Poland’s EnergaCamerimage film festival kicked off this year amid controversy, but you wouldn’t know it from Saturday night’s opening ceremony in host city Torun.
Festival founder Marek Żydowicz opened the 32nd edition of the event without directly mentioning his controversial comments that sparked a backlash from the industry last week, leading to two of the festival’s most high-profile guests – Oscar winner Steve McQueen and substance Director Coralie Farget quit in protest. However, Zhidovic stressed that he “founded Camerimage over 30 years ago to help restore dignity to artists in the film industry who are overlooked or treated as mere technicians when we celebrate film.”
Camerimage highlights the work of cinematographers and other craft artists integral to the filmmaking process. The event has been the festival’s most popular event for many years, attracting hundreds of cinematographers and film lovers to the historic medieval city for a week-long celebration of the art of filmmaking. But a week ago, Zhidovich caused an uproar with an editorial he published in the journal Science. movie world Magazine, he seemed to suggest that pushing for the representation of female photographers in Camerimage could lead to a decrease in the artistic quality of the film selections.
The industry reaction was swift, with several major film associations and filmmakers publicly denouncing the comments as misogynistic. Zhidovic responded to a critical letter from the British Cinematographers Guild, saying the reaction to his comments was “based on misunderstandings”. He later issued an apology after McQueen quit.
This year the Camerimage Film Festival decided to screen the world premiere of “The Movie” and the atmosphere became even more tense. rustis an indie western starring Alec Baldwin that resulted in the accidental shooting of cameraman Halina Hutchins on the set.
When the screening was announced a month ago, some DPs took to social media to argue that the decision was a tacky publicity move, considering that the creation of the work resulted in the death of a compatriot. The festival stressed, however, that the premiere only commemorated the work and wishes of Hutchins, a former “Camerimage” participant who had privately told her collaborators that she hoped her work would one day be screened there. . (The organizer also revealed THR Baldwin was intentionally not invited because his presence at the event might be a distraction.
Despite this year’s controversy, many well-known industry figures and artists still support Camerimage. Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, who was previously announced as president of the festival’s main competition jury, issued a joint statement with the rest of the jury earlier this week, making clear her intention to continue fulfilling her role. duties, writing: “We welcome the debate on gender representation” and “We wholeheartedly support the necessary shift towards true inclusivity.”
Blanchett attended Saturday night’s opening ceremony and received a standing ovation when she was briefly introduced to the crowd. Her recent directorial collaborator, five-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron, was also revealed as a late arrival to the festival. Filmmaker to discuss his and Blanchett’s Apple TV+ series Disclaimer at a public talk event next week.
The ceremony kicked off with a video message from world-renowned performance artist Marina Abramović, who accepted the Camerimage honor for her artistic achievements. The artist said she was unable to attend in person due to a health condition, but said she was “thrilled to have so many women — great, creative women — participating in this important festival this year.”
The second loudest moment of applause during the ceremony was general Star Hiroyuki Sanada jumped on stage to accept Camerimage’s inaugural award for Best Performance in a TV Series. In keeping with the holiday spirit, the Japanese screen veteran accepted the trophy on behalf of his Emmy-winning cast.
Legendary Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi, winner of the Golden Lion Award in Venice and the Cannes Jury Prize winner, won the Film Festival Pomorze Regional Award awarded by the provincial government leadership. The 85-year-old artist said on stage that he was “starting to feel like a Christmas tree that’s lost its needles but they still put some ornaments on it.”
“They say that as a man gets older,” Zanussi added with a wry smile, “he should become wiser and more indifferent to signs of appreciation. But for me, it’s just the opposite – I haven’t changed. Being smarter and feeling appreciated becomes more and more valuable.
The ceremony concluded with the opening screening of the film blitzkrieg – Conspicuously absent from McQueen. Blanchett’s jury will announce the winners of the Camerimage Golden Frog Award at the closing ceremony on November 23.
