One day, a man picked up a camera and filmed a short, but kind story about another person. This is how inspirational film masterpieces on social activists, people with heart of gold are born.
On October 24, the Chairwoman of the Jury of the LAMPA International Film Festival lit the bright light of the film festival platform for the sixth time in her homeland — in Perm! Famous Russian actors Ekaterina Shpitsa and Anton Bogdanov carried out the Awarding Ceremony of the LAMPA Film Festival’s winners for the sixth time, which has become a bright event of the Perm International Forum of Volunteers.
In 2014, right here in Perm the great idea was born: to tell about the lifes of volunteers, social innovators and sympathetic people through the language of cinema. The author of the LAMPA Film Festival is Olga Zubkova, President of the National Association for Education Development ” Notebook of Friendship”, Chairwoman of the Perm Centre for Volunteerism Development, and the international expert in the field of volunteerism.
In 2019, 132 countries submitted 3643 bright, heartfelt and life-affirming film works to the LAMPA Film Festival. Here is a life story of a woman, who wanted to become a swim award winner, but found her vocation in being a nurse in a nursing home, where she has been working for more than 14 years. And here are 2 Indian teenagers who would like to fly to Jupiter, but now they are forced to work to help their parents. This is an amazing work about education on the boat for children from the wetlands of Bangladesh. This is cartoon about an American super-grandmother who, despite being a wheelchair person, shows her granddaughter that nothing can prevent a person from going on an adventure.
To prepare the LAMPA’s Shortlist 2019, the Jury members had to watch and live through a large number of works during 3 months. As a result of such hard work, 53 films were included in the LAMPA’s Shortlist 2019.
Iana Poplavskaia, Chairwoman of the Jury of the LAMPA Film Festival, noted that a lamp was chosen as a symbol of the Film Festival for good reason. “Even with the help of the weakest light source, if there are many of us, you can always make this world brighter,” the actress assured.
This year, the LAMPA’s Jury Committee has gained new members; they are Olga Smirnova, cinema and theatre actress, and main actors of the “T-34” Russian war film: Viktor Dobronravov, Alexander Petrov, Yuri Borisov and Anton Bogdanov. By the way, it was Anton Bogdanov who inspired his friends with the idea of living through real emotions together with him by watching socially oriented short films.
Popular Russian actress Ekaterina Shpitsa has gained a new role – the LAMPA Official Ambassador. On December 5, 2018, on International Volunteer Day for Social and Economic Event, she presented the LAMPA International Film Festival Retrospective at the United Nations Office at Geneva. For the first time since 1985, since the International Volunteer Day was established by the United Nations, the Russian project has been included in the official list of the United Nations events dedicated to encourage all volunteers around the world!
Traditionally, the names of the winners of the LAMPA International Film Festival 2019 were kept strictly secret until the Awarding Ceremony, which was brilliantly carried out by Ekaterina and Anton.
According to the host, as well as the LAMPA’s last year winner, Anton Bogdanov, this festival is one of a few, where authors come not to show off, but to change the audience’s view of an important problem in a few minutes, and sometimes even in a few seconds. “They come to light up this “motivation lamp” that leads us way,” the artist shares.
The best films that will definitely change our lives for the next years are:
Short documentary film:
- “Dogs and Germans looks for us” – Denis Meller. Russia, Petrozavodsk.
- “10 minutes” – Andrey Vetoshkin. Russia, Pervouralsk.
- “Katura’s story” – Jude Kalman. Australia, Mudgeeraba.
- “Wing chair” – Arjanmar Hernandez Rebeta. Philippines, Kamagong.
- “Backbeat” – Christian Filippi, Roberto Falessi, Alessandro Rotili. Italy, Rome.
Short film:
- “Fear” – Roman Baranov. Russia, Moscow.
- “Unchildren’s home” – Dmitriy Rudakov. Russia, Saint-Petersburg.
- “My name is Petya” – Daria Binevskaya. Russia, Moscow.
- “The bus stop” – Maxim Kostarev. Russia, Yekaterinburg.
- “Dima” – Sveta Ibatullina. Russia, Moscow.
Short film:
- “Together we have more opportunities” – Olga Kalinina. Russia, Yekaterinburg.
- “Super grandma” – Isabella Spadone. USA, San Diego.
- “Plus one” – Omer Colak. Turkey, Istanbul.
Social advertising:
- “Thank you” – Anastasia Prikazchikova. Russia, Moscow.
- “To be” – Alexander Kovtunets. Russia, Moscow.
- “Things we will leave behind” – Marat Borisov. Russia, Kungur.
