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• “How much does your building weigh, Mr. Foster?” awarded the Silver Audience Award 2011 at Kaunas International Film Festival 2011 october 9 The viewers of Kaunas International Film Festival 2011 selected their favourite film –“How much does your building weigh, Mr. Foster?” by two Spanish directors Norbert López Amado and Carlos Carcaso. In second place was Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki film “Le Havre” followed by the Italian work “Ten winters” in the third place. The public also noted and enjoyed the award winning “A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi from Iran (Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival) and “A Tree of Life” by Terence Malick (Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival).

• Films created in Bela Tarr master classes were presented in Kaunas International Film Festival closure 2011 october 9 In the evening of October 9, Kaunas International Film Festival presented films, made in Bela Tarr two-day master classes at café “Suflerio būdelė, The 5th Kaunas International Film Festival and “MEDIA Desk Lithuania” arranged an event and invited 6 young film makers by giving them an exclusive opportunity to create with a legendary Hungarian director Bela Tarr. Film professionals were able to develop their knowledge of how modern technologies influence filmmaking. Each participant launched into cinematic wandering with a camera round Kaunas bus station and made a short film.

• On October 9 - last films in Kaunas International Film Festival screens 2011 october 8 Kaunas International Film Festival draws to an end in Kaunas and Vilnius. 9 September in Kaunas festival invited to a closing film “Chico and Rita” and the announcement of the winner of “Silver” audience award.

• This weekend – the opening of Daumantas Narkevičius “Restricted Sensation” 2011 october 7 Kaunas International Film Festival invited its viewers to the premiere of the latest film of Deimantas Narkevičius “Restricted Sensation” with the director present for Q&A. This film was presented to Kaunas and Vilnius audience.

• Read the reviews written during the critic‘s workshop of Kaunas International Film Festival 2011 october 4 This year a critic‘s workshops was held at Kaunas International Film Festival to give the young film critics the opportunity to express their thoughts not only in the close circle of friends in the form of discussion, but as well to write them down and share with the crowd of film viewers. For five days the participants worked closely and intensively with the prestigious film critic Boyd van Hoeij from Luxembourg trying to deepen their view about the specifics of film criticism, analyzing film from the festival and later expressing their impressions and observations in their reviews.

• Argentinean filmmakers visit Lithuania 2011 october 3 On the 4th of October Kaunas International Film Festival premiered the Argentinian film “Las Acacias” from the Cannes International Film Festival earlier this year. During the screenings of the film in Kaunas and Vilnius the festival audience had the opportunity to meet both the director Pablo Giorgelli and the editor Maria Astrauskas.

• Kaunas International Film Festival presents the school project “Learning from Films” 2011 october 2 This year the repertoire of the Kaunas International Film Festival included several films as the part of the new education project “Learning from Films”. During the festival viewers had the possibility the famous film “A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi from Iran and Swedish directors‘ Babak Najafi piece about adolescence, isolation and poverty “Sebbe”. As well groups of pupils were offered special sessions of thematically relevant films such as “Hands Up”, “Against All Odds”, “The Graveyard Keeper’s Daughter” and “Dresses, Mothers and Daughters”.

• Guests from US, Poland and Luxemburg visited Kaunas 2011 october 1 This year Kaunas International Film Festival invited the audience to good cinematic screenings of high artistic value including to meetings with film makers from US, Poland and Luxemburg. In Kaunas, the Polish director Leszek Dawid, presented his film “My name is Ki”. This film reveals a portrait of modern woman and brings society’s disfavor to a lonely mother up-to-date.

• A flash of New York in Kaunas International Film Festival 2011 september 30 The audience of Kaunas International Film Festival enjoyed an experimental cinema programme, curated by Jonas Mekas. It was an avant-garde female film programme, specially composed for a festival, a particular program – “Tribute to Adolfas Mekas” and the latest films of Jonas Mekas were demonstrated in special screenings. 30 September the audience had an opportunity to set eyes on Jonas Mekas film “Was There a War?” and in the evening –the Lithuanian premiere of Mekas latest film “My Paris Movie”. The filmmaker had filmed footage from visits in Paris over a nineteen years period of time. The playful film shows Jonas Mekas love for Paris.

• Kaunas International Film Festival invites to discover the Slovak new wave films 2011 september 28 Kaunas International Film Festival 5th edition invites the audience to discover one of the most interesting phases of cinematic history and invited to Slovak cinematic retrospective “New Wave“. Festival opening of the retrospective took place on 29 September 7 p.m. in “Zalgiris arena”. The creative Slovak cinematic golden age came to broader light only at the end of the eighties, when Czechoslovakia struggled free from a socialistic regime. By then, films, made in the sixties, were hid away from viewers and film makers were ignored for a long time. Today, Slovak new wave films are appreciated for aesthetics and ideas and, together with works of Czech filmmakers are considered as “Czechoslovak cinematic wonder“.

