The Asian Digital Competition encourages young filmmakers in Asia to explore the potential of the digital media. The Golden Digital Award at the Asian Digital Competition went to Sun Spots by previous FIPRESCI Prize winner at the 31st HKIFF, Yang Heng (Betelnut). The film features the intensity of human relationships expressed in an original cinematic language of powerful visuals that leads to a new art form of film. The Silver Digital Award went to the director, Zhao Dayong for his feature debut, The High Life.

Zhao Dayong also received the FIPRESCI Prize for The High Life, for its poetic, profound and modern style of fragmented beauty with an aesthetic critique of society. The FIPRESCI Special Mention went to Tangle, the directorial debut by the award-winning cinematographer of Blind Shaft, Liu Yonghong. Presented by the International Federation of Film Critics since the 23rd HKIFF, the FIPRESCI Prize aims to promote film-art and encourages new and young cinema.

The Humanitarian Award for Documentaries went to director Zhao Liang for his film Petition, which offers an epic-scale analysis of some key social and psychological issues in present-day China. The Outstanding Documentary Award went to Enemies of the People by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath. The film offers a frank (and still shocking) account of what happened on Cambodia’s “killing fields”.

The first recipient of the Short Film Competition Grand Prize was Hanasaari A, an experimental Finnish documentary jointly directed by Hannes Vartiainen and Pekka Veikkolainen, for its recognition of a disappearing environment and the transience of time. The Jury Prize went to The Berlin Wall directed by Brighton-born filmmaker, Paul Cotter. The film successfully shows how emotions towards the Berlin Wall still run high 20 years after it was torn down.

Co-organised with SIGNIS Hong Kong since 2004, the SIGNIS Awards is a salute to quality films with significant artistic, human, social, and spiritual values. The SIGNIS Award this year went to A Brand New Life, a semi-autobiographical tale by French-Korean Ounie Lecomte who, with her artistic talent, can point out those almost insignificant details that actually really matter. The SIGNIS Commendation was presented to the Finish director Klaus Härö (Mother of Mine) for his latest film, Letters to Father Jacob.

WORLD COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The jurors for the 2010 World Narrative Competition were Hope Davis, Aaron Eckhart, John Hamburg, Cheryl Hines, John Ridley, Gary Ross and Gary Winick.

• The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – When We Leave (Die Fremde), directed and written by Feo Aladag. (Germany). Winner receives $25,000 cash and the art award “Study: Northern City Renaissance” (Mass MoCA #379K) 2008, commissioned by Sting, created by Stephen Hannock. Sponsored by AKA Hotel Residences. The award was presented by Robert De

Niro and Jane Rosenthal.

Special Jury Mention: Loose Cannons, directed by Ferzan Ozpetek and written by Ferzan

Ozpetek and Ivan Cotroneo.

• Best New Narrative Filmmaker – Kim Chapiron for Dog Pound, written by Kim Chapiron and

Jeremie Delon. (France). Winner receives $25,000 cash. Sponsored by American Express. The

award was presented by Gary Winick.

• Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Eric Elmosnino as Serge Gainsbourg in Gainsbourg,

Je t’Aime…Moi Non Plus, directed and written by Joann Sfar. (France). Sponsored by Delta Air

Lines. Winner receives two BusinessElite ticket vouchers for anywhere Delta travels. The award

was presented by Hope Davis.

• Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Sibel Kekilli as Umay in When We Leave (Die

Fremde), directed and written by Feo Aladag. (Germany). Sponsored by Delta Air Lines.

Winner receives two BusinessElite ticket vouchers for anywhere Delta travels. The award was

presented by Aaron Eckhart.

The jurors for the 2010 World Documentary Competition were Jessica Alba, Margaret Brown, Abbie

Cornish, Marshall Curry, Whoopi Goldberg, Aidan Quinn and Eric Steel.

• Best Documentary Feature – Monica & David, directed by Alexandra Codina. (USA).

Sponsored by HBO. Winner receives $25,000 in cash and the art award “Jorge, 2003/2009” by

Vik Muniz. The award was presented by Jessica Alba.

Special Jury Mention: Budrus directed by Julia Bacha (USA, Palestine, Israel).

• Best New Documentary Filmmaker – Clio Barnard for The Arbor (UK). Winner receives

$25,000 cash. Sponsored by American Express. The award was presented by Abbie Cornish.

Jury Comments: “Imagination is a word you don’t often associate with documentary filmmaking,

but this director bends the boundaries of the form, beautifully crafting an innovative and detailed

film wherein great storytelling is paramount.”

NEW YORK COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The 2010 Best New York Narrative Competition jurors were Selma Blair, Zach Braff, Zoe Cassavetes,

Darko Lungulov and Andrew McCarthy.

• Best New York Narrative – Monogamy, directed by Dana Adam Shapiro, written by Dana

Adam Shapiro and Evan M. Weiner. (USA). Winner receives $10,000 cash, $50,000 in postproduction services donated by Company 3, and the art award “SeaScape Frame” by Valerie

Hegarty. The award was presented by Selma Blair.

Special Jury Mention: Melissa Leo for her performance in The Space Between, directed and

written by Travis Fine. (USA).

The 2010 Best New York Documentary Competition jurors were America Ferrera, Dave Karger, Dan

Klores, Scott Neustadter and Kate Snow.

• Best New York Documentary – The Woodmans, directed by C. Scott Willis. (USA, Italy,

China). Sponsored by Polaroid. Winner receives $10,000 cash, $50,000 in post-production

services donated by Company 3, and art award “New York Studio n.21” by Maurizio Galimberti.

The award was presented by America Ferrara.

SHORT FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The 2010 Best Narrative Short Competition jurors were Justin Bartha, Katherine Dieckmann, Jack

Dorsey, Peter Facinelli and Brooke Shields.

• Best Narrative Short – Father Christmas Doesn't Come Here, directed by Bekhi Sibiya,

written by Sibongile Nkosana, Bongi Ndaba. (South Africa). Winner receives $5,000 cash, 5,000

feet of 35mm film stock donated by Kodak, and the art award “A Box of Smile, 1967/89” by

Yoko Ono. The award was presented by Peter Facinelli.

Special Jury Mention: The Crush, directed and written by Michael Creagh. (Ireland).

The 2010 Best Documentary and Student Short Competition jurors were Perry Miller Adato, Tim

Armstrong, Jared Cohen, Scandar Copti, Larry Gagosian, Alicia Keys and Shirin Neshat.

• Best Documentary Short – White Lines & The Fever: The Death of DJ Junebug, directed and

written by Travis Senger. (USA). Winner receives $5,000 cash, 5,000 feet of 35mm film stock

donated by Kodak and the art award “Fruits of War” by Spencer Platt. The award was presented

by Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Scandar Copti.

Special Jury Mention: Out of Infamy: Michi Nishiura Weglyn, directed and written by Nancy

Kapitanoff, Sharon Yamato. (USA).

• Student Visionary Award – some boys don't leave, directed by Maggie Kiley, written by

Matthew Mullen, Maggie Kiley. (USA). Winner receives MacPro Desktop with Final Cut Pro and

a 24-inch monitor provided by Apple and the art award “Inauguration Angel” by Maira Kalman.

This award was also presented by Copti.

Special Jury Mention: The Pool Party, directed and written by Sara Zandieh. (Iran, USA).

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL VIRTUAL CATEGORIES:

The 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Virtual winners were voted on by the TFF Virtual premium passholders.

• Tribeca Film Festival VIRTUAL Best Feature Film: Spork, directed and written by J. B.

Ghuman, Jr. (USA). Winner receives $25,000 cash. Sponsored by American Express. The award

was presented by Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises.

• Tribeca Film Festival VIRTUAL Best Short Film: Delilah, Before, directed by Melanie

Schiele. Winner receives $5,000 cash. Sponsored by American Express. The award was

presented by Julie La’Bassiere, Director of Marketing and Industry for Tribeca Enterprises.

Winner: Marwencol

Director: Jeff Malmberg

Special Jury Winner: War Don Don

Director: Rebecca Richman Cohen

NARRATIVE FEATURE

Winner: Tiny Furniture

Director: Lena Dunham

Special Jury Award - Best Ensemble: Myth of the American Sleepover

Director: David Robert Mitchell

Special Jury Award - Best Individual Performance: Brian Hasenfus in Phillip the Fossil

Director: Garth Donovan

Feature Film Audience Awards

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Winner: For Once in My Life

Director: Jim Bigham & Mark Moormann

NARRATIVE FEATURE

Winner: Brotherhood

Director: Will Canon

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Winner: When You're Strange - a film about the Doors

Director: Tom DiCillo

EMERGING VISIONS

Winner: NY Export: Opus Jazz

Director: Jody Lee Lipes

LONE STAR STATES

Winner: Thunder Soul

Director: Mark Landsman

MIDNIGHTERS

Winner: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Director: Eli Craig

SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES

Winner: Richard Garriott - Man on a Mission

Director: Mike Woolf

Short Film Jury Awards

NARRATIVE SHORTS

Winner: Cigarette Candy

Director: Lauren Wolkstein

Special Jury Award: Teleglobal Dreamin'

Director: Eric Flanagan

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Winner: Quadrangle

Director: Amy Grappell

Special Jury Award: White Lines and The Fever: The Death of DJ Junebug

Director: Travis Senger

ANIMATED SHORTS

Winner: The Orange

Director: Nick Fox-Gieg

Special Jury Award: One Square Mile of Earth

Director: Jeff Drew

EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS

Winner: Night Mayor

Director: Guy Maddin

Special Jury Award: Kids Might Fly

Director: Alex Taylor

MUSIC VIDEOS

Winner: Cinnamon Chasers, "Luv Deluxe"

Director: Saman Keshavarz

Special Jury Award: Grizzly Bear, "Forest"

Director: Allison Schulnik

TEXAS SHORTS

Winner: Petting Sharks

Director: Craig Elrod

Special Jury Award: The Big Bends

Director: Jason William Marlow

TIME WARNER CABLE & OVATION YOUNG FILMMAKER SCHOLARSHIP for TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORT

Winner: Give the Dog a Bone

Director: Edward Kelley

Special Jury Award: The Sleep Project

Director: Whitney Bennett & Matthew Cunningham

SXSW Special Jury Awards

SXSW WHOLPHIN AWARD

Winner: Quadrangle

Director: Amy Grappell

SXSW Chicken & Egg Emergent Narrative Woman Director Award

Winner: Lena Dunham for Tiny Furniture

Special Award - The Chicken & Egg Pictures "We Believe in You" Award

Martha Stephens for Passenger Pigeons

SXSW Film Design Awards

EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN

Winner: Feeder

Designer: Joseph Ernst

Special Jury Award: Amer

Designer: Gilles Vranckx

Audience Award Winner: Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission

Designer: Michael Anderson

Special Jury Award: Equestrian Sexual Response

Designers: Martim Vian & Zeke Hawkins

EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN

Winner: Zombieland

Designer: Ben Conrad

Special Jury Award: earthwork

Designer: Stan Herd

Audience Award Winner: earthwork

Designer: Stan Herd

Special Jury Award: Enter the Void

Designer: Gaspar Noé and Tom Kam

The annual SXSW Film Awards Ceremony took place on Tuesday, March 16 at the Austin Convention Center Theater. The 2010 SXSW Film Festival Awards were hosted by Ovation TV.

JURY AWARDS:

BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD - The winner of this award becomes eligible for Academy Awards consideration. The Gold Mine (La Mina de Oro) (Mexico), Jacques Bonnavent

FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD - Pierre Ferrière, The Story of My Life (Toute ma Vie) (France)

PANAVISION GRAND JURY AWARD – Off Season (Canada/USA), Jonathan van Tulleken

JURY SPECIAL CITATION – The jury presented a special mention to Flawed (Canada) directed by Andrea Dorfman "for the originality of its artistic expression, its genre-defying aesthetic and its emotional resonance."

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT - Wish 143 (UK), Ian Barnes

Runner-up: The Butterfly Circus (USA), Joshua Weigel

AUDIENCE FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT - Born Sweet (Cambodia), Cynthia Wade

Runner-up: Flawed (Canada), Andrea Dorfman

AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION SHORT - Ormie (Canada), Rob Silvestri

Runner-up: The Gruffalo (UK), Jakob Shuh and Max Lang

JURY CATEGORY AWARDS:

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER First Place – The Gold Mine (La Mina de Oro) (Mexico), Jacques Bonnavent

Second Place – Pretty Little Doggie (USA), E. Ivan Infante

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES - First Place – Hermann (Germany/UK), Hana Geissendorfer

Second Place – Aquarium (Norway), Bard Rossevold

BEST ANIMATED SHORT - First Place – Angry Man (Sinna Mann) (Norway), Anita Killi

Second Place – The Lost Thing (Australia/UK), Andrew Ruhemann & Shaun Tan

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - First Place – The Shutdown (Scotland), Adam Stafford

Second Place – Cohen on the Bridge: Rescue at Entebbe (Israel/UK), Andrew Wainrib

Jury Special Citation - The jury presented a special mention to The Lucky Ones (Szczesciarze) (Poland), directed by Tomasz Wolski "for transforming a routine look at bureaucratic procedures into a wry, poignant and subversive exploration of the human experience."

STUDENT CATEGORIES:

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER

First Place – Daughters (China/USA), Chloé Zhao

Second Place – Side by Side (Nebeneinander) (Germany), Christoph Englert

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES

First Place – The Road Home (India/USA), Rahul Gandotra

Second Place – God of Love (USA), Luke Matheny

BEST STUDENT ANIMATED SHORT

First Place – Prayers for Peace (USA), Dustin Grella

Second Place – Urs (Germany), Moritz Mayerhofer

BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT

First Place – The Little Snow Animal (Lumikko) (Finland), Miia Tervo

Second Place – A Moth in Spring (Canada/USA), Yu Gu

KODAK AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY

First Place - Jaron Henrie-McCrea (cinematographer), Sinkhole (USA)

Second Place - Ilyeon Kim (cinematographer), A Scene at the Sea (Gu Yeo-Rum-Eui Ba-da) (South Korea/USA)

The Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker went to Some Boys Don't Leave (USA), directed by Maggie Kiley. Special citation went to A Wink of the Eye (France/USA), directed by Ambarish Manepalli

The Cinema Without Borders Best International Film Award went to War (Uerra) (Italy), directed by Paolo Sassanelli. The Gold Mine (La Mina de Oro) (Mexico) received second place.

This year's jury members were Dan Ireland, director; Lael Lowenstein, President Los Angeles Film Critics Association; and Guinevere Turner, writer, director and actor.

The selected projects are:

Kazakhstan:

Harmony Lessons by Emir Baigazin

The Fierce Horse Rustlers by Adilkhan Yerzhanov

Sunny Days by Nariman Turebayev

Kyrgyzstan:

Jolbakan by Elnura Osmonalieva

Princess Nazik by Erkin Saliev

The Singing Grannies by Nurlan Asanbekov

Tajikistan:

Halola by Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov

Buzkashi! by Najeeb Mirza

Turkmenistan:

Ener by Bayram Abdullayev and Lora Stepanskaya

Uzbekistan:

Aral by Ella Vakkasova

Barzagh by Saodat Ismailova

Gaulish Village by Shukrat Karimov

Olivier Père, the Festival’s Artistic Director, comments “The quality of the projects submitted, as well as their enormous diversity, from romance to social drama, documentary to science-fiction, confirms the strength of the talent pool in Central Asia, in terms of both the older and younger generations.”

“The numerous directors and producers we met during our various journeys to the region have to deal with countless problems on a daily basis, notes Martina Malacrida, Head of Open Doors. Given this context, foreign co-productions are all the more crucial. We firmly believe that the 12 projects selected all have the potential required to attract international partners.”

Launched in 2003 with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Open Doors is organised in close collaboration with the Festival’s Industry Office. With a strategy that has proven its value, the chosen directors and producers are invited to Locarno, in order to find co-production partners and finalise their film project.

At the end of the three day workshop, a production grant worth 50,000 CHF (about 35,000 Euros), funded from the Open Doors initiative, will be allocated by a jury composed of representatives of the Festival and "visions sud est", a Swiss production support fund. Continuing its collaboration with Open Doors, the CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, France) also offers a grant of 7,000 Euros to support a film in development.

The 2010 edition will also mark the inauguration of the new International Relations ARTE Prize, worth 6,000 Euros. Finally, Open Doors will once again invite the six directors who participated in the most recent Residency run by the Cannes Festival’s Cinéfondation (March-July session 2010), so that they can present their film project to producers and buyers attending Locarno.

For more information on the selected projects, check the website in the Open Doors section.

Rene Bo Hanssen (Sweden/Germany):

Die Stimme des Adlers /The Eagle Hunter's Son

AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM EDITING

Jean-Paul Liilienfeld (France):

La journée de la jupe/Skirt Day

The editor: Aurique Delannoy (France)

AWARD FOR THE BEST ACTOR

Hannu-Pekka Björkman (Finland):

Haarautuvan rakkauden talo/The House of Branching Love

(dir. Mika Kaurismaki)

AWARD FOR THE BEST ACTRESS

Rifka Lodeizen (The Netherlands):

Kan Door Huid Heen/Can go through skin

(dir.: Esther Rots)

AWARD FOR THE BEST DIRECTOR

Trencsényi Klára (Hungary) and Vlad Naumescu (Romania):

Drumul Pasarilor/Birds' Way

The award was offered by Duna Workshop

AWARD FOR THE BEST EXPERIMENTAL

Jörn Staeger (Germany):

Reise zum Wald/Journey to the forest

AWARD FOR THE BEST ANIMATION

Francois Alaux, Hervé de Crécy & Ludovic Houplain (France):

Logorama

AWARD FOR THE BEST SHORT FICTION

Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen (Poland):

Darek

AWARD FOR THE BEST DOCUMENTARY

Responsible Society Award offered by KPMG

Fabian Daub & Andreas Gräfenstein (Germany):

Was übrig bleibt / Left behind

AUDIENCE CHOICE

Bertóti Attila (Hungary/Romania):

Ariadné fonala/Ariadne’s thread

AWARD FOR THE BEST FEATURE FILM & the MAIN PRIZE OF MEDIAWAVE'2010

George Ovashvili (Georgia):

Gagma napiri /The Other Bank

The award was offered by the Hungarian Motion Picture Public Foundation

Sergey Miroshnichenko and Grigory Libergal, curators of the program: "We are glad that this year's documentary program leads us to believe that a man can do much to protect nature, to defend the oppressed. He can deride foolishness and thus restrict its powers. There is another thing that inspires us in this program. Whenever a clever, talented hero comes along, like-minded people immediately rally around him."

The 5th Jubilee Documentary Program - Free Thought:

THE COVE, dir. Louie Psihoyos, USA

THE YESMEN FIX THE WORLD, dir. Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, Kurt Engfehr, USA

PIANOMANIA, dir. Lilian Frank, Robert Gibis, GERMANY, AUSTRIA

POSTE RESTANTE, dir. Marcel Lozinsky, POLAND

CHEMO, dir. Pawel Lozinsky, POLAND

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA, dir. Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith, USA

THE PLAYER, dir. John Appel, THE NETHERLANDS

WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, dir. Ondi Timoner, USA

ANOTHER PERFECT WORLD, dir. Femke Wolting, Jorien van Nes, THE NETHERLANDS

RESTREPO, dir. Sebastian Junger, Tim Hetherington, USA

LA VIDA LOCA, dir. Christian Poveda, FRANCE, MEXICO, SPAIN

A FILM UNFINISHED, dir. Yael Hersonski , ISRAEL, GERMANY

THE WOMAN WITH THE FIVE ELEPHANTS, dir. Vadim Jendreyko, SWITZERLAND, GERMANY

LA DANSE - THE PARIS OPERA BALLET, dir. Frederick Wiseman, FRANCE, USA

OCEANS, dir. Jacques Perrin, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, SPAIN, MONACO, USA

THE LAST SCREENPLAY, dir. Javier Espada, Gaizka Urresti, SPAIN

IRON CROWS, dir. Bong-Nam Park, SOUTH KOREA

LUMIKKO, dir. Miia Tervo, FINLAND

WASTE LAND, dir. Lucy Walker, UK, BRASIL

LAST TRAIN HOME, dir. Lixin Fan, CANADA, CHINA

THE FORTRESS, dir. Fernand Melgar, SWITZERLAND

BANANAS!*, dir. Fredrik Gertten, SWEDEN, AUSTRIA, USA, SWITZERLAND

FROM ARARAT TO ZION, dir. Edgar Baghdasaryan, ARMENIA

More information about the festival and program "Free thought" you сan find on the official site of the Festival or by e-mail: doc@moscowfilmfestival.ru

The chefs of the 4th Culinary Cinema, among Germany’s finest, were: Thomas Kammeier, Michael Kempf, Lea Linster, Christian Lohse and Tim Raue, The nights began in the cinema of the Martin-Gropius-Bau. After the screenings the audience was guided to the neighboring “Gropius Mirror” restaurant where a menu was served, inspired by the previous film, Then, a discussion with the protagonists of the film and experts on the subject. After the main program was a late show, followed by a la carte food and drinks in the “Gropius Mirror” restaurant.

The 11 films screening as part of the 2010 Culinary Cinema lineup included: an inside look at a pastry competition in Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker's "Kings of Pastry" and "The Botany of Desire," Michael Schwarz's adaptation of the book on plant passion by "Food, Inc." author Michael Pollan. On ecological and social themes were: Fredrik Gertten's "Bananas!" about the legal battle between Nicaraguan fruit pickers and Dole Food over the use of a banned pesticide; and Chris Smith's "Collapse" presenting radical reporter Michael Ruppert’s apocalyptic vision of a world without crude oil. Tilda Swinton, last year's Berlin jury president, returned to present Luca Guadagnino's melodrama "I Am Love," which, despite tenuous culinary connections, got a seat at the table. As did "Iranian Cookbook" director Mohammad Shirvani's look at six housewives in Tehran preparing a meal during Ramadan.

The Culinary Cinema fosters its ideal partnership with the international Slow Food movement. Culinary Cinema head Thomas Struck explains: “The commitment of Slow Food to biodiversity corresponds to the Berlinale’s commitment to cultural diversity. On the morning of the last day of the Berlinale there was a Culinary Cinema screening for children and youths, its aim was to strengthen the consciousness for healthy nutrition in schools and promote the international school gardens movement.

President of the Jury: Mirjana Karanović, actress

Jury members:

BENEDEK FLIEGAUF, Director, Hungary

CHRISTIAN JEUNE, Director of the Film Department of the Cannes Film Festival, France

ANAMARIA MARINCA, Actress, Romania

WIELAND SPECK, Director of Panorama Programme, Berlin International Film Festival, Germany

Heart of Sarajevo for Best Film:

ORDINARY PEOPLE

Director: Vladimir Perišić

Serbia, France, Switzerland

Explanation of the Jury: ORDINARY PEOPLE, as a pure moment of cinema, explores the universal pattern of abuse of male youth through the military structure.

Main award of the Sarajevo Film Festival’s Competition Programme provided by Council of Europe (25,000 €)

The Special Jury Award:

DOGTOOTH / KYNODONTAS

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Greece

Explanation of the Jury: DOGTOOTH depicts in a metaphorical way, with elements of clinical humour how the traditional family structure had to retreat into a fortress of control and safety, inflicting its members with psihological damage that resonates with us all.

Financial award provided by Agnes B. (10,000 €)

Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actress:

AGGELIKI PAPOULIA

MARY TSONI

DOGTOOTH / KYNODONTAS

Greece

Financial award provided by the International Airport Sarajevo (2,500 €)

Heart of Sarajevo for Best Actor:

RELJA POPOVIĆ

ORDINARY PEOPLE

Serbia, France, Switzerland

Financial award in amount of 2,500 €

COMPETITION PROGRAMME – SHORT FILM

Jury:

President of the Jury:

HANNAH MCGILL, Artistic Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scotland

Jury members:

MARIAN CRISAN, Director, Romania

IGOR STANKOVIĆ, Founder and director of the MCF MegaCom Film Distribution Company, Serbia

Heart of Sarajevo for Best Film:

PARTY / TULUM

Director: Dalibor Matanić

Croatia

Financial award in the amount of 3,000 €

Special Jury Mentions:

CIAO MAMA

Director: Goran Odvorčić

Croatia

THE HISTORY OF AVIATION / A REPÜLÉS TÖRTÉNETE

Director: Balint Kenyeres

Hungary, France

Financial awards in the amount of 1,000 €

COMPETITION PROGRAMME – DOCUMENTARY FILM

Jury:

President of the Jury:

ZIJAH GAFIĆ, Photographer, B&H

Jury members:

ALICE KLARA ARNOLD, Filmmaker and a film lecturer, Switzerland

CHRIS MCDONALD, Executive director of Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Canada

Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film:

THE CAVIAR CONNECTION / KAVIJAR KONEKŠN

Director: Dragan Nikolić

Serbia

Award in the amount of 3,000 € is granted by The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Special mention:

CONSTANTIN AND ELENA / CONSTANTIN SI ELENA

Director: Andrei Dascalescu

Romania

Human Rights Award:

HEATED BLOOD / VRELA KRV

Director: Marko Mamuzić

Serbia

Award in the amount of 3,000 € is granted by The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

HONORARY HEART OF SARAJEVO AWARD: MANFRED SCHMIDT, Executive Director Of The MDM Fund

The Award is offered in recognition of the recipient’s outstanding contribution to film industry and support in development of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Through the commitment and vision of its leading executive, the MDM Fund has played a significant role in aiding the development of regional film industry through numerous co-productions facilitated through the festival’s Industry Section and CineLink Project. Over the past 5 years, MDM has supported an outstanding 31 regional films, while their participation at the Sarajevo Film Festival, guided by the immense enthusiasm of Manfred Schmidt, has demonstrated a common understanding and recognition of potential that led to the realization of 5 CineLink projects that went on to screen at festivals around the world and receive numerous awards and critical recognition. MDM further supported two of the most recent Bosnia and Herzegovina films, „Snow“ by Aida Begic and „On The Path“ by Jasmila Zbanic. Though all this, Sarajevo Film Festival recognizes the immense contribution of Manfred Schmidt and MDM towards not only the enablement and promotion of this region’s cinema and authors but also the enrichment of the international film scene with new voices, outlooks and film language.

CINELINK AWARDS

Jury: Georges Goldenstern, Cedomir Kolar, Behrooz Hashemian, Jacqueline Ada, Ulf Sigvardson, Annamaria Lodato i Mainholf Zurhorst

EAVE Scholarship:

Snežana Marić

Excellence Award:

The Exchange by Eran Kolirin

Restart Award:

Zincograph by Javor Gardev

Goeteborg International Film Festival Fund Award:

The Scab by Srđan Vuletić

CNC Award:

Come To My Voice by Huseyin Karabey

International Relations ARTE Award:

The Key by Timur Makarević

SYNCHRO Film And Video Award:

The Scab by Srđan Vuletić

Come To My Voice by Huseyin Karabey

The Key by Timur Makarević

CineLink Work in Progress Award:

THE POST REPUBLIC AWARD

Jury: Rebekka Garrido, Laurent Danielou, Bernd Buder

If I Want to Whistle I Whistle by Florin Serban

15th SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL – PARTNERS AWARDS

SHORT FILM NOMINEE SARAJEVO FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2009

Jury: Corneliu Porumboiu, Dylan Leiner, Eva Vezer

The Herd

Director: Ken Wardrop

Ireland

The winner also receives a nomination for the European Film Academy (EFA) Best Film Award.

CICAE

Jury: Erdmann Lange, Turi Edit Csenkine, Giovanni Petricciani

Eastern Plays

Director: Kamen Kalev

Bulgaria

The International Confederation of Art Cinemas (CICAE) awards a film from the Competition Programme – Features. The awarded film will receive CICAE support in terms of distribution, exhibition and audience outreach, through a network of 3.000 cinemas.

FIPRESCI

Jury: Leo Soesanto, Damir Radić, Nadezhda Marinchevska

Ordinary People

Director: Vladimir Perišić

Serbia, France, Switzerland

EDN TALENT GRANT

On The Way To School

Director: Orhan Eskikoy, Ozgur Dogan

Turkey

EDN Talent Grant has been created as co-operation between the Sarajevo Film Festival and the European Documentary Network with the purpose of supporting promising new documentary filmmakers from the region.

HT ERONET AUDIENCE AWARD

SEVDAH

Director: Marina Andree

Croatia, B&H

ATLANTIC GROUP AWARD

LIBERATION IN 26 PICTURES

Ivan Ramljak, Marko Škobalj

KATRIN CARTLIDGE FOUNDATION

This year, the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation marks the fifth year of presenting an award, in the form of a one-year scholarship, inspired by the life and work of late British actress Katrin Cartlidge. This year's scholarship recipient is Juanita Wilson. This year's award winner was selected and presented to viewers at SFF by actor Stellan Skarsgard.

The Warsaw Grand Prix, the main prize in the International Competition, funded by the city of Warsaw, went to LOURDES directed by Jessica Hausner (Austria / France / Germany). The prize was presented by Mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.

The Special Jury Prize went to LA PASIÓN DE GABRIEL / THE PASSION OF GABRIEL directed by Luis Alberto Restrepo (Colombia). The prize was funded by RWE.

The winners of the 1-2 Competition were SHEVA DAKOT BE'GAN EDEN / SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN directed by Omri Givon (Israel) and EASTERN PLAYS directed by Kamen Kalev (Bulgaria). The prizes were funded by Alior Bank.

The Free Spirit Awards went to PURGATORIO / PURGATORY directed by Roberto Rochin Naya (Mexico) and MAL DÍA PARA PESCAR / BAD DAY TO GO FISHING directed by Alvaro Brechner (Uruguay). The prizes were funded by Empik.

The award for the best full-length documentary went to DISCO AND ATOMIC WAR directed by Jaak Kilmi and Kiur Aarma (Estonia). The prize was funded by BenQ.

In the Shorts Competition the winner was APUNTES SOBRE EL OTRO / NOTES ON THE OTHER directed by Sergio Oksman (Spain). The prize was funded by the Polish Filmmakers' Association.

The FIPRESCI Prize (from the International Federation of Film Critics, www.fipresci.org) for the best Eastern European debut went to REWERS / REVERSE directed by Borys Lankosz (Poland).

RESULTS OF THE AUDIENCE POLL

Two films received exactly the same mark for the first time ever - 4.77. In the feature film category, the joint winners were:

Dom zły / The Dark House, dir. Wojciech Smarzowski (Poland)

and Welcome, dir. Philippe Lioret (France).

In the documentary category, the winner was Hashmatsa / Defamation, dir. Yoav Shamir (Israel / Denmark / Austria / USA).

In the shorts category, the winner was The Pig, dir. Dorte W. Hogh (Denmark).

The festival guests came from 41 different countries. They included 192 filmmakers linked to the projects presented at the festival (directors, producers, actors, scriptwriters, cameramen) and jury members. It is a tradition of the WFF that meetings with filmmakers are held after screenings. The 25th WFF had as many as 112 such meetings, involving 128 makers of 68 films. WFF audiences had the opportunity to meet filmmakers such as Alex van Warmerdam, Annet Malherbe, Michael Imperioli, Yves Hinant, Tarik Saleh, Urszula Antoniak, Agnieszka Grochowska, Robert Gliński, Janusz Mrozowski, Wojciech Smarzowski, Paweł Borowski.

The festival was held in the heart of Warsaw, with screenings at Multikino Złote Tarasy, Kinoteka, and Kultura.

ORIGINAL directed by Antonio Tublén / Alexander Brøndsted

Jury Grand Prix

THE SEARCH directed by Pema Tseden

Jury Award

EMPIRE OF SILVER directed by Christina Yao

Award for Best Director

Julius Sevcik for NORMAL

Award for Best Actor

Sverrir Gudnason in ORIGINAL directed by Antonio Tublén / Alexander Brøndsted

Award for Best Actress

Simone Tang in ACHING HEARTS directed by Nils Malmros

Award for Best Screenplay

Fabio Bonifacci / Giulio Manfredonia for WE CAN DO THAT

Award for Best Cinematography

Nicolas Guicheteau / Hans Meier for NOWHERE PROMISED LAND

Award for Best Music

Hyoung-woo ROH for ROUGH CUT

The Best South African Feature Film was awarded to Shirley Adams, directed by first-time filmmaker Oliver Hermanus. The jury praised the film's “true excellence in performance, cinematography, directing, and editing”. Calling it a South African masterpiece, the jury commented: “Through a meticulously observed minimalism, the film tackles numerous relevant social issues with both subtlety and a mature sensitivity. Its themes of love, human endurance, and forgiveness are universal, and give it audience appeal both locally and abroad.” The Best First Feature Film was also awarded to Shirley Adams . The Jury noted: “ Shirley Adams is a special movie in which the director takes a number of risks. Moving his camera around as if it was an extra character in the story, he follows his main actress ceaselessly. The result is a powerful movie with great emotions that works all the more since the emotions mostly stay beneath the surface. And these emotions are definitely felt by the viewer.”

