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CEI Award at Trieste Film Festival to Polish Director Damian Kocur with 'Under the Volcano'

The CEI-supported Trieste Film Festival, an event dedicated to Central and Eastern European cinema, took place on January 16-24, 2025. The programme featured a diverse array of international and national premieres, including feature films, short films, and documentaries, but also spotlighted special sections, such as "Wild Roses," which celebrated European female filmmakers with focus on perspectives from contemporary Serbia.

A key highlight of the festival was the presentation of the annual CEI Award, which recognises the film that best embodies the spirit of cultural dialogue and contemporary issues. This year, the award was presented to Damian Kocur (Poland) for his film Pod Wulkanem (Under the Volcano), which was chosen as Poland’s official submission for this year’s Best International Feature Oscar. 

The film was praised by the jury

“for its indirect portrayal of the Russian invasion of Ukraine through the perspective of a teenager, in a coming-of-age film that explores human fragility and family bonds in times of crisis, while also addressing issues related to migration. Peoples seemingly distant yet united by the shared condition of being refugees.”

CEI Senior Executive Officer Barbara Fabro presented the CEI Award during the closing ceremony on January 24, underscoring the long-standing cooperation with the Trieste Film Festival and the joint commitment to supporting young talented film directors from the CEI region. She also highlighted the CEI-supported TSFF Academy offering an educational experience to the students from prominent universities and film academies.

The festival also hosted the international co-production forum When East Meets West, which took place from January 19-22, bringing together audiovisual professionals from across Europe to discuss future collaborations and industry trends.


Born in Katowice in 1983, Damian Kocur is a Polish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. A graduate of the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School in Katowice, he is currently pursuing his PhD at the Łódź Film School. He is also a member of the European Film Academy. His short film Beyond is the Day (2020) won several awards. His feature debut, Bread and Salt (2022), premiered in the “Orizzonti” section of the Venice IFF, where it was awarded the Special Jury Prize. His short film As It Was (2023), was selected at Cannes and was nominated for the EFA.


For more info: https://triestefilmfestival.it/en/; fabro@cei.int

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