The LUCAS-jury and the jury of the F.I.C.C. gave away the prizes in the award ceremony on September 13th which was hosted by the moderator of German children’s channel (KI.KA) from ARD and ZDF Juri Tetzlaff. 29 features und short films from 17 countries competed for the awards of Best Feature raised to 7500 Euro and Best Short raised to 3000 Euro.

LUCAS presented one week long brand new high-class children´s films – among them six World premieres, five European and 15 German premieres. Ten Feature Films and 19 Shorts competed for the renowned LUCAS-prizes. A special film series and a symposium were dedicated to documentary films for children. For the youngest ones LUCAS screened a special series for "minis"

Prize for Best Feature: MY VERY BEST FRIEND (Un Château En Espagne)
Director: Isabelle Doval (pictured below), France 2007

LUCAS prize for Best Short: PUSLING (CRYBABY) Director: Christina Rosendahl, Denmark 2008

Laudable Mentions: DUGGHOLUFÓLKIÐ (NO NETWORK)
Director: Ari Kristinsson, Iceland 2007

STRAFSTOSS (PENALTY)
Director: Till Endemann, Germany 2008

Read about the LUCAS-Jury:
http://lucasfilmfestival.de/jury-1/lucas-jury

Read the statements of the LUCAS-Jury
http://lucasfilmfestival.de/jury-1/statements-of-the-lucas-jury

Don-Quijote-Award of the F.I.C.C.: PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND
Director: Daniel Barnz, USA 2008

Laudable Mention: DUGGHOLUFÓLKIÐ (NO NETWORK) Director: Ari Kristinsson (pictured below), Iceland 2007

Read about the jury of the F.I.C.C.: http://lucasfilmfestival.de/jury-1/f-i-c-c-jury

Read the statements of the F.I.C.C.-Jury:
http://lucasfilmfestival.de/jury-1/statements-of-the-f-i-c-c-jury

LUCAS Awards:
"Leaps and Bounds"
Director: Petter Næss (Sweden, Norway, Germany 2007)
The Swedish-Norwegian-German Co-Production Hoppet tells the story of the brothers Azad and Tigris who were send by their parents to a country which promises both peace and freedom. Azad loves jumping, and particularly high. In this way he overcomes boundaries, helping in the end to bring together his family under a new constellation.
The film by Petter Naess stands out in high degree due to its humorous dialogues and authentic characters. Moreover, the children act independently and courageously. The deeply felt bond between the two brothers and their unconditional belief in each other are touching. Here, a current and serious issue is authentically told with sympathetic effortlessness. A deeply moving film.

"Behind the Clouds"
Director: Jorge Queiroga (Portugal 2006)
Through his curiosity and open mind, Paulo changes the people found in his immediate surroundings, thereby bringing his family together again. By acting independently and courageously, the main character exemplifies the earnestness of children’s desires. With poetic pictures, impressive music and striking panoramas, a magical atmosphere composed of a multi-layered construction of fantasy and reality is shown. Focusing on the essentials, the director's trust in calm cinematic narration is both convincing as well as allowing him to develop its own strength. The audience is taken along. Grand cinema for the whole family.

Laudable Mention:
"Blame it on Fidel France"
Director: Julie Gavras (2006)
Anna doesn't understand the world any longer: over night, the little girl from a good family is wrenched out of her usual surroundings and must now confront the radically altered political views of her parents, which she only step by step begins to learn to understand.
A film which breaks away from usual viewing habits by consistently focusing on the view of the child, thereby also making grown-up audiences experience a certain degree of uncertainty. Its special manner of story-telling, leaves definite strong impressions. A film which consternates and challenges, stimulating exchange in its wake.

LUCAS Short Film Award:
"Baluba Runa"
Director: Christian Lo (Norway 2007)
Eight year old Runa has a dream: she wants to become Prime Minister in order to buy a new school bus. However, for this she needs to live in Oslo – a real nightmare for the little girl.
Convincing through human warmth and love towards his figures, the Norwegian director Christian Lo invites the audience to participate in a “What if…”-story with a bizarre sense of humor. Not only has he found the ideal cast with Runa in this successful blend of both reality and dream. “Baluba Runa” is a refreshing film for young and old people.

Laudable Mention:
"Working for Living"
Director: Preeya Nair (India 2007)
The 23 minute documentary film accompanies the young Indian girl Quamer in her everyday work life. Unlike German children, she must contribute to the family household and therefore cannot go to school.
The Jury was highly impressed by the power of the film. Far beyond all the usual images of poor Indian quarters, the filmmaker Preeya Nair successfully presents a little girl, who talks authentically and trustingly about her both life and her hopes. In the Jury's view, her great wish of becoming a strong personality has already been fulfilled. Sometimes reality writes the best stories!

Prix CIFEJ:
"Behind the Clouds"
Director: Jorge Queiroga (Portugal 2006)
The CIFEJ Jury of LUCAS 2007 is very pleased to give its award to the film Behind the Clouds by Jorge Queiroga.
An original story about a young boy’s struggle to find out the truth about his family and his heritage. This journey is revealed through a warm and poetic script, in which words are used sparingly allowing the underlying emotions to unfold. The cinematography is imaginative in expressing the boy’s quest, both in the present and the magical trips into memory and what have been. A film about discovering and coming to terms with the past but ending with a positive outlook into the future.
“A world in which the older generation can also learn from the young.”

Don-Quijote-Award of the FICC:
"Leaps and Bounds"
Director: Petter Næss (Sweden, Norway, Germany 2007)
The film we all loved most, is a universal story about a young boy and his desire to fly. The film succeeds in bringing serious and current themes, in this refugees´ story, in such a way that children are emotionally involved, excited and amazed.
It promotes important values like solidarity, self confidence and the courage to pursue one´s beliefs. Throughout the entire film, we are amazed at the young boy´s presence on camera, giving refugees a real face.

FICC Laudable Mention:
"Crow Lake"
Director: Inesa Kurklietyte (Lithuania 2007)
Crow Lake by Inesa Kurklietyte, Lithuania 2007 is an exciting film experiment that shows us, in a creative documentary form, children acting without moral limits.

In the year 1991 LUCAS Film Festival has announced the 1st film market place. From this time on LUCAS Film Festival is accompanied by the forum focused on films for children and youth every year.

In 2007 during its 30th edition LUCAS wants to take the opportunity to increase its film market place. From now one LUCAS will in addition to the festival catalogue, also publish an extensive market catalogue containing crew and genre information, brief descriptions in two languages and contact addresses for each film submitted.

The main objective is to present fiction, shorts and documentaries focused on films for children and youth every year. Indexes organized by title, genre, director and running time facilitate working with the catalogue.

We hope the market place to become a remarkable opportunity for buyers, festival representatives, TV stations with appropriate program profile and other trade visitors to look at the current state of worldwide productions for children and youth in a concentrated
atmosphere, and to select works for their own use. All accredited visitors have a catalogue in German and English at their disposal from which to make their selections.

And we also hope the market place to become a outstanding forum for producers, distributors, filmmakers and other experts to share and ex-change their experiences.