‘Flying Fish’ makes waves at CINDI 2011

The fifth Cinema Digital Seoul Music Festival (CINDI) was held from 17 to 23 August 2011 saw Sri Lankan film director Sanjeewa Pushpakumara walk away with one of the top honours at the festival and also received a special mention from an award jury for his film, ‘Flying Fish’.

The festival closed out with the announcement of winners, promising a new digital film festival next year. The winners of the Red, Blue, and Green Chameleon Awards, which offer approximately $16,000 in prize money, as well as the White Chameleon, Butterfly, and Movie Collage Awards, were announced at the closing ceremony held at the CGV Apgujeong Theatre 1 on the final day of the festival.

 The Red Chameleon Award Jury, which consisted of Korean and international digital film directors and actors gave the award to PEMA Tseden’s Old Dog, and a special mention to Sanjeewa Pushpakumara’s ‘Flying Fish’.

The Jury said, “[Old Dog] is humorous, simple, and innocent in its depiction of a heartfelt story.” It gave a special mention to ‘Flying Fish’ saying it depicts the despair and sorrow of this world in a very strong way.

 The Blue Chameleon Jury, which consisted of prominent film critics within and outside Korea, selected one award winner and one film for special mention. The Jury gave a special mention to Shattered, describing it as a “film that transcends the category of documentary to give us real insight into Chinese history and rural life through the lives of its characters, which are portrayed with great vitality.” The Blue Chameleon Jury gave its award to ‘Flying Fish’, “for its bold ambition in showing us the complex and troubled world of Sri Lanka in a film of great visual brilliance,” also saying “the jury considered that this first film by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara showed exceptional promise and wishes him well in his future career.”

 The Green Chameleon Award Jury, consisting of Korean critics and journalists, selected Pema Tseden’s ‘Old Dog’ as the winner. The jury said the film was chosen because “[It had] strength in telling the story within a simple structure. The film maintains cinematic detail and entertainment while the intensity of the story that leads to a single point and the simple life of a family are extended to the ticket of the present.”

  The White Chameleon Award Jury, audience juries of 11 CINDIphiles, once again selected Pema Tseden’s Old Dog as the winner. The Jury said, “the red curtains opened and we began a series of trips. Sometimes it was touching and sometimes it was difficult. On the fifteenth trip, we met you. You didn’t cry but I did. The repeated images of daily life resonated deeper than any speech. We could not help but follow you. We still feel your echoes. We still feel your breath. We are still following you. The meadows that you saw are unforgettable.”

 Three films, Lee-Sang’s strange reversible reaction by CHOI Jin-Seong, Mirage by YANG Jungho, and Unfunny Game by PARK Jong-chul, were selected as Butterfly Award winners and a special mention was given to FINIS OPERIS by MOON Byoung-gon. CJ E&M Pictures, which reviewed the films, said “[we met films] enabling us to feel the essence and attraction of cinema through their films that were filled with interesting characters, new attempts at mise-en-scene, and stories that pierced our lungs,” and “we have decided on whose next films we are looking forward to seeing and want to be a part of.”

Two films, Mushrooms by Vimukthi Jayasundara and U. F. O. by KONG Quee-hyun, were announced as the Movie Collage Award winners. It was announced that, “we award Mushrooms by the internationally acclaimed director Vimukthi Jayasundara and hope that more of his works will be introduced to the Korean audience.

We also award U.F.O. by KONG Quee-hyun as a new discovery in independent cinema and look forward to seeing the director become an important figure in Korean cinema.”

  For the Red, Blue, and Green Chameleon Awards, prize money of 20-million KRW (approximately $16,000) and a trophy was offered respectively. For the White Chameleon Award, a trophy and a Canon EOS 5D Mark 2 was given as a prize. Butterfly Award winners are provided with an opportunity to plan and make their next feature with CJ E&M. Movie Collage Award winners are released and promoted at Movie Collage, the diversity film theatre of CJ CGV.Tseden’s award winning film ‘Old Dog’