CAMERIMAGE 2017 STUDENT ETUDES COMPETITION LINE-UP!

Thursday October 12th, 2017

We announce the line-up of the Student Etudes Competition of the 25^th anniversary edition of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE.

First held in 1997, Student Etudes Competition supports the development of novice filmmakers and provides unique opportunity to confront cinematic achievements of students from various parts of the world. Each year, a growing number of film schools submit their best etudes for consideration of the Camerimage selection committee. The winners are chosen by an international jury of prominent filmmakers and industry professionals.

The author of the best cinematography wins the coveted Laszlo Kovacs Student Award - The Golden Tadpole. Silver and Bronze Tadpoles are awarded for the second and third place respectively. Additionally, Polish Filmmakers Association will award the winner of the Student Etudes Competition a cheque for PLN 10 000.

Across the Street

Rose spends her entire days spying on her neighbours trying to find a criminal among them. Her husband quietly endures his wife’s insanity until one day her paranoia seems to become reality...

Original title: En face
Director: Jeanne Privat
Cinematographer: Tom Durand

School: Institut National Superieur des Arts du Spectacle et des Techniques de Diffusion (INSAS)
Belgium, 2016

All of Us

For almost a decade, Kenya has been targeted by Al-Shabaab’s terrorist attacks. An atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust between Muslims and Christians is growing. That is, until December 2015, when Muslim bus passengers show that solidarity can prevail.

Original title: Watu Wote
Director: Katja Benrath
Cinematographer: Felix Striegel
School: Hamburg Media School (HMS)
Namibia, Germany, 2017

Benny Got Shot

When Naomi, a young autopsy assistant at the LA County Coroner’s office, realises her brother has gone missing on the night of a police shooting, she is forced to confront her worst fear – that his body may be in the morgue.

Director: Malcolm Washington
Cinematographer: Kristen Correll
School: American Film Institute Conservatory
USA, 2016

Black Hours

Frank burns himself to death at work in protest against the inhumane working conditions there. Two stories emerge from this tragic incident. Léa, Frank’s wife, who is searching for the truth; and Igor, an employee who finds the dead body and steals the letter of protest for fear of losing his job.

Original title: Les Heures-Encre
Director: Wendy Pillonel
Cinematographer: Ramón Königshausen
School: Zürcher Hochschule der Künste - Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)
Switzerland, 2016

Car Called Victory, A

The late ’40s. A boy ignores his parents´ warnings and talks to a stranger in a brand-new GAZ-M20 ‘Victory’ who promises to teach him to drive. But this promise has severe consequences.

Original title: Pobeda
Director: Vladislav Mukovnin
Cinematographer: Ermins Baltais
School: Tallinn University Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School (BFM)
Estonia, 2017

Chocolate Soldier, The

In the twilight of the Second World War, a young refugee girl makes an unlikely connection with an enemy soldier.

Director: Jackson Smith
Cinematographer: Seannie Bryan
School: Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University
USA, 2017

Come Out of the Woods

Three brothers living in rural Scotland struggle to find intimacy and stability as they attempt to navigate their survival around a corrupt local police officer and the mysterious appearance of a girl’s body on their land.

Director: Jonny Blair
Cinematographer: Anna MacDonald
School: National Film and Television School (NFTS)
UK, 2017

Craftsman, A

Herman’s home has never felt so empty: the things she left behind; the cold side of her bed; the loss of his late wife – his life – seeps through every inch of the space they once shared. Overcome with grief, Herman, a skilled woodworker, begins to build the coffin that will be his final resting place. A neighbour visits.

Director: Sanford Jenkins
Cinematographers: Tanmay Chowdhary, Madeline Leach
School: University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts
USA, 2017

Dreaming of Warsaw

One day in the life of three people who are on a collision course. A father and a son leave an immigration camp and move to Warsaw. A young thug, following his father’s orders, tries to take over a car park. Their encounter leads to tragedy.

Original title: Sen o Warszawie
Director: Mateusz Czuchnowski
Cinematographer: Mateusz Czuchnowski
School: Szkoła Filmowa w Łodzi
Poland, 2017

Earthly People

Twelve-year-old Ábel has to face the fact that his parents are living in two completely different galaxies in the universe. Now he has to decide which one he belongs to.

Original title: Földiek
Director: Ádám Freund
Cinematographer: Mátyás Gyuricza
School: Színház- és Filmművészeti Egyetem - University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest (SZFE)
Hungary, 2017

From Mars and Venus

Gijs (17) sails together with his father on an internship from the Netherlands to Wallonia. It has been a long time since the father and son were dependent on each other. On the deck, their communication flows naturally, but words are not as easily found in their personal conversations. Sometimes Gijs feels the need to dress as a woman. He hides this part of himself, afraid of what others might think.

