Kaunas International Film Festival
{{Short description|Annual film festival in Kaunas, Lithuania}}
{{Infobox film or theatre festival
| name = Kaunas International Film Festival
Tarptautinis Kauno kino festivalis
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| image = Kinas Romuva.JPG
| image_size =
| image_alt = A white and yellow building with an black and yellow multi-sided tower on the roof at the front. It says "Kinas" in yellow. Below it is the word "Romuva" in red.
| caption = The Romuva cinema in Kaunas
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| location = Kaunas and Vilnius, Lithuania
| predecessor =
| established = 2007
| founded =
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| founders = Visos mūzos
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| artistic_director = Ilona Jurkonytė
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| language = Multiple; subtitles in Lithuanian and English
| website = [http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/en Official website]
}}
Kaunas International Film Festival ({{langx|lt|Tarptautinis Kauno kino festivalis}}) is a film festival founded in 2007 and is held in October each year in Kaunas and Vilnius, Lithuania. The festival specifically celebrates art-house film making but shows indie and internationally acclaimed movies alike, both from and outside of Lithuania. In addition to screenings, many panel discussions, masterclasses, and lectures are offered as part of the festival. The four constant programmes each year are Wide Angle, which explores "contemporary tendencies in the film art"; Identity; Music Moves the World; and All the Muses, which are films focusing on art.
History
The Kaunas International Film Festival was founded in 2007 by Visos mūzos, with two aims in mind: to stop developers from turning the Romuva, Lithuania's oldest cinema, into a casino, and to seek homogenization of the country's film culture.{{cite web |date=2016-12-02 |title=Beyond the Avant-Garde: Film Culture in Lithuania |url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/lithuania/articles/beyond-the-avant-garde-film-culture-in-lithuania/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |publisher=The Culture Trip}}{{cite web |date=n.d. |title=Kaunas International Film Festival |url=https://festagent.com/en/festivals/kaunas_iff |access-date=2022-04-12 |publisher=FestAgent}}{{cite web |date=2011 |title=Kaunas International Film Festival |url=https://www.filmfestivals.com/festival/kaunas_international_film_festival |access-date=2022-04-12 |publisher=Film Festivals}} The festival is held in October each year in Kaunas and Vilnius, Lithuania.{{cite web |date=2014-10-06 |title=Calendar of cultural and sports events in Lithuania. UEFA 2016: Lithuania–Estonia |url=https://bnn-news.com/calendar-cultural-sports-events-lithuania-uefa-2016-lithuania-estonia-120322 |access-date=2022-04-14 |publisher=Baltic News Network}}{{cite web |date=n.d. |title=Hungarian winners: |url=https://nfi.hu/en/festival/kaunas-international-film-festival |access-date=2022-04-12 |publisher=NFI of Hungary}} It has at times visited other cities in the country, such as Panevėžys and Nida.{{cite web |title=Short stop in Lithuania |url=https://www.biweekly.pl/article/2683-short-stop-in-lithuania.html |access-date=2022-04-14 |publisher=BiWeekly}} Ilona Jurkonytė is the festival's artistic director and Tomas Tengmark is its programmer.{{cite web |date=2019 |title=Artist Film in Focus—Kaunas, 2019 |url=https://onandfor.eu/programme/artist-film-in-focus-kaunas |access-date=2022-04-14 |publisher=OnAndFor}}{{cite web |last=Seacroft |first=Sheila |date=2011-10-15 |title=KAUNAS FILM FESTIVAL, LITHUANIA – SHEILA SEACROFT’S REPORT (1/2) |url=https://www.jigsawlounge.co.uk/film/reviews/kaunas11-1/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |publisher=Neil Young's Film Lounge}}
Purpose
The Kaunas International Film Festival specifically celebrates art-house film making but shows indie and internationally acclaimed movies alike, both from and outside of Lithuania. The festival is associated with the network Eye on Films, which is hosted by Media Mundus, a member of the CICAE network, and the domestic arm of the European Network of Young Cinema NISI MASA. In addition to screenings, many panel discussions, masterclasses, and lectures are offered as part of the festival. Additional programmes change annually, but the four constants are Wide Angle, which explores "contemporary tendencies in the film art"; Identity; Music Moves the World; and All the Muses, which are films focusing on art. The Silver Audience Award Cup was introduced in 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://filmfestivals.com/blog/kaunas_international_film_festival/kaunas_film_festival_and_silver_channel_to_present_the_audience_award_for_the_second_yea|title=Kaunas Film Festival and Silver channel to present the Audience Award for the second year|date=2011-09-26|publisher=FilmFestivals|access-date=2022-04-12}}
