„Desert Coffee”, a film by Mikael Lypinski, has been awarded the White Cobra award for the best documentary film at 28th Media Festival Man in Danger. The director also received Grand Prix – the Award of the City of Łódź.

Slab City is a squatter community in the Sonoran Desert, Southern California. The inhabitants, Slabbers, live in broken trailers or old school buses. Despite living off-grid in extreme weather conditions with no running water, electricity or trash pickup, the residents enthusiastically embrace their freedom in the beautiful badlands of the desert. Rob, one of the inhabitants hates coffee but makes it in his internet cafe for the community. „Desert Coffee” sketches an intimate, warm portrait of Rob and his friends – an unforgettable bunch of opinionated and troubled characters.

Jury composed of: Tomasz Majewski, Katarzyna Mąka-Malatyńska, Michał Oleszczyk, Piotr Mikucki and Paweł Wysoczański has awarded and distinguished five more authors of documentary films. The awards were given during an official gala held at the Art Inkubator.

Kazimierz Karabasz’s Patient Eye Award  – Grzegorz Brzozowski for the film „Stranger On My Couch”

Aleksander Kaminski’s Award for overcoming danger – Rafał Łysak for the film „Unconditional Love”

Award of the Polish Filmmakers Society – Małgorzata Imielska for the film „Love and Empty Words”

Medal of the Monumentum Iudaicum Lodzense Foundation: Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz for the film„Notes on Life. A Movie About Edward Zebrowski”

Honorable mentions: Katarzyna Trzaska for the film „Village of Swimming Cows” and Anna Gawlita for „Horse Riders”.

There was a second competion apart from the documentary one – TV reportages competion. The jury composed of: Beata Hyży-Czołpińska, Agnieszka Obszańska i Zbigniew Wichłacz awarded the following films:

Award fot the best film reportage: Anna Barańska-Całek for the film „Embattled in one’s house” and Marek Sygacz for „Afrin. The World Betrayed Us”.

Honorable mentions: Award from the Helena Kretz Third Age University for Sylwia Nieckarz and her film „Faith… Hope… Love…”.