Original title: Van Mars en Venus
Director: Kevin Kok
Cinematographer: Olaf Van Dam
School: Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht - University of the Arts Utrecht (HKU)
Netherlands, 2017

Harevan

Constrained by her shyness, Clemence struggles to build relationships with others. To help, she spends time with her Armenian neighbour, in whom she finds a confidant.

Director: Marilou Caravecchia-Pelletier
Cinematographer: Marianne Fortier

School: École des médias l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
Canada, 2017

Heimat

A short story about five members of a very specific family. They meet at the police station. Three grown up children have to testify against the man who assaulted their father.

Director: Emi Buchwald
Cinematographer: Tomasz Gajewski
School: Szkoła Filmowa w Łodzi
Poland, 2017

Léo

Desperate to make money, Léo accepts a job smuggling a refugee couple through France. However, Léo and the couple have separate expectations concerning their destination. He’s forced to confront the couple, his boss, and himself to understand how far he’s really willing to go for these people he never intended to help.

Director: Julian Alexander
Cinematographer: Luis Zarzo Escabias
School: Northern Film School, Leeds Beckett University
France, UK, 2017

Like Father, Like Son

On the eve of his child’s birth, James returns to his childhood home and is overwhelmed by the memories of his workaholic father, Matt, who he finally walked out on when he was 20. James lived, worked, and became successful without much contact with his father. One night he receives a call from a doctor telling him that his father is sick. James visits him one last time and finds that he doesn’t have anyone to help him.

Director: Kristen Correll
Cinematographer: Han-Seok Yoon
School: American Film Institute Conservatory
USA, 2016

Lucha: Fight, Wrestle, Struggle

After the death of his father, Mexican luchador (pro wrestler) Jorge returns to the gym where he grew up, facing the violence and memories he long tried to forget.

Original title: LUCHA
Director: Eddie Rubio
Cinematographer: Emiliano Alcazar
School: Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC)
Mexico, 2017

Manners of Dying

Harry Parlington, the warden of a death row facility, has supervised many executions. He separated himself from the emotions the prisoners evoked by hiding behind a wall of procedures and lies repeated so often that he has started to believe them. It is young convict Kevin Barlow who holds the keys to his humanity.

Polish title: Rodzaje umierania

Director: Bo-You Niou
Cinematographer: Jessica Pantoja
School: American Film Institute Conservatory
USA, 2016

Origin

A young boy in rural Yugoslavia is raised to fear the world outside by his war-weary father. As their living conditions deteriorate, the boy begins to doubt his father's sanity and resist his rigid authority.

Polish title: Geneza
Director: Jordan Nikolic
Cinematographer: Lasse Tolbøll
School: New York University (NYU) - Tisch School of the Arts, Institute of Film and TV
USA, 2016

Rocco

Carlos’ crisis seems to get worse when he gets home and finds out that his dog, Rocco, bit the neighbours’ son. Although his son, Luis, tries to prove his dog is innocent, Carlos’ neighbours threaten him with the possibility of removing the dog from the building. It seems that Luis is the only one who can save Rocco by telling the truth...

Director: Gerard Nogueira
Cinematographer: Martín Urrea
School: Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya (ESCAC)
Spain, 2017

Säde

Tristan is a single father in his 30s who has spent the past few years in prison for causing a house fire that seriously injured his little daughter. On the day of his release and return home, he aims to meet his 8-year-old daughter, whom he hasn't seen since the accident, and ask for her forgiveness.

Director: Rebeka Rummel
Cinematographer: Peter Kollanyi
School: Tallinn University Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School (BFM)
Estonia, 2017

Time to Go

Marta works at her father’s auto repair shop. After her boyfriend is arrested, Marta is faced with a difficult choice: to stay loyal to her father, or to do what it takes to get her boyfriend released. Marta’s situation is complicated by a secret that she needs to reveal to both of the men in her life.

Original title: Koniec widzenia
Director: Grzegorz Mołda
Cinematographer: Maciej Miller
School: Gdyńska Szkoła Filmowa
Poland, 2017

We Take You

Aminah, a Syrian woman, flees from her human traffickers in South Tyrol. A young couple in a camper van take her with them. However, the young tourist is pregnant, so the attempt to smuggle Aminah across the border is particularly risky.

Director: David Wagner
Cinematographer: Johannes Kaczmarczyk
School: Hamburg Media School (HMS)
Austria, Germany, 2017