The 2020 festival was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was the first digital festival in Lithuania.{{cite web|url=https://www.visit.kaunas.lt/en/kaunastic/kino-pavasaris-film-festival-goes-digital-and-comes-to-your-house/|title=Kino Pavasaris Film Festival Goes Digital and Comes to Your House|date=2020-03-19|publisher=Kaunas|access-date=2022-04-12}}
Years
- 2007: September 28 through October 7
- Films from 32 countries; 1500 attendees{{cite web |url=https://kinofestivalis.lt/ |title=Kaunas Film Festival - one and a half thousand spectators |date=2007-10-22 |publisher=Kino Festivalis |access-date=2022-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116042717/https://kinofestivalis.lt/ |archive-date=16 November 2007 |url-status=dead}}
- Additional programme: "Retrospective: Nouvelle Vague"
- Audience award: White Palms ({{langx|hu|Fehér tenyér}}), directed by Szabolcs Hajdu
- 2008
- Films from 17 countries; 7000 attendees{{cite web|url=http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Antraji-Kauno-kino-festivali-aplanke-daugiau-nei-septyni-tukstanciai-ziurovu/|title=Antrąjį Kauno kino festivalį aplankė daugiau nei septyni tūkstančiai žiūrovų|date=2008-10-28|publisher=Kino Festivalis|access-date=2022-04-12|language=lt}}
- Additional programmes: Special Focus on Irish Film, "One Hundred Springtimes. Tribute to Vytautas Kernagis", and Train Time
- Opening film: Love and Other Crimes ({{langx|sr|Ljubav i drugi zločini}}), directed by Stefan Arsenijević
- Favorite film: Bliss ({{langx|tr|Mutluluk}}), directed by Abdullah Oğuz{{cite web |url=http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Antraji-Kauno-kino-festivali-aplanke-daugiau-nei-septyni-tukstanciai-ziurovu/ |title=Antrąjį Kauno kino festivalį aplankė daugiau nei septyni tūkstančiai žiūrovų |date=2008-10-28 |publisher=Kino Festivalis |access-date=2022-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090607113047/http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Antraji-Kauno-kino-festivali-aplanke-daugiau-nei-septyni-tukstanciai-ziurovu/ |archive-date=7 June 2009 |url-status=dead}}
- 2009: October 1–17
- Additional programmes: Nordic Sounds in Film
- Favorite film: Welcome, directed by Philippe Lioret{{cite web |url=http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Festivalio-ziurovu-Kaune-favoritas-Sveiki-atvyke |title=Festivalio žiūrovų Kaune favoritas – "Sveiki atvykę"
|date=2009-10-15 |publisher=Kino Festivails |access-date=2022-04-12 |language=lt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420082746/http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Festivalio-ziurovu-Kaune-favoritas-Sveiki-atvyke |archive-date=20 April 2014 |url-status=dead}}
- 2010: October 1–17
- Additional programmes: Film retrospectives on Béla Tarr, Deimantas Narkevičius, and Piotr Dumała, Animation, Animated Film (Estonia and Latvia), Best of Slovenian Stop-motion Animation, Elephant Program for Children, Best of Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival (European short animation and short film), Special Screenings
- Opening film: Eastern Drift ({{langx|lt|Indigene d'Eurasie}}), directed by Šarūnas Bartas{{cite web|url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/27063/|title=Action on the set in Kannas|date=2010-09-29|publisher=The Baltic Times|last=Boyce|first=Laurence|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- Silver Audience Award Cup (inaugural): Heartbeats ({{langx|fr|Les amours imaginaires}}), Xavier Dolan
- 2011: September 27 – October 9{{cite web|url=https://www.filmneweurope.com/festivals/item/8730-kaunas-international-film-festival-last-chance-to-submit-your-film|title=Kaunas International Film Festival: Last chance to submit your film|date=2011-06-06|publisher=Film New Europe|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- Additional programmes: "After a Scene...", "Coming Attractions", "Films of the Golden Period: Slovak New Wave," Red Westerns, "Extended Glimpses", Tribute to Adolfas Mekas, Special screenings: Jonas Mekas Films, Special Screenings: Avant-garde women programme curated by Jonas Mekas
