The 26th annual Vancouver International Film Festival concluded its highly successful 16-day run today with the closing gala screening of Pierre Salvadori’s film "PRICELESS" (HORS DE PRIX) in the Visa Screening Room at the Empire Granville 7 Cinemas.

Prior to the screening, festival director Alan Franey announced the winners of five juried awards and three audience awards; a sixth juried award was announced previously.

JURIED AWARDS

Kyoto Planet Climate for Change Award: "THE PLANET"
Directed By: Michael Stenberg, Johan Soderberg and Linus Torell (Sweden)
Prize:$25,000
The jury included Dominic Patten, Arts & Life editor of The Vancouver Sun, accomplished environmental filmmaker/producer Gerard Ungerman, and a third “jurist” consisting of the audience, whose votes for their favourite films helped select the winner. "For the very first Kyoto Planet “Climate for Change” Award we recognized the Swedish film "THE PLANET"—in a category of many good movies—as the film that not only galvanized us artistically and intellectually to the many dangers that face our world, but also brought to the fore the harsh reality of what is happening to our environment. It is a reality that no one can ignore and that we can all become motivated today to start making a difference. "THE PLANET" is about changing the world... and our world needs it,” said juror Dominic Patten. "It was a tough call to select the best environmental film for the very first Kyoto Planet “Climate for Change” Award at the 2007 Vancouver International Film Festival,” said juror Gerard Ungerman. “Artistic mastery, information content, power to mobilize... "THE PLANET" got it all and well deserves now to be seen by a very large audience around the world.” The inaugural Climate for Change program showcased 11 films; both documentaries and dramatic features were in competition. The winning film best exemplified the criteria of “fresh information, vision and cinematic artistry” about the environment. John Icke, president and chief operating officer of Kyoto Planet Group, presented the award.


Citytv Western Canada Feature Film Award:"NORMAL"
Directed By: Carl Bessai
Prize: $12,000 cash prize

Honourable Mention: "YOUNG PEOPLE FUCKING."
The jury included actor Tantoo Cardinal, filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming and film critic and educator Joanne Yamaguchi. Debbie Millette, programming manager of Citytv, presented the award.

Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film:"THE WINDFISHERMAN"
Directed By: Anna McRoberts
Prize:$2,000 cash award and $5,000 Avid Media Composer software package
There were 14 films in competition, which was open to first-time filmmakers. The award was presented by Canadian Images programmer Terry McEvoy.

NFB Best Canadian Documentary Award:"UP THE YANGTZE"
Directed By:Yung Chang
The jury commented, “This brilliantly shot and edited documentary, at times humourous and at other times heartbreaking, dramatizes the complexities of cross-cultural communication and, through its focus on the massive Three Gorges Dam project, subtly shows the terrible human cost of China’s rapid modernization.”

A Special Mention:"THE SUICIDE TOURIST"
Directed By: John Zaritsky
“This is an unflinching, quietly compassionate hymn to life, full of moral complexity, told via a gripping true tale of two determined couples voluntarily choosing to shorten their time on earth through euthanasia,” the jury added. The internationally accredited jury, which includes film scholar and Screen International critic Peter Brunette, international film specialist, interpreter and Kinograph film translator Robert Grey, and acclaimed Boston Phoenix film critic Gerald Peary chose the winner from 10 films in competition. The winner receives $2,500 in development money towards his next documentary with the NFB. The award was presented by Tracey Friesen, the executive producer, Pacific and Yukon Centre, of the NFB.

Women in Film & Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award:"SHE’S A BOY I KNEW
Directed by:Gwen Haworth
WIFTV president Danika Dinsmore presented the award, which is given annually to a B.C. woman filmmaker or performer of distinction.

AUDIENCE AWARDS
Rogers People’s Choice Award for the Most Popular International Film: "PERSEPOLIS"
Directed By: Marjane Satrapi (Iran)
and Vincent Paronnaud of (France)

Vancity People’s Choice Award for the Most Popular Canadian Film: "SHE’S A BOY I KNEW"
Directed By: Gwen Haworth

People’s Choice Award for the Most Popular International Nonfiction Film: "GARBAGE WARRIOR"
Directed By: Oliver Hodge of the UK.

Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema

The $10,000 Dragons & Tigers Award for Young Cinema, which is sponsored by Brad Birarda, was announced on October 4. There was a two-way tie for the award, which is given to the director of a creative and innovative film from East Asia that has not yet won significant international recognition. The winners, both independent filmmakers from China, were Robin Weng (Weng Shouming) for "FUJIAN BLUE" and Zhang Yuedong for "MID-AFTERNOON BARKS." They equally shared the prize money. This year's jury comprised the film director Jang Sun-Woo from South Korea, the film critic Kong Rithdee from Thailand and the film producer, critic and academic Colin MacCabe from Britain. They considered eight films in competition.

