We can already proudly announce that one of the main guests of the seventh edition of the Octopus Film Festival and the winner of the Ink Macca for lifetime achievement will be Lamberto Bava, one of the most important Italian directors of the 1980s, creator of “Demons,” “Blade in the Dark,” “Die at Midnight” and “Fantaghiro”!
Lamberto Bava comes from an Italian family with an exceptional tradition of cinema. His grandfather, Eugenio Bava, worked as a cinematographer before the war, and his father, Mario Bava, became a legend of genre cinema in his lifetime. “He used light, shadow, color, sound, movement and textures to guide viewers down a previously unknown path full of collective dreams. Film critics love to compare watching movies to daydreaming. In Bava’s case, this comparison really means something,” Martin Scorsese wrote about Mario Bava. It would be hard to disagree with the creator of “Taxi Driver.” But that’s not all – Bava was also a unique trendsetter in genre cinema. His “Mask of Satan” started the fashion for Italian Gothic, “The Girl Who Knew Too Much” laid the foundation for the giallo genre, “Blood Camp” was the first slasher in cinema history, “Planet of the Vampires” inspired Ridley Scott to create “Alien,” and “Black Feast” (distributed in the United States under the title “Black Sabbath”) borrowed the name of one of the world’s most famous rock groups.
Lamberto Bava has continued his father’s work since the 1960s, first as an assistant and co-director, and later as an independent filmmaker. After his shocking and well-received debut (“Macabro” in 1980), he made one of the biggest hits of Italian horror cinema in the 1980s – the self-conscious, fourth-wall-breaking “Demons,” in which the titular monsters attack viewers during a cinema screening. In the 1990s, on the other hand, Bava became known from another side; as the creator of the “Fantaghiro” fairy tale, also popular on Polish television.
As part of a unique review at this year’s Octopus, we will present seven father and son films – three directed by Mario Bava, three directed by Lambert Bava and one joint film. The shows will be accompanied by meetings with Lambert Bava.
As part of the 6th. edition of the Octopus Film Festival, we decided to present the audience with another dimension of genre cinema, this time expressed through the length of the form. Octopus Shorts, the International Short Film Competition, has joined the program. This year Octopus Shorts is back with its second edition!
In a short film, we are looking for exactly the same things as in feature-length cinema – creativity, creative courage, madness and a unique combination of genre inspirations with an original idea. More than 300 films from over 35 countries were submitted to the first edition of Octopus Shorts, including. from Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Albania, Romania, Israel, Iran, Mexico, Colombia, USA, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and more!
The best productions will be presented during the 7th. edition of Octopus between August 6 and 11 and judged by a specially selected jury, and the winner will win not only respect and eternal glory, but also a financial prize.
The official Octopus Short 2024 selection is coming soon!
Recruitment will last until June 30 (Regular Deadline).
He accepts applications exclusively through the FilmFreeway website.
Regulations of the contest: LINK
Octopus Shorts competition coordinator: Jarek Tokarski
Contact: jarek.tokarski@velvetspoon.pl
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Octopus Shorts – International Short Film Competition.
For the 6th edition of the Octopus Film Festival, we decided to present to the audience another dimension of genre cinema, this time expressed through the length of the form. The festival program will include Octopus Shorts – International Short Film Competition. This year Octopus Shorts comes back for a second edition!
In a short film we are looking for exactly the same as in a feature film: creativity, imaginative courage, madness and a unique combination of genre inspirations with an original idea. For the very first edition of Octopus Shorts we have received over 300 submissions from over 35 countries, including Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Albania, Romania, Israel, Iran, Mexico, Colombia, USA, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and more.
The best productions will be presented during the 6th edition of Octopus between August 6 and 11 and evaluated by a specially selected jury, and the winner will not only gain respect and eternal glory, but also a financial prize.
Stay tuned for the reveal of the official selection of Octopus Shorts 2024!
Terms & conditions: LINK
Octopus Shorts Competition Coordinator: Jarek Tokarski
contact: jarek.tokarski@velvetspoon.pl
Presspack: GOOGLE DISK
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Press accreditations
Press accreditations are granted to active journalists and bloggers.
Accreditation form: https://forms.gle/StA7bUukqxFURvpg8
NOTE: completion of the form is not the same as obtaining accreditation. Confirmation of obtaining accreditation will be sent in a separate email.
The form will be active until July 21, 2024. After that, please contact us by email: weronika.wolska@octopusfilmfestival.com or phone: 669 067 628.
The cost of press accreditation is 180 PLN
The organizer reserves the right to refuse accreditation. The number of press accreditations is limited.
A press accreditation bearing the signature ‘MEDIA’ entitles you to enter all screenings (including special screenings and the Hidden Screening) and events (excluding workshops) carried out as part of the 7. edition of the Octopus Film Festival upon advance reservation of seats. For each ticketed event, a certain pool is provided for press credential holders. However, this does not guarantee that you will get the space, as it should be remembered that individual locations vary in the volume of space.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us:
weronika.wolska@octopusfilmfestival.com, tel. 669 067 628.
This year, the Audience Award, in the Main Competition, went to “Dog and Robot,” dir. Pablo Berger – a story about friendship, its meaning and fragility, whose protagonists are the titular dog and robot spending the day at the beach. Unfortunately, when exposed to water, the robot rusts, and the dog doesn’t know what to do. It’s a film seduced by images, sound, music and fantastic animation for audiences of all ages, also presented in this year’s section dedicated to the youngest, Octopuses.
Second and third place in the Main Competition went to the films “Hundreds of Beavers” (by Mike Cheslik) and “Femme” (by Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping), respectively.
This year’s festival also included the first installment of Octopus Shorts, the International Short Film Competition, which received more than 300 films from around the world, including. from the United States, Mexico, Ukraine, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Colombia, Romania, France, Australia, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Canada, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Hungary and Poland representing all possible film genres. The official selection included 32 titles. The three-member Jury, consisting of film scholar and editor Karolina Kostyra, literary and film critic Igor Kierkosz, and director and screenwriter Kyle Edward Ball, awarded the main prize, and thus the €1,000 cash prize, to the Hungarian film “Amok” (directed by Balázs Turai), justifying their choice this way – for the boldness and expressiveness of its theme and style. The jury is impressed by the efficient work of the butcher and surgeon. The former brutally pokes at the guts of romantic relationships. The other efficiently stitches what is still salvageable. As a result, “Amok” is a painful but immensely satisfying experience.