International Ethnographic Film Festival: Celebrating Cinema
This year, the International Ethnographic Film Festival 'OKO' (MECF) brought together multiple countries and cities, including Kiev, Bolhrad, Sofia, Kamianets-Podilskyi, and Odesa, creating a vibrant platform for cultural exchange and dialogue.
In the Bulgarian capital, at the City Mark Art Center, distinguished guests such as politicians, filmmakers, cultural researchers, and film enthusiasts gathered to reflect on the festival's outcomes and announce the winners, celebrating films that profoundly explore human experiences.
Winners of OKO GLOBAL FICTION:
- Jury Grand Prize – 'Reed', directed by Cemil Aadjikoglu (Turkey, Bulgaria);
- Special Jury Prize for Ethnographic Representation – 'Banzō', directed by Margarida Cardoso (Portugal, France, Netherlands);
- Jury Special Mention – 'Id', directed by Youssef Abo Madeghim (Israel).
Winners of OKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION:
- Jury Grand Prize – 'To the West. To Zapata', directed by David Beam (Cuba, Spain);
- Special Jury Prize for Ethnographic Representation – 'Silent Observers', directed by Eliza Petkova (Bulgaria, Germany);
- Jury Special Mention – 'Mashtat', directed by Sonia Ben Slama (France, Lebanon, Tunisia).
Winners of NASHE OKO:
- Jury Grand Prize – 'Father's Lullaby', directed by Lesya Dyak (Ukraine, Romania, Croatia);
- Special Jury Prize for Ethnographic Representation – 'A Little Foreign', directed by Svitlana Lishchynska (Ukraine, Germany, Sweden).
The jury awarded a special mention to the film 'Checkpoint Zoo', directed by Joshua Zeman (USA, Ukraine) for its truthful portrayal of Russian crimes against people and animals.
Moreover, the special jury prize for the best Ukrainian film went to 'My Morning Routine', directed by Vadym Adamov (Ukraine). The jury also made a special mention for 'I Died in Irpin', directed by Anastasia Falileeva (Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic) for its poignant storytelling.
Audience favorites included:
- Grand Prix from Ukrainian audience – 'Search Trilogy: Separation', directed by Sofia Hera (Ukraine);
- Grand Prix from Ukrainian Online Audience – 'Rock, Paper, Scissors', directed by Franz Boem (UK);
- Bolhrad City Council Audience Prize – 'Spirit of Masquerade Games', directed by Rositsa Lazarova Sbarali (Italy, Bulgaria);
- Grand Prix from Bulgarian audience – '2000 Meters to Andriivka', directed by Mstyslav Chernov (Ukraine, USA).