The International Jury comprised filmmakers Tunde Kelani ( Nigeria ) and Cheick Oumar Sissoko ( Mali ), actress Rosie Tebogo Motene ( South Africa ) and Gert Jan Zuilhof (The Netherlands), programmer at International Film Festival Rotterdam. The jury awarded the Best Director award to Philippe Lioret for Welcome ( France ). “Lioret has made a remarkable film about the brutal and tragic reality of immigration. The gamut of human experiences and emotions are represented through his excellent direction of his actors Vincent Lindon and Firat Ayverdi,” the Jury said.

The Documentary Film Jury picked two music-themed films for Best Documentary and Best South African Documentary. Intangible Asset No 82 (Australia/Japan) by Emma Franz, was awarded Best Documentary. The jury commented: “In her directorial debut, which explores the journey of a jazz drummer determined to meet a shaman and grandmaster musician, Emma Franz connects with two very different worlds in such an imaginative and compelling way that deepens our appreciation of diverse cultural forms and shows us how we can become immeasurably enriched when we open up ourselves to different cultural experiences.” The Best South African Documentary was awarded to The Silver Fez, directed by Lloyd Ross, for its “fascinating depiction of a duel between two men from opposite ends of the social spectrum as they compete for a coveted music trophy.” “Having gained the trust of the two competing factions, the director and his camera captures all the textures of this battle - its impact on individuals, families and community. Within the beautiful melodies and musical refrains lurks a tale of unfulfilled dreams, passion, pride and revenge.”

The Short Film Jury awarded Best Short Film to A Better Life (Spain), directed by Luis Fernandez Reneo, a tale of immigrant smuggling on the USA-Mexico border, praising its authenticity, fantastic acting by its child stars and a story, which despite its locale, resonated with African viewers. The Best South African Short Film was awarded to Coming Home, directed by Bobby Heaney, starring television actor Hlomla Dandala and based on a story by young writer/actress Amber Jay van Rooyen. The jury called the film “touching, with a deep, sincere story and a strong message of personal strength.”

Special Mention Documentary : Sea Point Days (South Africa), directed by Francois Verster and Nollywood Babylon (Canada), directed by Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal.

Special Mention Short Film: Miss Sgodiphola ( South Africa ), directed by Andy “The Admiral” Kasrils

Audience Choice Best Film Award: Saving Luna ( Canada ), directed by Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit … ... through its story of a lost Orca named Luna, veiwers discover an emotional connection between human and animal which calls into question the present understanding of human-to-nature relationships.

Wavescapes Surf Film Festival Audience Award: Surfica Musica ( Australia ), directed by Mick Sowry … ... a melodic surfing documentary that resonates with the spiritual duet between a violin virtuoso and surfing provocateur as they embark upon a radical experiment to explore creative expression.

Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award : Rough Aunties (United Kingdom/South Africa), directed by Kim Longinotto. “This affecting documentary is about an Amanzimtoti-based NGO, Operation Bobbi Bear and its small group of remarkable workers, mostly women, who battle to rescue and rehabilitate young victims of abuse and courageously pursue the perpetrators to bring them to justice. This film is expertly constructed from intimate footage of the different environments people live in, and the things that they say or struggle to say, resulting in a movie that is both authentic and compelling.”

Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson ("Pieces of April," "Vicki Cristina Barcelona") will receive an Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award after a screening of Woody Allen's "Whatever Works". Emmy and Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson ("Cheers," "The People vs. Larry Flynt") and Ben Foster ("3:10 to Yuma") will also receive Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Awards prior to their screening of "The Messenger." Emmy Rossum ("The Phantom of the Opera") will receive the Young Hollywood Award prior to a screening of her film "Dare," and Jeremy Renner will receive the Spotlight Award for his performance in "The Hurt Locker," which will also screen at the festival. Scott Caan ("Ocean's 11"), the writer and star of "Mercy," one of the festival's competition films, also will attend.

In addition to the special screenings, the festival will showcase 22 professional films (features, documentaries, shorts and animation) and 12 student films in competition. The jurors for the competition are actress Patti D'Arbanville ("Rescue Me"), actress/producer Rita Gam, writer/director Ingrid Rockefeller, writer/director Michael Sucsy (Emmy-Award winning "Grey Gardens") and writer/director David Twohy ("Pitch Black").

Audience Award for Short: "Poison Tree"

Narrative Awards

Best Narrative: "That Evening Sun"

Special Jury-Narrative Breakthrough: "Mississippi Damned"

Special Jury-Visual Achievement: "Idiots & Angels"

Pink Peach

Pink Peach Award: "Training Rules"

Special Jury Award: "Greek Pete"

Documentary Awards

Best Documentary: "The Way We Get By"

Special Jury Awards-Directing: "Art & Copy"

Special Jury Awards-Cinematography: "At the Edge of the World"

Shorts Awards

Best Narrative Short: "Love You More"

Best Animated Short: "French Roast"

Best Documentary Short: TIE - "Salt" & "The Beekeepers"

Special Jury Awards-Innovative Filmmaking: "Between You and Me"

Special Jury Awards-Directing: "Pop Art"

Special Jury Awards-Storytelling: "Locker 13: Down and Out"

Juried Best Documentary Feature: THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY

Rogue Creamery Audience Award: Documentary: GARRISON KEILLOR: THE MAN ON THE RADIO IN THE RED SHOES

John C. Schweiger Audience Award: Dramatic Feature: PAPER COVERS ROCK

Juried Best Documentary: Short Subject: THE WAR OF 33

Audience Award Best Short Film Dramatic or Documentary: KICK LIKE A GIRL

Juried Best Short: ACHOLILAND

Special Jury Mention: Short Film: TRECE ANOS (THIRTEEN YEARS)

Juried Best Animated Short: SEBASTIAN’S VOODOO

Juried Best Acting Ensemble: MAN MAID

Special Jury Mention: Acting: Jeannine Kaspar in PAPER COVERS ROCK

Best Cinematography, The Gerald Hirschfeld, ASC Award: Feature: PAPER COVERS ROCK

Family Choice Audience Award: THE FAN AND THE FLOWER

Rogue Award: Elvis Mitchell

Artistic Achievement Award: Bill Plympton

"The Cove," directed by Louie Psihoyos, won both Best Storytelling in a Documentary Film, and the Audience Award for Best Feature.

Showtime's Tony Cox Award for screenwriting was presented to Mark Boal for "The Hurt Locker"

Showtime's Tony Cox Screenplay Competition Award was presented to Jenny Deller for her script “Future Weather”

Cherien Dabis ("Amreeka") received the third annual Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award, a cash prize awarded to a female filmmaker in honor of the late director.

Teen View on NFF Award went to short "Charlie Thistle," directed by Bragi Schut Jr.

The Audience Award for Best Short went to "Abuelo" directed by Mary Ann Kellogg.

The RIIFF Awards 2009:

Best Short

Grand: Celestial Avenue, Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes (2009, Australia)

First: Oscar & Jim, Directed by Iain Weatherby (2009, United Kingdom/France)

Tied with: Looking at Animals, Directed by Marc Turtletaub (2009, U S A)

Second: Magellan, Directed by Sebastian Davis (2009, U S A)

Best Feature:

Grand: ISSIZ ADAM (ALONE), Directed by Cagan Irmak (2008, Turkey)

First: Fifty Dead Men Walking, Directed by Kari Skogland (2008, United Kingdom)

Tied with: Not Dead Yet, Directed by: Sam Hull (2008, U S A)

Best Feature Documentary:

Grand: No.4 Street of Our Lady, Directed by Barbara Bird, Judy Maltz, Richie Sherman

(2009, U S A / Israel, U S A, Ukraine)

First: The Good Mother, Directed by Sarah Klein, (2009, France)

Second: Sweet Crude, Directed by Sandy Cioffi, (2008, Nigeria/U S A)

Best Documentary Short

Grand: Team Taliban, Directed by Benjamin Kegan (2008, U S A)

First: AMERIKA IDOL, Directed by Barry Avrich (2008, Serbia/Montenegro/Canada)

Second: TIRA BAKAL (striking metal), Directed by: Scott Wurth (2009, Australia / Philippines)

RIIFF International Ambassador Award

Víctor Bárcena, director of Las manos de Abel from Spain

Directorial Discovery Award:

Grand: Who Killed Chea Vichea? Directed by Bradley Cox (2009, Thailand/U S A)

First: HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT, Directed by Alcides Soares (2009, U S A)

Tied With: HouseQuake Directed by Karen Price (2009, U S A)

International Discovery Award:

Grand: Danse Macabre, Directed by Pedro Pires (2009, Canada)

First: Echo, Directed by Magnus von Horn (2009, Poland)

Second: An Unfinished Romance, Directed by Alison Heather (2009, Australia)

Best Cinematography

Grand: Out of the Blue, Directed by Michael Lavelle, (2009, Ireland)

First: The Taxidermist, Directed by Bert & Bertie, Cinematographer/DP: Lynda Hall (2009, United Kingdom)

Second: Garbage Dreams, Directed by Mai Iskander (2009, Egypt/U S A)

RIIFF Director’s Choice Award

Underwear, Directed by Tomer Gendler (2009, U S A

“Helping Hand” International Humanitarian Award

Given annually to a film or filmmaker that inspires social change, community outreach and a better understanding of the world in which we live

FEAT: 63 Marathons in 63 Days, Directed by Deborah Carr (2009, U S A)

Providence Film Festival

Grand: Home Across Lands, Directed by John Lavall (2008, Ethiopia, U S A)

First: The Impact of Your Choice: Breast Health Awareness-When Is Too Young!

Directed by Deborah A. Hoch, Megastar Productions (2009, U S A)

Second: Shooting Beauty, Directed by George Kachadorian (2008, U S A)

Editing:

Grand: School Play, Directed by Eddie Rosenstein, Rick Velleu, Edited by Tom Griffin (2008, USA)

First: War Against The Weak, Directed and edited by Justin Strawhand, (2008, Germany, Poland, U S A)

Tied with: My Son the Pornographer, Directed by Peter Campbell, Edited by Zsolt Sandor

(2009, Canada / Canada, Czech Republic)

Screenplay:

Grand: ROAR, Directed by Adam Wimpenny, Written by J.S. Hill, (2009, United Kingdom)

First: The Stars Don't Twinkle In Outer Space, Directed by Peter Thwaites, Written by Hank Isaac (2008, United Kingdom/Hungary)

Second: The Butler's In Love, Directed by David Arquette, Written by Curtis Reynolds, (2008, USA)

Best Experimental:

Grand: LoopLoop, Directed by Patrick Bergeron, (2008, Viet Nam/Canada)

First: Jelly Fishers, Directed by Steven Subotnick, (2009, U S A)

Second: Schizofredric, Directed by Andy Poyiadgi, (2009, United Kingdom)

Alternative Spirit:

Grand: Claiming the Title: Gay Olympics On Trial, Directed by Jonathan Joiner and Robert Martin (2009, U S A)

First: The Single Mother, Directed by Ryan Logan (2009, U S A)

Tied with: Out in the Silence, Directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson (2009, U S A)

Best Soundtrack:

Rock Prophecies, Directed by John Chester (2009, U S A, United Kingdom)

Best Original Musical Composition (Score):

Grand: Another Harvest Moon, Directed by: Greg Swartz

Music Composed by Rick Garcia and William V. Malpede (2009, U S A)

First: Conrad the Wise, Directed by Alan Miller, Original Music/Composer: Adam Fulton

(2009, Canada)

KIDSEYE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

KidsEye (Films Made for Kids):

Grand: Leonardo, Directed by Jim Capobianco (2009, U S A)

First: The Curiosity of Penny Parker, Directed by Ryan Hanson (2009, Canada)

KidsEye (Films Made by Kids):

Grand: Thunder & Lightning, Directed by Susan and Katherine Procopio (2009, Canada)

Tied with: My Crisis, Directed by Joseph Procopio (2009, Canada)

Best Comedy Short:

Grand: I Can Speak Swedish! Directed by Charlene Loh (2009, Australia)

First: The Enchanted Island, Directed by Noel Kearns (2009, Ireland)

Second: Our Neck of the Woods, Directed by Rob Connolly (2008, U S A)

Best Animation:

Grand: LOST AND FOUND, Directed by Philip Hunt (2008, United Kingdom)

First: Pigeon: Impossible, Directed by Lucas Martell (2009, U S A)

Tied with: Lightheaded, Directed by Mike Dacko, (2009, U S A)

Best Acting:

Love, Directed by Cristian Solimeno

Featuring Amanda Ray-King and Brett Allen

(2008, United Kingdom)

Vortex Sci-Fi & Fantasy:

Hector Corp., Directed by Gary Lee (2009, U S A)

Night:How they triumphed

By Desmond Parks

scallywag & vagabond

Published: June 17, 2009

www.wbff.org/press/coverage/2009/Scallywag.Awards.pdf

BREAKING UPWARDS by DARYL WEIN

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

BREAKING UPWARDS by DARYL WEIN

BEST DOCUMENTARY (AKA Diane Seligman Award)

THE HILLSIDE CROWD by BERNI GOLDBLAT

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT

THE CHAMBERMAID by ANN HOLMGREN

BEST ANIMATION

PASSAGES by MARIE-JOSEE SAINT-PIERRE

BEST EXPERIMENTAL

SOARING, ROARING, DIVING by MIRIAM HARRIS & JULIET PALMER

SPIRIT AWARDS

Short Subject THE DINNER by KARCHI PERLMANN

Experimental Film NAIADE by NADIA MICAULT & LORENZO NANNI

Documentary THE SARI SOLDIERS by JULIE BRIDGHAM

Animation TRICKSTER by ALEXANDER POHL

Feature Narrative DR. ALEMÁN by TOM SCHREIBER

Best New Director

CARLO MIRABELLA-DAVIS for KNIFE POINT

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Short Subject PINCHAS by PINI TAVGER

Experimental Film FLYING LOTUS by DANIEL GARCIA

Documentary BETWEEN THE FOLDS by VANESSA GOULD

Animation SKHIZEIN by JEREMY CLAPIN

Feature Narrative SEA LEGS by CRAIG BUTTA

CERTIFICATES OF OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

Screenplay VINKO MODERNDORFER for LANSCAPE No. 2

Producer JIM JERMANOK and HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS for EM

Cinematography STEEVE ASSELIN for BORDERLINE

Editing JUSTIN KELLY for CRYPTIC

Original Score BEN LOVETT for THE LAST LULLABY

Actor Female KATE LYN SHEIL for KNIFE POINT

Actor Male JOSH PEACE for YOU MIGHT AS WELL LIVE

BEST MEXICAN FEATURE FILM–

"Los Bastardos"

Directed by: Amat Escalante

Prize includes: Diploma, “El Ojo,” a sculpture by Javier Marin, 100,000 pesos cash provided by Cinépolis

35mm film provided by Kodak, Digital still-photography camera provided by Kodak

THE PUBLIC’S PRIZE FOR BEST MEXICAN FEATURE FILM: "Cinco días sin Nora"

Directed by Mariana Chenillo

Prize includes: Diploma

MEXICAN SHORT FICTION AND ANIMATED FILMS

BEST SHORT FICTION FILM: "La canción de los niños muertos"

Directed by David Pablos

Prize includes: Diploma, “El Ojo,” a sculpture by Javier Marín, 100,000 pesos cash provided by Coca Cola Lite

100,000 pesos in kind: sound post-production provided by MCO Filmworks Image post-production package provided by Newart, 35mm film provided by Kodak

Digital still-photography camera provided by Kodak

SPECIAL MENTION IN SHORT FICTION FILM: "La luz de la oscuridad"

Directed by Gabriela Retes

Prize includes: Diploma

GARCÍA BROSS PRIZE FOR A SHORT FICTION FILM: "Roma"

Directed by Elisa Miller

Prize includes: 3 days of Super 16mm filming of a fiction short

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: "Jacinta"

Directed by Karla Castañeda

Prize includes: Diploma, “El Ojo,” a sculpture by Javier Marín, 100,000 pesos cash provided by FICM, 100,000 pesos in kind: sound post-production provided by MCO Filmworks Image post-production package provided by Newart, 35mm film provided by Kodak, Digital still-photography camera provided by Kodak

MEXICAN DOCUMENTARY

BEST FEATURE-LENGTH MEXICAN DOCUMENTARY: "Trazando Aleida"

Directed by Christiane Burkhard

Prize includes: Diploma, “El Ojo,” a sculpture by Javier Marín, 100,000 pesos cash provided by the Fundación Televisa, 35mm film provided by Kodak, Digital still-photography camera provided by Kodak

SPECIAL MENTION IN FEATURE-LENGTH MEXICAN DOCUMENTARY: "El ciruelo"

Directed by Carlos Rossini and Emiliano Altuna

Prize includes: Diploma

MUSA PRIZE FOR BEST FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY BY A WOMAN: "Siete instantes"

Directed by Diana Cardoza

Prize includes: Diploma, Sculpture by Elena Somonte provided by the Mexican Association of Women in Film and Television

BEST MEXICAN DOCUMENTARY SHORT: "Zoogocho"

Directed by Bernardo Arrellano

Prize includes: Diploma, “El Ojo,” a sculpture by Javier Marín, 100,000 pesos cash provided by FICM

100,000 pesos in kind: sound post-production provided by MCO Filmworks Image post-production package provided by Newart, 35mm film provided by Kodak

Digital still-photography camera provided by Kodak

SPECIAL MENTION IN DOCUMENTARY SHORT: "Susurros de luz"

Directed by Alberto Reséndez Gómez

Prize includes: Diploma

SPECIAL MENTION IN DOCUMENTARY SHORT: "Nosotros los que hablamos la lengua completa"

Directed by Bernardo Porraz

Prize includes: Diploma

MICHOACAN SELECTION

MICHOACAN PRIZE: "Clandestino"

Directed by Juan Pablo Arroyo and Edurne Farías

Prize includes: Diploma, 50,000 pesos cash provided by FICM, 100,000 pesos in kind: sound post-production provided by MCO Filmworks Image post-production package provided by Newart, 35mm film provided by Kodak, Digital still-photography camera provided by Kodak

MICHOACÁN CONTEST PRIZE FOR SHORT FILM SCREENPLAY: "La lluvia que no llueve"

Directed by Adrián González Camargo

Prize includes: Diploma, 10,000 pesos cash provided by FICM

SPECIAL MENTION IN MICHOACAN SECTION: "Aquí ya no entra Don Inés" (Casimiro Leco)

Directed by: Raúl Máximo.

Prize includes: Diploma

MORELIA LAB

MORELIA LAB MEXICO PRIZE: "Condones Encanto" (Encanto Condoms)

Directed by Ximena Urrutia (Mexico)

Prize includes: Diploma, 50,000 pesos cash provided by Imcine

LATIN AMERICA PRIZE: "Proyecto 54" (Project 54)

Directed by Gerardo Aguilar (Honduras)

Prize includes: Diploma, 50,000 pesos cash provided by Cinépolis

BEST PITCHING PRIZE: "Nada sobre mi padre" (Nothing About My Father)

Directed by Luciana Freitas (Brazil)

Prize includes: Diploma, HD camera provided by Sony

MORELIA LAB SPECIAL MENTION: "Ciclo" (Cycle)

Directed by Andrea Martínez (México)

Prize includes: Diploma

MORELIA LAB SPECIAL MENTION: "2008 Ciudad de México y sereno" (2008 Mexico City and Serene)

Directed by Nestor Sampieri (Mexico)

Prize includes: Diploma

CDI PRIZE

BEST INDIGENOUS FILM OR VIDEO: "Snuu ViKo, el lugar de las nubes y algunas palabras perdidas"

Directed by Nicolás Rojas Sánchez

Prize includes: Diploma, 50,000 pesos cash provided by the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI)

SPECIAL MENTION IN INDIGENOUS FILM: "Reencuentros: entre la memoria y la nostalgia"

Director by Yolanda Cruz

Prize includes: Diploma

Best Motion Picture: "Surveillance"

Directed by: Jennifer Lynch

Special Jury Award: "Eden Lake"

Directed by: James Watkins

Best Director: Kim Jee-woon for "The Good, The Bad, The Weird"

Best Actor: Brian Cox for "Red"

Best Actress: Semra Turan for "Fighter"

Best Script: Alexis Alexiou for "Tale 52"

Best Cinematography: Angus Hudson for "The Broken"

Best Production Design: Tulé Peak for "Blindness"

Best Make Up FX: Bendit Lestang & Adrien Morot for "Martyrs"

Best Special Effects: Kim Wook for "The Good, The Bad, The Weird"

Best Original Soundtrack: Kenji Kawai for "The Sky Crawlers"

Best Short Film: "Next Floor"

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Jury Special Mention to the Shortfilm "Centigrade"

Directed by: Collin Cunningham

Visions Awards- NOVES VISIONS

JURY: Velasco Broca, Guillermo Jure, Xavi Serra

Best Motion Picture: "Los Bastardos"

Directed by: Amat Escalante

Special Mention: "God's Puzzle"

Directed by: Takashi Miike

Non Fiction Motion Picture Diploma: "Religulous"

Directed by: Larry Charles

Discovery Motion Picture Diploma: "Ramírez"

Directed by: Albert Arizza

NOVA AUTORIA SGAE AWARD

JURY: Albert Espinosa, Albert Guinovart, Àngel Quintana, Roser Aguilar

Best Director: Dögg Mósesdóttir for "Eyja"

Best Screenplay: Dea Pompa for "Restaurando a Héctor"

Best Original Score: Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson & Örn Eldjàrn for "Eyja"

Orient Express-Casa Àsia Award goes to "The Chaser"

ORIENT EXPRESS - CASA ÀSIA

JURY: Todd Brown, Xavi Sánchez Pons, Carles Arenes

Best Motion Picture: "The Chaser" by Na Hong-jin

AUDIENCE AWARD EL PERIÓDICO DE CATALUNYA

Best Motion Picture: "Blindness"

Directed by: Fernando Meirelles

ANIMA'T - Gertie Award

JURY: Todd Brown, Xavi Sánchez Pons, Carles Arenes

Best Animated Film: "From Inside"

Directed by: John Bergin

Best Animated Short film: "The facts in the case of Mr. Hollow"

Directed by: Rodrigo Gudiño & Vincent Marcone

THE CARNET JOVE JURY GIVES THE MIDNIGHT X-TREME AWARD

CARNET JOVE JURY: Albert Elduque, Cristina Álvarez, Manuel Bocero, Covadonga de la Cuesta, Sergio Morera

Best Motion Picture "FANTÀSTIC"

EX AEQUO:

"The Sky Crawlers"

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii

"Vinyan"

Directed by: Fabrice du Welz

Best Motion Picture MIDNIGHT X-TREME: "Encarnaçaô do Demônio"

Directed by: José Mojica Marins

SILVER MÉLIÈS

JURY: Diego López, Zak Kadison, Javier Gutiérrez

Silver Méliès for Best European Motion Picture: "Martyrs"

Directed by: Pascal Laugier

Silver Méliès Award for Best European Short Film: "Afterville"

Directed by: Fabio Guaglione & Fabio Resinaro

GOLDEN MÉLIÈS

Golden Méliès for Best European Motion Picture: "Let the Right One In"

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

Golden Méliès for Best European Short Film: "Of Cats & Women"

Directed by: Jonas Govaerts

CRITIC AWARDS

JURY: Beatriz Martínez Gómez, Alejandro G. Calvo, Carlos Losilla

Jose Luis Guarner Critic Award: "The Sky Crawlers"

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii

Citizen Kane Award to an up-and-coming director: "Home Movie"

Directed by: Christopher Denham

SHORT FILM COMPETITION

JURY: Juanjo Lleó, Toni Benages, Jaime Quesada

Best short film: "La Victoria de Félix"

Directed by: Jordi Pastor & Albert Miró

PIFF awarded films as follows:

New Currents Award (Best Film): "Land of Scarecrows" Directed by: Roh Gyeong-tae (South Korea)

and "Naked Of Defenses"

Directed by Masahide Ichii ( Japan)

Special Mentions: "Members of the Funeral"

Directed by Baek Seung-bin (South Korea)

and "Er Dong"

Directed by Jin Yang (China)

Sonje Award: "Andong"

Directed by Milo Tolentino ( Philippines)

and "Girl"

Directed by Hong Sunghoon (South Korea)

Mecenat Award: "Mental"

Directed by Kazuhiro Soda (Japan)

and "Old Partner"

Directed by Lee Chung Ryoul (South Korea)

FIPRECI Award: "Jalainur"

Directed by Ye Zhao (China)

NETPAC Award: "Members of the Funeral"

Directed by Baek Seung-bin (South Korea)

and "Treeless Mountain"

Directed by Kim So Yong (South Korea)

KNN Movie Award (Audience Award): "100"

Directed by Chris Martinez (Philippines)

HONORARY TRAILBLAZER AWARD: James Schamus

HONORARY MAVERICK AWARD: Kevin Smith

The Lee Marvin award for BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

Jury Members:

Matt Dentler, Mark Duplass, Ted Hope, Mary Stuart Masterson

Sponsored by the Lee Marvin Estate

Prizes: $5,000 Cash Award

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

Honorary Award receives Final Cut Studio Pro

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

First Prize: "Prince of Broadway"

Directed by Sean Baker

Honorable Mention: "Medicine for Melancholy"

Directed by: Barry Jenkins

Maverick Awards for BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Jury Members: Rachel Grady, Morgan Spurlock, Molly Thompson

Prizes: Final Cut Studio Pro

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

"In A Dream"

Directed by: Jeremiah Zagar

Audience Award for NARRATIVE FEATURE

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

DVD duplication services certificate from Disc Makers

"Let the Right One In"

Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

"Zack and Miri Make a Porno"

Directed By: Kevin Smith

"Pride and Glory"

Directed By: Gavin O'Connor

Audience Award for DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

DVD duplication services certificate from Disc Makers

Playing For Change: "Peace Through Music"

Directed By: Jonathan Walls and Mark Johnson

"Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight"

Directed By: Wendy Keys

"At the Edge of the World"

Directed By: Dan Stone and Patrick Gambuti Jr.

Diane Seligman Award for BEST SHORT:

Jury Members: Karen Durbin, Ross Partridge, Peter Bowen

Sponsored by Lowel-Light

Prizes: Light Kit and $750 cash from Lowel Light

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

"Glory at Sea"

Directed By: Benh Zeitlin

Diane Seligman Award for BEST STUDENT SHORT:

Jury Members: Amy Gossels, Jeremiah Newton

Sponsored by Lowel-Light

Light Kit and $750 cash from Lowel Light

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

"Sikumi"

Directed By: Andrew Okpeaha MacLean

Diane Seligman Award for BEST SHORT DOC:

Jury Members: Ryan Harrington, Tim Sternberg, Stephen Nemeth

Sponsored by Lowel-Light

Light Kit and $750 cash from Lowel Light

1-year FilmTracker membership for one year from Baseline Studiosystems

"Pickin' & Trimmin'"

Directed By: Matt Morris

HASKELL WEXLER AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Jury Member: Haskell Wexler

Sponsored by Panavision, NY

Prize: $15,000 worth of film camera equipment from Panavision, NY

"At the Edge of the World"

Directed By: Dan Stone, Patrick Gambuti Jr.

Cinematographer(s): Daniel Fernandez, Tim Gorski,

Simeon Houtman, James Joyner,

Jonathan Kane, Mathieu Mauvernay,

Rip Odebralski

Maverick Award for FOR BEST ANIMATION

Jury Members: Bill Plympton, Signe Baumane

Presented by Bill Plympton

DVD duplication services certificate from Disc Makers

"Berni's Doll"

Directed By: Yann Jouette

James Lyons Editing Award for NARRATIVE FEATURE:

Jury Members: Sabine Hoffman, Brian Kates, ACE, Kate Williams

Sponsored by the James Lyons Estate

Prize: $1,000 Cash Award

"Were the World Mine"

Directed By: Tom Gustafson

Edited by: Jennifer Lilly

James Lyons Editing Award for DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Jury Members: Sabine Hoffman, Sloane Klevin, Susan Littenberg

Sponsored by the James Lyons Estate

Prize: $1,000 Cash Award

"In A Dream"

Directed By: Jeremiah Zagar

Edited By: Keiko Deguchi, Jeremiah Zagar

Honorable Mention: "Pressure Cooker"

Directed by Jennifer Grausmand & Mark Becker

Jury Members:

FEATURE NARRATIVE JURY

Matt Dentler is the head of marketing and programming for Cinetic Rights Management, a sister company of Cinetic Media in New York. Prior to that, he spent five years as the Producer of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference & Festival in Austin starting in 2003. Matt currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Austin Film Society and graduated with a BS in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas. He is also the executive producer of PJ Raval’s and Jay Hodges’ documentary feature, Trinidad.

Mark Duplass and his brother Jay’s film, The Puffy Chair, was one of the breakout hits from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The film, which also stars Mark, won the Audience Award at SXSW and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. Mark and Jay first made a name for themselves with a string of award-winning short films, including This is John and Scrabble, both of which premiered at Sundance. The brothers are currently writing and directing films for both Universal and Fox Searchlight and have sold The Trail, a television show, to NBC. Their latest feature, Baghead, sold to Sony Classics at Sundance 2008 and is now in limited theatrical release.

Ted Hope is the co-founder of This is That, a New York production company. He most recently wrapped production on Greg Mottola’s Adventureland. His credits include production of Oscar®-winner Alan Ball’s directorial debut Nothing is Private. Ted has also brought the first features of Ang Lee, Hal Hartley, Nicole Holofcener, Todd Field, Michel Gondry, Moises Kaufman, Bob Pulcini and Shari Berman, among others, to the screen. Among Hope’s productions are 21 Grams, which earned two Academy Award® nominations; In the Bedroom, earner of five Oscar® noms; and Happiness, winner of the Cannes Critics Prize.

Mary Stuart Masterson started acting before the age of ten, when she appeared in The Stepford Wives in 1975 with her father. Afterwards, at the direction of her parents, Mary Stuart led a life outside of the limelight, attending school in New York. She appeared in a few productions at New York’s ­Dalton School. At the age of 15, the young actress appeared on Broadway in Eva Le Gallienne’s ­version of Alice In Wonderland. She played two parts, the Four of Hearts and the Small White Rabbit. She returned to films in 1985 with the role of Dani in Heaven Help Us (1985). For eight months afterwards, Mary Stuart attended New York University, where she studied ­anthropology.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY JURY

Rachel Grady is the co-director of the Emmy®-nominated documentary T he Boys of Baraka. A private investigator-turned-filmmaker, she has produced and directed numerous non-fiction films for MTV, CBS, Discovery Channel, A&E and Britain’s Channel 4. She has directed several films that focus on mental illness, including Mad Justice and Ward 2 West. Rachel was the Series Producer for TX, an eight-part series for VH1. She recently completed her second documentary feature, Jesus Camp, which was nominated for an Academy Award®. She is currently directing a film in Saudi Arabia, and is the co-founder of Loki Films.

Morgan Spurlock is the writer/producer/director of the Academy Award®-nominated film Super Size Me. His highly acclaimed series 30 Days recently completed its third season on the F/X network. The show examines social issues in America and has been praised by such diverse groups as the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. Spurlock’s latest directorial project, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? premiered at Sundance 2008. In 2006, Spurlock and Arts Alliance America created a film and distribution partnership to release films considered to be groundbreaking and important that were overlooked by the majority of filmgoers.

Molly Thompson launched and runs A&E ­Indie­Films, the network’s feature documentary division. She executive produces the division’s original productions including Jesus Camp, a film by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, which was nominated for an Academy Award® and American Teen, a film by Nanette Burstein which won best director at Sundance 2008 and was released by Paramount Vantage this summer. Molly also executive produced a film about Anna Wintour directed by RJ Cutler; and a film on Pat Tillman directed by Amir Bar Lev. Other A&E IndieFilms include the Oscar®-nominated, Sundance Award-winner Murderball and My Kid Could Paint That.

