The 53rd Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival has announced its winners, with the award ceremony held on November 2 at the House of Cinema.
The Grand Prix was awarded to "Honeymoon," directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Zhanna Ozірna, which also received the Scythian Deer trophy and a prize of $5,000. This intimate drama, at times a thriller, follows a couple stuck in their new apartment in the suburbs of Kyiv due to Russia's invasion. The film focuses on the story of two individuals.
The Best Film award went to "All We Imagine as Light," directed by Payal Kapadia (France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg), which also received the Scythian Deer trophy and a prize of $2,000.
A special mention was awarded to "The New Year That Never Came" by director Bohdan Muresanu.
The Best Short Film award went to "We Want to Live Here" by Ukrainian director Aleksandrina Turkan, which also received the "Scythian Deer" trophy and a prize of $2,000.
The main awards in the Student Competition were shared by "Like a Butterfly" by Israeli director Iris Gershon Nagar and "Basia: Three Short Stories" by Polish director Mateusz Pietrak.
Special mentions were awarded to:
- "Anthology of River Fish" by Finnish director Veera Laminpaa
- "The Chaos Left Behind" by Greek director Nikos Kolioukas.
In the Documentary Competition, the winner was "Flowers of Ukraine" by director Adelina Boretz, described by the jury as a poignant look at the struggle to preserve cultural heritage and collective memory. The national premiere of the film took place at "Molodist."
The Audience Favorite Award was given to "The Silence of the Oysters," directed by Marcos Pimentel from Brazil.
Molodist is the Kyiv International Film Festival, the largest contemporary film festival in Ukraine.
