MATSALU NATURE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
International Competition
🥚 Grand Prix for Best Film (Grant of 5,000 euros, shared by the Director and Producer)
🥚 Best Director in the category Nature (Grant of 1,000 euros from Utilitas)
🥚 Best Director in the category Man and Nature (Grant of 1,000 euros)
🥚 Best Cinematography in the category Nature (Grant of 1,000 euros from Utilitas)
🥚 Best Cinematography in the category Man and Nature (Grant of 1,000 euros from Kvaliteetaken)
🥚 Best Editing in the category Nature
🥚 Best Editing in the category Man and Nature
🥚 Special Jury Prize in the category Nature
🥚 Special Jury Prize in the category Man and Nature
📜 Special Mention in the category Nature
📜 Special Mention in the category Man and Nature
Additional Awards
🥚 Audience Award
📜 Ministry of Climate Special Prize
📜 Matsalu National Park Special Prize
📜 Estonian Fund for Nature Special Prize
📜 Tallinn Zoo Special Prize
The MAFF Egg
The egg trophy of the Matsalu Nature Film Festival is the highest recognition for the best filmmakers.
The creator of the awards, Merilin Pedastsaar, says: "The films that reach MAFF are like eggs from the same nest, each telling its unique story on the silver screen for nature lovers. They encourage us to reflect deeply on our daily choices, enriching us with new knowledge and nourishing the soul with the beauty of life. We cannot love what we do not know! For this reason, as a metal artist, I found the egg to be the perfect symbol—a representation of new life beginning.
The creation of MAFF eggs begins in the spring. I coat each egg with copper using the electroforming technique and then let time take its course. This process imparts a unique copper patina to each egg.
The smaller MAFF eggs were born from a workshop at the festival. The idea was to recast empty brass cartridge casings into commemorative MAFF eggs, involving festival guests in metal casting while encouraging them to reflect on the notion that every action has consequences, and that change can happen swiftly. It also highlighted the idea that what one person might consider waste can be a valuable resource for another. To this end, empty brass cartridge casings were collected from shooting ranges, and bronze filings left over from large company lathes were repurposed, giving new life to what was once discarded."