SHORTS JURY

Peter Bowen is editor of FilmInFocus and ­Senior Editor of Filmmaker magazine. He ­previously served as Editorial Director of the Sundance Channel. He has written for a range of periodicals and served on the board of the New Festival.

Karen Durbin is the film critic for Elle magazine, where she writes a monthly two-page column. She also writes features for Elle and articles on film for the Sunday Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times. Previously, she was the film critic for Mirabella magazine and its arts and entertainment editor. From April 1994 to September 1996, Karen was the editor-in-chief of The Village Voice.

Ross Partridge, a native of the Hudson Valley area, recently received critical acclaim for his role of Matt in the Duplass Brother’s Baghead. He went on to co-produce their next film Dodeca Pentathlon, to be released in 2009. Film credits include Steven Spielberg’s The Lost World; Black and White with Gina Gershon; Amityville Horror with Terry O’Quinn; and The Wedding Murders with Canadian director Bashar Shibib. Television credits include: NYPD Blue, CSI, Law and Order, Hudson Street, Quantum Leap and The Net. In addition, Ross wrote and directed the feature film Interstate 84. He was a producer for Trigger Street Productions.

Student SHORTS JURY

Jeremiah Newton is the producer of the upcoming documentary Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol Superstar Candy Darling, which has just been sold to the Sundance Channel. He is the industry liaison for New York University’s Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television and is known for his work with young filmmakers. Jeremiah currently resides in Manhattan and Cherry Valley, NY.

Amy Gossels has been the casting director, and in many cases a producer, for more than sixty film productions. Feature film casting credits include Something’s Gotta Give, Godsend, Milk & Honey and Shoot First and Pray You Live. Ms. Gossels has cast and produced more than thirty award-winning short films, including the Academy Award® winning Zen and the Art of Landscaping and Happenstance. Ms. Gossels also casts for a wide range of televison projects, including the Comedy Central 2008 Special Night of Too Many Stars; Lifetime Television’s upcoming series Mom’s Cooking; and three highly anticipated new productions from the creators of Blue Man Group, Counts Media and legendary comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, all slated to open on Broadway in early 2009.

SHORT DOCS JURY

Ryan Harrington serves as the Head of IndiePix Studios. In addition, he serves as the Executive Producer on all IndiePix films. Current projects include 21 Below, Entre Nous, P-Star’s Redemption and Slap & Tickle, all of which will hit the festival circuit in 2009. Prior to this, Ryan ran the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund and managed production for A&E IndieFilms for four years. He was a champion for the Oscar®-nominated films Murderball and Jesus Camp; the Sundance hits My Kid Could Paint That and American Teen; and Barbara Kopple’s Bearing Witness and Street Thief.

Stephen Nemeth formed and heads Rhino Films, the independent film company that originated as a division of iconoclastic record label Rhino Records. He has produced ten films and has executive produced fourteen others, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; What We Do Is Secret; the upcoming Radio Free Albemuth; the 2008 Oscar®-nominated documentary War Dance; the documentary Fields of Fuel, which won the 2008 Sundance Audience Award; and the documentary Flow which is being screened at both the Democratic and ­Republican National Conventions. He is also working with Amnesty International through Artists for Amnesty on developing and producing human rights-related motion picture and ­television projects.

Tim Sternberg started working in the editing rooms of Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope Studios in San Francisco. After moving to New York he has worked as a sound effects recordist on Sleepless in Seattle and The Human Stain; re-edited the 1992 Academy Award® winning Mediterraneo for U.S. release; and acted as a script consultant for the IFP and American Zoetrope. Recently he worked as music editor on Milos Forman’s Goya’s Ghosts and the Academy Award® winning documentary The Taint of Yingzhou District directed by Ruby Yang. His first film as a director, the documentary short Salim Baba, was nominated for an Oscar® in the 2008 Best Short Documentary category but won the 2007 Best SHort Doc Awad at Woodstock.

ANIMATION JURY

Since her arrival to New York, Signe Baumane has produced and co-produced, written, directed and designed eight independent animated shorts. She has continued her collaboration with Rija Films, where she directed two of her own stories. Her films have screened at such prestigious festivals as Annecy, Tribeca, Sundance, Berlin and Ottawa and have received numerous awards. Signe is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is a Fellow in Film with the New York Foundation for the Arts. She advises a series of film festivals in the U.S. on their animation programs and curates special shows where she personally presents films and filmmakers.

Bill Plympton is often referred to as the “King of Indie Animation.” He’s completed six animated features and over thirty animated shorts. He has a new book coming out this winter, illustrating the lyrics of Kanye West, and is now starting his seventh animated feature film, about sexual jealousy.

Patrick Smith has written, produced, animated and directed five award-winning films. He has made his directorial debut for the Emmy®-nominated series Daria. Smith is a senior thesis advisor at the Pratt Institute in New York; a fellow with the New York Foundation of the Arts; and a curator for multiple international film and animation festivals.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Haskell Wexler, A.S.C, is considered one of the most well respected cinematographers in the film industry today, His career spans six decades, and his work includes such films as Coming Home, Bound for Glory, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Interviews With My Lai Veterans and American Graffiti. Haskell has received five Academy Award® nominations and a number of other prestigious awards honoring his outstanding achievements in the photography of a wide range of films. He won his first Best Cinematography Oscar® in 1967 for Mike Nichols’ Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and received the coveted prize again, ten years later, for Hal Ashby’s Bound for Glory. His other nominations were for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1976), Matewan (1988), and Blaze (1989).

EDITING JURY–NARRATIVE

Sabine Hoffman has passionately edited independent feature films for over ten years. Credits include Rebecca Miller’s The Ballad of Jack and Rose and Personal Velocity, and her new feature film The Private Lives of Pippa Lee; Rodney Evans’ Brother to Brother; Morgan J. Freeman’s Desert Blue and Hurricane Streets; Katja Esson’s Academy Award®-nominated Ferry Tales and Bill Jennings’ Harlem Aria. Sabine is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and serves on the advisory boards of the Fusion Film Festival and the Woodstock Film Festival.

Brian A. Kates, A.C.E. ‘s work as a feature film editor includes the Oscar®-nominated The Savages (Tamara Jenkins); the Emmy Award®-winning Lackawanna Blues (George C. Wolfe) for which he won an A.C.E. Eddie Award; Shortbus (John Cameron Mitchell); The Woodsman (Nicole Kassell); and the Emmy®-nominated The Laramie Project (Moisés Kaufman). He was Jonathan Caouette’s co-editor on the groundbreaking documentary Tarnation, named Best Non-Fiction Film by the National Society of Film Critics. Brian recently completed the Warner Bros. production Nights in Rodanthe (George C. Wolfe). He is currently editing Taking Chance, his third collaboration with director/producer Ross Katz.

Kate Williams studied photography, sculpture and film theory in Australia. In New York, she began editing as an assistant on Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo and Juliet and Fred Schepisi’s Six Degrees of Separation. A sampling of the films she has edited include: Steve Buscemi’s Trees Lounge and Interview; Schepisi’s Last ­Orders and Empire Falls; Hong Kong director Clara Law’s The Goddess of 1967; and Michael Almereyda’s This So-Called Disaster, a documentary on Sam Shepard. Most recently, Williams ­edited the 2008 Sundance Grand Jury prize­winner Frozen River.

EDITING JURY–DOCUMENTARY

Sabine Hoffman (see above)

Sloane Klevin has been an editor of films, television, commercials and music videos for twenty years. Her most recent feature film, Taxi to the Dark Side, which she also co-produced, won the 2008 Academy Award® for best Documentary Feature as well as the WGA award for Best Doc Screenplay. She also received a Peabody Award and the jury prizes at the Tribeca and Chicago film festivals. Her other feature credits include Real Women Have Curves, Heights and Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues for PBS. She is a partner at Union Editorial and an Adjunct Professor of Film Editing at Columbia University.

Susan Littenberg’s credits include the recent live action Charlotte’s Web; A Lot Like Love; Gary Winick’s 13 Going on 30 and Tadpole. Most recently, she completed Five Dollars a Day with Christopher Walken. She is currently editing Bride Wars starring Kate Hudson and Drew Barrymore. Other credits include The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack, winner of a Special Jury Prize for Artistic Achievement at Sundance 2000; Jump Tomorrow, winner of a BAFTA award for first-time filmmakers; and Stephen Soderbergh’s 1996 film, Gray’s Anatomy.

NOFF announces the winners of the first-ever Audience Awards:

Best Narrative Feature: "How to Be"

Directed by: Oliver Irving

Best Documentary Feature: "Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry"

Directed by: Erich Weiss

Other Awards:

Helen Hill Best Animation Award: "Chainsaw"

Directed by: Dennis Tupicoff

Sponsored by Showbiz Software

Honorable Mention: "The Spider"

Directed by: Juan Delcan

Best Narrative Short Award: "Glory At Sea"

Sponsored by CineFilm Lab

Directed by: Benh Zeitlin

Best Documentary Short Award: "Elegy for the Elswick Envoy"

Directed by: Nancy Willis

Sponsored by Showbiz Software

Best Experimental Award: "Home"

Directed by: Matt Faust

Sponsored by Showbiz Software

Honorable Mention: "Sera/Sera"

Directed by: John Murphy

Best Documentary Feature Award: "Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story"

Directed by: Jeffrey Schwarz

Sponsored by Panavision

Best Narrative Feature Award: "Goodnight Irene"

Sponsored by Swelltone Lab

Directed by: Paolo Marinou-Blanco

Louisiana Filmmaker Award: "The Zeppelin Parable"

Directed by: Kristian Hansen

Sponsored by Panavision & Kodak

We congratulate all the awardees.

The following is a list of this year’s ten award recipients:

Best Documentary: “Neshoba,”

Co-Directors Micki Dickoff, Tony Pagano

Mass Impact: “A Soviet Story,”

Director Edvin Snors

Best Short: “The Confession”

Best Actor: Greg Kinnear, “Flash of Genius”

Best Actress: Jacqueline Bisset, “Death In Love”

Best Screenplay Adaptation: “Appaloosa,” Screenwriters: Ed Harris, Robert Knott

Best Film: “Appaloosa”

Creative Visionary: Director and writer Charlie Levi, “Childless”

Best Director: Boaz Yakin, “Death In Love”

Best International Filmmaker: Jamil Rostami

Producer/Director of “Jani Gal”

Audience Favorite: Clear Lake, WI

This year’s BFF sponsors are: A&E Indie Films, NBC Universal, Bravo, Liberty Hotel, American Airlines, Lindor Truffles, and Sundance Channel.

The red carpet star-studded event included appearances by Gustavo Santaolalla (LALIFF’s GABI Lifetime Achievement Award 2008 recipient), Demián Bechir, Carina Ricco, Alexa Vega, Maya Zapata, Lupe Ontiveros, Rick Najera, Montserrat Roig de Puig, Marlene Forte, Simon Rex, Jesse Garcia and other celebrity guests, along with community leaders and entertainment industry experts.

LALIFF co-founder, Executive Director and programmer Marlene Dermer dedicated the night to acclaimed filmmaker Humberto Solás who passed away on Wednesday, September 17th in his native Cuba. Solás, one of Cuba’s brightest and most outstanding figures in cinema, directed many films that gave voice to his country around the world including: Lucía, a film considered as the birth of the Golden Age of Cuban filmmaking, Un hombre de éxito (1986), El siglo de las luces (1991), and Barrio Cuba (2005).

Dermer also acknowledged the wishes of festival co-founder Edward James Olmos to be present at the ceremony to celebrate the closure of the festival. Olmos is currently directing a film and was unable to attend the festival.

The following includes a list of the winners for the 12th Annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival:

Features/ Best Film (RITA AWARD)

Sponsored by: Deluxe Laboratories

Winner: "Paraíso Travel"

&

Audience Award: Best Film

Sponsored by: CineLatino

Winner: "Paraíso Travel"

Director: Simon Brand - Country: Colombia

Synopsis: Adapted from Jorge Franco’s acclaimed novel of the same title, Paraíso Travel is the story of Marlon Cruz, a young Colombian man who motivated by his girlfriend Reina, leaves his comfortable life in Medellín, an flees with her through Guatemala and Mexico, across the borders, illegally into the United States. Marlon’s journey, which takes him through seedy strip clubs, dance halls, homeless hostels, and the streets of Jackson Heights ultimately takes him to a place he could not have predicted. Directed by Simon Brand with a screenplay by Jorge Franco and Juan Rendón, Paraíso Travel also stars John Leguizamo, Margarita Rosa de Francisco and Ana de la Reguera.

Features/ Best Director

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Winner: Lucia Murat

Film: "Maré, Nossa Historia de Amor"

Country: Brazil

Synopsis: Living in a slum divided between two rival gangs of drug traffickers, Analídia is the daughter of one of the gangs’ leaders and Jonatha is a childhood friend of the other. Both study in a dance group situated exactly in the middle of the two groups. Openly inspired by Romeo and Juliet, the film is a review of our strong sense of music, our contemporary dance as well as the strange mix we find in slum, where violence lives along side artistic possibility brought by social projects.

Features/ Best Screenplay

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Winner: Issa López

Film: "Casi Divas"

&

Features/ Honorable Mention – Best Actor

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Daniela Schmidts

Film: "Casi Divas"

Director: Issa López - Country: Mexico

Synopsis: "Casi Divas" is the story of four ambitious and beautiful young women from four very different corners of Mexico. Just like hundreds of others, they are caught up in the frenzy that sweeps the nation when Alejandro Mateos, one of the country’s most powerful producers, dreams up a massive, nationwide talent search to cast the lead in his next big movie. But all this is news to Alejandro’s on-again, off-again lover, Eva Gallardo, a temperamental diva of epic proportions, who expected to play the part. While Eva schemes to nail down the role, our four leads will do whatever it takes for a chance to be cast. As "Casi Divas" unfolds and comedic sparks fly, they will all discover who will eventually and surprisingly become the country's new superstar.

Opera Prima/ Winner

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "Desierto Sur"

Director: Shawn Garry - Country: Chile

Synopsis: Sofía is a Spanish swimming protégé who loses her mother to cancer. An enigmatic letter falls into her hands, one that her mother sent to Chile when she was alive. The letter is returned by the post office when the recipient could not be found. The content of the letter raises stirring questions in Sofía. To resolve the emotional conflicts caused by the letter she embarks on a journey to Chile. The destination: An unknown and remote town called “Desierto Sur” in the northern Atacama Desert of Chile

Honorable Mention: Features

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "Limbo"

Director: Horacio Rivera - Country: Mexico

Synopsis: Limbo tells the story of Isao, a gay teen, who suffers an accident and goes to limbo, a mysterious place where he will meet a suicide lawyer and a crazy nurse, two characters that will change the life of the kid forever.

Special Mention: Opera Prima

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "Cochochi"

Director: Israel Carteras, Laura A. Guzman - Country: Mexico

Synopsis: Evaristo and Tony, two brothers from northwest Mexico, receive an assignment from their grandfather: to deliver some medicine to the other extreme of the Sierra Tarahumara. Dreading the long road ahead, they decide to take their grandfather’s horse and set off into a journey that becomes longer than they expected.

Documentary Category

Documentaries/ Best Documentary

Sponsored by: Fuji Film

Film: "The Promise of Music"

Director: Enrique Sánchez Lansch - Country: Germany

Synopsis: A film about the passion for music, this documentary tells the stories of four young Venezuelan orchestra players and their young conductor, Gustavo Dudamel. It shows their upbringing in mostly remote and poor places, their daily lives and their future perspectives. While rehearsing for a challenging concert tour to Europe, Félix, Jhoanna, Katherine, Diego and Gustavo embark on a journey into their pasts revealing what their lives could have been without the chance to play from early childhood on within the unique musical education program of Venezuela. Eventually they travel to Germany to perform a concert in Bonn.

Audience Award: Best Documentary

Sponsored by: CineLatino

Film: "Fraude: Mexico 2006"

Director: Luis Mandoki - Country: Mexico

Synopsis: A documentary about the recent presidential election in Mexico on 2006. Records the events that occurred prior to, during, and after an electoral campaign. In addition, it contains extremely powerful visual evidence of its fraudulent practices, which are captured by the cameras of numerous individuals in the general public.

Special Mention: Documentaries

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "Café de los Maestros"

Director: Miguel Kohan - Country: Argentina

Synopsis: With the return to democracy, Argentina is experiencing an extraordinary rebirth of its main national musical tradition, the Tango. Café de Los Maestros is the gathering of the greatest living legends of this formidable musical genre. These extraordinary men and women, ranging from 70 to 95 years old, reveal to us the mysteries and essence of this melancholic and sexy music. Acclaimed musician, producer and composer Gustavo Santaolalla (winner of 2 Academy Awards®) leads us on a journey to bring together these unique "maestros." Reconstructing historical arrangements and recording unpublished material for the first time, this collaboration culminates with a grand performance of Tango music and dance at Buenos Aires’ famous Colon Theatre.

Special Mention: Documentaries

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "La Americana"

Director: Nicholas Bruckman - Country: United States

Synopsis: Carmen never planned to come to the United States, but when her daughter Carla was only nine-years-old, tragedy struck. Carmen left Carla behind in Bolivia and made the dangerous and illegal journey to New York City where she could earn enough to support her ailing daughter, knowing she may never return home. But after six years of separation, congress proposes 'amnesty' legislation that could allow Carmen and Carla to be reunited again. Will Carmen stay and fight for the American dream, or be home as promised for Carla's quinceañera? Filmed in three countries and told through an intimate cinema-vérité narrative, her unforgettable story is woven into the current immigration debate in the United States, putting a human face on this timely and controversial issue.

Special Mention: Documentaries

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "13 peoples, defending water, air and land"

Director: Francesco Taboada Tabone - Country: Mexico

Synopsis: In the future, wars will be fought over water. In the Mexican state of Morelos, this war has already begun. “13 Peoples defending water, air and land” tells the story of the struggle of Mexican indigenous people to preserve their natural resources and their cultural identity. A documentary that contemplates Mexico’s destiny.

Shorts Category

Shorts/ Winner

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "A Day’s Work"

Director: Rajeev Dassani - Country: USA

Synopsis: What was a simple job escalates into a violent misunderstanding in this heart-stopping drama involving an American family and the three immigrant laborers hired to help them move. Enrique, a young man far from home, must quickly decide where his loyalty really lies.

Special Jury Award: Shorts – Animation

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "Sebastian’s Voodoo"

Director: Joaquín Baldwin - Country: USA

Synopsis: A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death.

Special Mention: Shorts

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Film: "Catharsis"

Director: Daniel Chamorro - Country: Spain

Synopsis: A man and a woman talk about their relationship in two interviews. They seem to be arguing very strong, but at the end they are just trying to understand each other.

Special Mention: Shorts – Best Actor

Sponsored by: Entertainment Partners, Final Draft

Winner: Jorge Palacios

Film: "El Pasajero"

Director: Hector Palma - Country: Venezuela

Synopsis: Based on a true story, El Pasajero is a penetrating look at the nature of violence and the effects of isolation. On New Years Eve in Caracas, Venezuela, a desperate cab driver attempts to rob a wealthy passenger, but when the passenger offers to buy the drivers gun, it leads to a night neither of them will ever forget.

“We are pleased to continue showcasing the talented work of Latino filmmakers and their contributions,” stated Dermer. “This night celebrates the films that have made this festival possible and also a great Cuban director who contributed to the world of cinema. We look forward to a successful festival next year.”

Directed by: Carlos Reygadas

Special Mention to Ramin Bahrani’s film “Chop Shop”

Baltic Film Show Award: “The Class”

Directed by: Ilmar Raag.

Special Mention: Edmunds Jansons’ short documentary animation “Little Bird’s Diary”

The jury of INTERFILM was composed of three members of the Lutheran Church, coming from Germany (Dietmar Adler), Latvia (Agris Sutra) and Denmark (me).

The FIPRESCI jury announced that the award in the Baltic film show was given to “Vogelfrei”

directors: Jānis Kalējs, Jānis Putniņš, Anna Viduleja, Gatis Šmits

FIPRESCI International film competition: “Andalucia” director: Alain Gomis

The award “Best Documentary” of the Baltic film competition jury was given to the Estonian director Priit Valkna’s film “The Headwind Hall”

The award “Best Animation” was given to Edmunds Jansons’ film “Little Bird’s Diary”

The award “Best Feature Film” was given to “Autumn Ball” by Veiko Ounpuu.

The award “Best Baltic Film” was given to “Vogelfrei” by Jānis Kalējs, Gatis Šmits, Jānis Putniņš and Anna Viduleja. This award and 5000 euro were presented by Inga Šīna, vice-president of Rietumu Banka.

Audience Prize: “The Class” by Ilmar Raag

“Arsenals” main prize, with an award of $20,000 US, for “Chop Shop” by Ramin Bahrani

Feature films: "Ainda Orangotangos" (Still Orangutans) Director: Gustavo Spolidoro, Brazil, 2007

Special Mentions: "Jin bi hui huang" (Fujian Blue)

Director: Weng Shou-ming, China, 2007

"Lassú TükÖr" (Slow Mirror)

Director: Igor and Ivan Buharov, Hungary, 2007

"De Ofrivilliga" (Involuntary)

Director: Ruben Ostlund, Switzerland, 2008

"Ztracená dovolená" (Lost Holiday)

Director: Lucie Králová, Czech Republic/China/Switzerland, 2007

Short films: "Smàfuglar" (Two Birds)

Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson, Iceland, 2008

Special Mentions: "Pour de Vrai" (For Real)

Director: Blandine Lenoir, France, 2007

"Le jour de gloire" (The Day of Glory)

Director: Bruno Collet, France, 2007

"Za horyzont" (Beyond the Horizon)

Director: Kuba Czekay, Poland, 2007

Aprile's award: "Lassú TükÖr" (Slow Mirror)

Director: Igor and Ivan Buharov, Hungary, 2007

Special Mentions: "Pour de Vrai" (For Real)

Director: Blandine Lenoir, France, 2007

"Operator"

Director: Matthew Walker, UK, 2007

"Vertigo Rush"

Director: Johann Lurf, Austria, 2007

Encore Award: "Socket"

Director: Patricio García, Argentina, 2007

A2A's award Giovani Energie: "What's next?"

Director: Claudia Roethlin and Adrian Flueckiger, Switzerland, 2007

Corti ma buoni: "Rice and Meat"

Director: Diego Ongaro, USA 2007

Best Animation: "La maison en petits cubes" (The House of Small Cubes)

Director: Kunio Kato, Japan, 2008

Staff Award: "The Blindness of the Woods"

Director: Martin Jalfen and Javier Lourenço, Argentina, 2008

Students's Jury Award: "La théorie des ensembles"

Director: Juliette Hamon Damourettes, Jao Eka M'Changama and Marc Hericher, France, 2007

THE FUKUOKA AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER:

"IN THE NAME OF GOD"

A Pakistani film/ 2007

Directed by Shoaib Mansoor

Starring Shaan, Iman Ali

At the award ceremony, the Award Winner was presented with an Award Certificate, a trophee and prize money.

Director: Jordan Canning

Best Atlantic Feature: "Down to the Dirt"

Director: Justin Simms

Michael Weir Award for Best Original Screenplay: "Down to the Dirt"

Director: Justin Simms, Sherry White

Rex Tasker Documentary Award: "Norm"

Director: Kent Nason, Teresa MacInnes

Ed Higginson Cinematography Award: "Passage"

Director: Kent Nason

Best Director: "Passage"

Director: John Walker

CBC Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry

Bill Niven, Producer, Idlewild Films

PowerPost Craft Awards:

Best Art Direction: "Growing Op"

Director: Taavo Soodor, Alan MacLeod

Best Editing: "Treevenge"

Director: Jason Eisener

Best Sound Design: "For Wendy"

Director: Jacquelyn Mills, Andreas Mendritzki

Best Original Score: "Outside Afghanistan"

Director: David Christensen

Canadian Awards:

Best Canadian Short: "Next Floor"

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Honourable Mention: "Passages"

Director: Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre

Best Canadian Feature: "C'est pas moi, je le jure!"

Director: Philippe Falardeau

Best Canadian Documentary: "That’s My Time"

Director: Adamm Liley

Best Actor: "C'est pas moi, je le jure!"

Director: Antoine L’Écuyer

Best Actress: "Nurse.Fighter.Boy"

Director: Karen LeBlanc

Inspired Script: "Dot’s Will"

Director: Scott Simpson

International Award:

People's Choice Award for Best Picture: "Summerhood"

Director: Jacob Medjuck

The German Independence Award – Best German Film, the German Independence Award – Audience Award and the Otto-Sprenger-Award.

The 15th Oldenburg International Film Festival ended on the evening of September 14 with the award ceremony for the German Independence Award and the Otto-Sprenger-Award.

The winner of the German Independence Award – Best German Film is Emily Atef’s “The Stranger in Me”. The award is worth 5000 Euro and was presented by jury-president LeVar Burton and Mayor Dr. Gerd Schwandner.

The jury praised the film’s “originality, the strength of the story and the exceptional quality of the actors”.

This year the jury specially mentioned two performances of female actors. Susanne Wolff displayed her impressive multilayered talents in two films at the festival: “The Stranger in Me” (Emily Atef) and “Happy People” (Jan Georg Schütte). Irina Potapenko gave a convincing newcomer performance with her emotional and powerful acting in “Revanche” by Götz Spielmann.

The German Independence Award – Audience Award also went to “The Stranger in Me” by Emily Atef. The EWE-sponsored award is worth 2000 Euro. The winner also receives an Avid editing software suite.

The third award won by Emily Atef’s “The Stranger in Me” is the Otto-Sprenger-Award also worth 2000 Euro.

During the Cinema-brunch on Sunday September 14th the winner of the 500 Euro short film competition was announced at the CinemaxX: “Side Effect” by Liz Adams.

The audience competition for the Finnkino Prize is arranged in co-operation with Finnkino, the biggest distribution company in Finland. The audience voted for their favorite film from ten nominees shown at the Helsinki IFF.

"Captain Abu Raed" tells the story of an elderly airport janitor, whom the kids in his neighborhood mistake for a pilot. "Abu Raed" doesn’t correct the misunderstanding but uses the situation to tell the poor and abused kids amazing stories about the far away places, that he has never been to. "Captain Abu Raed" is the first feature film by Aman Matalqa (b. 1976).

"Captain Abu Raed" also won the Audience Award for World Cinema (dramatic section) at the Sundance Film Festival, earlier this year, and is Jordan’s choice for Oscar Nomination.

The Finnkino Prize winner was announced at the beginning of the Helsinki IFF’s Closing Film, "The Class," (dir. Laurent Cantet) and at the screening of the Surprise Film, "Rachel Getting Married" (dir. Jonathan Demme). "Captain Abu Raed " will be released theatrically by Finnkino on the 19th of December. The ten nominees for the Finnkino Prize were all first or second feature films by their director:

• Captain Abu Raed (director: Amin Matalqa, Jordan 2007)

• Love and Other Crimes (director:Stefan Arsenijevits, Serbia 2008)

• Lake Tahoe (director: Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico 2008)

• Autumn Ball (director: Veiko Öunpuu, Estonia 2007)

• Vanaja (director: Rajnesh Domalpalli, India 2006)

• Involuntary (director: Ruben Östlund, Sweden 2008)

• Me (director: Rafa Cortés, Spain 2007)

• Wonderful Town (director: Aditya Assarat, Thailand 2007)

• Better Things (director: Duane Hopkins, United Kingdom 2008)

• Tulpan (director: Sergei Dvortsevoy, Kazakhstan 2006)

Director: Tom McCarty

PRIX DU JURY: "Ballast"

Director: Lance Hammer

PRIX DE LA CRITIQUE INTERNATIONALE: "Gardens of the Night"

Director: Damian Harris

PRIX DU JURY DE LA RÉVÉLATION CARTIER: "Ballast"

Director: Lance Hammer

PRIX MICHEL D'ORNANO: "Johnny Mad Dog"

Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

"Noho Hewa: The Wrongful Occupation of Hawai'i"

Director: Anne Keala Kelly

Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Best Narrative:

"Cape No. 7"

Director: Wei Te-Sheng

Honolulu Magazine Award for Best Short Film:

"Coffee and Allah"

Director: Sima Urale

Honorable Mention: "Texas Girl"

Director: Hyung Hyup Kim

NETPAC Award: "Brutus: The Adventure"

Director: Tara Illenberger

Honorable Mention: "The Little Heart"

Director: Luigi Falomi

Viewers Choice Award Powered by Oceanic Time Warner Cable: "The Hollow"

Director: Dana Ledoux Miller

Film in Hawai'i Award: Joan Lander and Puhipau

(Na Maka o ka 'Aina)

Achievement in Acting: Woo-sung JUNG

Maverick Award: Ji-Woon KIM

Audience Award Winners:

Favorite Feature: "Departures"

Director: Takita Yojiro

Favorite Documentary: "Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority"

Director: Kimberlee Bassford

Favorite Short: "Chief"

Director: Brett Wagner

Both the ceremony and the concert were attended by world famous composers such as James Newton Howard, Dario Marianelli, Angelo Badalamenti, David Arnold, Clint Mansell, Trevor Jones, and Shigeru Umebayashi. After the World Soundtrack Awards ceremony the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé performed film music by Angelo Badalamenti, Dario Marianelli, Andres Goldstein & Daniel Tarrab and local talent Tuur Florizoone. Special guests of the evening were Siouxsie Sioux and Beth Rowley, both singing music of The Edge of Love.

The results:

FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR

presented in respect of the body of work in the year 2008

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD: CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, MICHAEL CLAYTON, I AM LEGEND

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF THE YEAR 2008

ATONEMENT BY DARIO MARIANELLI

BEST ORIGINAL SONG WRITTEN DIRECTLY FOR FILM 2008

'DOWN TO EARTH' FROM WALL-E

Music by Thomas Newman and Peter Gabriel, lyrics by Peter Gabriel, performed by Peter Gabriel

DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR 2008

MARC STREITENFELD: AMERICAN GANGSTER

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2008

ANGELO BADALAMENTI

PUBLIC CHOICE AWARD

TUUR FLORIZOONE: MOSCOW, BELGIUM

SABAM AWARD FOR BEST BELGIAN YOUNG COMPOSER

CEDRIC MURRATH

The World Soundtrack Awards are organized in cooperation with Port of Ghent, Sabam, the province East-Flanders, the Ghent City Marketing Fund and Belgacom.

On October 16th, at the Opening Night of the 12th annual Arab Film Festival, juried awards were given to Arab filmmakers who have been recognized for their contributions to cinematography.

The Noor Awards were given at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. A jury composed of distinguished members of the film and academic communities selected the winning films. Cash prizes were given to the director in four categories: Best Long Fiction, Best Long Non-Fiction, Best Short Fiction and Best Short Non-Fiction.

In addition, the Arab Film Festival's board of directors presented a Lifetime Achievement Award honoring the work of the late Egyptian film director Youssef Chahine.

"Each year the festival offers inspiring films that illuminate Arab lives and present authentic narratives as well as provide insights into the beauty, talent and diversity of Arab culture," said Michel Shehadeh, executive director of the Arab Film Festival. "The Noor Awards shine a special light on filmmakers from the Arab world and from the Arab diaspora who break new artistic and cultural ground. This award recognizes their artistic excellence and their work at building cultural, artistic and human bridges. These are filmmakers who receive little visibility in the United States."

"Paloma Delight" (full length fiction, Algeria 2007) by Nadir Mokneche was selected as the Noor Award winner for Best Long Fiction Film.

"The Yellow House" (Algeria, 2008) by Amor Hakkar received an Honorable Mention in the Long Fiction Film.

In the Best Short Fiction category "Clean Hands Dirty Soap" (Egypt, 2007) directed by Karim Fanous was selected.

The Honorable Mention was presented to "Tenbak" (United Arab Emirates, 2008) directed by Abdullah Hassan Ahmed.

"Life After the Fall" (Iraq, 2008) directed by Kasim Abid, and shot over four years, was selected as the Noor Award winner for Best Long Non-Fiction Film.

"Out of the Frame" (Iraq, 2007) directed by Nizar Annadawi was selected as the Best Short Non-Fiction film.

After the Noor Awards ceremony the festival's Opening Night film "Waiting for Pasolini," a U.S. premiere, was shown to a packed house.