- Opening film: The Field of Magic ({{langx|lt|Stebuklų laukas}}), directed by Mindaugas Survila{{cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/210301/|title=Jitters in Kaunas for KIFF’s fifth edition|date=2011-10-07|last=van Hoeij|first=Boyd|publisher=cineuropa|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- Silver Audience Award Cup: How much does your building weigh, Mr. Foster?, directed by Norbert López Amado and Carlos Carcaso{{cite web|url=https://filmfestivals.com/blog/kaunas_international_film_festival/how_much_does_your_building_weigh_mr_foster_awarded_the_silver_audience_award_2011_at_ka|title=“How much does your building weigh, Mr. Foster?” awarded the Silver Audience Award 2011 at Kaunas International Film Festival|date=2012-02-03|publisher=Film Festivals|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- 2012
- Silver Audience Award Cup: Narcissus ({{langx|li|Narcizas}}), directed by Dovile Gasiunaite{{cite web|url=https://filmneweurope.com/festivals/item/104013-the-audience-award-of-kaunas-international-film-festival-goes-to-lithuanian-film-%E2%80%9Cnarcissus%E2%80%9D|title=The Audience Award of Kaunas International Film Festival goes to Lithuanian film "Narcissus"|date=2012-10-18|publisher=Film New Europe|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- 2013: September 25–29
- 90 films{{cite web|url=https://ars-baltica.eujkd.de/18/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=510&cHash=b3f96fd2dc2bda76a6aa177f1896cbda|title=Kaunas International Film Festival|date=2013-09-25|publisher=ARS Baltica|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- Most popular film: Lore, directed by Cate Shortland{{cite web |url=http://www.kinofestiva |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714043217/http://www.kinofestiva |title=Populiarusis Kauno kino festivalio filmas "Lorė" – kino teatruose |date=2013-12-10 |publisher=Kino Festivalis |access-date=2022-04-12 |language=lt |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}
- 2014
- Favorite film: The Reunion ({{langx|sv|Återträffen}}), directed by Anna Odell{{cite web |url=http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Kauno-kino-festivalio-ziurovu-simpatijas-susizere-Susitikimas |title=Kauno kino festivalio žiūrovų simpatijas susižėrė "Susitikimas" |date=2014-10-10 |publisher=Kino Festivalis |access-date=2022-04-12 |language=lt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730015142/http://www.kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Kauno-kino-festivalio-ziurovu-simpatijas-susizere-Susitikimas |archive-date=30 July 2016 |url-status=dead}}
- 2015: September 30 – October 11
- Opening film: The Green Musketeers, directed by Jonas Ohman{{cite web |url=http://kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Kauno-kino-festivali-atidarys-Zalieji-muskietininkai/ |title=Kauno kino festivalį atidarys "Žalieji muškietininkai" |date=2015-09-28 |publisher=Kino Festivalis |access-date=2022-04-12 |language=lt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730124128/http://kinofestivalis.lt/lt/naujienos/Kauno-kino-festivali-atidarys-Zalieji-muskietininkai/ |archive-date=30 July 2016 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://podvylikos.lt/kauno-kino-festivalis-15%E2%80%B3-per-gyvenimiska-prizme/|title="KAUNO KINO FESTIVALIS ’15": PER GYVENIMIŠKĄ PRIZMĘ|date=2015-10-15|last=NARMONTĖ|first=REDA|access-date=2022-04-14}}
- 2016: No festival held
- 2017: November 30 – December 13{{cite web|url=https://renginiai.kasvyksta.lt/49357/10-asis-tarptautinis-kauno-kino-festivalis|title=10-asis Tarptautinis Kauno kino festivalis|date=2017|publisher=Kas Vyksta Kaune|access-date=2022-04-14|language=lt}}
- Opening film: Oblivion Verses ({{langx|es|Los Versos del Olvido}}), directed by Alireza Khatami
- 2018: September 20–30{{cite web|url=https://www.visit.kaunas.lt/en/kaunastic/kaunas-international-film-festival-what-not-to-miss/|title=Kaunas International Film Festival: What Not to Miss?|date=2018-05-09|publisher=Kaunas|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- 2019: September 26 – October 6{{cite web|url=https://fotomuziejus.lt/renginys/kauno-kino-festivalis/|title=TARPTAUTINIS KAUNO KINO FESTIVALIS|date=2019|publisher=Fotografijos Muziejus|access-date=2022-04-14|language=lt}}
- 2020: March 19, April 2 (online only)
- Exhibitions Videograms (Harun Farock){{cite web|url=https://forensic-architecture.org/programme/exhibitions/kaunas-international-film-festival|title=Kaunas International Film Festival|date=2020|publisher=Forensic Architecture|access-date=2022-04-12}}{{cite web |url=https://kinofestivalis.lt/ |title=Videograms |date=n.d. |publisher=Kino Festivals |access-date=2022-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306051854/https://kinofestivalis.lt/ |archive-date=6 March 2022 |url-status=dead}}
- Opening film: Proxima, directed by Alice Winocour{{cite web|url=https://www.visit.kaunas.lt/en/kaunastic/kaunastic-news-for-cinema-lovers-kino-pavasaris-is-back/|title=Kaunastic News for Cinema Lovers: Kino Pavasaris is Back|date=2020-03-04|publisher=Kaunas|access-date=2022-04-12}}
- 2021: No festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic