"KILLING AUNTIE" BY GŁOWACKI AWARDED IN UKRAINE

Yesterday evening, the 7th edition of the Wiz-Art festival ended in Lviv. The Grand Prix for the best film of the international competition went to "Killing Auntie" by Mateusz Głowacki.

It is the first, long-awaited award for the film by Głowacki, which so far has been shown at the festivals Busan, Premiers Plans, Konrad Wolf ISFF to list just a few.   "Killing Auntie", which had its world première at the 53rd Krakow Film Festival, is a diploma film by Głowacki, who graduated in Film Directing from the Faculty of Radio and Television at the University of Silesia in Katowice. 

23 year-old Jurek lives with his aunt, who puts her entire heart into ensuring that the boy does not lack anything.  Tired by stability and safety of his life under the continuous care of the aunt, the boy decides to change his fate. To silence the constant talk of the aunt, he reaches for a hammer... Made on the basis of an unfinished novel by Andrzej Bursa, "Killing Auntie", full of discrete absurdity and black humour, is a story about  the need for liberation.

The film by Głowacki was the only Polish film in the festival's competition. On giving the Grand Prix to "Killing Auntie", the jury explained the verdict in the following way: "Killing Auntie" performs a perfect balance between an unrealistic story and the convincing way of telling it. Although "Killing Auntie" has very good directing, editing and comic timing, it is difficult to describe. You just have to watch it! The jury consisted of Gunhild Enger (Norwegian director), Kateryna Gornostai (Ukrainian director) and Szymon Stemplewski (the director of the Short Waves festival). In this year's competition, 15 films were shown.

It is worth mentioning that in the programme there was also a special screening of Polish films, prepared by the organisers of the Short Waves festival. The viewers could watch seven Polish films, among others,  "An Incredibly Elastic Man" by Karolina Specht, "The Heat” by Bartosz Kruhlik and "The 128th Rat" by Jakub Pączek. 

You can find more about the festival and the full list of award-winners here