Program Director Bernd Buder was at the Offcamera Film Festival in Krakow for FilmFestival Cottbus.
He was a jury member there for the Polish Competition, together with Debbie McWilliams (casting agent from Great Britain ) and Marianne Bilcher (director from Denmark).Debbie McWilliams, by the way, was a casting director for the James Bond films for many years.
In Krakow, the following films were awarded, which were shown at the 2022 FilmFestival Cottbus in the Feature Film Competition:
Audience Award:
KOBIETA NA DACHU
Woman on the Roof
Anna Jadowska PL/FR/SE , 2022, 95 min
Mirka always wanted to please everyone. But now the money is not even enough to feed the fish in the aquarium. The wife and mother has always lived according to the wishes of others - until a desperate act changes everything: Misstep or emancipation? Haunting, quiet film about a 60-year-old who, slowly but surely, embarks on the rocky road to becoming herself.
Fipresci Award:
Chleb I Sól
Bread And Salt
Damian Kocur PL, 2022, 100 Min
Polish kebab stall racism meets successful young pianist with a hip-hop look. Tymek visits his prefab home and discovers that, apart from his love for the piano, he no longer has much in common with his brother Jacek. The film stylishly composes a clique dynamic between partying, aggression and peer pressure, which Tymek eventually gets carried away by - with tragic consequences.