This year, the International Ethnographic Film Festival "OKO" (IEF) brought together a rich tapestry of cultures, uniting Kiev, Bolhrad, Sofia, Kamianets-Podilskyi, and Odesa. This sixth edition showcased 95 films from 52 countries, spanning five continents.
In Bulgaria's capital, at the City Mark Art Center, esteemed guests — cultural figures, filmmakers, and enthusiasts — gathered to review the festival's outcomes and celebrate outstanding works that allow us to look "through" time and tradition.
Winners of OKO GLOBAL FICTION:
- Jury Grand Prize — "Reed", directed by Cemil Aadjikoglu (Turkey, Bulgaria);
- Special Jury Prize for Ethnographic Representation — "Banzo", directed by Margarida Cardoso (Portugal, France, Netherlands);
- Jury Special Mention — "Id", directed by Yousef Abo Madeghim (Israel).
Winners of OKO GLOBAL NON-FICTION:
- Jury Grand Prize — "To the West. To Zapata", directed by David Beam (Cuba, Spain);
- Special Jury Prize for Ethnographic Representation — "Silent Observers", directed by Eliza Petkova (Bulgaria, Germany);
- Jury Special Mention — "Mashtat", directed by Sonia Ben Slama (France, Lebanon, Tunisia).
Winners of NASHE OKO:
- Jury Grand Prize — "Father's Lullaby", directed by Lesia Diak (Ukraine, Romania, Croatia);
- Special Jury Prize for Ethnographic Representation — "A Bit Foreign", directed by Svitlana Lishchynska (Ukraine, Germany, Sweden).
A special jury mention was awarded to the film "Checkpoint 'Zoo'", directed by Joshua Zeman (USA, Ukraine) — for its truthful portrayal of Russian crimes.
The special jury prize for the best Ukrainian film went to "My Morning Routine", directed by Vadym Adamov (Ukraine).
The jury also gave a special mention to the film "I Died in Irpin", directed by Anastasia Falileeva (Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic) — for its beautiful storytelling of painful experiences.
Best films according to audience voting:
- Audience Grand Prize for the Ukrainian edition — "Search Trilogy: Separation", directed by Sofia Hiera (Ukraine);
- Audience Grand Prize for the Ukrainian online edition — "Rock, Paper, Scissors", directed by Franz Boehm (United Kingdom);
- Bolhrad City Audience Prize — "Spirit of Masquerade Games", directed by Rositsa Lazarova Sbarali (Italy, Bulgaria);
- Audience Grand Prize for the Bulgarian edition — "2000 Meters to Andriivka", directed by Myroslav Chernov (Ukraine, USA).
