Poland's CamerImage, a film festival that runs each year in Bydgoszcz, is dedicated in large measure to celebrating the art of cinematography. With that craft in mind, it's perhaps no surprise that Leviathan, Andrey Zvyagintsev's austere and striking parable of modern Russia, took home this year's big prize: the Golden Frog. Its DP, Mikhail Krichman, also won for his cinematography. The film is Russia’s official bid for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. CamerImage 22 officially closed on with a lavish awards ceremony in the main theater of Bydgoszcz’s imposing Opera Nova opera house. Golden Frogs were bestowed on The Black Stallion and The Natural's Caleb Deschanel, who picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award (click here to see Breaking Bad DP Michael Slovis explain why), The Right Stuff's Philip Kaufman, who won the corresponding award for direction, and Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Reader, Trash) for Excellence in Directing.
An indication of the wealth and sheer number of films on offer at this year’s festival is the amount of competitions it encompasses. These were the winners in full:
**
MAIN COMPETITION**
Golden Frog: Leviathan
Silver Frog: Omar
Bronze Frog: Mommy
POLISH FILMS COMPETITION
Best Polish Film: Hardkor Disko
**DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION **
Golden Frog: Grand Prix: Blood
Special Mention: Monte Adentro
**3D FILMS COMPETITION **
Best 3D Documentary Film: Beyond the Edge
Best 3D Feature Film: The Young And Prodigious T.S. Spivet