“Charcoal Burners” Awarded in Zagreb
Smolarze (The Charcoal Burners) by Piotr Złotorowicz received the Small Stamp award for best film by a young documentary filmmaker at the 7th ZagrebDox International Documentary Film Festival.
Jury members Duro Gavran, Iva Mrkić and Igor Bezinović recognized The Charcoal Burners for portraying “an unusual everyday summer life”. The jury was also impressed by “the directing minimalism in depicting a tranquil atmosphere.”
Director Piotr Złotorowicz (born in 1982) graduated from the Electrical Department of the Szczecin Technical University. In 2006, he began his studies at the Directing Department of the National Film School in Łódź. The Charcoal Burners, which marks his documentary debut, previously received awards at various international documentary film festivals, including Pärnu and Poitiers.
The Small Stamp award at last year’s edition of ZagrebDox also went to a film by a Polish director – Otchłań (Chasm) by Wojciech Kasperski.
Smolarze (The Charcoal Burners) was co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.
Films awarded at the 2011 ZagrebDox International Documentary Film Festival:
International Competition: Grand Prize: Position Among the Stars, directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich Special Mention: Steam of Life, directed by Joonas Berghall and Mika Hotakainen; 17 August, directed by Alexander Gutman
Regional Competition: Grand Prize: Trials, Tribulations and Sustainable Growth of a Cock, directed by Vladimir Perović Special Mention: Am I Happy or What, directed by Vanja Sviličić Juranić; Hotel Paradise, directed by Sophia Tzavella
Award for Best Documentary Filmmaker Under 30: Smolarze (The Charcoal Burners) by Piotr Złotorowicz Special Mention: The One Who’s Gone, directed by Darko Stanković
Movies That Matter Award for a Film on Human Rights: Run for Life, directed by Mladen Matičević Special Mention: Vlast (Power), directed by Cathryn Collins; Pit No. 8, directed by Marianna Kaat
Translated by Karolina Kołtun