- “Life for the rest of my life” – Alexey Medvedev. Russia, Moscow.
«1+1»:
- “The polar team” – Vasilisa Iurenkova. Russia, Moscow.
- “That very day” – Alisa Yakubets. Russia, Moscow.
- “The nurse” – Arina Chasovskikh. Russia, Moscow.
- “Bessarabia in World War I” – Ekaterina Kozhuhar. Republic of Moldova, Chisinau.
“Special focus”:
- “Window” – Anastasia Glushkova. Russia, Zarechny
On October 23, some of the films were seen during the Night Screening of the LAMPA Film Festival. The people of Perm liked such form of acquaintance with the competitive works that were shortlisted. Participants of the Night Screening had a unique opportunity not only to be the first to see the best short films of the Film Festival, but also to personally communicate with famous public people, invited to the event: cinema and theatre actresses Olga Smirnova, Ekaterina Shpitsa and Iana Poplavskaia.
The list of winners includes two films made by residents of the Kama Region (Perm Region): social advertising “Things we will leave behind” made by Marat Borisov from Kungur; short documentary film “The phenomenon of Doynaya” made by Galina Krasnoborova from Perm. The Jury members commended this amazing film about the magic village and its heroic inhabitants. Ten years ago, a small school in the Doynaya village (Perm Region) was on the verge of closure. The director of the school, Svetlana Abakshina, began to persuade villagers to foster children into their families in order to increase the number of students and save the school. It didn’t take long to convince the villagers. And the director herself became a great example: her family has 15 children. So, the Doynaya village gained 20 foster families, and there is no any difference between native and non-native children in it. A school, a club, and a sport stadium were renovated in the village. Graduates enter the best universities of the country. Today, the local school has 99 students, 70 of them are foster children.
For the first time in the history of the Film Festival, a business representative – Mobile TeleSystems organised an internal competition for social cinema and advertising among its employees. One of the works “That very day” – Alisa Yakubets was included in the LAMPA’s shortlist and became the winner of the Film Festival.
For the first time, interactive info booths, which allowed you to watch the best short works online, were available within the Perm International Forum of Volunteers.
The Jury members congratulated the winners. Katura Halleday, a 15 y.o. volunteer from Australia and the main character of the film-winner “Katura’s Story”, was also present at the Awarding Ceremony. The girl raised money together with a charity fund for the education of two African schoolgirls, and then she went to Mozambique to teach them English and drawing. To attend this unique Film Festival, Katura and her mother spent 42 hours in planes to reach Perm. From the stage, Olga Zubkova wished the young, smiling Katura to stay as sincere as she is and never stop being sympathetic. “Stay always such a sincere, bright and kind girl,” asked her Olga Zubkova.
Famous artists presented their heartfelt creative performances to the LAMPA’s winners and all the guests of the Awarding Ceremony. Alexander Petrov recited a poem that was translated into sign language by students of the Perm Correctional Boarding School for People with Hearing Impairment. Elegant Olga Smirnova danced with a Down syndrome partner, student of the “Space of Love” theatre of Alla Mezintseva. And Yuri Borisov made a heartwarming performance, dressed as a clown, who showed adults how little a child needs for happiness. The actor, together with his little partner, gave energy of light and goodness to everyone. Forum’s and Film Festival’s volunteers felt this inspiration. It was so inspiring, so that it didn’t remain anyone indifferent to such declaration of life!
At the end of the Ceremony, the Author and chairwoman of the Organising Committee of the LAMPA International Film Festival, Olga Zubkova, told about a new nomination for the next year, the anniversary year of the Great Victory. A nomination called “World without war” will appear in 2020 and will be described at the Rules and Regulations of the LAMPA. This nomination will unite continents and countries in order to promote peace and commonwealth.
And if we talk about prospects, we should mention that on February 20, 2020, the LAMPA International Film Festival Retrospective will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Once again the Russian project will gather like-minded people from different countries of the world who are able to build public diplomacy on the ideas of volunteerism and social initiatives.
Now the brightest source of energy, the LAMPA Film Festival, has hit everyone in the soul. It warmed and lit the fire of love towards our fellow men in people’s hearts. It gave people hope that this world is getting better. And it gave people belief that everyone can change the life around them. And even the autumn wind can’t put out such a flame.
The LAMPA Film Festival is held by the National Association for Education Development “Notebook of Friendship” with the support of Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) and other interested partners. The Awarding Ceremony of the LAMPA Film Festival was included in the programme of the multi-genre festival named “Perm period. New age».