From the Arabic word for "light," the Noor Awards were established to celebrate filmmakers whose enlightened and original works outshine others in their category. The directors of the winning films received cash prizes as follows: Best Long Fiction ($2,000); Best Long Non-Fiction ($2,000); Best Short Fiction ($500) and Best Short Non-Fiction ($500).

This year's Noor Awards jury members were: Professor Nezar Al Sayyad, chair of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley; Jamal Dajani, Senior Director of Middle East Programming for LinkTV; Dr. Jess Ghannam, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Global Health Sciences at UCSF and president of the san Francisco Arab Cultural and Community Center; Irina Leimbacher, filmmaker and co-programmer of Kino 21; Simone Nelson, artist, producer and entertainment industry consultant; and Torange Yeghiazarian, playwright, director and actor as well as the founding artistic director of Golden Thread Theatre.

This year's Arab Film Festival features more than 70 films from 18 countries in 18 in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose and Los Angeles. In addition, films were shown on Bay Area university campuses and, as part of the Festival in the Schools, to more than 1,000 high school students.

The Domestic Competition award went to the film "Leviathan" by Simon Bogojeviæ Narath. The film was also awarded with Veronika's Skull (+ a sum of 1.000 euros), handed out by the Domestic Jury members - last year Domestic Competition winner Renata Poljak and Jude Goldrey from Lifesize Pictures, UK.

The reAnimated Veronika award for best animation went to the film "One Rat Short" by Alex Weil. Croatian film "I'll Kill You" by Nikola Strasek was presented with the award for best documentary and the award for best experimental film went to Raymond by BIF (all the film were also awarded with a sum of 500 euros).

The audience award, Vox Veronika, went to the Belgian film "Tango" by Guido Thys (with a remarkable average grade of 4.85).

The International Jury also gave out two special mentions, to the film "Graphitti" by Vano Burduli from Georgia, and the film "Family Reunion" by Isold Uggadottir from Island.

Directed by: Brillante Mendoza

NETPAC (The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) is an international organisation that comprises filmmakers, critics, festivals, programmers, distributors, exhibitors, and film educators. Its fundamental aim is to promote Asian cinema's role in the development of cultural diversity and integrity in a contemporary, globalized world.

One of the ways of promoting Asian cinema is through the presentation of the NETPAC Award, which recognises exceptional and emerging filmmaking talents, at film festivals. The Brisbane International Film Festival is proud to host this award in Australia.

INTERFAITH- Interfaith Award is for Promoting

Humanitarian Values: "The Visitor"

Directed by: Thomas McCarthy

BIFF's Interfaith Award was inspired by the first Interfaith jury, convened at the 2003 Tehran Film Festival by SIGNIS president Father Peter Malone. SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, organizes ecumenical juries to judge films on criteria that take into account artistic qualities as well as human, social, and spiritual dimensions.

Now in its fifth year, BIFF's Interfaith jury, comprising three jurors from diverse religious and/or spiritual backgrounds, will present the award to the film that most successfully espouses humanitarian values.

High commendation was given to "Little Moth"

Directed by: Peng Tao

The FIPRESCI award- Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique: "Good Cats"

Directed by: Ying Liang

Founded in the late 1920s in France, Belgium, and Italy, FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique) is the international federation of film critics, whose members reside in 60 countries and which is represented at many of the major international film festivals.

FIPRESCI's charter is to promote film art and to encourage new and young cinema. Its first jury prize was presented at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival to David Lean's Brief Encounter and Georges Rouquier's Farrebique. FIPRESCI awards the prestigious International Film Critics Prize at film festivals around the world.

Cine Sparks Jury Award: "The King of Ping Pong"

Directed by: Jens Jonsson

The Courier-Mail Queensland Short Film Competition Winners

The Courier-Mail Queensland Short Film Competition Audience Favourite Award (Apple Mac Book Pro and iPod Touch 16GB valued at $3300 from our sponsor Cirrus): "Nine Miles Beautiful," directed by Marty Moynihan and produced by Peter Blackburn.

The Courier-Mail Queensland Short Film Competition Critics Choice Award ($5000 cash from our sponsors The Courier-Mail) "Seize the Day," directed by Alex Chomicz and produced by Wade Savage.

Chauvel Award:

This year the 2008 Chauvel Award goes to Heath Ledger for his outstanding and significant contribution to Australian Cinema.

Kinetone Award 2008:

For significant contribution to the Queensland film industry

The Kinetone Award is voted both by industry peers and the public. Each year the nominations reflect the generosity and commitment of the industry's established professionals. Previous recipients have supported the industry through many avenues, including education, training, mentorship, and network development.

In 2008, the recipient of the Kinetone Award is Gary Keir. Gary's long history with film processing laboratory Atlab has seen him involved in many productions, from feature films to television commercials, since 1977. Gary opened Atlab Queensland as manager in 1991 and has since become a figurehead in the state's film and television industry.

His extensive involvement in the emerging local industry-for example, the establishment of the Kodak TVC Competition in 2001, festival sponsorships, participation in industry groups and panels, and avid support of the annual Warner Roadshow Studios Queensland New Filmmakers Awards-clearly demonstrates Gary's unswerving commitment.

For many years, Gary has selflessly devoted himself to mentoring newcomers, passing on to them his boundless/contagious enthusiasm and technological knowledge, and in 2000 the Australian Cinematographers Society recognised Gary's service to the industry with the Edwin Scragg Award.

Gary is highly respected by his peers and revered among filmmakers across the state. He has been instrumental in building Queensland's film industry-without people like Gary, Queensland would lack the sense of family, tradition, and close-knit support that currently enriches this creative industry.

AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM

The award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Chris Chong Chan Fui's "Block B." The film examines the lives of an expatriate Indian community weaving itself through the contradicting soundscapes of contemporary Malaysia. The jury notes: "simple, graphic, hypnotic - this is an achievement of bringing cinema to its bare essentials." A special citation goes to Denis Villeneuve's Next Floor. The short film jury members are filmmakers Louise Archambault and Min Sook Lee, and Rotterdam International Film Festival programmer Peter van Hoof. The award offers a $10,000 cash prize and is supported by the National Film Board of Canada.

CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM

The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu's "Before Tomorrow" "for its arresting beauty, its humanist, innovative storytelling and its artistic integrity in capturing the narrative of a people through an intimate tale." Based on the novel by acclaimed Danish author Jørn Riel, "Before Tomorrow" is a moving drama about a strong Inuit woman and her beloved grandson, who become trapped on a remote island as they face the ultimate challenge of survival. A special citation goes to Lyne Charlebois' "Borderline." Established by Citytv, the award carries a cash prize of $15,000.

CITY OF TORONTO-CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM

The City of Toronto-Citytv Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Rodrigue Jean's "Lost Song." Elisabeth (Suzie LeBlanc), Pierre (Patrick Goyette) and their new-born baby move to a summer cottage in a remote area north of Montreal. Isolation and the difficulty of coping with her new situation and surroundings send Elisabeth into a spiral of depression. The jury described the film as "constantly surprising," and "profound, masterful and devastatingly sad." A special citation goes to Atom Egoyan's "Adoration." Generously co-sponsored by the City of Toronto and Citytv, the City of Toronto-Citytv Award for Best Canadian Feature Film carries a cash prize of $30,000.

CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARDS JURY

Winners of the Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film and the City of Toronto-Citytv Award for Best Canadian Feature Film were selected by a jury of film industry professionals, consisting of filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming, filmmaker and actor Sarah Polley, programmer for the Locarno Film Festival Vincenzo Bugno, and producer Michael Burns.

DIESEL DISCOVERY AWARD

The Diesel Discovery award goes to Steve McQueen's Hunger. The film follows Bobby Sands and the other political inmates of Northern Ireland's Maze Prison in 1981 as they seek to gain special category status for republican prisoners. The Festival press corps, which consists of 1000 international media, voted on the Diesel Discovery Award. The award offers a $10,000 cash prize and a custom award sponsored by DIESEL Canada.

PRIZE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZE)

The Festival welcomed an international FIPRESCI jury for the 17th consecutive year. This year's jury was expanded and considered eligible films in the Discovery and Special Presentation programs. The jury members consist of jury president Jonathan Rosenbaum (USA), Nick Roddick (United Kingdom), Elie Castiel (Canada), Ranjita Biswas (India), Kim Linekin (Canada) and Pablo Scholz (Argentina).

The Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Discovery is awarded to Derick Martini's Lymelife. From the filmmaking team behind Smiling Fish and Goat on Fire (TIFF 1999) comes an examination of first love, family dynamics and the American Dream in late 1970s Long Island, as seen through the innocent eyes of a 15-year-old. Scott Bartlett (Rory Culkin) is a gentle boy - a direct contrast to his blustery father, Mickey (Alec Baldwin). After an outbreak of Lyme disease hits their suburban community, the lives of the Bartletts and their neighbours begin to crumble in the wake of illness, confrontation and paranoia.

The Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Special Presentations is awarded to Steve Jacobs' "Disgrace." Professor David Lurie's (John Malkovich) life falls apart after he has an impulsive affair with one of his students. Forced to resign from Cape Town University, he escapes to his daughter's farm in the Eastern Cape. Their relationship is tested when they both become victims of a vicious attack. In order not to lose the love of his daughter, David stands by her as she accepts her tragic circumstances. She continues her life on the farm and their individual disgrace finally settles to an uneasy grace.

CADILLAC PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD

The Cadillac People's Choice Award is voted on by Festival audiences. This year's award goes to Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire." From acclaimed director Danny Boyle comes a story about a kid with nothing, who has everything to lose. Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?" Arrested on suspicion of cheating, he tells the police the amazing tale of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost. But what is a kid with no interest in money doing on the show? And how does he know all the answers? First runner-up is Kristopher Belman's "More Than A Game" and the second runner-up is Cyrus Nowrasteh's "The Stoning of Soraya M." The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Cadillac.

Melhor filme de longa-metragem: NOME PROPRIO de Murilo Salles

Melhor Diretor: Domingos Oliveira pelo filme JUVENTUDE

Melhor Ator: Daniel de Oliveira pelo filme A FESTA DA MENINA MORTA

Melhor Atriz: Leandra Leal pelo filme NOME PROPRIO

Melhor Roteiro: Domingos Oliveira pelo filme JUVENTUDE

Melhor Fotografia: Lula Carvalho pelo filme A FESTA DA MENINA MORTA

Prêmio Especial do Júri: A Festa Damenina Morta de Matheus Nachtergaele

Premio de Qualidade Artística: para os Atores Aderbal Freire Filho,

Domingos Oliveira e Paulo Jose pelo filme JUVENTUDE

Melhor Diretor de Arte: Pedro Paulo de Souza pelo filme NOME PROPRIO

Melhor Música: Matheus Nachtergale pelo filme A FESTA DA MENINA MORTA

Melhor Montagem: Natara Ney pelo filme JUVENTUDE

Prêmio da Crítica: A Festa Da Menina Morta de Matheus Nachtergale

Melhor filme do Júri Popular: A Festa Da Menina Morta de Matheus Nachtergale

Longa-Metragem Estrangeiro:

Melhor Filme: COCHOCHI de Israel Cardenas e Laura Guzman

Melhor Diretor: Carlos Moreno pelo Filme PERRO COME PERRO

Melhor Ator: Marlon Moreno e Oscar Borda pelo filme PERRO COMOE PERRO

Melhor Atriz: Ana Carabajal pelo filme POR SUS PROPIOS OJOS

Melhor Roteiro: Liliana Paolinelli pelo filme “ POR SUS PROPIOS OJOS

Melhor Fotografia: Juan Carlos Gil pelo filme PERRO COME PERRO

Prêmio Especial do Júri: para POR SUS PROPIOS OJOS

Prêmio de Qualidade Artística: para COCHOCHI

Excelência de linguagem técnica: COCHOCHI de Israel Cardenas e Laura Guzman

Premio da Crítica: Perro come Perro de Carlos Moreno

Melhor Filme do Júri Popular: POR SUS PROPIOS OJOS de Liliana Paolinelli

CURTA METRAGEM

Melhor filme: Areia de Caetano Gotardo

Melhor Diretor: Jaime Lerner pelo filme Subsolo

Melhor Ator: Augusto Madeira pelos filmes Blackout e Noite de Domingo

Melhor Atriz: Malu Galli pelo filme Areia

Melhor Roteiro: César Cabral e Leandro Maciel por Dossiê Rebordosa

Melhor Fotografia: Heloisa Passos por Areia

Premio Especial do Júri: Booker Pittman de Rodrigo Grota

Melhor Diretor de Arte: José de Aguiar pelo filme Booker Pittman

Melhor Música: Booker Pittman pelo filme Booker Pittman

Melhor Montagem: César Cabral e Leandro Maciel pelo filme Dossiê Rê Bordosa

Prêmio da Crítica: : Booker Pittman de Rodrigo Grota

Mostra Gaúcha

Melhor Filme: Um dia como hoje de Eduardo Wannmacher

Melhor Direção: Diego Muller por Cortejo Negro

Melhor Roteiro: Eduardo Wannmacher por Um dia como hoje

Melhor Fotografia: Fernando Vanelli por Cortejo Negro

Melhor Direção de Arte: Rita Faustini por O Sete Trouxas

Melhor Música: Fausto Prado por Subsolo

Melhor Montagem: Fábio Lobanowsky por Um dia como hoje

Melhor Edição de Som: Cristiano Scherer por Rosário dos Navegantes

Melhor Produtor/ Produtor Executivo: Pablo Muller por Cortejo Negro

Melhor Ator: Júlio Andrade por Um dia como hoje

Melhor Atriz: Carolina Sudat por Um dia como hoje

Golden Leopard: "PARQUE VIA"

Directed by: Enrique Rivero, Mexico

Special Jury Prize: "33 SCENY Z ZYCIA" (33 Scenes from Life)

Directed by: Malgoska Szumowska, Germany/Poland

Best Director: Denis Côte for "ELLE VEUT LE CHAOS," Canada

Leopard for Best Actress: Ilaria Occhini in "MAR NERO"

Directed by: Federico Bondi, Italy/Romania/France

Leopard for Best Actor: Tayanç Ayaydin in "THE MARKET – A TALE OF TRADE"

Directed by: Ben Hopkins, Germany/UK/Turkey/Kazakhstan

Prix Netpac: "DAYTIME DRINKING"

Directed by: Noh Young-seok, South Korea

Prix FIPRESCI: "PARQUE VIA"

Directed by: Enrique Rivero, Mexico

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury: "MAR NERO"

Directed by: Federico Bondi, Italy/Romania/France

Prix FICC / IFFS: "YURIEV DEN" (Yuri’s Day)

Directed by: Kirill Serebrennikov, Russia/Germany

Prix Art & Essai CICAE: "SONBAHAR" (Autumn)

Directed by: Ozcan Alpers, Turkey/Germany

Prix SRG SSR idee suisse /Semaine de la critique: "LATAWCE" (Kites)

Directed by: Beata Dzianowicz, Poland

C.P. Company Golden Leopard / Filmmakers of the Present Competition: "LA FORTERESSE"

Directed by: Fernand Melgar, Switzerland

Ciné Cinéma Special Jury Prize / Filmmakers of the Present Competition: "ALICIA EN EL PAÍS"

Directed by: Esteban Larraín, Chile

Leopard for the Best First Feature: "MÄRZ"

Directed by: Händl Klaus, Austria (International Competition)

Golden Leopard- SRG SSR idée suisse Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow Competition:

"DEZ ELEFANTES"

Directed by: Eva Randolph, Brazil

The Boccalino Prize for Best Actor: Kssenia Rappoport for "Yuriev Den"

Directed by: Kirill Serebrennikov

The Boccalino Prize for the Most Significant Film: "Beket"

Directed by: Davide Manuli

Silver Leopard- Eastman Kodak Company Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow:

"KAUPUNKILAISIA"

Directed by: Juho Kuosmanen, Finland

Golden Leopard- IKEA Prize for the Leopards of Tomorrow National Competition: "LA DÉLOGEUSE"

Directed by: Julien Rouyet, Switzerland

Silver Leopard- Eastman Kodak Company Prize for the

Leopards of Tomorrow National Competition: "UN DIA Y NADA"

Directed by: Lorenz Merz, Switzerland

Prix du Public UBS: "SON OF RAMBOW"

Directed by: Garth Jennings, UK/France/Germany

Variety Piazza Grande Award: "BACK SOON"

Directed by: Sólveig Anspach, Island/France

Filmmakers of the Present Competition Jury composed of:

Bertrand Bonello, director, composer and writer,France, Benedek Fliegauf, director and writer, Hungary, Cao Guimaraes, director and video artist, Brazil, Corso Salani, director, Italy, Franz Treichler, muscian and composer , Switzerland

The Leopards of Tomorrow Jury is composed of:

Fulvio Bernasconi, director, Switzerland, Eran Kolirin, director, Israel, Angele Paulino, TV5 Monde, Dick Rijneke,

director and producer, The Netherlands, Orsi Toth, actress, Hungary

The Bocaalino Prize Jury is composed of: Alberto Castellano, President, Angelo Franco Aschei, Ugo Brusaporco, Lorenzo Buccella, Valentina Cattaneo, Jordi Picatoste and Damiano Realini

The Netpac Jury is composed of: Sanling Chang,

Taiwan, Bee Thiam Tan, Singapore and Antonio Weinrichter, Spain

The Fipresci Prize Jury is composed of: Nicole Hess,

Swiss, Radovan Holub, Czech Republic, Emma Gray Munthe, Sweden, Javier Porta Fouze, Argentina, Mateusz Werner, Poland

The Ecumenical Jury Prize is composed of: Alexander Deeg, Germany, Alexander Deeg, Felipe Espinoza Torrese, Mexico, Douglas Fahlesone, Ireland, Serge Molla, Swizerland, Astrid Polz-Watzenige, Sham P. Thomas, India.

The FICC / IFFS Prize Jury is composed of: Csaba Bardose, Hungary, Briana Berg, Switzerland, Eoin Hayes, Ireland

Prix Art & Essai CICAE Jury is composed of: Sino Caracappa, Italy, Andre Ceuterick, Belgium, Rita Linda Potyondi, Hungary

Semaine de la Critique Jury is composed of: Stephanie Bunbury, Australia, Azzedine Mabrouki, Algeria, Mariano Morace, Switzerland

Images of the 61st Locarno Film Festival Awards Ceremony:

1.) Junior Jury Special award, Gideon Koppel, Director of the film SLEEP FURIOUSLY

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

2.) Federico Bondi, director of the film MAR NERO, third prize of the Junior Jury

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

3.) Richard Szyotori, director of the film AU CAFE ROMAND, Leopards of Tomorrow Junior Jury Award for the best Swiss short film

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

4.) Isamu Hirabayashi, director of the film BABIN, Junior Jury Leopards of Tomorrow Award

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

5.) Julien Rouyet, director of the film LA DELOGEUSE, Junior Jury Leopards of Tomorrow Award

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

6.) Malgoska Szumowska, director of the film 33 33 SCENY Z ZYCIA, Junior Jury Award

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

7.) Junior Jury Award, Denis Côté, director of the film ELLE VEUT LE CHAOS with the Jury

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

8.) Ecumenical Jury Award, from left Serge Molla, member of the Jury, Federico Bondi, director of the film MAR NERO, Alexander Deeg, member of the Jury

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

9.) Enrique Rivero, director of the film PARQUE VÍA, FIPRESCI Award

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

10.) Özcan Alper, director of the film SONBAHAR, Art & Essai CICAE Award

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

11.) SRG SSR idée suisse Award - Semaine de la critique, Beata Dzianowicz, director of the film LATAWCE

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

12.) Ilaria Occhini, Leopard for the best feminine interpretation for the film MAR NERO

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

13.) Tayanç Ayaydin, Leopard for the best male interpretation for the film THE MARKET - A TALE OF TRADE

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

14.) Fernand Melgar, director of the film LA FORTERESSE, C.P.Company Golden Leopard - Filmmakers of the Present

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

15.) Händl Klaus, director of the film MÄRZ, Leopard for the best first film, Prize of the City and Region of Locarno

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

16.) Malgoska Szumowska, director of the film 33 SCENY Z ZYCIA, Special award for the Jury, Award of the Country of Ascona and Losone

© FOTOFESTIVAL / DAULTE

SIFF 2008 Awards

The Golden Space Needle Award winners were announced at a ceremony earlier today. More than 70,000 ballots were cast by SIFF audiences to determine the winner in six categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Short Film.

Also presented were six juried SIFF 2008 Competition Awards: New American Cinema Award, New Directors Showcase Award, Best Documentary Award, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Animated Short.

SIFF 2008 Competition Grand Jury Award winners receive a $5,000 cash prize, a hand-made glass creation by artist James Mongrain, Movie Magic Screenwriter software, and a DVD replication prize package from Discmakers. New American Cinema Competition winner receives an annual subscription to The Studio System from Baseline Studio Systems. New Directors Showcase and Documentary Competition winners receive an annual subscription to FilmTracker from Baseline Studio Systems.

SIFF 2008 New American Cinema Competition

Grand Jury Prize: "Em,"

directed by Tony Barbieri (USA)

Jury Statement: “In Em, writer-director Tony Barbieri tackles the timely and original subject of love and mental illness, with the help of his two excellent leads, Stef Willen and Nathan Wetherington. It’s a sweet, sad, scary movie that feels completely contemporary.”

Special Jury Prize: "The Bluetooth Virgin"

director: Russell Brown

Jury Statement: “The Special Jury Prize is awarded to The Bluetooth Virgin and writer-director Russell Brown for his fresh and squirmy script.”

The New American Cinema jury was comprised of: Rajendra Roy, Chief Curator, Film Department at MoMA; David Schmader, associate editor at The Stranger; and Kyle Thorpe, Vice President of Publicity at Focus Features.

SIFF 2008 New Directors Showcase Competition

Grand Jury Prize: "Everything is Fine,"

directed by Yves-Christian Fournier (Canada)

Jury Statement: “The New Directors Showcase Prize for director of a first or second feature goes to Yves-Christian Fournier from Quebec, Canada, and his film Everything is Fine, for its skillful avoidance of the nihilistic clichés in its treatment of contemporary youth. The jury would also like to commend the outstanding performance of Marie Turgeon in the role of the mother.”

Special Jury Prize: "Mermaid,"

directed by Anna Melikyan (Russia)

Jury Statement: “The jury would also like to award a special mention to Mermaid by Anna Melikyan from Russia for its entertaining portrait of Russia and its growing pains as it transitions into a capitalist society.”

The New Directors Showcase jury was comprised of: Frederic Boyer, programmer for Director’s Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival; Oliver Mahrdt, president of Hanns Wolters International, and East Coast representative of German Films; and Charles Taylor, ?lm critic for the Newark Star-Ledger and Bloomberg News.

SIFF 2008 Documentary Competition

Grand Jury Prize: "Derek,"

directed by Isaac Julien (UK)

Jury Statement: “The Grand Jury Prize is awarded to Isaac Julien’s Derek for the strength of both the subject and the filmmaking.”

Documentary Competition Special Jury Prizes:

Jury Statements:

"Combalion," directed by Raphaël Mathié (France), “…for its artistic integrity and visually arresting composition.”

"Accelerating America," directed by Timothy Hotchner (USA), “…for capturing the inspiration of the subject and the humanistic heart of the film.”

The Documentary jury was comprised of: Ken Eisen, president of Shadow Distribution; Julie Goldman, founding partner of Cactus Three; and Steven Raphael, founder of Required Viewing.

SIFF 2008 Short Film Jury Awards

SIFF 2008 Grand Jury Short Film Award winners receive a $2,500 cash prize, a hand-made glass creation by artist James Mongrain, Movie Magic Screenwriter software, a DVD replication prize package from Discmakers, and an annual subscription to FilmTracker from Baseline Studio Systems.

Documentary Grand Jury Prize:

“Self Portrait With Cows Going Home” and Other Works: A Portrait of Sylvia Plachy, directed by Rebecca Dreyfus, U

USA Documentary Special Jury Prize: "The Ladies," directed by Christina Voros, USA

Animation Grand Jury Prize:

"The Pearce Sisters," directed by Luis Cook, UK Animation Special Jury Prize: Home, directed by Kim Slate, USA

Narrative Grand Jury Prize: "Rewind,"

directed by Atul Taishete, India

Narrative Special Jury Prizes: "Walnut,"

directed by Amy Gebhardt, Australia

"Dog Altogether,"

directed by Paddy Considine, UK

"A Mate,"

directed by Teemu Nikki, Finland

"New Boy,"

directed by Steph Green, Ireland

Honorable Mentions for Inventive Filmmaking: "Introduction to Lucid Dreaming,"

directed by John Grigsby, USA

"On the Assassination of the President,"

directed by Adam Keker, USA

The Short Film jury was comprised of: Scilla Andreen, co-founder of IndieFlix; Seattle Filmmaker Douglas Horn, winner of the 2006 Golden Space Needle for Best Short Film; and Jeff Shannon, Film critic for the Seattle Times and P-I.

SIFF 2008 FutureWave Jury Award

SIFF 2008 FutureWave WaveMaker Award winner receives a $2,500 cash prize.

Grand Jury Prize (WaveMaker Award): "Disorder," directed by Rose McAleese

Honorable Mentions: "4th Floor,"

directed by Misami Kubo, “…for excellence in visual storytelling.”

"Driving to the New Age: American Automobiles and You,"

directed by Meng Mao, Eli Shalcross, Charlie Shelton, and Matt Yaggy, “…for delivering a serious message through outstanding use of satire.”

"New Perspective,"

directed by Dave Riff, “…for clarity of vision.”

The FutureWave jury was comprised of the participants in the 2008 Fly Filmmaking challenge: Cheryl Slean, Megan Griffiths, Rob Cunningham, Andy McCone and Joe Shapiro.

SIFF and IndieFlix 2008 MyFestival Winners

SIFF and IndieFlix MyFestival Feature Film winner receives a $1,500 cash prize; Short Film winner receives a $500 cash prize.

SIFF Official Selection and MyFestival Feature Film Winner:

"Perfect Sport," directed by Anthony O’Brien

SIFF Official Selection and MyFestival Short Film Winner:

Robbie’s Withdrawal, directed by John Burish

MyFestival Special Recognition Awards: "Eternal City," directed by Jason Goodman

"Hot Wind: America’s Fallout Casualties,"

directed by Kirsten Alaqidy

SIFF 2008 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards

SIFF 2008 Golden Space Needle Award winners receive a hand-made glass creation by artist James Mongrain. Golden Space Needle Award Best Short Film winner receives $1,000 of Color Negative Motion Picture Film from the Eastman Kodak Company Entertainment Imaging Division, and an Apple Intel 15" Laptop Computer loaded with the Final Cut Pro Suite of products from IrisInk and The Mac Store.

Best Film Golden Space Needle Award: "Cherry Blossoms – Hanami,"

directed by Doris Dörrie (Germany)

The remaining top ten audience favorites (in order)

"Frozen River,"

directed by Courtney Hunt (USA)

"Fugitive Pieces,"

directed by Jeremy Podeswa (Canada)

"Captain Abu Raed,"

directed by Amin Matalqa (Jordan)

"The Drummer,"

directed by Kenneth Bi (Hong Kong)

"Summer Heat,"

directed by Monique van de Ven (the Netherlands)

"Letting Go of God,"

directed by Julia Sweeney (USA)

"Late Bloomers,"

directed by Bettina Oberli (Switzerland)

"Bliss,"

directed by Abdullah Oguz (Turkey)

"Michou d’Auber,"

directed by Thomas Gilou (France)

Best Documentary Golden Space Needle Award: "The Wrecking Crew,"

directed by Denny Tedesco (USA)

The remaining top ten audience favorites (in order):

"Great Speeches From a Dying World,"

directed by Linas Phillips (USA)

"Man on Wire,"

directed by James Marsh (UK)

"Accelerating America,"

directed by Timothy Hotchner (USA)

"Creative Nature,"

directed by John Andres (USA)

"Emmanuel Jal: War Child,"

directed by C. Karim Chrobog (USA)

"Trouble the Water,"

directed by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (USA)

"Stranded: I’ve Come From a Plane that Crashed in the Mountains,"

directed by Gonzalo Arijon (France)

"Good Food,"

directed by Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin (USA)

"They Killed Sister Dorothy," directed by Daniel Junge (USA)

Best Director Golden Space Needle Award:

Amin Matalqa, for "Captain Abu Raed" (Jordan)

The remaining top five audience favorites (in order)

Courtney Hunt, for "Frozen River" (USA)

Nina Paley, for "Sita Sings the Blues" (USA)

Dorota Kedzierzawska, for "Time to Die" (Poland)

Nic Balthazar, for "Ben X" (Belgium)

Best Actor Golden Space Needle Award:

Alan Rickman, for "Bottle Shock" (USA)

The remaining top five audience favorites (in order)

Nadim Sawalha, for "Captain Abu Raed" (Jordan)

Andrew Garfield, for "Boy A" (UK)

Zdenerk Sverák, for "Empties" (Czech Republic)

Greg Timmermans, for "Ben X" (Belgium)

Best Actress Golden Space Needle Award:

Jessica Chastain, for "Jolene" (USA)

The remaining top five audience favorites (in order)

Catinca Untaru, for "The Fall" (USA)

Melissa Leo, for "Frozen River "(USA)

Danuta Szaflarska, for "Time to Die" (Poland)

Melanie Diaz, for "American Son" (USA)

Best Short Film Golden Space Needle Award:

"Felix," directed by Andreas Utta (Germany)

The remaining top five audience favorites (in order)

"Sleeping Betty," directed by Claude Cloutier (Canada)

"Bailey-Boushay House: A Living History," directed by Terence Brown (USA)

"Zoologic," directed by Nicole Mitchell (USA)

"Spider," directed by Nash Edgerton (Australia)

Lena Sharpe Award:

"Frozen River," director Courtney Hunt (USA)

This award is given to the film by a woman director that receives the most votes from the public.

Venice, 6th September 2008

The Venezia 65 Jury, chaired by Wim Wenders and comprised of Juriy Arabov, Valeria Golino, Douglas Gordon, Lucrecia Martel, John Landis, and Johnnie To, having viewed all twenty-one films in competition, has decided as follows:

GOLDEN LION for Best Film: "The Wrestler"

Directed by Darren Aronofsky (USA)

SILVER LION for Best Director to:

Aleksey German Jr. for "Bumažnyj Soldat" (Paper Soldier) (Russia)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: "Teza"

Directed by Haile Gerima (Ethiopia, Germany, France)

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor: Silvio Orlando for "Il papà di Giovanna"

Directed by Pupi Avati (Italy)

COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress: Dominique Blanc for "L’autre"

Directed by Patrick Mario Bernard and Pierre Trividic (France)

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress: Jennifer Lawrence for "The Burning Plain" by Guillermo Arriaga (USA)

OSELLA for Best Cinematography to: Alisher Khamidhodjaev and Maxim Drozdov for "Bumažnyj Soldat" (Paper Soldier)

Directed by Aleksey German Jr. (Russia)

OSELLA for Best Screenplay to: Haile Gerima for "Teza" by Haile Gerima (Ethiopia, Germany, France)

SPECIAL LION for Overall Work to: Werner Schroeter

The Jury decided to award a Special Lion for his uncompromising and relentlessly innovative work over a period of 40 years to Werner Schroeter.

“LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM

The “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film Jury at the 65th Venice Film Festival, comprised of Abdellatif Kechiche (President), Alice Braga, Gregory Jacobs, Donald Ranvaud, and Heidrun Schleef, has unanimously decided to award the

“LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to:

"Pranzo Di Ferragosto" by Gianni Di Gregorio (SIC - International Critics’ Week, Italy)

Aurelio De Laurentiis and Filmauro award a cash prize, of 100,000 USD, to the winning first film (50,000 to the director, 50,000 to the producer). To the director, an additional film voucher for 40,000 Euro will also be awarded, offered by Kodak.

