SEEfest 2020 Extended Dates Plus Virtual Jury Awards
SEEfest extends 2020 festival dates to August
We are pleased to announce the dates of the extended festival run in 2020: From virtual cinema soft launch on June 24 to full program launch on July 15 through Aug 16. During the extended run, a curated program of 57 films will be showcased in our virtual theaters online. Please visit program pages on our website to find out more about the films in this year’s lineup, and start watching early releases.
Jury Awards of the 15th SEEfest
In an exceptionally difficult year our heartfelt thanks go to the members of SEEfest 2020 juries whose awards pay tribute to outstanding films in seven competition categories:
BEST FEATURE FILM, GRAND JURY PRIZE
Zana, by Antoneta Kastrati
Honorable Mention: Omar and Us, by Maryna Er Gorbach & Mehmet Bahadır Er
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Ex-aequo:
Queen Lear, by Pelin Esmer; and Bora, Story About a Wind, by Bernhard Pötscher
Honorable Mention: Come Find Me, by Diana Nicolae & Noriflorentina Vito
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A FEATURE FILM
Dávid Hartung, cinematographer, Pilate
Honorable Mentions – shared:
Virginie Saint-Martin, cinematographer, God Exists Her Name is Petrunya
Sevdije Kastrati, cinematographer, Zana
Jani-Petteri Passi, cinematographer, Corporation
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A DOCUMENTARY FILM
Bernhard Pötscher, cinematographer, Bora, Story About a Wind
BEST SHORT FICTION
The Dude, by Alexandros Kakaniaris
Honorable Mention: When I’m at Home, by Ivana Todorović
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM
Then Comes the Evening, by Maja Novaković
Honorable Mention: A Cat is Always Female, by Martina Meštrović, Tanja Vujasinović
BEST SHORT ANIMATION
Passage, by Igor Ćorić
Honorable Mention: Two, by Emre Okten
Congratulations to all filmmakers!
Interview with COMMON STORY filmmaker
We continue to profile filmmakers whose new movies are featured in our 2020 edition. This week we invite you to hear from Gordan Kičić, who spoke with SEEfest team member Azra Isaković about his film, and the triple role he played in COMMON STORY as director, producer and lead actor. Make sure to follow SEEfest youtube channel for more interviews and trailers to come. You can watch the interview here.
Submissions Now Open for the 36th IDA Documentary Awards!
Submissions are open for the 36th Annual IDA Documentary Awards, the world’s most prestigious awards dedicated solely to the documentary genre, celebrating the best nonfiction programs and documentarians of the year!
Entry is open to any non-fiction shorts, features, series, and podcasts completed or publicly released between October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Apply by July 7, 2020!
SUPPORT SEEFEST
If you like our programming orientation and the cultural mission of SEEfest, consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you!
FRIENDS OF SEEFEST
SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture; and by an Arts Grant from the City of West Hollywood. Special thanks to ELMA, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their continued support of our programs.
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Meet the SEEfest Jury!
MEET THE JURY
Please meet the 2019 SEEfest Jury. Twenty accomplished jury members will select the winners for 7 major awards. Just a few of our distinguished jurors include:
- Irina Maleeva, a Bulgaria-born actress who was discovered by Federico Fellini and appeared in three of his films, then went on to star opposite Orson Welles in his iconic version of The Merchant of Venice.
- Yoram Kahana, a filmmaker who holds master’s degrees from UCLA in motion pictures and journalism. He has made more than 50 educational and commercial films about international cultures, crafts, anthropology and art, and is a long-time member and frequent Board director of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
- Matia Karrell, an Academy Award-nominated writer, director and producer. She has been awarded fellowships including the Fulbright, American Film Institute (AFI) Women Director’s Fellowship, and the Disney-ABC Directing Fellowship.
Read about all of our festival jurors and juries at https://seefilmla.org/festival-jury/
This year’s SEEfest, running May 1-8, will explore the theme of cinematic audacity by drawing attention to filmmakers whose works grapple with complex existential, ethical, and historical questions in innovative, and provocative ways. You can secure your festival pass and Opening and Closing Night tickets, now on Eventbrite.
LITERARY SALON – GUEST SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED
On April 17th, a historian, a literary critic, an actress, and an author will come together for an evening of scintillating cultural exchange. These dynamic panelists draw on their knowledge, experience, and anecdotes to contemplate the theme of audacity in all of its forms. Join us for the SEEFest Cultural and Literary Salon to explore audacity in the literature, history, and cinema of South East Europe, where geopolitical borders act as audacious protagonists in sociocultural affairs.
Panelists:
Fatma Aydemir, Author
Thomas Harrison, UCLA Professor
David Shafer, CSULB Professor
Moderated by Nina Bjekovic, UCLA Ph.D. Candidate
At the West Hollywood City Council Chambers (adjacent to the Library)
Presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Click here for details and to RSVP.
FESTIVAL LINEUP NOW ONLINE
You can now explore the entire film lineup and start picking your list of must-see films. 13 feature narratives, 7 documentary narratives, half a dozen shorts programs, and an interstellar Sci-Fi program await you! Showtimes and tickets will be released shortly. Stay tuned for more details about the Business of Film Conference and Accelerator program!
SEEFEST SPONSORS
SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; and presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Special thanks to ELMA for continued support of our programs.