a strong new generation of Slovak filmmakers.
Both films were part of the international competition, which this year was exceptionally exciting and filled with great films. In a time when war is raging in many parts of the world, several films with comedic elements appeared, more so than in previous years. One example of this was the winning film The Ballad by French filmmaker Christopher Nilsson, in which “a disgruntled deliveryman, in a split second, decides to rebel, resulting in an awkward, spiraling dance between the social classes of the 21st century.”
One of the festival’s final evenings was dedicated to the film Waves, a story about tragic events from the 1960s, presented in a modern style with hits from that era. The emotional audience left the theater, some even in tears.
The festival’s closing night featured the awards ceremony. Throughout the evening, viewers were guided by the festival director in the unusual role of host. Who better to know about the festival than her? The audience learned many behind-the-scenes details from both the festival’s history and its present. Singer Marcela Molnárová created a unique atmosphere with her breathtaking chanson performances, contributing to an unforgettable, intimate closing of the evening.
A serious issue for the festival has become the inability of the awarded filmmakers to attend in person. In addition to high personal expenses for participants, there are also significant costs associated with preparing foreign films for screening.
Unfortunately, this reflects the reality that the festival operates on a very small budget, and neither the city nor the region offered support this year, despite it being the 30th anniversary of the festival.
Despite this challenge, we must acknowledge that the registered films this year were of exceptional quality. Every other production was of high caliber. Some countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the USA, and the United Kingdom, achieved an incredible 100% success rate in pre-selection. Finally, here is the list of awarded films.
The Grand Prix of the festival was awarded to the film The Ballad by French director Christoper Nilsson for the best film in competition.
Eva Dekanovská, Košice, 20.10.2024
Protocol of Awarded Films
1. GRAND PRIX for the Best Film
THE BALLAD
directed by Christofer Nilsson, France
2. The Best Young Author‘s film
PURGATORY
directed by Lukáš Vízner, Slovakia
3. The Best Documentary under 55 min.
The Eternal Emperor – The True Story of Franz Joseph I
directed by Martin Koddenberg, Germany
4. The Best Documentary short under 25 min.
TWO CUPS OF TEA
directed by Cecilia Palmeri, Italy
5. SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE JURY
Category Life with War
SOIL
directed by Sina Tebyan Amir Hosseini , Iran
6. SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE JURY
For The Best Screenplay
V’s Secret
directed by Bassma Nancy Farah
6. The Best Music Video
Nightwish-Perfume Of The Timeless
directed by Ville Lipiainen, Finland
7 The Best Animation
TRAINSPIRED
directed by Stephen Shelton, United Kingdom
8. The Best Director Short Film
TWO CUPS OF TEA
Directed by Cecilia Palmeri , Italy
9. The Best Actor
VICENZO NAMOLATO
in DELAY, Germany
10. The Best Cinematographer
ROBERTO GALANTE
La Lixeira / France
11. AUDIENCE PRIZE
CATFIGHT