Grand prix des Americas:

OKURIBITO (DEPARTURES) by Yojiro Takita (Japan)

Special Grand Prix of the jury :

THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE (CE QU'IL FAUT POUR VIVRE) by Benoît Pilon (Canada)

Best Director :

THE TOUR (TURNEJA) by Goran Markovic (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Actress :

BARBARA SUKOWA for the film THE INVENTION OF THE CURRIED SAUSAGE (DIE ENTDECKUNG DER CURRYWURST) by Ulla Wagner (Germany)

Best Actor :

ERI CAÑETE for the film TEO'S VOYAGE (EL VIAJE DE TEO) by Walter Doehner (Mexico)

Best Screenplay:

WELCOME TO FAREWELL-GUTMANN (BIENVENIDO A FAREWELL-GUTMANN) by Xavi Puebla, screenplay by Xavi Puebla and Jesús Gil (Spain)

NOBODY TO WATCH OVER ME by Riyoichi Kimizuka, screenplay by Riyoichi Kimizuka and Satoshi Suzuki (Japan)

Best Artistic Contribution :

WOLF (VARG) by Daniel Alfredson (Sweden-Norway-Finland)

Innovation Award:

IT ALL BEGINS AT SEA by Eitan Green (Israel)

SHORT FILMS :

1st prize :

THE NECKTIE (LE NŒUD CRAVATE) by Jean-François Lévesque (Canada)

Jury Award:

FAL by Hans Van Nuffel (Belgium)

JURY

President : MARK RYDELL, director (U.S.A.)

EVELYNE BOUIX, actress (France)

JOHANNE DUGAS, representing the general public (Canada)

XIE FEI, director (China)

VOJTECH JASNY, director (Czech Republic)

DANY LAFERRIÈRE, writer and director (Canada)

ZENITHS FOR THE BEST FIRST FICTION FEATURE FILMS 2008

Golden Zenith for the Best First Fiction Feature films :

FOR A MOMENT, FREEDOM (EIN AUGENBLICK, FREIHEIT) by Arash T. Riahi (Austria/France)

Silver Zenith for the First Fiction Feature Film :

WELTSTADT by Christian Klandt (Germany)

Bronze Zenith for the Fisrt Fiction Feature Film :

SUMMER BOOK (TATIL KITABI) by Seyfi Teoman (Turkey)

Members of the jury of the First Fiction Films :

Pierre-Henri Deleau (France)

Denis Héroux (Canada)

Armand Lafond (Canada)

PUBLIC AWARDS

The public was invited to vote for the most popular films among the feature films presented during the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival.

Public Award for the most popular film of the Festival:

THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE (CE QU'IL FAUT POUR VIVRE) by Benoît Pilon (Canada)

Public Award for the most popular Canadian Feature Film :

THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE (CE QU'IL FAUT POUR VIVRE) by Benoît Pilon (Canada)

Glauber Rocha Award for the Best Latin American Film :

DON'T LOOK DOWN (NO MIRES PARA ABAJO) by Eliseo Subiela (Argentina-France)

Award for Best documentary :

CHILDREN OF THE PYRE by Rajesh S. Jala (India)

Award for Best Canadian Short Film :

THE NECKTIE (LE NŒUD CRAVATE) by Jean-François Lévesque (Canada)

FIPRESCI PRIZE (INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS)

THE TOUR (TURNEJA) by Goran Markovic (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

ECUMENICAL PRIZES

WOLF (VARG) by Daniel Alfredson (Sweden-Norway-Finland)

Special mention of the Ecumenical jury :

TEO'S VOYAGE (EL VIAJE DE TEO) by Walter Doehner (Mexico)

OTHER AWARDS

Special Awards for their exceptional contribution to the cinematographic art :

ALAN LADD JR.

TONY CURTIS

ISABELLE HUPPERT

MEMBERS OF THE JURY:

Award for the overall winner:

NORMAN MCLAREN AWARD offered by the National Film Board of Canada, a value of $2500 in technical services for the winner's next production.

« This Little Piggy » by Sarah Quinn and Sébastien Rist (Concordia University)

KODAK IMAGING AWARD

For the Best New Canadian Student Director, presented by Kodak Canada Entertainment Imaging. The winner will receive a camera and $4200 of film

« For Wendy » by Jacquelyn Mills (Concordia University)

BEST ANIMATION PRODUCTION:

« C Block » by Vladimir Kooperman (Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario)

BEST DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION:

« Forty Men for the Yukon » BY Tony Massil (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)

BEST EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION:

« Presidio Modelo » by Pablo Alvarez (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)

BEST FICTION PRODUCTION :

« Firebear Called Them Faith Healers » by Kelvin Redvers (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)

SPECIAL MENTIONS:

« Amma » by Aparna Kapur (Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Vancouver)

« 16 ans » by Pierre-Luc Laganière (U.Q.À.M.)

The jury members were :

Francine Brücher, Swiss Films

Ravida Din, Executive Producer at the National Film Board of Canada

Pierre Jutras, Director of conservation and programming of the Cinémathèque.

A total of 27 festival awards in 15 categories and three audience favorites were announced Tuesday evening at the Awards Presentation held at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs, CA, followed by the Closing Night Party at Wang's Restaurant. A total of $14,000 in cash prizes, $7,500 in Kodak film stock, $6,000 in software prizes and a $60,000 Panavision camera package were awarded. Award winners receiving a first place prize in four categories are automatically eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Academy Award® consideration. Over the past 13 years, the Festival has presented 58 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award nominations.

Highlights from this year's Festival included actor Bill Pullman serving on the Festival's jury and teaching a Master Class on Acting for aspiring filmmakers. Actresses Jessica Biel and Kirsten Dunst attended the screening of their films, part of the Shooting Stars program. Biel starred and produced Hole in the Paper Sky, directed by William Purple and Dunst directed, wrote and produced Welcome starring Winona Ryder.

Commenting on the success of this year's Festival and Market, Festival Director Darryl Macdonald said, "Packed theatres, enraptured audiences, delighted filmmakers and a hyper-active film market with multiple buyers chasing the same film in many instances -- what's not to like? I got an email this morning from a filmmaker who told me he'd been trailed out of the theatre by several film festival directors wanting to invite his film to their events. It was a banner year for ShortFest, and an exceptionally good year for newly emerging filmmaking talent."

The 2008 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:

JURY AWARDS

BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD: $2,000 & Showbiz Software Package. The winner of this award is eligible to submit their film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.

"6.5 Minutes in Tel Aviv" (Israel) Mirey Brantz

Lovers parting, families traveling, businessmen commuting -- a Tel Aviv bus station is the setting for an unexpected confrontation brought on by fear and panic in this part of the world where it only takes a minute for the landscape to become completely unrecognizable.

FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD: $2,000, Showbiz Software Package & Ultimate Stock Footage Collection

Marçal Forés for "Friends Forever" (UK)

Returning to school following the death of his closest friend, Chris, young George is bedeviled by his friend's ghost, who seems to follow him everywhere. But who is doing the following?

Honorable mention for this award went to Nicolas Brault for "Hungu" (Canada).

PANAVISION GRAND JURY AWARD: Panavision Camera Package valued at $60,000 & two days studio time courtesy of Casablanca Studios, Palm Springs, CA.

"A Good Day for a Swim" (Romania), Bogdan Mustata

This harrowing short film, winner of the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival, follows the trail of a trio of young sociopaths as they pick up a young woman they find at the side of the road and take her to the beach for a day of amoral pursuits. Not for the squeamish.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

All first place winners in these categories will receive a Showbiz Software package.

AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT

"Toyland" (Germany), Jochen Alexander Freydank

When a young boy's mother, responding to her son's question about the whereabouts of his best friend (whose family has been put on a train for the camps), tells her son that his friend has been sent to "Toyland," the boy sneaks off to join him.

Runner up: "On the Road to Tel-Aviv" (Israel), Khen Shalem

AUDIENCE FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT

"The Witness: The View from Room 306" (USA), Adam Pertofsky

This riveting short documentary recounts the incidents leading up to, during and immediately after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, utilizing archival footage and photos, first-hand accounts, and interviews with a number of the people who participated in the events of that time.

Runner up: "One Bridge to the Next" (USA), Kim Snyder

AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION SHORT

"This Way Up" (UK), Adam Foulkes, Alan Smith

Two undertakers run into a number of slight problems delivering a body for burial.

Runner up: "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Ireland), Nicky Phelan

JURY CATEGORY AWARDS

All first place winners in these categories received a cash award of $2,000, Showbiz Software

Package. First place winners in the Animated and Live Action categories will be eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for Oscar consideration. Second Place recipients received a $500 cash prize.

MINI MOVIE CHANNEL AWARD for BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT UNDER 15 MINUTES

First Place($2,000): "A Good Day for a Swim" (Romania), Bogdan Mustata

This harrowing short film, winner of the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival, follows the trail of a trio of young sociopaths as they pick up a young woman they find at the side of the road and take her to the beach for a day of amoral pursuits.

Second Place ($500): "È Finita la Commedia" (Belgium), Jean-Julien Collette, Olivier Tollet

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES

First Place ($2,000): "Cairn" (Norway), Hanne Larsen

Young Johan wants to be accepted by the cool guys at school, so he joins them in a cruel prank, shutting another boy from their class in a cold, dark cairn underground. When a series of circumstances cause him to leave the boy in the cellar, his actions have consequences that he could never have anticipated.

Second Place ($500): "The Radiant City" (France), Romain Raynaldy

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

First Place ($2,000): "Hungu" (Canada), Nicolas Brault

A deeply moving meditation on migration, traditions and family are visually imprinted in striking black and white animation.

Second Place ($500): "Skhizein" (France), Jeremy Clapin

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

First Place ($2,000): "The Witness: The View from Room" 306 (USA), Adam Pertofsky

This riveting short documentary recounts the incidents leading up to, during and immediately after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, utilizing archival footage and photos, first-hand accounts, and interviews with a number of the people who participated in the

events of that time.

Second Place ($500): "Springtime in Sant Ponç" (Switzerland), Eugenia Mumenthaler, David Epiney

STUDENT CATEGORIES

All first place winners in these categories will receive $1,000 in Kodak film stock. Second Place recipients receive $500 in Kodak film stock. All student filmmakers in Festival competition are eligible for these awards.

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT UNDER 15 MINUTES

First Place ($2,000): "6.5 Minutes in Tel Aviv" (Israel), Mirey Brantz

Lovers parting, families traveling, businessmen commuting -- a Tel Aviv bus station is the setting for an unexpected confrontation brought on by fear and panic in this part of the world where it only takes a minute for the landscape to become completely unrecognizable.

Second Place ($500): "Small Change" (Australia), Anna McGrath

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES

First Place ($2,000): "James" (Northern Ireland), Connor Clements

Young James struggles as the outsider kid at his school; his teacher Mr. Sutherland the only person James feels he can connect with. However, when James can finally put voice to the feelings he's been having, Mr. Sutherland's response isn't at all what James had hoped for.

Second Place ($500): "Friends Forever" (UK), Marçal Forés

BEST STUDENT ANIMATED SHORT

First Place: "Procrastination" (UK), Johnny Kelly

This winner of the Best British Animated Short at the London Short Film Festival is an amusing and visually lively meditation on the subject of inertia.

Second Place: "For the Love of God" (UK), Joe Tucker

BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT

First Place: "A Different Color Blue" (USA), Melanie Levy

Charles Curtis Blackwell, a semi-blind artist, lost most of his eyesight in an accident during his youth, but this adversity has only heightened his artistic gifts.

Second Place: "A Great Silence" (Germany), Eva Kosmas

KODAK AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY

First Place ($1,000 in Kodak film stock): Eduard Grau (cinematographer), "Friends Forever" (UK)

Returning to school following the death of his closest friend, Chris, young George is bedeviled by his friend's ghost, who seems to follow him everywhere. But who is doing the following?

Second Place ($500 in Kodak film stock): DeClan Keeney (cinematographer), "James" (Ireland)

Three special awards were presented at this year's Festival. The Alexis Award for Most Promising Student Filmmaker went to "Open Your Eyes" (USA), directed by Susan Cohen. In the film, a young wife going through the trauma of breast cancer finds her relationship with her husband strained by her inability to open up to him, until a chance meeting with an irreverent young woman casts everything in a different perspective. The recipient will receive a Final Cut Pro package, courtesy of Apple Computer valued at $2,500.

Presented by Jason Reitman's production company Hard C Productions, The Hard C Hi Five to Lo-Fi Award for Best Low Budget Short went to "My Rabit Hoppy" (Australia), directed by Anthony Lucas, where young Henry's Show and Tell school project about his pet rabbit goes horribly awry. The Cinema Without Borders Best International Film Award went to "Angels Die in the Soil" (Iran), directed by Babak Amini. On the border between Iran, Kurdistan and Iraq, a headstrong young woman who survived Saddam's chemical warfare attacks during the Iran/Iraq war encounters an American soldier, who's been shot and left for dead by his terrorist captors.

Jury members include actor Bill Pullman; Eileen Arandiga, Festival Director of the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto; Dana Harris, editor Variety.com; Sydney Levine of Film Finders; and Dragan Milinkovic, Serbian film academic and producer.

Now in its 14th year, ShortFest screened 317 films, selected from a record of more than 2,700 worldwide entries, including 53 World Premieres, 47 North American Premieres and 24 U.S. Premieres. The selection of films for screening and competition featured star-studded casts as well as award-winning films from 40 countries around the world. All selections are structured into 51 themed programs covering a wide array of issues for specific and general audiences to enjoy.

Festival Director Darryl Macdonald commented, "This year's ShortFest line-up reflects a return to more personal themes in the world of short film storytelling, and a move away from the 'big issue' themes of recent years, like the Iraq War, immigration and 9/11. That and the increasingly sophisticated use of technical innovations in the short filmmaking process are the two big stories that emerge from the short film world this year."

"The quality of work from these films has been remarkable to watch, especially from countries where film production is on the rise," said ShortFest Film Curator Kathleen McInnis. "For example, we have strong and vital narrative stories from more African countries than we've ever seen before. Filmgoers will be inspired by the wealth and breadth of storytelling from the global diversity in our film line-up."

The selected short films were organized into 51 themed programs covering a variety of genres -- including thrillers, horror, animation, documentaries, and comedies -- and themes, including boy meets girl, siblings, security issues, crime, sins, romance, lust, friendship, parenthood, culture clashes, performance, travel, the Jewish experience, gay and lesbian lifestyles, and the event featured a special focus on films from France. ShortFest viewers experienced shorts from Kenya, Colombia, Romania, Chile, Burkina Faso, the Philippines, Malaysia and other exotic locales. This year's opening night screening on Thursday, August 21 at 6:30 p.m. will be highlighted by award-winning live-action and animated films including Life's Hard (Romania), Manon on the Asphalt (France), Procrastination (U.K.), Sikumi (On the Ice) (USA), Tadeo Jones and the Basement of Doom (Spain) and The Wednesdays (Ireland).

Festival attendees saw a roster of films featuring familiar faces in front of and behind the camera, including Kate Hudson directing Cutlass (USA) starring Dakota Fanning, Virginia Madsen, Kurt Russell and Chevy Chase; Kirsten Dunst directing Welcome (USA) starring Winona Ryder; and Matthew Modine directing and starring in I Think I Thought (USA). Other star-studded shorts include past Palm Springs International Film Festival Rising Star recipient Jessica Biel who stars in and produced Hole in the Paper Sky (USA); Dana Delany in Flying Lessons (USA) directed by Janet Grillo; David Arquette in Nosebleed (USA) directed by Jeff Vespa; Jordan Belfi and Rainn Wilson in Missing Pieces (USA); Tony Shalhoub in LA Actors (USA); Whoopi Goldberg narrating The Descendant (Germany); Sir Ian McKellan voicing a character in the animated For the Love of God; and Robert Redford narrating The New Environmentalists (USA).

A jury of five industry professionals will screen this year's short films selected for competition in eighteen categories including Best Animation, Best Documentary, Best Live Action, Best of Festival and the Future Filmmaker Award. A total of $86,000 in money and production prizes, including $14,000 in cash awards were given out. The Panavision Grand Jury Award winner will receive a digital or film camera package valued at $60,000 and two days studio time courtesy of Casablanca Studios. An additional $7,500 in Kodak film stock was presented to the film winners in the student award categories. Other prizes included copies of filmmaking software from Showbiz Software Store and Entertainment Partners, Apple Final Cut Studio 2, and the Ultimate Stock Footage Collection.

The illustrious Jury was comprised of Bill Pullman; Eileen Arandiga, Festival Director of the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto; Dana Harris, editor Variety.com; Sydney Levine of Film Finders; and Dragan Milinkovic, Serbian film academic and producer. First place winners will automatically become eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a possible Academy Award nomination. Over the course of its first 13 years, the Festival has presented 58 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award nominations.

Designated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an award-qualifying Festival and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market, are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America. The Festival and its concurrent 2,700-film Film Market continues to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and is well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films. Companies attending this year's Market include Mini Movie Channel, Kodak, Nickelodeon, Panavision, Famous Frames Mobile Interactive, Metacafe, Big Film Shorts, Hollywood Shorts, Echo Lake Entertainment, Moviela, Current TV, Atom Films, Shorts International, Senator Films and more.

Several seminars and panels comprised of industry representatives were assembled to discuss trends and provide advice on short filmmaking. The Festival will feature three separate master classes, one with actor Bill Pullman and another with Academy Award nominated cinematographer William Fraker presenting and discussing their work with filmmakers. The third master class will be taught by film critics David Ansen (Newsweek) and Claudia Puig (USA Today) on film criticism. Tribeca Film Festival Short Film Programmer Sharon Badal will attend to discuss her new book Swimming Upstream along with several of her collaborators.

Workshops included Kodak Presents "Stop By. Shoot Film.," a hands on experience in using Super 16 mm film; Taking Your Short to Market; and Investigating New Media Opportunities. The Nickelodeon Writer's Lab is an invitation only event that will prepare applicants for submission to the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship. For those who prefer a more personal environment, the Festival will continue its popular "One-on-One Program," an opportunity for participants to meet individually with publicists, agents, distributors, producers, exhibitors and festival programmers to answer any questions filmmakers may have.

The Palm Springs International ShortFest was supported by a growing number of sponsors with local, national and international prominence. The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun, Spencer's, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and Wessman Development Company. Major Sponsors include Mini Movie Channel, Kodak, Nickelodeon, Panavision, Famous Frames Mobile Interactive, The Bottom Line, Metacafe, CBS2 and the Kaiser Restaurant Group. Supporting foundations include the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The official host hotel and media center is located at the Hilton Palm Springs Resort.

Director: Matteo Garrone

Producer: Domenico Procacci

Arri-Zeiss-Award Jury Statement:

The jury awards its top prize to a film whose frightening portrait of a contemporary community transforms the familiar generic portraits of criminal life into a superbly enacted harshly realistic depiction of a modern day gomorrha. Its direction, its ensemble of creators and its fresh and original storytelling makes for a film experience that captures ones imagination as it effects our view of the everyday world.

The jury awards the ArriZeiss Award to GOMORRHA directed by Matteo Garrone and congratulates the Munich Film Festival on its accomplished and diverse program of feature films in this years international film competition.

The jury made its selection from a final nomination list of three films including Carlos Reygada's "SILENT LIGHT" and "IL DIVO" by Paolo Sorrentino and further wishes to congratulate all the filmmakers in the program and thank the Festival and its staff for their hard work and kindnesses.

CineVision Award: "EVERYBODY DIES BUT ME"

Director: Valeria Gaia Germanica

Producer: Igor Tolstunov

Jury Statement:

“Adolescents can laugh and cry almost at the same time. On the surface there are sudden fierce reactions, deeper down there is an innocence, a dreamy inner world.” That’s how Russian director Valeria Gaia Germanica describes the protagonists in her film "EVERYBODY DIES BUT ME." The excellent performances by her young cast bring the world of teenage emotions to the screen with authenticity and intensity. A lot of it may appear to be a horror scenario, but the characters’ strength and determination shows that there is hope for their future.

Also nominated: "HOME" and "LOS BASTARDOS."

The main prize “Golden St.George” for the best film "Be hamin sadegi"(As Simple As That)

Director: Reza Mir Karimi (Iran)

The prize for the best film of the "Perspectives" competition and the certificate for 10000 meters of Kodak tape: "Cumbia callera" (Cumbia Connection)

Director: Rene U Villareal (Mexico)

The for the best director- Javor Gardev for "Zift" (Bulgaria)

The prize for the best actress and watch Carrera y Carrera: Margherita Buy for "Giorni e nuvole" (Days and Clouds) (Italy / Switzerland)

The prize for the best actor and watch Carrera y Carrera: "Richard Jenkins" for "The Visitor" (USA)

The special jury prize – Director Marion Laine for "Un coeur simple" (The Simple Heart) (France)

The special prize "I believe. K. Stanislavsky" for the outstanding achievement in the career of acting: Isabelle Huppert (France)

Bittersweet drama "Somers Town" scooped EIFF’s top prize this year at today’s awards ceremony presented by patron Sir Sean Connery.

The Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film quadrupled in value this year.

The Michael Powell Jury, led by actor Danny Huston, recognized Shane Meadows' latest as “the freshest, most imaginative maverick work, deserving of the Award.”

“After viewing an impressive selection of films and a long deliberation we, the Jury, unanimously agreed that the award would go to 'Somers Town.'”

The prestigious PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film was handed to the multifaceted Robert Carlyle for his striking rendering of a man in conflict with his past in Summer. The Jury commended his work as “a flawless performance in a great, uncompromising film that touches the heart.”

The champion that emerged from the historically hefty documentary strand was Werner Herzog’s "Encounters at the End of the World." The Best Documentary Award Jury, chaired by Seamus McGarvey, commented: “the documentaries competing for this award were, in many cases, exemplary.”

“It was a powerful shortlist of contrasting styles and experience, but in the end there was one film which we all agreed was the outstanding entry, a poetic vision but one with an unflinching gaze focusing on an area which should concern us all.”

But it was another documentary that won over the public’s heart and the Standard Life Audience Award.

"Man on Wire," directed by James Marsh, is a thrilling reconstruction of daredevil Philippe Petit’s scheme to walk a high-wire strung between the twin towers of the former World Trade Centre.

Its first European screening on Thursday received a standing ovation and it was with equal enthusiasm that its audiences rewarded the film in their votes.

See below for the full list of award winners.

Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film sponsored by the UK Film Council:

"Somers Town"

Director: Shane Meadows

PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film

Robert Carlyle for "Summer"

Standard Life Audience Award: "Man on Wire"

Director: James Marsh

Best Documentary Award: "Encounters at the End of the World"

Director: Werner Herzog

Skillset New Directors Award: Marianna Palka for "Good Dick"

UK Film Council Award for Best British Short Film: "Son" Director: Daniel Mulloy

European Film Academy Short Film 2008 – Prix UIP: "2 Birds"

Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson

Scottish Short Documentary Award supported by Baillie Gifford: "Christmas with Dad"

Director: Conor McCormack

McLaren Award for New British Animation in partnership with BBC Film Network: "Space Travel According to John" Director: Jamie Stone & Anders Jedenfors

Mirrorball Best British Music Video Award: "Happiness" by Goldfrapp

Director: Dougal Wilson

The Golden Impala Award: "Subira"

Directed by Ravneet Chadha.

"Subira" is the story of an 11 year old rebellious girl that struggles against her mother's wishes in order to break free from the norms of society.

Second Place tied with "Confession"

Directed by: Daddy Youssouf

and "Extracts from Me"

Directed by: Willie Owus.

"Confession" is a move about a man, psychologically tormented by something so grave he did in the past, he decides to go to a confessional. After talking to a priest, he doesn’t feel any better and he adopts an original way of asking for forgiveness…

"Extract from Me" is a short film about a woman who has been raped, her ordeal and how she has to cope with the aftermath.

Director: Matías Piñeiro

Prize: $10,000

Daum Special Jury Prize International Competition: "The Sky, the Earth and the Rain"

Director: José Luis Torres Leiva

Prize: $7,000

JJ-St★r Award Korean Cinema on the Movie: "Daytime Drinking"

Director: Noh Young-seok

Prize: $10,000

Special Mention: "My Soul is Undefeated"

Director: Ahn Hae Ryong

KT&G Sangsangmadang Award Korean Shorts - Critics' Week

Best Short Award: "Please, Stop the Train"

Director: Han Jihye

Prize: $5,000

Best Director Award: "Senbei Selling Girl"

Director: Kim Dong-myung

Prize: $3,000

Special Jury Award: "Boys"

Director: Yoon Sung-hyun

Special Mention - Best Director Award:

"Ten Oxherding Pictures #4 Catching the Ox-Two Chinese Qunces"

Director: Lee Ji-sang

NETPAC Award: "Children of God"

Director: Yi Seung-jun

Audience Critics' Award - Korean Cinema on the Move:

"Daytime Drinking"

Director: Noh Young-seok

Prize: $2,000

JIFF Audience Award - Cinemascape / Cinema Palace: "Action Boys"

Director: Jung Byoung-gil

CGV Korean Independent Feature film Distribution support Award: "Action Boys"

Director: Jung Byoung-gil

Work in Progress Award - Work in Progress:

"Moro2Moro"

Director: John Torres

Prize: $5,000

HBO Audience Award for Best Documentary was given to FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER , directed by Irena Salina

HBO Audience Award for Best Short Film was given to WHO I AM, directed by Whitney Peters

The John Schlesinger Award (awarded to a first time filmmaker) was given to Lance Hammer, director of BALLAST

The Student Film Competition Grand Jury Award was given to RABIA, directed by Muhammad Ali Hasan

The Student Film Competition Special Jury Prize was given to THE SHERIFF, directed by Jeff M. Giordano

Directed by: Ibrahim El Batout

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR BEST DIRECTION for “SUMMER BOOK”

Directed by: SEYFI TEOMAN.

PRIZE FOR BEST PERFORMANCE to the actress TANJA RIBIC for “TRAKTOR, LJUBEZEN , IN ROCK’N ROLL (TRACTOR; LOVE AND ROCK N’ROLL)

Directed by: Branko Djuric.

N.I.C.E. – INTEL CENTRINO AWARD FOR BEST SICILIAN SHORT FILM “BAB AL SAMAH”

Directed by: Francesco Sperandeo.

Best Feature Film: "MUKHA"

Directed by: Vladimir Kott (Russia)

Jury Grand Prix: "OLD FISH"

Directed by: Gao Qunshu (China)

Best Director: Maris Martinsons for "LOSS" (Lithuania)

Best Actor: Ma Guowei in "OLD FISH" (China)

Best Actress: Emilia Vasaryova in "VACLAV" (Czech Republic)

Best Screenplay: Marek Epstein for "VACLAV" (Czech Republic)

Best Cinematography: Florian Schilling for "MY MOTHER'S TEARS" (Germany)

Best Music: Andrius Mamontovas for "LOSS" (Lithuania)

SIFF Asia New Talent Awards:

Jury Prize: "Lucky Dog" (China)

Hero of the film is a retired railway mechanical engineer. After his retirement he has to care for his sick wife and he is looking for new jobs in many different areas but must discover that he now belongs to a generation of the past for which people of today have little understanding. The film fascinates through its humorous and realistic narration, his fantasy and exact observation. It is also a film of human warmth and compassion.

Best Director: Hyeon-gi Hong for "Thirsty, Thirsty" (Korea)

The film portrays a middle aged man who is a debt collector for an agency but who is himself indebted. Many other persons around him are also victims of a universal system of loans and debts. With great cinematic originality and good camera work as well as superb direction of actors the film develops a critical image of contemporary Korean society.

Best Film: "Winds of September"

Directed by: Tom Shu-Yu Lin (Taiwan, China)

The film tells the story of two friends who are high school students and who are passionate members of a baseball team. Through their story, the film develops with great subtlety a picture of the life style, the feelings and ambitions of a generation of Youth in Taiwan ten years ago.

THE SHORT PLANET

International Short Films and New Images Competition

Best Short Film: "Tony Zoreil"

Directed by Valentin Potier - France

Special Jury Award: "Don Robertos Skugga"

Directed by Håkan Engström/Juan Diego Spoerer - Sweden

Best Digital Short Film: "1977"

Directed by Peque Varela - United Kingdom

Best European Short Film: "Styri"

Directed by Ivana Sebestova - Slovakia

Special Mention of the Jury: "Mompelaar"

Directed by Marc Roels/Wim Reygaert - Belgium

Special Mention of the Jury: "Alumbramiento"

Directed by Eduardo Chapero-Jackson - Spain

CON/CORTO

National Short Films Competition

Best Short Film: "Clandestínas"

Directed by Silvia Chiogna

Special Prize of the Jury: "Il torneo"

Directed by Michele Alhaique

Kodak Award for the Best Cinematography: Giovanni Galasso for "Bab al Samah" by Francesco Sperandeo

Special Mention of the Jury for the entire cast of

"François" by Iacopo Zanon/Dario Gorini

Special Mention of the Jury: Giuseppe Cederna

for "Veglia" by Michele Rho

Special Mention of the Jury: Lidia Vitale

for "Io non esisto" by Lorenzo Sportello

Film & TV Editors Association Award for the Best Young Editor: Andrea Maguolo

for "Il torneo" by Michele Alhaique

EXTRA LARGE

National Documentaries Competition

Best Documentary: "Non tacere"

Directed by Fabio Grimaldi

Special Prize of the Jury: "Un volto tra la folla"

Directed by Stella Gasparri

Special Mention of the Jury: "Anni spietati"

Directed by Igor Mendolia

VIDEO/ROME

Regional Competition

Best Video: "Dov'è la giraffa?"

Directed by Veronica Flora

Members of the international jury was Iris Olsson (Finland), Maike Mia Höhne (Germany), Dieter Wiezcorek (France), Juhani Alanen (Finland) and Olga Konskaya (Russia).

PRIX UIP GRIMSTAD

PRIX UIP GRIMSTAD and 2000 euro for best European Short Film went to FIRE (Uguns), director Laila Pakalnina (Latvia). The winner is automatically nominated for the European Film Academy Short Film 2008.

Jury’s statement:

"For its dense and metaphoric imagery, the precision of film language and skilfully created important allusions to recent history of Europe. This film treats in a brilliant and humoresque style the traumatisms and absurdities on the way to cultural self-identity."

GRAND PRIX GRIMSTAD

GRAND PRIX GRIMSTAD of 2500 euro for best film in international competition was this year presented to the film THREE OF US, director Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni (India).

Jury’s statement:

"THREE OF US changes our view on a strongly disabled person from rejection to adoration and fascination in 15 minutes. It’s a film showing a family in rather difficult living condition not only finding their way of surviving, but inviting us to participate in their cosmos, characterized by a poesy of daily life in which every act seems meaningful and every gesture has its grace. Every scene has its signification inspired by an inner beauty and quietness, which we can only adore from far."

Honorary mentions went to

MERELY A SMELL (Moujarad Raiha), director Maher Abi Samra (Lebanon)

Jury’s statement:

"The film unravels in a poetic and filmic way the daily work, which has to be done in between the bombings. Few images and even less sound takes us inside of a routine in which in the end the car is always too small to carry so many coffins."

FAWN, director Christoph Rainer (Austria)

Jury’s statement:

"FAWN is a frightening look in the unconscious mental world, where reality is not represented but transformed by the human mind in a field of strange and often painful evocations of something, which we never can know, because we are existing in it."

I met the walrus, director Josh Raskin (Canada).

Jury’s statement:

"This short animation allows us to time travel to thoughts and statements we should not forget. Do it for peace!"

NORWEGIAN SHORT FILM

The jury for the Norwegian Short Film catagory was Unni Straume (Norway), Anna Karin Rynander (Sweden), Hilde Malme (Norway), Andres Mänd (Estonia) and Gunnar Germundsson (Norway).

General statement from the jury:

"The jury has emphasized form, willingness and ability to communicate a story that engages and which is suitable for the short film format, so that the piece of work stands independently in its own form. It is often the case that one has to make a lot of film to nurture good quality. We have noted that there is by large a lot of creativity and imagination out there. But our general impression is that there is a tendency towards a preference to create film rather than communicating a message.

We wish to point out to general tendencies. Many and strong submissions from female directors as well as a surprising number of good animation films."

THE GOLDEN CHAIR

THE GOLDEN CHAIR of 50 000 kroner went this year to BYGNINGSARBEIDERE, director Kajsa Næss. The award is presented by the Norwegian Film Institute.

Jury’s statement:

"The film has an elegant and dynamic use of animation. Good casting and convincing acting with first hand conversation about issues of existence set in relation to a world in chaos and dissolution. The film is surprising, entertaining and thought provoking."

TERJE VIGEN-AWARD

TERJE VIGEN-AWARD went to the film SUNDAY MORNINGS, director Jannicke Låker. The award is a bronze statute by Harald Ordeam, and presented by Grimstad City Council.

Jury’s statement:

"A tragic but comical story about tenderness and shocking honesty. A pure commentary about a culture and a time where the price of freedom is loneliness."