• Kaunas International Film Festival was opened with a premiere of a Lithuanian film 2011 september 27 Kaunas International Film Festival, one of the most important Lithuanian cinematic events has began. The festival opened by a Lithuanian film „The Field of Magic“ premiere in Kaunas cinema “Cinamon”. The best films of contemporary cinema and retrospectives will be also shown in “Zalgiris arena” and Kaunas District Public Library. Next week the festival is coming to Vilnius and other cities. During the opening Kaunas Film Festival was congratulated Minister of Culture Arūnas Gelūnas and Mayor of Kaunas City Rimantas Mikaitis. Opening film “The Field of Magic“ director Mindaugas Survila and the film crew met the audience. The young director made a warm and poetic story about people who were estranged by a society.

• Béla Tarr is coming back to Kaunas with “The Turin Horse” and special masterclass courses 2011 september 19 Organizers of Kaunas International Film Festival have promised a surprise: a Hungarian film directorBélaTarr is coming back to Kaunas for the second year in a row. One of the famous master of auteur cinema is going to present his latest film “The Turin Horse”, winner of Silver Bear and FIPRESCI at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Moreover, an iconic director will take camera and teach young cinema trainees. B. Tarr has announced that “The Turin Horse is his final film. Director feels he has said everything and do not want to reiterate so he has decided to make a pause and give of his time to help young film makers.

• Kaunas Film Festival and Silver channel to present the Audience Award for the second year 2011 september 14 For the second year in a row, the viewers of Kaunas International Film Festival will be entitled to vote for and award the film that they like best. This is the continuing cooperation between the Festival and the quality film channel Silver managed by Turner Broadcasting System. The film of the viewer’s choice will be presented with the Silver Audience Award Cup and receive free marketing on the channels Silver and Star! in the Baltics.

• The 5th Kaunas International Film Festival to be opened by Mindaugas Survila’s film The Field of Magic 2011 august 18 For the second year in a row, Kaunas International Film Festival will be opened by a Lithuanian film – this year it will be the documentary The Field of Magic by Mindaugas Survila. The premiere of the story about the people who have been living in the Buda Forest near the former Karijotiškės landfill for over 20 years will take place in Kaunas on September 27. “We are establishing a tradition to begin the programme of the Festival with a Lithuanian film – last year we screened Eastern Drift by Šarūnas Bartas, and this year we chose the work of Mindaugas Survila who represents the young generation of Lithuanian filmmakers. Each year, we try to introduce both renowned Lithuanian works of cinematography and promising filmmakers,” said the Festival’s director Ilona Jurkonytė.

• CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS Kaunas IFF Film Journalism Workshop 2011 2011 august 13 As an observatory member of the NISI MASA network, Kaunas International Film Festival has a big pleasure to present it‘s first upcoming film journalism workshop, which will take place from 28th of September to the 3rd of October, during Kaunas IFF.

• Last chance to submit your film for the 5th Kaunas International Film Festival 2011 may 25 Kaunas International Film Festival calls filmmakers to submit their films for this year’s programme. Films fitting into one of the programme sections – “Identity”, “All the Muses”, “Music Moves the World” and the short film programme – have to be submitted by June 24.

• Kaunas International Film Festival launches cooperation with young film artists 2011 may 3 Kaunas International Film Festival has become the official representative of the European network of film associations NISI MASA in Lithuania. The membership of the Lithuanian festival in this project will open up wide opportunities of international projects and festivals not only for young film artists and critics, but also for film students and other players of the film industry.

• Kaunas International Film Festival Silver Audience Award goes to Heartbeats 2010 october 12 The viewers of Kaunas International Film Festival voted for their favourite films this year and chose Heartbeats (Les Amours Imaginaires), directed by the Canadian wonder boy Xavier Dolan as the best film of the Festival. The producers of the film will receive the Silver Audience Award Cup and a valuable prize: substantial marketing of the film on all Non Stop Television channels - including the “Silver” channel.

• Voting for the best film of Kaunas Film Festival begins 2010 october 3 Kaunas International Film Festival, in cooperation with the quality film TV channel “Silver”, announced the audience award competition. The authors of the winning film will receive the “Silver Audience Award” Cup and substantial marketing of the film on all Non Stop Television channels including the “Silver” channel.

• Filmmakers, critics and inspirations to gather in Kaunas in October 2010 september 16 It’s less than two weeks before Kaunas begins accepting special guests including world-famous filmmakers, critics, film industry representatives and even actors. This year, Kaunas International Film Festival will host a record number of guests and organise events in various venues all over the city. The organisers of the Festival promise to turn Kaunas into a real capital of film in October.

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