Today, the children’s jury at the culminating international Berlinale festival in the German capital awarded an honorable mention in the Generation Kplus section to the animated film Deniska died by Philipp Kastner, director and student of FAMU in Prague.
The Glass Bear for the best short film, which Kastner also sought, went to the American director Lloyd Lee Choi with the film Closing Dynasty.
Kastner’s short film, which was created as an exercise in the second year at the FAMU Animation Department, deals with a sensitive topic. It tells about the loss of a beloved pet and how it is possible to cope with the painful experience. “A true story that evoked a lot of emotions. We were thrilled by the amazing animation with a special drawing style and beautifully used colors,” said the jury, which is made up of children between the ages of 11 and 14 in the Generation Kplus section.
In the category of short films in the Kplus section, 16 films applied for the Glass Bear. Kastner described the fact that the Berlinale chose the film Deniska died for the festival in a global competition. “It never occurred to me before that something like this could even happen. It’s great to see people like the film, especially when it’s such a personal subject,” he said of his nomination in December.
