Awards 2007

The recipients of the three awards given out at the 25th Oulu International Children's Film Festival, organized by the Oulu Film Centre, have been chosen.

STARBOY AWARD: "The substitute" (Vikaren),
director Ole Bornedal, Denmark 2007
Jury’s statement:

"The best movie was really good. The plot was intelligently put together and it was a little unusual, but that is only positive. The special effects were good, at times they made the crowd jump. Still, there was no blood. The story was slightly dark, at times a little scary. The movie can help improve one’s self-esteem. The feelings and life of the main character were well presented, the progress of the character was even more pronounced later on. The actors, despite their young age, performed very well.

With just slightly fewer votes the runner-up was "That special summer" by Nanna Huolman."

CIFEJ PRIZE: "That special summer" (Kid Svensk/ Aavan meren tällä puolen),
director Nanna Huolman, Sweden - Finland 2007
"The jury of the international centre of films for children and young people awards the CIFEJ prize to the film That special summer by Nanna Huolman for her sensitive approach in treating a beautiful touching story in a very suitable way. She portrays not only very well the difficulties of the very first demonstration of love between adolescents, but also illustrates the different levels of tensions created by misunderstanding of the relationships and generation gap.

She depicts the life as a continual battle in showing how an immigrant has to deal and to work with a foreign language.

The script is clear.

The pace is just fine.

The performances of the two young characters are very natural.

The mother-acting is very convincing to evoke the position of the mother role in the story."

The CIFEJ prize was created by the Centre international de film pour l’enfance et la jeunesse in 1981. It has been awarded at the Oulu festival since 1995.


LITTLE BEAR Award: Festival director emeritus Pentti Kejonen

The Little Bear Award, founded in 2004 by the POEM - Northern Film and Media Foundation, is given every year during the Oulu International Children’s Film Festival to a Finnish professional who during the year or in his/her career served the cause of children's films with distinction.

Little Bear 2007 award is given to the founder and first director of the Oulu International Children's Film Festival, co-founder of the Oulu Film Centre, pioneering film educator, Mr. Pentti Kejonen.