The science fiction film “Manny” directed by Dace Pūce, a Indian-Latvian co-production has won four awards at Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival (USA).
“Manny”, which is a co-produced film of India and Latvia, was recognized as the second best film of the festival in the competition of 120 works, while Gatis Grīnbergs was awarded the prize for the best cinematography. Composer Naresh Kamat (India) for best background music was also recognized, and Tony Hawkins (Great Britain) was awarded for Best Supporting Actor. With four awards, Manny became the festival’s most award-winning film, and was also nominated for the largest number of nominations.
The festival’s jury included representatives from both the film industry and a variety of disciplines, including Star Trek’s original screenwriter David Gerold, director and producer Robert Maier Bernet, and NASA’s Godard Space Flight Center communications expert Thaddeus Cesari. “The feeling that your work is appreciated and rewarded by both people in the film industry and scientists who actually work with artificial intelligence is wonderful, especially when I’m myself on ‘you’ with science fiction films,” comments on the film’s success at the festival. directed by Dace Pūce.
“This is the first Latvian-Indian co-production film, and we are really proud that foreigners chose Latvian directors. The film is in English, but the biggest challenge for the actors, cameraman, film artist and director was to work with this invisible character Mania, voice owner Tony Hawkins, “says film producer Kriste Pudane.
The Latvian co-producer of the film “Manny” is “Marana Productions”, and it was fully shot in Latvia. The main role in the film is played by Indian actress Sonala Segala, while other roles include domestic actors such as Jurijs Djakonovs, Dārta Daneviča, Marta Grase and Egons Dombrovskis. So far, “Manny” has visited several festivals and gained recognition in other parts of the world, including the European Cinematography Awards for Best Director.
The science fiction thriller “Manny” tells the story of an Indian woman Maija, who comes to Latvia with a girlfriend to work on an autobiographical novel. Her essence is revealed through three prisms of relationships – imaginary, real and virtual. Maya becomes a prisoner of artificial intelligence and begins to fight for her freedom.
The artist Katrīna Kalniņa, costume designer Ilze Grickus, make-up artist Ivanda Šmite, editing director Jurģis Ločmelis, color correction – Oļegs Aleksejevs, executive producer Renāte Barone participated in the creation of the film “Manny”. The film was made with the support of “Arkogints”, “SDG”, “Fly Vision”, “Smart Security Systems”, “WATT Group”, shopping park “Alfa”, “Burka M” and many other partners.
The film “Manny” could be available to Latvian viewers at the end of 2021, about which the film project “Spektrs” will inform as the film approaches, but in September Dace Pūce’s debut feature film “Bedre” will be shown in cinemas in Latvia.