Honorary mentions went to:

VARDE, director Hanne Larsen

Jury’s statement:

"A gripping film about a child where status in the local boys gang affects a friendship. The film ends in one of the festival’s most tainted looks that sums up the gravity of the betrayal."

TYVSTART, director Leiv Igor Devold

Jury’s statement:

"An intimate and distrubing drama filled with authentic life, carried forward by strong acting."

XY, director David Reiss-Andersen

Jury’s statement:

"An intense and threatening game in an exciting study where time is dissolved."

NORWEGIAN DOCUMENTARY

Jury members for Norwegian documentary film was Even Benestad (Norway), Nazneen Khan-Østrem (Norway) and Eva Færevåg (Norway).

General statement from the jury:

"The pre-selected jury summed up this year’s impressions on documentary film production in three simple words: "Content over form."

That’s ok, but let us not makes it too simple.

In these thirteen productions we have seen material which has not been fully worked on, without vision or musicality, rendering the films’ potential unexploited.

We have also seen a tendency to overwork the material that clouds and distances our proximity to the characters.

Even so, we would like to thank you for the films you have made. This is good work. Norwegian documentary film has lifted its vision and is now able to work on complex themes. Global and universal issues are now found in Norwegian documentary film. We are able to work with close proximity without being narrow minded and with feeling without letting our emotions get the best of us…..

And so to the two films we have decided to honor and award. The films are very different, but what they have in common is that both directors have entered into long processes and developed relations to their characters but at the same time made conscious decisions about form which have made the films into great art.

Both films can communicate to a large audience and we wish we could issue out money to get these films extensively distributed.”

THE DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD of 50 000 kroner for best documentary film goes to BLOD & ÆRE, director Håvard Bustnes. The award is presented by NRK.

Jury’s statement:

”The winner is in a class of it’s own. The director and his staff area ble to create associations and not conclusions. He is able to see and communicate and build relations, and changes us as viewers. The film masters the art of simplicity and all encompassing, which is something common for all great filming. We are taken into a rich universe with several layers – at the same time as the film creator approaches his characters with deep respect and generosity.

This is touching, funny and important. This director creates unforgettable film scenes and develops his main character."

Honorary mentions goes to LYKKENS GRODE, director Karoline Grindaker and Hilde Kjøs

Jury’s statement:

”We would like to honor this film because the directors have managed to create a gripping drama out of silence, distance and longing. We are witnesses to a family drama where two women fight a silent battle for their existence with themselves and each other. At the same time we witness a documentation of a Norwegian life style which is unknown to many, but is still familiar."

OTHER AWARDS

THE NORWEGIAN FILM WORKERS ASSOCIATION AWARD

Jury: Morten Skallerud, Kari Nytrø and Emil Trier

THE NORWEGIAN FILM WORKERS ASSOCIATION AWARD of 10 000 kroner went to Jannicke Johansen for her production design in the film EXISTO

Jury’s statement:

"The winner has through her craftsmanship managed to visualize an idea beyond the ordinary. The jury is impressed with how she has managed to create a believable elk fetus and an elk uterus throughout different stages. The illusion is perfect where the imagery reminds us of Lennart Nilssons photography of the human fetus.

The production design on Existo gives the project a wholesome unity and creates an interesting film."

THE HOUR GLASS

Jury: Monica Boracco Borring and Stein Ståle Berg.

The Norwegian Play Writers’ Assocation Award the THE HOUR GLASS of 10 000 kroner for best script went to Krzystof Sliwka for his script for the film TYVSTART.

Jury’s statement:

"The Norwegian Play Writers’ Association jury has taken notice to film willing to address difficult issues. The writer demonstrates an eye for dramatic refinement and an ability to move his audience. With insight and warmth, he builds his characters that grip us from the first scene. This year’s manuscript goes to a story about regaining what is lost, about reconciliation with the past and about courage to move forward alone."

Honorary mention is given to:

Kathinka Nicolaysen for the script for the film OH MY GOD!

Jury’s statement:

”The jury would like to honour a story that with wit and warmth seduces it’s audience. We are taken into the inner most secret room behind locked doors, and given a close and tender story about young girls awakending. Silverware will never be the same after this.”

Helene Torp for the script for the film Tro, håp og ærlighet.

Jury’s statement:

”The jury would like to focus on a story that challenges us with its play with conventional form and content. The ego meets reality in a witty and intelligent story about a marriage’s growth and fall. Helen Torp receives an honorary mention for the film Tro, håp og ærlighet."

THE ”FILMPOLITIETS” SHORT FILM AWARD of 10 000 went to EG SER DEG, EG SER DEG, director Chris Erichsen.

THE TALENT AWARD BY NORDIC FILM

Jury: Cornelia Boysen, Roy Anderson and Espen Skjetne.

THE TALENT AWARD BY NORDIC FILM went to the script writer and director Kjersti Steinsbø photographer Anna Myking.

Jury’s statement:

”Our goal is to help newly established young film creators to start a new short production, where we present our whole apparatus to the winners’ disposition for their next short film project, from developing their idea to the finished film and distribution.

We wish to encourage long standing relations and keep searching for collaborations we think are interesting and think should be given the opportunity to develop even further.

This year the award goes to two women who have collaborated together on no less than two films in this year’s festival program. The films are made with confident direction and precise photography as well a strong desire to communicate something to the audience. This is carried through with humor, precision and a hint of dissolution, and we look forward to following this collaboration further."

MUSIC VIDEO AWARD

The MUSIC VIDEO AWARD of 15 000 kroner is presented by the record industry’s interest organisations IFPI og FONO and was awarded to the music video RUNDT OG RUNDT, director Emilia Danilovic for Herreløse.

Jury’s statement:

"A well directed race in one single take. A nice presence by the characters and an organic unity. Rhythm and drive in the music is mirrored in the camera’s movement."

THE FILM CRITIC AWARD

Jury: Aleksander Huser, Le LD Nguyen and Britt Sørensen.

THE FILM CRITIC AWARD for best Norwegian short film competing went to SUNDAY MORNINGS, director Jannicke Låker.

Honorary mention went to MEIN STAMPF, director Martine Grande.

Jury’s statement:

"We wish to first mention a small and light documentary about large and tragic events, which gave the jury an appetite for animated dance documentaries. Honorary mentions goes to Mein Stampf or the Danceshow of the Last Century by Martine Grande.

Our winner also consists of a sort of dance. It is a solid and complete film that tells the story about a well known morning ritual that awakens both laughter and horror. Whilst the world is being conquered by sex and single life in Manhatten, it is liberating to be taken into the dark sides of single life in Berlin. The Norwegian Film Critics Award 2008 goes to Sunday Mornings by Jannicke Låker."

THE AUDIENCE AWARD is a distrubtion deal through the DVD-collection ”Norsk Kort 008” (Norwegian Film Institute. This year the award goes to the film LITEN KNUTE by Kjersti Steinsbø. The winner is voted on by the Short Film Festival audience.

“We have seen a considerable amount of filmmaker talent at the Festival over the past decade, and this year is no exception,” said Artistic Director Trevor Groth. “In addition, CineVegas had record number of attendees this year. From our groundbreaking films, to our extravagant parties, this has by far been our most well-attended Festival to date.”

Artistic Director Trevor Groth, Festival President Robin Greenspun and Chairman of the Creative Advisory Board Dennis Hopper bestowed its filmmaking honors to the following films:

Feature Jury Competition

This year’s feature jury was presided over by Screen International film critic David D’Arcy, Matt Dentler of Cinetic Digital Rights Management, longtime film festival advisor Robert Hawk, esteemed film journalist Mark Olsen and Claudia Puig, lead film critic for USA Today.

The Grand Jury Prize went to "She Unfolds By Day," the film directed by Rolf Belgum about a frustrated middle-aged son trying to manage his misanthropic 80-year-old mother.

A Special Jury Award was given to Dark Streets for the collaborative craftsmanship in achieving its visual splendor and showmanship. Dark Streets, directed by Rachel Samuels, is a stylish noir fever dream of blues music, seduction and murder.

Bill Pullman was also given a Special Jury Award for his outstanding performance as America’s greatest science-fiction writer who awakens to find himself trapped in an alternate reality in Matthew Wilder’s "Your Name Here."

Documentary Jury Competition

Acclaimed writer/producer/director Morgan Spurlock, film and television critic and journalist Robert Abele and Tamara Krinsky, associate editor of IDA’s documentary magazine made up the inaugural Pioneer Documentaries Jury.

The Documentary Jury Award went to "Beautiful Losers" from directors Aaron Rose and Joshua Leonard. "Beautiful Losers" documents the lives of a loose-knit group of artists in the ‘80s who created their own art movement outside the mainstream.

"Hi My Name is Ryan" was awarded with a Special Documentary Jury Prize. The documentary by directors Paul Eagleston and Stephen Rose tells the story of Ryan Avery, the Clown Prince of the downtown Phoenix art scene.

Audience Awards

With a record high attendance at this year's festival, audiences chose "Lost in the Fog" to receive the CineVegas Documentary Audience Award, presented by FIJI Water, and "Visioneers" to receive the CineVegas Dramatic Audience Award, presented by Cadillac.

From director John Corey, "Lost in the Fog" follows a cantankerous owner and his blue collar colt who earn the right to take on horse racing’s finest.

"Visioneers," the crafty debut from first-time director Jared Drake, cleverly and comedically highlights the trajectory of a 1984-esque, dystopian society.

La Próxima Ola Jury

This year’s La Próxima Ola jury was comprised of CNN en Español anchor Ana María Montero, Sergio Burstein from La Opinión and Shaz Bennett, Associate Director of Programming at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles.

The La Próxima Ola Jury Prize was awarded to Jonás Cuarón’s "Año uña "(Year of the Nail), a love story between a Mexican teenager and an older American woman who meet one summer in Mexico.

Shorts Jury

VEGAS Magazine writer Humberto Guida, Karina Longworth, co-founder of Cinematical and current editor of SpoutBlog, Giant Robot founder Eric Nakamura and Patrick Walsh, reviewer for Cinematical.com, made up this year’s shorts jury.

Myna Joseph’s Man received the CineVegas Short Film Jury Prize while Jonpaul Lewis’ Jack the Ripper received the CineVegas Nevada Short Film Jury Prize presented by the Nevada Film Office. The jury also acknowledged Allan Steele’s "The Fence," Benh Zeitlin’s "Glory at Sea," Jason Kupfer’s "The Sleuth" Incident and Josh Safdie’s Jerry Ruis, "Shall We Do This?" with Honorable Mentions.

The guests of the younger generation were the Estonian director VEIKO ÕUNPUU and actor RAIN TOLK, also from Estonia, French director SERGE BOZON, who conquered the audience with the unique war film La France and Norwegian director NILS GAUP, who’s latest film Kautokeino Rebellion told the story of one of the most dramatic episodes of Sami history.

Accomploished Finnish filmmakers and actors were also in attendance, such as Directors JOUKO AALTONEN, ARTO HALONEN, DOME KARUKOSKI, MARI RANTASILA and MIIKA SOINI and actors ANNI-KRISTIINA JUUSO, RIA KATAJA and KARI VÄÄNÄNEN presented their films to full auditoriums. The selection of past year’s Finnish films reach its climax in the premiere of Miika Soini’s touching debut film Thomas, starring Lasse Pöysti.

As in years past, the master class screenings continued to be a success amongst the festival audience. In the presentations following the master class screening the French professors JEAN-LOUIS LEUTRAT and SUZANNE LIANDRAT-GUIGUES, famous for their essays of cinema aesthetics, gave an unforgettable insight to the film classics such Howard Hawks’ western Rio Bravo, Alan Resnais’ poetic comedy Private Fears in Public Places and to the work of director Jean-Luc Godard.

Attendees enthusiastically greeted festival director Peter von Bagh at the Morning discussions. With the inspiring introduction from Peter von Bagh this year’s guests Lasse Pöysti, Seymour Cassel, Milos Forman and Andrei Konchalovsky shared their thoughts on life and films offering a unique chance to get inside the minds of these four masters.

During its 23-year-old history Midnight Sun Film Festival has produced nearly sixty silent film screenings accompanied with live music. This being unarguable notable cultural contribution also in the international scale. This year Midnight Sun Film Festival had two silent film screenings, which received standing applause from the festival audience. With the intriguing sound world Finnish group Cleaning Women accompanied the Russian cult classic Aelita directed by Yakov Prozanov. Otto Donner and his orchestra combined jazz and urban sounds in a masterly manner in the interpretation of King Vidor’s classic The Crowd, which moved the audience to tears.

Since the year 1986 Midnight Sun Film Festival has given a special acknowledgement to individuals, who have made an important contribution to Finnish film culture. This year the 21st Sodankylä-award was given to Raimo Silius, a central figure in the field of Finnish festival scene.

Directed By: Charles Kinnane

Documentary Feature World Cinema: "War Child"

Executive Producers: Dal LaMagna, Rick Boden, Roshanak Ameli-Tehrani

Producer: C. Karim Chrobog, Afshin Molavi

Narrative Feature: "Choke"

Directed By: Clark Gregg

Narrative Feature World Cinema: "Captain Abu Raed"

Directed By: Amin Matalqa

Comedy Feature: "Summerhood"

Directed By: Jacob Medjuck

Best Cinematography: "The Fall"

Experimental Film: "Hawaiian Starlight"

Directed By: Jean-Charles Cuillandre

Ensemble Cast (tie): "The Great Buck Howard"

Directed By: Sean McGinly

and "Bottle Shock"

Directed By: Randall Miller

Documentary Short: "Guardians of the Sea"

by: Charles Annenberg Weingarten

Narrative Short: "Chief"

Directed By: Brett Wagner

Animation: "Hot Dog"

Green Cinema (tie): "The Humpback Code"

Cinematographer: Jason Sturgis, Florian Melzer, Daniel Opitz

and "Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai"

Directed By: Lisa Merton,

Alan Dater

KINGS OF THE EVENING, Directed by Andrew P. Jones is the Audience Favorite

The San Francisco Black Film Festival (SFBFF) celebrated its ten-year anniversary from June 4-8 and June 11-15, 2008. Befitting its milestone status, the theme of this year’s festival was “10 Years, 10 Days, more than 100 Films” as the SFBFF spanned the globe with works from Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States.

Ave Montague, SFBFF founder and director commented, “Screening at five venues presented its challenges, at the end of the day we were exhausted but thrilled with the number of new and repeat filmgoers and record breaking box office numbers.”

The festival got a jump start with the annual Urban Kidz Film Series at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. Created with young viewers in mind, the annual film series is an offshoot of the San Francisco Black Film Festival and featured a striking assemblage of short and feature films, designed to spark the imaginations of the 5-to-12-year-old set. Audience favorites included The Don of Virgil Jr. High and African Academy Award winner, Do You Believe In Magic?

Opening night kicked off on Wednesday, June 4th with Shoot the Messenger, a funny and sometimes controversial work from Nigerian-born British filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah about a Black British teacher who fights his way out of madness and stops blaming his own people only after losing his job. Our audience loved the film and folks are still talking about it. The opening night festivities continued with a standing room only party at Rasselas Jazz Club. The festival continued with non-stop films, receptions and workshops throughout the historic Fillmore District.

On Saturday, June 14, the first annual Awards Brunch was presented at the posh 1300 on Fillmore restaurant. Owners David Lawrence and Monetta White welcomed the film community as they sipped mimosas and sampled the restaurant’s signature barbeque shrimp, grits, eggs and black-skillet fried chicken prepared by Chef Lawrence.

The Brunch sponsored by PG&E was followed with an awards program acknowledging the best works in screenplay, short, feature, documentary, student and Urban Kidz categories. The first St. Clair Bourne Award was presented for the best documentary. The overall winner received the Melvin Van Peebles Award, which honors an emerging filmmaker with a unique vision, singular style and uncompromising point of view.

Actress Taraji P. Henson (who currently plays attorney Whitney Rome on Boston Legal) received the first-ever Phoenix Award in honor of her swift rise to stardom. Taraji who stole all of our hearts as the pregnant “Shug” in Hustle and Flow and shined opposite Don Cheadle in last year’s Talk to Me, has four major releases approaching in the next few months. They include Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt, Taraji stars opposite Forest Whitaker and Lil’ Wayne in Hurricane Season and opposite Morris Chestnut in Not Easily Broken.

The festival’s closing film was Tribute: Stanley Tookie Williams: 1953-2003 directed by Barbara Becnel. The documentary examined death row prisoner, Crips gang co-founder, children's book author, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Stanley Tookie Williams.

Here are the winners:

Each winner received a custom made plaque, the winner of the Melvin Van Peebles Award received two round trip tickets to South Africa courtesy of South African Airways.

2008 Melvin Van Peebles Award Winner and Best Feature

Something Is Killing Tate

Director: Leon Lorenzo

(Grand Prize: Round trip to South Africa)

2008 St. Clair Bourne Award Winner for Best Documentary

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans

Directors Dawn Logsdon and Lolis Eric Elie

Best Short

Lifted

Director: Randall Dottin

Best Student

Keys

Director: Christopher Babers

Best Urban Kidz Winner

The Don of Virgil Jr. High

Director: Deon Hayman

Best Screenplay

American Dream

Olugbemiga Idowu

Audience Favorite

Kings of the Evening

Director: Andrew P. Jones

Festival sponsors include: San Francisco Grants For The Arts, Starbucks, Wells Fargo, Rainbow Cooperative and Comcast.

“We are so pleased to be able to present awards to these filmmakers who have displayed an amazing array of cinematic talent and vision,” said Tanya Kersey, Founder & Executive Director, HBFF. “The 2008 Hollywood Black Film Festival award-winners reflect the full breadth of talent, diversity, and evolution of independent black film.”

"Our filmmakers this year displayed an extraordinary range and depth to their storytelling, and I am pleased to know that HBFF continues to garner a well deserved reputation as being the premiere festival for discovering and showcasing the next generation of talented Black filmmakers,” added Kersey. “We are thrilled how the Hollywood Black Film Festival has continued to grow in attendance, local and national awareness and acclaim from filmmakers, writers and directors.”

Leon Lozano’s feature film SOMETHING IS KILLING TATE took the top audience prize at the 9th Annual Hollywood Black Film Festival. SOMETHING IS KILLING TATE won the HBFF 2008 Audience Choice Award sponsored by Indieflix. In the film, Tate isolates himself in his apartment after surviving a suicide attempt. One by one, the players in his troubled life force him to face the demons of his past. Lozano won a cash prize courtesy of IndieFlix.

In the narrative feature film category, PANMAN, RHYTHM OF THE PALMS, directed by Sander Burger and produced by Ian Vatz, took top honors. THE PANMAN RHYTHM OF THE PALMS tells the story of the rise and fall of the steel drum pan player Harry Daniel. Harry is an icon of the Caribbean whose personal life suffers when he places his music above his family.

STREETBALLERS, written & directed by Matthew Krentz was the honorable mention.

The Short Film winner was THE DOLL, written & directed by Dante James. THE DOLL is set in the early 1900s and tells the story of Tom Taylor, the black proprietor of the Wyandot Hotel barbershop. Taylor’s humanity, his dignity, and his responsibility to family and community are severely challenged when it becomes apparent that he has an opportunity to avenge an injustice that was inflicted on his father decades earlier.

BLOOD OVER A BROKEN PAWN, written & directed by Chadwick Boseman took the short film honorable mention.

Roxana Walker-Canton and Tina Morton’s documentary BELLY OF THE BASIN earned first place honors in the documentary category while KEEPING THE FAITH, written and directed by Bobby Mardis was the honorable mention. BELLY OF THE BASIN asks New Orleans to tell its story through the voices of its ordinary residents. Through individual stories of survivors and volunteers of grassroots organizations, ‘Belly of the Basin’ poses questions about the value of human life in relationship to race, class, gender and politics.

In the student film category, the award was presented to CRENSHAW NIGHTS, written by Greg Navarro and directed by Peter Gelles. KEYS, written & directed by Christopher Babe, was the honorable mention.

OBARA & THE MECHANTS written by Michelle Bodden and directed by Manauvaskar Kublall won in the animation category. REVOLUTION, written by Trevor Parham, directed by Aled Ordu & Stefan Ruenzel won in the music video category.

The filmmaker winners receive prizes courtesy of Apple Final Cut Pro, Backstage, Baseline, Daily Variety, Film Specific, Final Draft, Fuji Film, Hollywood Creative Directory, Indieflix, Showbiz Software, Story Pointe and Writers Boot Camp. In addition to product prizes and in keeping with the festival’s motto: “ACCESS. OPPORTUNITIES. DEALS.” The winners also receive a series of meetings with agents, managers, development, acquisition and distribution executives.

The 1st place winner in the HBFF Storyteller Competition was THE NIGGA written by Derek Lively. In THE NIGGA, an out-of-work Shakespearean actor transforms into a gangsta rapper and becomes a star. 419 written by Michael Ajakwe took 2nd place honors. In 419, a third World Internet scammer tricks an unsuspecting, lonely White American male into falling in love with his Internet alter-ego – a beautiful Nigerian princess – and then convinces the dupe to bring her/him to the United States. 3rd place went to MUDDY WATERS written by Corey Moore. In MUDDY WATERS, A young, opportunistic land agent sets his sights on the biggest promotion of his career by attempting to score a lucrative deal with his estranged, alcoholic father. RUNNIN FROM THE DEVIL written by Travolta Cooper earned the honorable mention.

The Storyteller Competition winners receive product prizes courtesy of Final Draft, Hollywood Creative Directory and Story Pointe and Writers Boot Camp. Their scripts are also distributed to a number of studios and production company executives. The HBFF Storyteller Competition was designed to promote and support new talent and continue the festival’s pledge of creating opportunities for talented black screenwriters. The main goal is to give new screenwriters industry exposure and help introduce them to Hollywood.

“The diverse storytelling styles of this year’s Storyteller Competition semi-finalists is impressive,” said Alexia Ryan, HBFF Storyteller Director. “We are pleased to be able to bring these talented, diverse voices to the attention of Hollywood’s leading talent buyers.”

HBFF 2008 attendees enjoyed a whirlwind of six days hustling to see films, attending panels and workshops at the adjunct Infotainment Conference, and partying into the wee hours of the night.

A special thanks to the official sponsors of the 2008 Hollywood Black Film Festival, who helped sustain the festivals programming for the inspiring filmmakers and artists of today. Sponsors comprise of: 20th Century Fox, Ambi Skincare, Apple iTunes, Kodak and One Village Entertainment. Participating sponsors include the UK Film Council, Daily Variety, Basquiat Vineyards of California, Soft Sheen-Carson, bSide, Codeblack Entertainment, EURweb.com, Hennessy, Bombay Sapphire, Uncle Moki’s, Emerson College, Heineken, Carnivo, HER Energy Drink. The 2008 HBFF prize sponsors are Apple Final Cut Pro, Backstage, Baseline, Film Specific, Final Draft, Fuji Film, Hollywood Creative Directory, Production HU, Showbiz Software, and Writers Boot Camp. Promotional and donor partners include Black Talent News, Black HollywoodUniversity.com, Bleu Entertainment PR, A Juke Join Promotions, Southern Girl Desserts, Tagg Team DJs, Def Jam, and Celebrity Nightlife Publicity.

About the Hollywood Black Film Festival

The Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF), dubbed “The Black Sundance,” is an annual 6-day celebration of black cinema drawing together established and rising filmmakers, popular film and television stars, writers, industry executives, emerging artists and diverse audiences from Southern California and around the world. The festival has become a hotbed for the Black Hollywood creative community. HBFF was founded in 1998 by its executive director, Tanya Kersey, with a mission focused on fostering and developing the vision of independent filmmakers by bringing their films to the attention of the industry, media and public through a public exhibition and competition program. Since its inception, HBFF has screened a total of 596 independent films from all across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the Caribbean and has hosted 203 world premieres. The festival’s adjunct Infotainment Conference features 20+ panels and workshops and 100+ speakers, and covers a broad range of entertainment industry topics. Over 40,000 people have attended and enjoyed the diversity of Black cinema through the festival. The 2008 festival will be held June 3-8, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California, and will showcase the artistic expression of more than 120 black filmmakers from around the world.

In keeping with its commitment to support the creative community, in addition to the annual film festival, HBFF has created complementary platforms to showcase and develop filmmakers' projects -- the HBFF Cinema Lounge and HBFF Film Finance & Distribution Summit. The HBFF Cinema Lounge is a casual monthly networking and screening program that screens 4 to 5 short films followed by audience feedback and Q&A with the filmmakers. The annual HBFF Film Finance & Distribution Summit boasts a senior roster of seasoned industry professionals offering their insights on a broad range of film finance and distribution topics.

OVER $80,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES AWARDED TO FILMMAKERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Presented by TELUS, CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival (June 10th – 15th) proudly presented 10 awards and over $80,000 in cash and prizes to this year’s top filmmakers at the 2008 CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival Awards Picnic.

Offering one of the largest prize packages for short film in the world, the WSFF honoured this year’s exceptional filmmakers in the presence of over 400 industry delegates and filmmakers from around the globe.

One of only three Canadian festivals accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences®, WSFF Canadian award winners are eligible for Genie Awards, while winners of the awards for Best Live-Action Short and Best Animated Short become eligible for the Academy Awards®.

“This year's selection of award-winning shorts showcases the incredible vision, talent and creativity of emerging and established filmmakers at home and from around the world,” said Eileen Arandiga, Festival Director.

"The CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival is proud to honour these exceptional creators and we thank them for their contribution in making the 2008 Worldwide Short Film Festival nothing short of remarkable."

The highly anticipated Award for Best Canadian Short Film, presented by Bravo!FACT, was awarded to CFC Alumna Sarah Galea-Davis with a $10,000 cheque, for the expertly crafted dramatic short CAN YOU WAVE BYE-BYE? The film, about a single woman overwrought with postpartum depression tackled a complex and often taboo subject with sensitivity and subtlety.

CFC Alumna Audrey Cummings received The Jackson-Triggs Award For Best Emerging Canadian Filmmaker and a cash prize of $5,000 for her direction of BURGEON AND FADE, the mother/daughter drama of aging and love, produced through the 2007 CFC Short Dramatic Film Program.

The C.O.R.E Digital Pictures Award For Best Animated Short was awarded to Jay White (Canada), for his hilarious and inventive BOAR ATTACK garnering him $5000 in cash and eligibility for the 2009 Academy Awards®. An Honourable Mention was handed out to Rune Christensen (Denmark) for DOWN THE ROAD, a stylish animated road thriller.

Best Live-Action Short and a Sony Digital Camcorder was captured by director Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont (France) for the arresting drama MANON ON THE ASPHALT (MANON SUR LE BITUME).

An Honourable Mention went to director Asaf Korman (Israel) for his emotionally affecting family drama DEATH OF SHULA.

The Best Experimental Short honour along with a Sony digital video camcorder, went to François Bégin and Miryam Bouchard (Canada) for the dance love story ROASTBEEF.

An Honourable Mention went to director Jean-Gabriel Periot (France) for UNDER TWILIGHT.

The Kodak Award for Best Cinematography in a Canadian Short was presented to Cinematographer Brendan Steacy for the visually stunning THE ANSWER KEY along with a digital camera package valued at $800. An Honourable Mention went to Cinematographer Geneviève Perron (France) for L’ASTRONAUTE.

Best Documentary Award, presented by Stella Artois with a $2,500 cash prize and $1,000 of Stella Artois for the filmmaker’s next production, went to director Bartosz Blaschke (Poland) for his quirky, artful documentary ZIETEK.

CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival is pleased to introduce the inaugural award for Best Performance in a Live-Action Short. The prize goes to Yosef Corman-Korman from Israel’s DEATH OF SHULA, who brought to life so vividly the sadness a father experiences when his expectations of family life have changed. Honourable Mentions go to Kim Kold as “Dennis” in Denmark’s DENNIS and to Chloe Jager Berger in France’s TOMBOY.

A Special Jury Prize for Best Comedy was awarded to director Rob Meyer (USA) for AQUARIUM. An Honourable Mention went to Dmitry Povolotsky (Poland) for PAL/SECAM

Announced at the packed Awards screening at the Cumberland 4 Cinemas on Sunday evening, this year’s festival goers voted for OUT OF SPAJALD (VAEK FRA SPAJALD), directed by Thomas Glud and Lars Wass (Denmark) to win the TELUS Audience Choice Award and a $5,000 cash prize.

Chosen out of all 268 films in the festival, the TELUS Audience Choice Award is the only prize in which all films, in both competition and non-competition screenings are eligible to win.

And finally, the Screenplay Giveaway Prize, a package of goods and services worth over $50,000 was awarded to Kris Elgstrand for his script “Big Head” to be directed by CFC Alumnus Dylan Akio Smith. The prize includes post-production services at Deluxe Laboratories and studio rental from Centennial College @Wallace Studios, along with film stock from Kodak, two programming passes to WIFT-T, and legal advice from Heenan Blaikie Barristers and Solicitors.

Now in its 14th year, CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival is the leading venue for the exhibition and promotion of short film in North America and is one of the premier short film festivals in the world. The WSFF Short Films, BIG IDEAS Symposium offers renowned professional development, while the WSFF Business Centre is home to the largest short film marketplace in North America.

"A Lucky Day"

Director by Magnus Bertelsen from Denmark

The jury’s comment:

“A Lucky Day stood out as a good example of cinematographic storytelling, giving the audience the opportunity to interpret the story, leaving the viewer with different experiences of space and time.”

Best film in age group B 18-20: "Klasskamrater"

Director by Victor Lindgren form Sweden

The jury’s comment:

”Klasskamrater manages to tackle a sensitive subject matter, giving an indebt understanding of the emotional aspects of bullying and the shortcomings of adults in helping resolve this matter. The filmmaker places the viewer in the middle of the conflict instead of being just a spectator.”

Best film in age group C 21-25: "Life Worth Living"

Director by Eirik Svensson from Finnland

The jury’s comment:

”Life Worth Living demonstrates a very talented use of form, bringing out the beauty of everyday situations and thoughts through the carful choice of aesthetics. And does so with a great deal of humor!”

The best Nordic youth film 2008: "Dart"

Director by: Måns Wide from Sweden

The jury’s comment:

“Dart, is a film where the characters and the dialogue is linked together in a brilliant way. The originality of the story is also perfectly matched with the cinematographic language. Dart hits like a dart!”

NUFF 2008 jury was:

Rachel Andersen Gomez (filmmaker from Tromsø, Norway)

Lasse Gjertsen (filmmaker from Larvik, Norway)

Christer Engberg (film director, theatre director and Musician from Luleå, Sweden)

«Shultes», dir. Bakur Bakuradze

PRIZE FOR BEST DIRECTION

Alexander Proshkin, «Live to Remember»

PRIZE FOR BEST DEBUT FILM

«Nirvana», dir. Igor Voloshin

BEST ACTRESS

Кsenia Rappoport, «Yuri’s Day», dir. Kirill Serebrennikov

BEST ACTOR

Jethro Skinner, «Plus One», dir. Oksana Bychkova

PRIZE FOR BEST PHOTOGRAPHY

Ilya Demin, «Terra Nova», dir. Alexander Melnik

GRIGORY GORIN PRIZE FOR BEST SCRIPT

Petr Lutsik, Alexei Samoryadov, «Wild Field», dir. Mikhail Kalatozishvili

MIKAEL TARIVERDIEV PRIZE FOR BEST FILM MUSIC

Alexei Aigi, «Wild Field», dir. Mikhail Kalatozishvili

PRIZE OF THE SHORT FILM COMPETITION

«PAL/SECAM», dir. Dmitri Povolotsky

DIPLOMA OF THE SHORT FILM COMPETITION

«Fish», dir. Alexander Kott («for a high level of visual culture and truthfulness to the short film»)

«Tags», dir. Natalia Uglitskikh («for a brilliant and clever implementation of the idea of the short film»)

«Old New Rossi», dir. Alexander Karavaev («for an elegant film language and a refreshing director’s view»)

Alexei German

PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIAN CINEMATOGRAPHY

Armen Medvedev

PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIAN CINEMA AND FILM RESEARCH PRIZE OF THE GUILD OF RUSSIAN FILM SCHOLARS AND CRITICS “WHITE ELEPHANT”

«Wild Field», dir. Mikhail Kalatozishvili

SPECIAL DIPLOMA OF THE JURY for a successful commercial project«Terra Nova», dir. Alexander Melnik.

