2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

There’s a magical feeling when you’re in charge. When you have the total freedom to do what you please. So we captured this sentiment. Opening on grand castles, we follow dictators through medieval castles, banquet halls in the Dark Ages, early Asian palaces and Ancient Egyptian kingdoms. We see them command halls, speak to the masses and make orders about the most mundane things – playing with the cat, chilling in their underwear or just doing absolutely nothing. In a quick snap back to reality we see that all these people aren’t actually kings and queens, they just feel that way when they have total control over their space.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the cinematography.

While shot in one location (Romania) we had to make it feel as if every shot was in a different kingdoms around the world. Dramatic backlighting, purposeful movements and rich color schemes set the scenes and every shot was purposeful. We shot around the clock to take advantage of sunset, golden hour and night to add to the feeling that you’re journeying across continents. Continuous movement and varying frame rates (25,50, and 100 frames per second) helped us emphasize the little moments that add to the humor of the scene. Most importantly, we needed show quality, lavishly. The purposeful lighting and dramatic angles helped to transform everyday IKEA furniture it thrones, daybeds and dinner tables fit for a King. Overall, we wanted to make it epic with rich colors, cinematic camera moves and seamless transitions. The result is a bold, poetic & dramatic film.