The Vancouver International Film Festival is generously supported by Telefilm Canada. The festival’s major corporate partners are Kyoto Planet, Rogers, Vancity and Visa, and the primary media partner is The Vancouver Sun.

The award is given to a creative and innovative film from East Asia, made early in the director’s career, which has not yet won significant international recognition.

This year’s jury comprised the film director JANG Sun-Woo from South Korea, the film critic Kong RITHDEE from Thailand and the film producer, critic and academic Colin MacCABE from Britain. They considered eight films in competition and reached the following decisions:

A Special Mention is given to the film: "OBBAH: A GIRL’S ELDER BROTHER"
Directed by: KIM Jong-Guk from South Korea.

“An extremely impressive formal experiment. One 63-minute take captures both the complexity of a particular urban situation and the more general features of modern Korean society.”

The Dragons and Tigers Award for 2007 is divided equally between two films, both independent productions from China. The prize money of C$10,000 is also divided equally between the two films. In alphabetical order, the two films are:

"FUJIAN BLUE"
Directed by: Robin WENG (WENG Shouming)

“An extremely realistic film about contemporary China, showing why and how so many present-day Chinese try to emigrate illegally from the southern coastal province of Fujian. The film is also a portrait of the current generation of young people: boys and girls floating on the waves of globalisation.”

And

"MID-AFTERNOON BARKS"
Directed by: ZHANG Yuedong

“An extremely inventive structure meshes with witty, well-observed dialogue to produce an oblique but accurate view of modern China. The play between image and soundtrack demonstrates the young director’s masterly grasp of cinema.”

The awards were presented in the Empire Granville 7 Cinemas in Vancouver on the evening of 4 October. Zhang Yuedong and Kim Jong-Guk received their awards in person, while Robin Weng’s award was received by his producer Lin Fan.

The VIFF's 22nd Annual Film and Television Forum
builds to an exciting climax on New Filmmakers' Day (NFD), showcasing a truly world-class line-up of award-winning film professionals. The only event of its kind in Western Canada, NFD provides emerging filmmakers with the tools necessary to launch a great career.

Hot on the heels of launching Opening Night at the Toronto Int'l Film Festival, Jeremy Podeswa, Writer-Director, "Fugitive Pieces" brings his sharp eye and craftsmanship to ANATOMY OF A SCENE giving us the insider's scoop on two scenes that created unique challenges for him. Podeswa is also director of some of the most highly critically acclaimed TV series (Six Feet Under, Carnivale, Rome) and is currently prepping
for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' much anticipated series Pacific.

New Filmmakers' Day also boasts two highly celebrated filmmakers in Blissful Union: The Cinematographer and Production Designer Relationship. BAFTA and American Society of Cinematographer Award- Winning D.O.P. Philippe Rousselot has shot for some of the premiere
directors of our time, including Robert Redford, Neil Jordan, Sydney Pollack and Stephen Frears. Here, he discusses the artistry and interplay between cinematography and production design with Alex
McDowell, Production Designer on Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report," David Fincher's "Fight Club," and Tim Burton's "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory."

Action-packed from beginning to end, this year's New Filmmakers' Day ventures into the forefront of indie filmmaking, exploring people-powered financing and distribution with Fast Forward: Filmmakers Seize Control. From generating a viral buzz to financing an entire
feature film through social networking sites, more and more films are being financed outside studios and mini-majors. Leading the way is seminal digital pioneer Lance Weiler, who Wired Magazine called "One of
twenty-five people helping to re-invent entertainment and change the face of Hollywood." Featured in Time, Forbes, Entertainment Tonight and CNN, his first feature "The Last Broadcast" is currently in distribution in over 20 countries, and was the first all-digital motion picture
released in theatres nationwide, grossing over $4 million to date. With his newly released alternate reality game "Head Trauma" already reshaping current paradigms of filmed entertainment, this seminar is a must for emerging filmmakers seeking strategies for seizing the day in Hollywood and beyond.

Also featured is Arin Crumley, Director, Four Eyed Monsters. The film has become a cult phenomenon having played in 20 film festivals, nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, screened theatrically in
major cities across the nation, and garnered critical acclaim across the board - all the while, managed and distributed by its own creators.

The 22nd Annual Film and Television Forum takes place in the Rogers Industry Centre at the Vancouver International Film Centre and Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street, September 26-28 with New Filmmakers' Day on September 29th.