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – SILVER DOLPHIN - THE CLASS, by Ilmar Raag Estonia

BEST DIRECTOR – SILVER DOLPHIN - To Srdan Golubovic, for the film THE TRAP

BEST ACTRESS – SILVER DOLPHIN - To Outi Maenpaa and Ria Kataja, for BLACK ICE

BEST ACTOR – SILVER DOLPHIN - To Robert Wieckiewicz, for ALL WILL BE WELL

BEST SCRIPT – SILVER DOLPHIN - To Amos Kollek, for RESTLESS

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SILVER DOLPHIN - Oleg Kirichenko for MERMAID

SPECIAL AWARDS

AUDIENCE AWARD - ESTRELLITA, by Metod Pevec Slovenia/Germany

PRIZE MAN AND HIS ENVIRONMENT - THE REPLACEMENT CHILD, by Justin Lerner U.S.A.

SPECIAL MENTION - ME, THE OTHER, by Mohsen Melliti Italy

PRIZE CITY HALL OF SETÚBAL – AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS - Best Film for STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING , by Andrew Wagner

FIRST WORKS AWARD - PRESERVE, by Lukasz Palkowski Poland

SPECIAL MENTION - FAMILY RULES, by Marc Meyer Germany

FIPRESCI PRIZE - MIRUSH, by Marius Holst Norway

SIGNIS PRIZE - WORLDS APART, by Niels Arden Oplev Denmark

SPECIAL MENTION - THE CLASS, de Ilmar Raag Estonia

CICAE PRIZE - RESTLESS, by Amos Kollek Israel/Canada/Belgium/France/Germany

SAPO VÍDEOS AWARD - BLUE DAWN, by João Teotónio, Miguel Trindade, Pedro Gaspar Portugal

Productions from England, Japan and the United States took Best of Show “Grand Prix” honors at the 41st annual U.S. International Film And Video Festival.

Winning in the Corporate category was “KPMG Graduate Recruitment Film,” from Jack Morton Worldwide, London. Tops in Education was “Mathematica II: Squaring the Circle,” from NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.), Tokyo. The Documentary winner was a PBS production, “NATURE: Unforgettable Elephants,” from Thirteen/WNET, New York City.

The KPMG film demonstrates the global network of auditing, tax and advisory services of KPMG in a lively format designed to attract new college graduates to the firm. “Mathematica” uses animated and real world techniques – such as a comparison of a round cake and a square cake – to teach the pi formula. “Nature: Unforgettable Elephants” represents more than 15 years of work by photographer Martyn Colbeck, who documented the lives of African elephants in Kenya.

Other nominees for the Best of Festival in Corporate were:

“Gebrűder Heinemann Orchestra Film,” BM8 GmbH, Hamburg, Germany, which was made to demonstrate the strength of Gebrüder Heinemann in distribution of goods with respect to security sensitive environments;

“IBM Hermitage Film,” Jack Morton Worldwide, New York City, highlights the IBM project to put the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, online and explains how by promoting access to art helps build a bridge across cultures.

Nominated in Education was “Role of Platelet Production in ITP,” created by Shaw Science Partners, Atlanta. Ga., USA, to explain to hematologists a new drug from GlaxoSmithKlne that will be used to treat immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The other nominees for Documentary were “J.M.W. Turner,” a profile of the famous 18th century British artist from National Gallery of Art, Landover, Md., USA; and “The Pagan Christ,” created by David Brady Productions, Sandhurst, Ontario, Canada, based on the controversial book by Tom Harpur, “The Pagan Christ: Rediscovering the Lost Light.”

The winners and nominees also won First Place Gold Camera Awards in the competition, which had winners from 23 countries.

Director: Danielle Bernstein

Best Spiritual Film: PURPLE STATE OF MIND

Director: Craig Detweiler, John Marks

Best Documentary: THE BIG QUESTION

Director: Vince DiPersio

Best Student Film: Muhammad Ali Hasan for RABIA

Best Drama: CRAZY

Director: Rick Bieber

Best Short Drama: BENEATH THE TIDES

Director: Jacqueline Archer

Best GLBT: TRU LOVED

Director: Stewart Wade

Best Comedy: THIS IS NOT A TEST

Director: Christopher Angel

Best Short Comedy: STRUCK

Director: Taron Lexton

Best Original Score: MARIONETTE

Director: Yo Kohatsu

Best Screenplay: Kevin Allen Jackson & Andres Faucher in EL PASAJERO

Director: Andres Faucher

Best Special Effects: THE FLYBOYS

Director: Rocco DeVilliers

Best Animation: OUTSOURCE

Director: Daniel Trezise

Best Director: Rocco DeVilliers for THE FLYBOYS

Best Actress: Najarra Townsend in TRU LOVED

Director: Stewart Wade

Best Actor: Waylon Payne in CRAZY

Director: Rick Bieber

Best Supporting Actress: Michelle Clunnie in LEAVING BARSTOW

Director: Peter Paige

Best Supporting Actors: Dan McCabe & Luke Grimes in WAR EAGLE, ARKANSAS

Director: Robert Milazzo

Best Ensemble Cast: Jorge Palacios & Dimas Gonzales in EL PASAJERO

Director: Andres Faucher

Best Cinematographer: Yo Kohatsu for MARIONETTE

Director: Yo Kohatsu

Audience Awards

#1 COURTHOUSE GIRLS FROM FARMLAND

Director: Norman Klein

#2 ACT YOUR AGE

Director: Robin Christian

#3 THE FLYBOYS

Director: Rocco DeVilliers

The actress, who has starred in feature films like "La Comunidad" (Common Wealth) and "El Séptimo Día" (The Seventh Day), showed how happy she was, and gave all those present in the hall a glimpse of her true personality, which is very often made to take a back seat, as she herself acknowledges, because of the charismatic characters she plays.

The press conference opened with some scenes from one of her latest films "Alumbramiento" (Illumination), a short film and winner of several prizes, which is also recognised at this year's Festival. For Mariví, the film is outstanding for the way it deals with such a difficult subject as passing from life to death, also for the great work produced by the director and cast. She says that the film manages to cause very strange reactions in that, at the end of the film, the audience remains silent for a few moments before bursting into applause. She adds that death is not a subject usually talked about and which everyone avoids, and for this reason the audience reacts as described above when they are confronted with it on screen.

Now a successful television actress, Mariví commented on how hard it has been, and still is, for a woman to find a place in the film industry; her beginnings were not always a bed of roses, and she always had to put up with contempt and insults for merely being an actress, criticism that she shrugged of with her natural self-confidence.

Mariví Bilbao is a woman with her feet on the ground and hastened to make clear that the public at large does not forget you in a matter of days, they forget you in five minutes, which is why she thinks that no one should remain stuck in the past.

As for future projects, Mariví Bilbao explained that you cannot do two things at once. Both television drama and feature films need complete dedication, and this makes it very difficult to work on the two at the same time.

Of her long career in the theatre, film and television, she made special mention of her late arrival to the seventh art. She remembers all her roles with fondness, but especially "La primera vez" (The First Time) by Borja Cobeaga and "Salto al Vacío" (Leap into the Void) by Daniel Calparsoro.

Time ran out and the star of the day took her leave with many thanks, and the packed hall responded with warm applause. Mariví Bilbao, winner of the Ciudad de Huesca Short Film Prize has already become, on her own merits, part of the history of this 36th Huesca Film Festival.

The Huesca Film Festival rounded off the awards at a press conference where the names of the winners of the International Short Film Competition and the European Documentary Competition were announced, plus the Critics Jury, Youth Jury and the Audience prizes.

"Chainsaw" by the producer Dennis Tupicoff took the Danzante prize in the International Short Film Competition. The jury highlighted its originality and fantasy. In the same competition, the Francisco García de Paso prize went to the Norwegian short film, "Revolver" by Thor Bekkavik, and the Special Jury Prize to the Irish producer, Simon Fitzmaurice, for "The Sound of People."

The European Documentary Prize went to the French "Malaak et le vaste monde" in which the director, Ahlem Aussant-Leroy, managed to convey a whole mix of sensations to create complicity and intimacy with the spectator.

"Familia 068" by the Spanish film-makers Rubén Margalló and Toni Edo and "Muzyczna partyzantka" by the Pole, Miroslaw Dembinski were the documentaries that will be shown on Spanish public TV, and have therefore been acquired by the television company.

In the same competition, "Lost property Hong Kong" by Bin Chuen Choi, received an honourable mention from the jury members.

The title of "Chainsaw" rang out again when the Critics Jury announced the Australian film as the winner for its ability to continually surprise the audience. The jury also decided that special mention was deserved by "Revolver," The Note by the British director Jon Greenhalgh, and animated films "Tolerantia" by Ivan Ramadán (Bosnia-Herzegovina) and "Dji vou veu volti" by the Belgian, Benoit Feroumont.

The Youth Jury at the 36th Huesca Film Festival decided to award their prize, sponsored by the Anselmo Pié Sopena Foundation, to "Braedrabylta" by the Icelandic director Grimur Hákonarson. They also gave a special mention to "Le Parloir" by Marie Vernalde from France..

Finally, the Audience Prize was given to the Italian feature film "Cientochiodi" by Ermanno Olmi.

KINGS OF THE EVENING, Directed by Andrew P. Jones is the Audience Favorite

The San Francisco Black Film Festival (SFBFF) celebrated its ten-year anniversary from June 4-8 and June 11-15, 2008. Befitting its milestone status, the theme of this year’s festival was “10 Years, 10 Days, more than 100 Films” as the SFBFF spanned the globe with works from Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States.

Ave Montague, SFBFF founder and director commented, “Screening at five venues presented its challenges, at the end of the day we were exhausted but thrilled with the number of new and repeat filmgoers and record breaking box office numbers.”

The festival got a jump start with the annual Urban Kidz Film Series at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. Created with young viewers in mind, the annual film series is an offshoot of the San Francisco Black Film Festival and featured a striking assemblage of short and feature films, designed to spark the imaginations of the 5-to-12-year-old set. Audience favorites included The Don of Virgil Jr. High and African Academy Award winner, Do You Believe In Magic?

Opening night kicked off on Wednesday, June 4th with Shoot the Messenger, a funny and sometimes controversial work from Nigerian-born British filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah about a Black British teacher who fights his way out of madness and stops blaming his own people only after losing his job. Our audience loved the film and folks are still talking about it. The opening night festivities continued with a standing room only party at Rasselas Jazz Club. The festival continued with non-stop films, receptions and workshops throughout the historic Fillmore District.

On Saturday, June 14, the first annual Awards Brunch was presented at the posh 1300 on Fillmore restaurant. Owners David Lawrence and Monetta White welcomed the film community as they sipped mimosas and sampled the restaurant’s signature barbeque shrimp, grits, eggs and black-skillet fried chicken prepared by Chef Lawrence.

The Brunch sponsored by PG&E was followed with an awards program acknowledging the best works in screenplay, short, feature, documentary, student and Urban Kidz categories. The first St. Clair Bourne Award was presented for the best documentary. The overall winner received the Melvin Van Peebles Award, which honors an emerging filmmaker with a unique vision, singular style and uncompromising point of view.

Actress Taraji P. Henson (who currently plays attorney Whitney Rome on Boston Legal) received the first-ever Phoenix Award in honor of her swift rise to stardom. Taraji who stole all of our hearts as the pregnant “Shug” in Hustle and Flow and shined opposite Don Cheadle in last year’s Talk to Me, has four major releases approaching in the next few months. They include Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt, Taraji stars opposite Forest Whitaker and Lil’ Wayne in Hurricane Season and opposite Morris Chestnut in Not Easily Broken.

The festival’s closing film was Tribute: Stanley Tookie Williams: 1953-2003 directed by Barbara Becnel. The documentary examined death row prisoner, Crips gang co-founder, children's book author, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Stanley Tookie Williams.

Here are the winners:

Each winner received a custom made plaque, the winner of the Melvin Van Peebles Award received two round trip tickets to South Africa courtesy of South African Airways.

2008 Melvin Van Peebles Award Winner and Best Feature

Something Is Killing Tate

Director: Leon Lorenzo

(Grand Prize: Round trip to South Africa)

2008 St. Clair Bourne Award Winner for Best Documentary

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans

Directors Dawn Logsdon and Lolis Eric Elie

Best Short

Lifted

Director: Randall Dottin

Best Student

Keys

Director: Christopher Babers

Best Urban Kidz Winner

The Don of Virgil Jr. High

Director: Deon Hayman

Best Screenplay

American Dream

Olugbemiga Idowu

Audience Favorite

Kings of the Evening

Director: Andrew P. Jones

Festival sponsors include: San Francisco Grants For The Arts, Starbucks, Wells Fargo, Rainbow Cooperative and Comcast.

Audience Award: Short Film at State Theatre - "Green Porno"

Isabella Rossellini's series of one-minute comical and insightful journeys into the sex life of insects. Co-Director and Producer Jody Shaprio was a guest of the festival.

Audience Award: Short Film at Satellite Venues - "Frederikke"

From Denmark's Zentropa Productions, the poignant story of a young girl's weekend visit to her mother, written and directed by Heidi Maria Faisst.

Audience Award: Documentary at State Theatre - "Young@Heart"

With an average age of 80, this choir tackle the likes of Sonic Youth's Schizophrenia, The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go, and David Bowie's Golden Years. Young@Heart will be in cinemas from 16 Oct 2008.

Audience Award: Documentary at Satellite Venues - Anvil! "The Story of Anvil"

Sasha Gervasi's real-life Spinal Tap story of love, loss and triumph, as a hard-core Canadian heavy metal band strive to keep the dream alive. Producer Rebecca Yeldham was a guest of the festival, calling Steve 'Lips' Kudrow on her mobile phone after the screening so he could hear the audience cheer!

Audience Award: Feature at State Theatre -

"Fugitive Pieces"

Jeremy Podeswa's lyrical film of a boy's escape from Nazi-occupied Poland to Greece and then onto Canada, where his refusal to let go of the past impedes his engagement with the present. Jeremy Podeswa was a guest of the festival.

Audience Award: Feature at Satellite Venues -

"Red Like the Sky"

Cristiano Bortone's captivating story, based on one of Italy's leading sound editors, Mirco Mencacci, of a blind boy's passion to become a sound engineer. Red Like the Sky was part of the Accessible Cinema program, and children could also go along to this film.

Among the top-rating films was a strong selection of Australian films, including "Salute," "River of No Return," "Playing in the Shadows," "Son of a Lion" and "My Rabit Hoppy." Program strands that did particularly well were "Apocalypse Now," "Kids' Films" and "From Kerr to Eternity." Films about music were a big crowd pleaser, ranging from Philip Glass and Pete Seeger, to Canadian heavy metal and American jazz. Also a favourite was "Where is Winky's Horse?," sequel to last year's Audience Award winner, Winky's Horse.

Also announced at the Closing Night Gala was the Telstra MobileMovies Award for a one-minute mobile phone movie, with a 'My Town' theme. Jason van Genderen's "My Town is Broken," an ode to Gosford made entirely of streetsigns, won him a trip for two to Toronto International Film Festival. The People's Choice Award went to Briony Benjamin's "Mudgeeraba, a Place of Living History."

In her announcement at Sydney Opera House, Jury President Gillian Armstrong said, "Before we announce the winner of the Sydney Film Prize the jury would like to make special mention of two films. We commend Carlos Reygadas' Silent Light for its highly poetic and creative use of sound and image and the honest treatment of its universal story of love and pain. The second film we commend is Matthew Newton's "Three Blind Mice" for its energy, passion, superb ensemble cast and as such a fine collaboration by a talented group of young filmmakers.

"Choosing a winner has been a challenging decision because the competition presented such a strong and diverse selection of films. However, our final decision was unanimous. The inaugural Sydney Film Prize is awarded to Steve McQueen's "Hunger."

"'Hunger' was selected for its controlled clarity of vision, its extraordinary detail and bravery, the dedication of its cast and the power and resonance of its humanity," said Armstrong

The Official Competition Jury - Australian Director Gillian Armstrong, Australian actress Essie Davis, LA film writer and critic Scott Foundas, Iranian director/writer/producer Majid Majidi and Hong Kong producer Nansun Shi - agreed unanimously on the decision. The Jury worked as a collegial ensemble, assessing the merits of each film within the criteria of 'audacious, cutting-edge and courageous filmmaking'.

Sydney Film Festival also announced the winner of the Rouben Mamoulian Award as part of the 20th annual Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films - "Summer Breaks" directed by Sean Kruck and produced by Caroline Barry.

All six Dendy Awards were presented this evening at Sydney Opera House. The 15 shortlisted films were screened at State Theatre on Friday 13 June.

The 2008 winners are:

Dendy Award for Short Documentary ($5000 cash prize): "Rare Chicken Rescue"

Director Randall Wood; Producers Trish Lake, Vickie Gest

Dendy Award for Short Fiction ($5000 cash prize): "Ali and the Ball"

Director Alex Holmes; Producer Helen Panckhurst

Dendy Award for Most Innovative Short Film ($5000 cash prize): "Ephemeral" Directed and produced by Tony Radevski and Jongsu Oh

Yoram Gross Animation Award ($4000 cash prize): "Mutt"

Director Glen Hunwick; Producer Beth Frey

CRC Award ($5000 cash prize): "296 Smith Street"

Director John Evagora; Producer Jorge Tsadilas

Winner of the 2008 Rouben Mamoulian Award ($5000 cash prize): "Summer Breaks"

Director Sean Kruck; Producer Caroline Barry

competitive categories and a further 100 films in non-competitive special programmes. Overall more than 30.000 euros of prize-money were poured out. Apart from a large number of accreditated guests and a high number of interesting films it were especially the many

filmmakers and guests from Israel who came for the special programme “Yoffi! Yalla Bye!” that shaped this year’s festival. Due to the wave of summer heat almost 1.000 people gathered together at our open air event A Wall is a Screen.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Jury: Netalie Braun, Bren O’Callaghan, Jens Eder, Miranda Pennell, Holger Tepe.

JURY AWARD: 3.000 EUROS: "Puppet Boy"

Directed by: Johannes Nyholm, Sweden 2008, short fiction, 26:36 min.

Jury substantiation:

A disturbing and comic reflection on obsession and self-loathing that delivers an unsettling experience for the viewer. What at first appears to be an interview with a reclusive animator develops into a mirthless sequence of humiliations and an exploration of the human condition in the spirit of Gogol. In an inventive and brilliant way the film shifts between fiction and documentary, claymation and live action, evoking feelings of both repulsion and compassion in the viewer. Brilliant.

FRANCOIS ODE AWARD: 1.500 EUROS: "Josh"

Directed by: Govinda van Maele, Luxembourg 2007, short fiction, 14:40 min.

Jury substantiation:

With great precision and truthfulness the film presents the story of the missed opportunity to free oneself from a repressing life situation. Within 14 minutes the director suggests a complex and believable small-town microcosm full of boredom and lack of ambition, racial and gender resentment. In combination with excellent acting it is exactly the detailed representation of a specific milieu that allows for a deeper understanding of a wider human

bewilderment.

SPECIAL MENTION: "Mumbler"

Directed by: Marc Roels and Wim Reygaert, Belgium 2007, short fiction, 22 min.

"Silence"

Directed by: Sivaroj Kongsakul, Thailand 2007, short fiction, 17:45 min.

"Going to sleep is something absolutely certain in life" Directed by: Paolo Pennuti, Italy 2007, documentary, 20 min.

AUDIENCE AWARD: 1.500 EUROS : "Puppet Boy" Directed by: Johannes Nyholm, Sweden 2008, short fiction, 26:36 min.

NO BUDGET COMPETITION

Jury: Mirna Belina, Ezra Eeman, Ben Rivers.

JURY AWARD: 2.000 EUROS: "Kempinski"

Directed by: Neil Beloufa, France / Mali 2007, experimental documentary, 13:58 min.

Jury substantiation:

The jury found this the most surprising work. In the darkness of "Kempinski" the future becomes present. Time and space are rendered ambiguous. A true no-budget work posed between documentary and science fiction.

SPECIAL MENTION: "Sunshine State" (Extended Forecast),

Directed by: Christopher Harris, USA 2007, experimental

film, 8 min.

The biggest story ever told through a pinhole.

"Super Smile"

Directed by: Effie Wu, Germany 2007, experimental film, 4:48 min.

An amazing single take. We challenge you to take your eyes off Effie Wu.

"Night Sweat"

Directed by: Siegfried A. Fruhauf, Austria 2008, experimental film, 9:40 min.

An unsettling study of light and darkness. Using the limitations of the medium to create something entirely cinematic.

AUDIENCE AWARD: ex aequo 750 EUROS: "Yours Truly" Directed by: Osbert Parker, England 2008, animation, 8 min.

"The Big Contentment"

Directed by: Clemens Kogler and Karo Szmit, Austria 2007, experimental film, 3:57 min.

GERMAN COMPETITION

Jury: Ergun Cankaya, Dr. Annette Scholz, Bjorn Vosgerau.

PILSNER URQUELL INNOVATION AWARD 2008 FOR A GERMAN SHORT FILM: 2.000 EUROS: "On the Line"

Directed by: Reto Caffi, Germany / Switzerland 2007, short fiction, 29:45 min.

Jury substantiation

An unlucky hero who ends up committing a great crime against the love of his life. Director Reto Caffi follows his characters in an extremely precise and sensitive manner.

The powerful performance and the mature realisation result in an impressive film, emotionally enthralling and captivating until the very end.

SPECIAL MENTION: "Brainbirth control"

Directed by: Jan Riesenbeck, Germany 2007, short fiction, 9:15 min.

A breathtaking and highly amusing reflection on today’s rhythm of life, accelerated to the point of absurdity. Self-deprecating and poignant.

"Morbus Bechterev"

Directed by: Lola Randl and Rainer Egger, Germany / Austria 2007, short fiction, 11 min.

Narrated in a light tone and so closely observed the viewer can hardly distinguish performance from real life. A charming character portrait and a study of the art of

running circles around oneself.

JURY PRIZE OF THE HAMBURG CULTURAL FOUNDATION: 2.000 EUROS: "Illusion"

Directed by: Burhan Qurbani and Fabian Gasmia, Germany 2007, short fiction, 9:10 min.

Jury substantiation:

A common occurrence: somebody loses his job. “Illusion” traces the resultant loss of control and the slow sinking into loneliness in a poetic and moving style. The nuanced

directing and a brilliant leading actress light up the screen and give this film a special sparkle.

AUDIENCE AWARD OF THE HAMBURG CULTURAL FOUNDATION: 1.500 EUROS: "The Rat Train Robbery" Jim Lacy and Kathrin Albers, Germany 2008, animation,

8:56 min.

THREE-MINUTE QUICKIE COMPETITION AUDIENCE AWARD: 1.000 EUROS: "Nothing’s There" Rene Schottler and Markus Schaefer, Germany 2008, documentary / short fiction, 3 min.

ARTE SHORT FILM AWARD

Jury: Mado Le Fur

6.000 euros (Acquisition of the film and broadcast as part of arte’s short film programme)

"Interior. Scara de bloc"

Directed by: Ciprian Alexandrescu, Romania 2007, short fiction, 15:49 min.

Jury substantiation:

With sensitivity and compassion, but also with a great sense of humour, the film describes how one event brings together the most diverse residents of a building who had been complete strangers before. The young filmmaker from Romania and the brilliant actors involved manage to give extraordinary power to a simple story with a satirical view on society. The Arte award goes to "Interior. Scara de Bloc"by Ciprian Alexandrescu.

ZDF DOKUKANAL – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Jury: Angelika Hoffmann, Andrea Windisch

2.000 euros (Acquisition of the film and boradcast on ZDFdokukanal)

"Automotive Action Painting" (Car Painting),

Directed by: George Barber, England 2007, experimental dokumentary, 6 min.

Jury substantiation:

The jury was not only impressed by Barber’s unusual and dynamic painting technique, where cars drive through ‘puddles of paint’, but also the by the contrasting stillness of the camera. From a bird’s eye view, the audience observes a two-dimensional image gradually emerging, while the actual composition of the image is purely random. However, it is precisely this randomness that builds up the suspense with which the spectators follow the development of the image. An entertaining document of artistic design truly in the tradition of action painting, in this case automotive action painting.

MUSIC IN SHORTS AWARD: 2.000 EUROS EACH

Jury: Christian Buß, Wiebke Colmorgen, Horst Rickels

International: "Passage"

Directed by: Karl Lemieux, Canada 2007, short fiction, 15 min.

A lot of pills are popped in this film, but this does not result in colourful visions. The painful end to four young people’s dirty weekend is presented in stark black-and-white images, and this bitter outcome is anticipated in a very clever and unobtrusive way in the score’s monochrome cascades of sound. The monotony of the rhythms lends a disturbingly subdued hue to the characters’ ecstasy. “The Passage” is an example of great narrative cinema in the short format and excellently proves that music can be used as a narrative element in its own right.

national: "Rauschen & Brausen I,"

Directed by: Daniel Burghardt, Germany 2007, experimental film, 4:52 min. Sound: Gerriet K. Sharma

The world is in ruins, and it’s being put back together, but in a most unconventional way. “Rauschen und Brausen I” takes fragments of reality and reassembles them in a fascinating way to form a seemingly unending jigsaw puzzle. The score’s electronic white noise accompanies these images of “rebuilding”, while counteracting them at the same time. The film may not manage to see the rigour of its formal approach through to the very end, but it remains a brilliant example for a dialectical arrangement of image and music.

SPECIAL MENTION:

"Petzold’s Whistle"

Directed by: Olaf Held, Germany 2008, short fiction, 5:33 min.

What starts off as a debilitating background noise is transformed into a study in techno in a workman’s head. An amusing and illuminating little film about how sound does not only shape music, but can also produce images.

"Trabalenguas para una casa vacia" (World Puzzle for an Empty House),

Directed by: Gabriel Herrera Torres, Mexico 2008, short fiction, 12:15 min.

This film impressively presents a 90-year old man’s living space as an extension of his own body. The ingeniously thought through score made up of music by Mozart, Ligeti and Berio deconstructed by scraping, shoving and shuffling noises creates a very organic overall impression and a portrait of life itself.

Director/Writer: Daniel Barnz

Producer: Lynette Howell

Starring: Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Bill Pullman, Campbell Scott

Narrative, US, 2008, 96 minutes

Audience Award Winner - Documentary: "Autism: The Musical"

Director/Producer/Cinematographer: Tricia Regan

Producers: Sasha Alpert, Perrin Chiles

DOCUMENTARY, US, 2007, 93 minutes

Outstanding Performance in Acting: Mark Webber for "The Good Life"

Director: Stephen Berra

Outstanding Performance in Acting: Joe Mantegna for "Elvis and Anabelle"

Director: Will Geiger

Outstanding Performance in Acting: Lake Bell for "Still Waters"

Director: Andrew Ford

Outstanding Performance in Acting: Shelly Cole for "The Village Barbershop"

Director: Chris Ford

Breakout Performance: Chris Klein for "The Good Life"

Director: Stephen Berra

Breakout Performance: Blake Lively for "Elvis and Anabelle"

Director: Will Geiger

Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: "Lie to Me"

Director: John Stewart Muller

Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: "Elvis and Anabelle"

Director: Will Geiger

Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: "The Art of Travel"

Director: Thomas Whelan

Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: "What We Do Is Secret"

Director: Rodger Grossman

Outstanding Achievement in Directing: Richie Mehta for "Amal"

Humanitarian Vision Award: "Camp Woz: The Admirable Lunacy of Philanthropy"

Director: Jarrad Kritzstein, Drew J. Foster

Humanitarian Vision Award – "For Tomorrow"

Director: Kenneth Kokin

Outstanding Achievement in Documentary: "Hollywood Singing and Dancing"

Director: Mark McLaughlin

Outstanding Achievement in Documentary - "Flow: For Love Of Water"

Director: Irena Salina

Outstanding Achievement in Documentary - "Trying To Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon"

Director: Penny Peyser and Doug Mcintyre

Outstanding Achievement in Documentary - "Beautiful Losers"

Director: Aaron Rose

Outstanding Achievement in Action Sports Filmmaking: "Under The Sun"

Director: Cyrus Sutton

Outstanding Achievement in Family Filmmaking: "The Adventures of Food Boy"

Director: Dane Cannon

Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking Cinematography: "Night"

Director: Lawrence Johnston

Outstanding Achievement in Short Documentary Filmmaking: "On Great White Wings"

Director: Joshua Colover

Laszlo Kovacs Cinematography Award: "Red Like the Sky"

Director: Cristiano Bortone

Feature Films Best Film: "Fugitive Pieces"

Director: Jeremy Podeswa

Best Actor: Nadim Sawalha, for "Captain Abu Raed"

Director: Amin Matalqa

Best Actress: Rana Sultan, for "Captain Abu Raed"

Director: Amin Matalqa

Best Director: Jeremy Podeswa, for "Fugitive Pieces"

Best Cinematographer: Gregory Middleton, for "Fugitive Pieces"

Director: Jeremy Podeswa

Best Screenplay – Jeremy Podeswa, for "Fugitive Pieces"

Best Documentary Film – "Mardick: From Baghdad to Hollywood"

Director: Ramy Katrib and Evan York

Short Films Best Narrative Short Film – "The Angel"

Director: Paul Hough

Best Animated Short Film – "Yoga Noga Reyoga"

Director: Kengo Kurimoto

Best Short Documentary Film – "Carissa"

Director: David Sauvage

AUDIENCE WINNERS

Audience Winner - Feature: "Leaving Barstow"

Director: Peter Paige

Audience Winner- Foreign Feature: "Red Like the Sky"

Director: Cristiano Bortone

Audience Winner – Documentary (TIE): "Trying to Get Good"

Director: Penny Peyser and Doug Mcintyre

and "Sliding Liberia"

Director: Britton Caillouette

Audience Winner- Shorts: "Father Taken"

Director: Jonathan Ingalls

The Prize of the Public: "Om Shanti Om"

Director Farah Khan (India, 2007)

The jury of BAFF awarded the prize Cinematk to "Secret Sunshine" by Lee Chang-dong (South Korea, 2007).

The prize Golden Durian has been granted to the emergent director "With to Girl of Black Soil" by Jeon Soo-il (South Korea, 2007).

The D-cinema prize has gone to the Chinese film "Bamboo Shoots" by Jian Yi (China, 2007).

Best Feature Film: "RIZA"

directed by Tayfun Pirselimo_lu

Mahmut Tali Ongoren Special Award: "MUTLULUK"

directed by Abdullah O_uz

Best Director: TAYFUN PIRSELIMOGLU for "RIZA"

Best Actress: FADIK SEVIN ATASOY

Best Actor: YETKIN DIKINCILER

Best Supporting Actress: NURSEL KOSE and PATRYCIA ZIOLKOWSKA

Best Supporting Actor: TUNCEL KURTIZ

Onat Kutlar Best Script Award: FATIH AKIN (with the film "YASAMIN KIYISINDA")

Best Cinematography: MIRSAD HEROVIC (with the film "MUTLULUK")

Best Art Direction: NATALI YERES (with the film "RIZA")

MESAM Best Music Award: ZULFU LIVANELI (with the film "MUTLULUK")

Best Editing: ANDREW BIRD (with the film "YASAMIN KIYISINDA")

Best Promising Director: INAN TEMELKURAN

Best Promising Actress: SAADET ISIL AKSOY

Best Promising Actor: FERIT KAYA

Best Promising Scriptwriter: DERSU YAVUZ ALTUN

Best Short Film (Fiction): "LA"

directed by Elif Nur Kerkuk

Best Short Film (Experimental): "AYNANIN ICINDEKI CADILAR"

directed by Ozgur Ozcan

Best Short Film (Animation): "ZLIN CORBASI"

directed by Akile Nazli Kaya

Short Film Jury Special Award: "OYUN"

directed by Serhat Furtuna

Best Documentary (Amateur): "BUZLAR KIRILINCA" directed by Caner Erzincan and Mevlut Ciftci

Second Best Documentary (Amateur): "GOLUN KADINLARI"

directed by Emine Emel Balci

Third Best Documentary (Amateur): "SON KUMSAL" directed by Ruya Arzu Koksal

Special Jury Award: "VOLGA VOLGA"

directed by Aysegul Taskent

Best Documentary (Professional): "OTEL ODALARI"

directed by Sevinc Yesiltas

Second Best Documentary (Professional): "IBRET OLSUN DIYE"

directed by Necati Sonmez

Third Best Documentary (Professional): "KAYBEDEBILME KABILIYETI"

directed by Ender Yesildag

Professional Documentary Jury Special Award: "DEVRIMCI GENCLIK KOPRUSU"

directed by Bahriye Kabadayi

“We are extremely proud of these directors’ accomplishments and we are honored to have had these films as part of the Festival,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.

“It’s especially gratifying and exciting to see that the members of our juries selected an extremely diverse group of films – in terms of both their themes and their countries of production – and that the majority of the prizes are going to filmmakers and performers who are all at an early stage of their careers,” said Peter Scarlet, Artistic Director of the Festival.

In addition to cash awards and in-kind services provided by sponsors including American Express, Apple, Cadillac, Delta Air Lines, Edelman Studios, The New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development, The New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting the Festival presented the winners with original pieces of art created by 13 acclaimed artists.

Following are the awards and their winners:

* The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – “Let the Right One In” (Lat den rätte komma in)

directed by Tomas Alfredson (Sweden).

Winner receives $25,000 cash and the art award "Maternal Nocture: Clearing Storm” created by Stephen Hannock.

Jury Comments: “For its mesmerizing exploration of loneliness and alienation through masterful reexamination of the vampire myth.”

* Best New Narrative Filmmaker – “My Marlon and Brando” (Gitmek)

directed by Hüseyin Karabey (Turkey, Netherlands, UK). Winner receives $25,000 cash, sponsored by American Express, and the art award “Bonfire,” created by Ross Bleckner.

Jury Comments: “For its skillful blending of documentary style with a classic love story and ultimate creation of a truly modern and unlikely international heroine.”

* Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello in “Somers Town”

directed by Shane Meadows (UK).

Sponsored by Delta Air Lines. Each winner receives a business elite ticket voucher for anywhere Delta travels.

Jury Comments: “For an extraordinary and exhilarating rendering of a friendship found, the Narrative Feature Jury is awarding the Best Actor prize to this magical team.”

* Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Eileen Walsh in “Eden”

directed by Declan Recks (Ireland).

Sponsored by Delta Air Lines. Winner receives two business elite ticket vouchers for anywhere Delta travels.

Jury Comments: “For her exquisite rendering of a lonely wife aching to be seen and heard.”

* Best Documentary Feature – “Pray the Devil Back to Hell”

directed by Gini Reticker (USA).

Winner receives $25,000 cash and the art award “Liza Minnelli,” created by Timothy White.

Jury Comments: “In a relentless pursuit of peace, the women of Liberia show us how community, motherly love and perseverance can change the fate of a society. Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a reminder that we have the power to say “Enough!” to the atrocities of our world.”

* Best New Documentary Filmmaker – “Old Man Bebo” directed by Carlos Carcas (Spain). Winner receives $25,000 cash, sponsored by American Express, and the art award “Maquette for Primary Compass,” created by Don Gummer.

Jury Comments: “We the jury feel that Carlos Carcas showed us that if you truly have art in your body and soul it will find its way out into the world. We applaud the filmmaker for bringing Old Man Bebo into our consciousness.”

* “New York LOVES Film” – “Zoned In”

directed by Daniela Zanzotto (USA,UK).

Winner receives $5,000 cash, sponsored by New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development, and the art award “Table Odeon,” created by Donna Ferrato.

Special Mention: “Hotel Gramercy Park” directed by Douglas Keeve (USA).

Jury Comments: “This was a challenging and spirited discussion with two clear favorites: both films are very different and the jury felt that both should get equal mention even though only one gets the prize. We thought Hotel Gramercy Park was a highly entertaining and moving story about a New York family and a New York institution coming to terms with a changing city, but in the end we felt Zoned In deserved the prize for having the bravery to tell a seemingly typical story that ends up revealing bold and difficult truths.”

* “Made In NY” – Narrative – “The Caller”

directed by Richard Ledes (USA).

Winner receives $5,000 cash, sponsored by The City of New York Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, and the art award “Nude on Guitar” created by Ralph Gibson.

Jury Comments: “The Caller superbly uses its New York locations – from the sleek mid-town high-rises to the desolate Brooklyn Bridge piers – to create a chilling and finally stirring suspense movie; an unusual thriller whose mysterious plot finally exposes the mysteries of the heart.”

* Best Narrative Short – “New Boy”

directed by Steph Green.

Sponsored by Edelman Studios. Winner receives $5,000 cash and the art award “Air” created by Francesco Clemente.

Jury Comments: “New Boy took us on a complete emotional journey. It was moving, funny and powerful.”

* Best Documentary Short – “Mandatory Service” directed by Jessica Habie.

Sponsored by Edelman Studios. Winner receives $5,000 cash and the art award “The Screamer,” created by John Alexander.

Jury Comments: “Mandatory Service, a perspective of war and conflict from participants themselves. The Israeli’s empathy for the Palestinians is not a perspective we glimpse too often in Western Media.”

* Student Visionary Award – “Elephant Garden”

directed by Sasie Sealy.

Sponsored by Apple. Winner receives an Apple Mac Pro Desktop with a 15" Display and Final Cut Studio 2 and the art award "Harmonium" created by Clifford Ross.

Jury Comments: “Elephant Garden captured the “inner-life” of a beautiful young girl; her confusion as she becomes a young adult. Wonderful visual story telling and the performance of Kelley Mack is stellar.”

* Cadillac Award – Winner to be chosen by the Audience and will be announced on WNBC-TV on Saturday, May 3rd. Winner receives $25,000 cash and the art award “Peripheral Drift Illusion,” created by Ryan McGinness, as well as a trophy created by Cadillac.

2008 Tribeca Film Festival Jurors

A distinguished and diverse panel of jurists selected the winning films in this year’s Festival. Jurors included:

World Competition Categories:

The jurors for the 2008 World Narrative Competition were Peter Hedges, Gregory Hoblit, Callie Khouri, Oliver Platt and Christine Vachon.

The jurors for the 2008 World Documentary Competition were Jared Cohen, Whoopi Goldberg, Ross Kauffman, Padma Lakshmi and Jose Padilha.

New York Competition Categories:

The 2008 “Made in NY” Narrative Feature Award jurors were Peter Dinklage, Fred Durst, Greg Mottola, Stephen Schiff and Annabella Sciorra.

The 2008 “NY Loves Film” Documentary Feature Award jurors were Liya Kebede, Doug Liman, Esther Robinson, Josh Schwartz, Jay McInerney and Andre Leon Talley.

Short Film Competition Categories:

The 2008 Narrative Short jurors were Mario Batali, Christine Lahti, Molly Shannon, Lili Taylor and Zac Posen.

The 2008 Documentary and Student Short jurors were David Bowie, Red Burns, Matthew Modine, Lee Schrager and David de Rothschild.

World Narrative Feature Competition:

* Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature: 12 films

* Best New Narrative Filmmaker: 7 filmmakers

* Best Actress in a Narrative Feature: 12 actresses

* Best Actor in a Narrative Feature: 13 actors

World Documentary Feature Competition:

* Best Documentary Feature: 12 films

* Best New Documentary Filmmaker: 12 filmmakers

New York Films:

* “NY Loves Film” – Documentary: 9 films

* “Made In NY” – Narrative: 7 films

Short Films in Competition:

* Best Narrative Short: 36 films

* Best Documentary Short: 19 films

* Student Visionary Award: 20 films

Grand Jury Prize Narrative: "BALLAST"

directed by Lance Hammer

Special Jury Prize: "MOMMA’S MAN"

directed by Azazel Jacobs

Grand Jury Prize Documentary: "SONG SUNG BLUE" directed by Greg Kohs

Special Jury Prize Documentary: "SECRECY"

directed by Robb Moss and Peter Galison

Grand Jury Prize Short Film: "MAN"

directed by Myna Joseph

Special Jury Prize Short Film: "GLORY AT SEA!"

directed by Ben Zeitlin

Programmer’s Choice Award: "GOLIATH"

directed by David & Nathan Zellner

IFFBoston 2008 Audience Awards

Narrative: "MY WINNIPEG"

Documentary: "LIFE.SUPPORT.MUSIC."

Short: "TONY ZOREIL" (TONY ZEAR)

New Directors Award: "Vasermil"

Directed by: Mushon Salmona (Israel, 2007)

Winner receives a $10,000 cash prize and AVID Xpress Pro software courtesy of AVID.

New Directors Special Jury Mention: "Wonderful Town" Directed by: Aditya Assarat (Thailand, 2007)

FIPRESCI Prize: "Ballast"

Directed by: Lance Hammer (USA, 2007)

FIPRESCI Special Jury Mention: "Glasses"

Directed by: Naoko Ogigami (Japan, 2007)

Chris Holter Humor in Film Award: "Time to Die"

Directed by: Dorota Kedzierzawska (Poland, 2007)

Winner receives a $2,500 cash prize.

Golden Gate Awards

Documentary Feature: "Up the Yangtze"

Directed by: Yung Chang (Canada, 2007)

Winner receives a $15,000 cash prize and Final Cut Studio software courtesy of Apple.

Documentary Feature Special Jury Prize: "Forbidden Lie$"

Directed by: Anna Broinowski (Australia, 2007)

Bay Area Documentary Feature: "Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans"

Directed by: Dawn Logsdon (USA, 2008)

Winner receives a $10,000 cash prize, Final Cut Studio software courtesy of Apple and $2,000 worth of lab services from EFILM Digital Laboratories.

Documentary Short: "The Ladies"

Directed by: Christina A. Voros (USA, 2007)

Winner receives a $5,000 cash prize sponsored by Stella Artois.

Bay Area Short, First Prize: "Cabinet"

Directed by: Todd Herman (USA, 2007)

Winner receives a $2,000 cash prize.

Bay Area Short, Second Prize: "On the Assassination of the President"

Directed by: Adam Keker (USA, 2007)

Winner receives a $1,500 cash prize.

Narrative Short: "Thick Skinned"

Directed by: Jean-Bernard Marlin, Benoit Rambourg (France, 2007)

Winner receives a $5,000 cash prize sponsored by Stella Artois and $1,700 worth of Kodak film stock.

Animated Short: "Madame Tutli-Putli"

Directed by: Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski (Canada)

Winner receives a $2,000 cash prize.

New Visions: "Cabinet"

Directed by: Todd Herman (USA, 2007)

Winner receives a $1,500 cash prize and $1,700 worth of Kodak film stock.

Work for Kids and Families: "When I Grow Up"

Directed by: Michelle R. Meeker (USA, 2007)

Winner receives a $1,500 cash prize.

Youth Work: "Writing History with Lightning: The Triumph and Tragedy of America’s First Blockbuster" Directed by: Charlotte Burger (USA, 2007)

Winner receives a $1,500 cash prize and Scheduling and Budgeting software courtesy of Entertainment Partners.

Previously announced Golden Gate Award winners (Television)

TV Documentary Long Form: "Calavera Highway"

Directed by: Renee Tajima-Peña (USA/Mexico, 2007)

TV Documentary Short Form: "The Mystery of the Second Painting"

Directed by: Muriel Edelstein (France, 2007)

TV Narrative Long Form: "Operation Turquoise"

Directed by: Alain Tasma (France, 2007)

Capital Focus Award

The Capital Focus Award is a juried competition of selected films deserving of increased recognition. Films in competition were selected by the Festival's Programming Committee and the winner was determined by a jury of accomplished film professionals. This year's winner is "Paloma Delight" by Nadir Mokneche (Algeria, France). Additionally, a Special Jury Award goes to "La Zona" by Rodrigo Plá (Spain, Mexico).

Circle Audience Award

Founded by Ted and Jim Pedas, Washington's Circle Theatres set the standard for innovative quality film programming. Filmfest DC presented an award to the feature film voted the most popular by our audience. The top 5 films are:

1. "Katyn"

Directed by Andrzej Wajda (Poland)

2. "Late Bloomers"

Directed by Bettina Oberli (Switzerland)

3. "We Are Together"

Directed by Paul Taylor (United Kingdom)

4. "Empties"

Directed by Jan Sverak (Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Denmark)

5. "Beyond the Call"

Directed by Adrian Belic (USA)

GRAND PRIX

Prize of 15,000 Euros given by the STATE OF BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG AND CITY OF STUTTGART GRAND AWARD FOR ANIMATED FILM to:

"FRANZ KAFKA INAKA ISHA" (FRANZ KAFKA’S A COUNTRY DOCTOR)

directed by Koji Yamamura, Japan 2007

Producers: Mariko Seto, Fumi Teranishi

Production: Yamamura Animation, Shochiku

World sales: Shochiku Co., Ltd.

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION AWARD / AWARD FOR BEST GRADUATION FILM

Prize: 10,000 Euros given to: "CAMERA OBSCURA"

directed by Matthieu Buchalski, Jean-Michel Drechsler, Thierry Onillon, France 2007

Production: Supinfocom Valenciennes

World sales: Premium Films

SPECIAL MENTION: "MILK TEETH"

directed by Tibor Banoczki, Great Britain 2007

Producer: Anna Higgs

Production: National Film and Television School

SWR AUDIENCE AWARD

Prize of 6,000 Euros, sponsored by Südwestrunfunk SWR given to: "ISABELLE AU BOIS DORMANT" (SLEEPING BETTY)

directed by Claude Cloutier, Canada 2007

Producer: Marcel Jean

Production/ world sales: National Film Board of Canada

SPECIAL AWARD: MUSIC FOR ANIMATION

Prize of 5,000 Euros, sponsored by the GEMA Foundation given to: "HEZURBELTZAK, UNA FOSA COMUN" (HEZURBELTZAK, A COMMON GRAVE)

directed by Iziben Onederra, Spain 2007

Producer: Pello Gutierrez

Music: Xaber Erkizia

World sales: Kimuak

YOUNG ANIMATION

AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT FILM

Prize of 2,500 Euros, sponsored by the Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg given to: "1977"

directed by Peque Varela, Great Britain 2007

Producer: Gavin Humphries / National Film and Television School

SPECIAL MENTION: "DIONYSOS"

directed by Jörg Weidner, Anke Späth, Germany 2007

Production: Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg

TRICKS FOR KIDS

AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S ANIMATED FILM

Prize of 4,000 Euros, sponsored by Nick given to: "THE CURSE OF THE SKULL ROCK"

directed by Ben Smith, Great Britain 2007

Producer: Ben Smith

Production: Red Star Studio Ltd.

World sales: Attraction Media & Entertainment

SPECIAL MENTION: "THE WRONG TRAINERS"

directed by Kez Margrie, Great Britain 2006

Production: BBC

World Sales: Slinky Pictures

and "WAS DENKST DU ÜBER: LIEBE?"

directed by Karsten Killerich, Germany, Denmark, Ireland 2007

Producers: Anders Mastrup, Ralph Christian

Production: WDR, Magma Films, A. Film

World Sales: Bavaria Media Television

ANIMOVIE

AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

2,500 Euros

SLIPP JIMMY FRI (FREE JIMMY)

by Christopher Nielsen

Norway, Great Britain 2006

Producers: Lars Andreas Hellebust, Lars Tømmerbakke, Bill Godfrey

Production: Storm Studio

World sales: The Works International

ANIMATED SERIES

AWARD FOR BEST TV ANIMATED SERIES

Prize of 2,500 Euros sponsored by EM. Entertainment given to: "HAIRY SCARY: NO. 33"

directed by Wolf-Rüdiger Bloss, France, Germany 2007

Producers: Christian Davin, Clément Calvet

Production / world sales: Alphanim

ANIMATION SCREENPLAY AWARD

AWARD FOR THE BEST GERMAN LANGUAGE SCREENPLAY FOR A FEATURE-LENGTH ANIMATED FILM

Prize of 5,000 Euros donated by the Evangelical Church in Germany given to: "DER LETZTE NEANDERTALER" (THE LAST NEANDERTHAL MAN)

Author: John Chambers

Prize for the Best Contribution to the German Competition (EUR 5,000): "Die Tragöden aus der Stadt"

Director: Eva Könnemann, Germany 2008

Statement: Eva Könnemann’s film convinced us through its complexity, its sense of humour and efficient montage. The director follows the rehearsals of a production of “Hamlet” by Fabian Hinrichs and Laurent Chétouane, which results in some intelligent interaction between Shakespeare’s play and the plot of the film. The film offers profound insights into the creative process with all its contradictions, highs and lows.

We have chosen four films which illustrate an escalated social reality in different ways.

3sat-Promotional-Award -ex aequo-

3sat-Promotional-Award (EUR 2,500; ex aequo: EUR 1,250) for a work with a particulary innovative approach. This award includes an option for 3sat to purchase the winning title and broadcast it on 3sat:

"Supersensibel"

Director: Xenia Yvon Lesniewski, Germany 2008

Statement: What we liked about Supersensibel was the way the director combines pop animation with the playful representation of a polymorph sexuality, adding enigmatic comments which lend the film a furious energy.

3sat-Promotional-Award -ex aequo-

3sat-Promotional-Award (EUR 2,500, ex aequo: EUR 1,250) for a work with a particulary innovative approach. This award includes an option for 3sat to purchase the winning title and broadcast it on 3sat.

"I Killed the Butterflies"

Director: Cyrill Lachauer, Germany 2007

Statement: "I Killed the Butterflies" finds archaic images for a ritual of liberation set in a wintery mountain landscape. The rough, unpolished camera corresponds to the physical immediacy of this film.

Special Mention of the Jury of the German Competition:

"Heidelberg"

Director: Norman Richter, Germany 2008

"Eure Kinder werden so wie wir" (Your Children Will Be Like Us)

Director: Andree Korpys and Markus Löffler, Germany 2007

Statement: In Heidelberg , Norman Richter takes a trip back into his family history. He reflects on memory, decline and death in quiet, precise images, circling around the pain connected with these things.

"Eure Kinder werden so wie wir" is one of the few films in this programme to choose a political subject. Andree Korpys and Markus Löffler film the confrontations between protesters and policemen in Gorleben and Heiligendamm as an apparently ritualised trial of strength.

Jury of the German Competition 2008: Maria Speth, Cristina Nord, Claus Löser

Children and Youth Competition

Prize of the Children Jury (EUR 1,000): "Koest!"

director: Simone van Dusseldorp, Netherlands 2007

Statement: This film is funny, but it has a serious background. A boy behaves like a dog to recover his parents’ attention. We think that unfortunately this is the everyday life in many families. The strong acting also convinced us.

and "Animatou"

director: Claude Luyet, Switzerland 2007

Statement: The cat and the mouse were animated in various ways. The film shows the technical and artistic possibilities and represents a “journey through time”, from pencil drawings to computer animation.

Prize of the Youth Jury (EUR 1,000): "Pajerama"

director: Leonardo Cadaval, Brazil 2008

Statement: Urbanity – ignorance – the rain forest. This fast-paced animated story of a Brazilian native Indian starts with a harmless hunt. The film manages, without words, to depict the conflict between civilization and nature in fascinating animated pictures. The tension between the cultures is underlined by an intelligently adapted noise and sound design. An audiovisual masterpiece, produced almost single-handedly by the director.

Special Mention of the Youth Jury: "The Sound of People"

director: Simon Fitzmaurice, Ireland 2007

Statement: “The day I die the Internet arrives.” The director manages to find an impressive and poetic visual language to convey his philosophical reflections on life and death.

Children Jury 2008: Max Komes, Jasper Marten Köster, Hannah Mendrina, Fabian Spickeneder, Linnéa Doberstein

Youth Jury 2008: Deborah Tabea Luhnau, Ruth Lange, Sebastian Busch, Jannik Süselbeck, Kim Werth

MuVi-Award:

1st Prize (2,500 euros): "Ich bin der Stricherjunge"

a video by: Simone Gilges

music: Stereo Total

production: SimGil Production

label: Disko B

Germany, 2007

Jury Statements: It has the essence of pop, it’s showing friends, fashion and fun, it’s spontaneous, improvised, authentic, do it yourself and shows good production values. The visual aesthetics are connected in a good way to the lo-fi sound of the song. The director seems part of the scene, at least he shares the style-codes of the band. The best stuff comes from something that you are passionate about. It’s a document of the Berlin punk scene.

2nd Prize (1,500 euros): "Das beste deutsche Musikvideo"

director: Luigi Archetti, Bo Wiget

production: Archetti & Wiget

music: Luigi Archetti, Bo Wiget

label: Happy System

Germany, 2008

Jury Statements: It’s ironic, trippy, pretentious, obviously arty, though the music and video were going really well together. It plays with the conventions of music videos, it’s an anti choreography, anti video, simple and elegant. It made us debate and since it became number two, it’s not the “bestes deutsches musikvideo”.

3rd Prize (1,000 euros): "Dot"

director: Jörg Petri

production: Jörg Petri

musik: Michael Fakesch

label: !K7 Records

Germany, 2007

Jury Statements: The method is its strength: it focuses on one simple idea, connecting traditional craftsmanship to contemporary aesthetics, making good use of the constraints of the letterpress.

Jury of the MuVi Award 2008: Libby Durdy, Warp Films, Sheffield; Jan Jelinek, musician, Berlin; Roel Wouters, director, Amsterdam

The MuVi Online Audience Award:

The MuVi Online Audience Award is determined by the all internet users who cast their votes at www.muvipreis.de (500 euros). It goes to: "Aus meinem Kopf" (Erdmöbel)

director: Sandeep Mehta

production: Sandeep Mehta

music: Erdmöbel

label: Sony BMG,

Germany, 2007

The winner of the MuVi Online Audience Award is chosen by Internet users who cast their votes at www.muvi-preis.de (in co-operation with www.intro.de and Hobnox).

Prize of the Jury of FIPRESCI (Jury of International Film Critics): "Nezrimoe"

director: Pavel Medvedev, Russia 2007

Statement: Taking the G8 summit in St. Petersburg in 2006 as an example, director Pavel Medvedev exposes the rituals of the contemporary business of politics in Nezrimoe: The tired choreography of the press, the brutal ballet of horrendous security machines, the rusty gestures of symbol politics. Like an ethnologist, he approaches the subject from the edges. Images that stand for themselves, without commentary or additional music and which no doubt belong to the large screen and invite the viewer to look again and again add up to this quite elegant film full of reserved, exact observation, full of sensitivity and which, in addition, tells us a lot about the present conditions of oligarchy and Putinism in Russia. A film of distances: as an alienating contrast, there is a graveyard and a stonemason, who chisels away at gravestones. This reminds us of Brecht and his lines on the transience of power: “At the Moldau the stones are moved/Three emperors are buried in Prague/The great one stays great, but the small one not small/The night has twelve hours and then already comes the break of day.”

Prize of the Jury of the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia (EUR 5,000): "Parlez-moi d´amour"

director: Alexia Bonta, Belgium 2008

Statement: A hospital – two old women at the end of their lives. When faced with such circumstances, we usually associate them with decay and death. In "Parlez moi d’amour," Belgian filmmaker Alexia Bonta shows us that this attitude may be careless, that there is a lot of experience to collect here, a knowledge relevant to all of us.

Using a formally reduced documentary approach, the director manages to make two people talk, to make them communicate their experience of life, but also their disappointments, their stubbornness and their sense of humor to the succeeding generation.

For this conversation about love and intimacy, supposedly at the wrong time in the wrong place, the jury of the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia awards its prize to Alexia Bonta and her film Parlez moi d’amour.

The Jury of the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia 2008: Christiane Heuwinkel (Bielefeld), Michael Girke (Herford), Klaus Gronenborn (Köln), Rainer

Komers (Mülheim/Ruhr), Ruth Schiffer (Düsseldorf)

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (EUR 1,500): "Senko"

director: Kawamura Yuki, France 2008

Statement: A young Japanese family is confronted with the mother’s death. This impressive short feature film shows us in deeply symbolic images how little Yu and his father are born up by the security offered by the family.

Special Mention of the Ecumenical Jury: "Setu"

director: Shyamal Karmakar/Sanghamitra Karmakar, India 2007

Statement: In an Indian boomtown, a little girl is trying to preserve its childhood world. In highly contrasting images, this documentary shows how childhood is threatened by urbanization.

The Ecumenical Jury 2007: Irina Grassmann (Germany), Wolfgang Luley (Germany), Christian Murer (Switzerland), Eberhard Streier (Germany), Perter F. Stucki (Switzerland)

Prize of the Cinema Jury for the best 35mm film under 15 minutes in the International and German Competition, in connection with a buying option on the awarded work by the Short Film Agency Hamburg: "Jos Kaadun"

director: Hannaleena Hauru, Finland 2007

Jury Statement: At a first glance, the finnish production "Jos Kaadun" tells an everyday story – nevertheless the film provides different levels of access, amongst them a documentary approach. Many fondly observed details and the high technical quality make the film a screen-filling cinematic experience.

Prize of the Cinema Jury for the best 35mm film under 15 minutes in the Children's and Youth Competition, in connection with a buying option on the awarded work by the Short Film Agency Hamburg: "Tôt ou tard"

director: Jadwiga Kowalska, Switzerland 2007

Statement: The animation "Tôt ou tard" from Switzerland impresses with its simple, poetic story and with its appropriate technical realization. A film about day, night, and the power of friendship, entertaining both for children and adults.

Cinema Jury 2008: Juliette Duret (Belgium), Ingrid Lüdeke (Germany), Christian Wichmann (Germany)

Prize of the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (EUR 500): "Armulaud"

director: Jaan Toomik, Estonia, 2007

Statement: The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen awards its prize to a disturbing film which reflects, in a few precise scenes, a man’s fear of commitment who can find comfort neither in his relationship nor in religious communities nor in nature.

Jury of the International Competition 2008: Alessio Cavallaro, curator, Australia; Shai Heredia, curator, India; Mihnea Mircan, curator, Romania; Keith Sanborn, media artist, theorist and curator, USA; Zelimir Zilnik, filmmaker, Serbia

International Jury Awards:

Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen (EUR 7,500):

"Chainsaw"

director: Dennis Tupicoff, Australia 2007

Statment: For its masterful synthesis of social commentary, formal experimentation, and its exploration of bareback riding both within the rodeo arena and beyond.

Principal Prize (EUR 3,500): "Alexandra"

director: Radu Jude, Romania 2007

Statement: For revealing an honest image of the complex emotional terrain of family life through a rigorous and understated use of cinematic means.

Principal Prize (EUR 3,500): "Kak stat stervoi"

director: Alina Rudnitskaya, Russia 2008

Statement: For its poignant reflections on the reconstruction of femininity in post-communist Russia.

ARTE Prize for a european short film (EUR 2,500): "Kempinsky"

director: Neil Belouta, France 2007

Statement: For its disquieting evocation of a world emerging from the shadows of a kidnapped future.

Special Mention of the international Jury: "Running Sushi"

director: Mara Mattuschka and Chris Harring, Austria 2008

Special Mention of the international Jury: "Jai"

director: Anocha Suwichakornpong, Thailand 2007

Grand prix (tie)

Prize: € 2000 to share between the two winners

"COMO TODO EL MUNDO"

Director: FRANCOLOLLI

France - 26’ - 2007

and "MOMPELAAR"

Director: MARC ROELS ET WIN REYGAERT

Belgique - 20’ - 2007

Best Actress:

France - 10’ - 2007

CECILE DUCROCQ in "UNE LECON PARTICULIERE"

Director: RAPHAEL CHEVENEMENT

France - 10’ - 2007

Prize: € 1000 offered by l’Echevinat de la Culture de la Ville de Bruxelles

Best Actor: RAPHAEL GOLDMANN in "UNE LECON PARTICULIERE"

Director: RAPHAEL CHEVENEMENT

Prize: € 1000 offered by l’Echevinat de la Culture de la Ville de Bruxelles

Prize of the Young Jury: "MILAN"

Director: MICHAELA KEZELE

Allemagne/Serbie - 22’ - 2007

Prize: € 1000 offered by l’Echevinat de la Culture de la Ville de Bruxelles

Special Mention: "REORDER"

Director: SEAN GARRITY

Canada - 14’ - 2007

The BeTV: "C’EST DIMANCHE"

Director: SAMIRGUESMI

France - 30’ - 2007

€ 1500 including the purchase of distribution rights on BeTV

The Public Prize: "LE SECRET DE SALOMON"

Director: DAVID CHARHON

France - 20’ - 2007

€ 1000 offered by the Commune d’Ixelles

Belgium National Award Winners:

National Grand Prize: "LE PONT"

Director: VINCENT BIERREWAERTS

Belgium - 14’ - 2007

Prize: € 2500 offered by the SACD

Le Prix de la Communaute Franncaise: "LE SONGE D’UNE FEMME DEMENAGE"

Director: BANU ANESKI

Belgium - 15’ - 2007

Prize: € 2500 offered to the director

The Photo Prize: NICOLAS PROVOST for "PLOT POINT"

Director: NICOLAS PROVOST

Belgium - 15’ - 2007

Prize: € 1750 in film offered to the director by Kodak

Best Actress: SERRA YILMAZ for "LE SONGE D’UNE FEMME DE MENAGE"

Director: BANU ANESKI

Belgium - 15’ - 2007

Prize: € 500 offered by the Commune d’Ixelles

Best Actor: GILLES DESCHRYVER for "OU QUOI"

Director: CECILIA VERHEYDEN

Belgium - 24’ - 2007

Prize: € 500 offered by the Commune d’Ixelles

Audience Prize: "VOIX DE GARAGE"

Director: SAMUEL TILMAN

Belgium - 15’ - 2007

Le Deux Prize: "PLOT POINT"

Director: NICOLAS PROVOST

Belgium - 15’ - 2007

Prize: € 1500 including the purchase of distribution rights for the broadcast on La Deux

Given by a representive of La Deux

The Critics Prize: "A DAY IN A LIFE"

Director: NICOLAS DAENENS

Belgium - 21’ - 2007

Prize: Subtitles offered by LTI - Studio L’Equipe (given by the press jury)

Special Mention: "MOMPELAAR"

Director: MARC ROELS & WIN REYGAERT

Belgium - 20’ – 2007

Spielfilmpreis

"A few simple words"

Kilka Prostych Sów

Anna Kazejak-Dawid

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Lobende Erwähnung der Spielfilmjury

"Wianbu – Comfort Woman"

James Bang

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Animationsfilmpreis

"Tir Nan Og - Amour Toujours"

Fursy Teyssier

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Dokumentarfilmpreis

"Sonbol"

Niko Apel

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Schnittpreis

"Roads"

Amit Ginton

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Preis gegen Ausgrenzung

"Wie ich bin"

Ingrid Demetz & Caroline Leitner

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Produzentenpreis

"Sieben Tage Sonntag"

T. Bartl, A. Dierbach, N. Laupert

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Bester Deutscher Nachwuchsfilmpreis

"Teenage Angst"

Thomas Stuber

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Fokus-Dialog-Preis

"Chill Pill"

Ehiz Ojesebholo

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

MTV Musikvideopreis

"Geboren im Winter"

Andreas Mühe & Christopher Wendland

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Schauspielpreis

"Ou quoi"

Gilles De Schryver

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Kamerapreis

"Teenage Angst"

Peter Matjasko

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Kinderfilmpreis

"Die kleine Giftmischerin"

Alex Schmidt

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Pitch Preis

"Vergiss mein nicht, Machu Picchu"

Markus F. Adrian

Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Drehbuchpreis

"Baby Daddy"

Marc Oliver Seng

37. Internationales Studenten Filmfestival sehsüchte

Publikumspreis

"Stiller Frühling"

Nico Sommer

Tilly for her achievements in the art of filmmaking.

This year's award-winners reflect the talent, diversity, and the progression of independent filmmaking, said Shanon Larimer, Executive Director. We have been very fortunate to see filmmakers willing to take risks and audiences who have embraced the unexpected.

The jury and audience award-winners of the 2008 Florida Film Festival in the Feature Film, Documentary, and Short Film categories are as follows:

FEATURE FILMS

Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature:

IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS,

directed by Alex Holdridge

Special Jury Award for Achievement in Directing:

BLACKBIRD,

directed by Adam Rapp

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature:

WERE THE WORLD MINE,

directed by Tom Gustafson

DOCUMENTARIES

Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature:

OPERATION FILMMAKER,

directed by Nina Davenport

Special Jury Award for Bold Truth:

LAND OF CONFUSION,

directed by Jeremy Zerechak

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature:

PAGEANT,

directed by Ron Davis & Stewart Halpern

Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short

MY OLYMPIC SUMMER,

directed by Daniel Robin

SHORT FILMS

Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short

MAN,

directed by Myna Joseph

Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short

TEAT BEAT OF SEX,

directed by Signe Baumane

Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Acting

A DAY'S WORK,

directed by Rajeev Dassani

Audience Award for Best Short Film

HOLE IN THE PAPER SKY,

directed by Bill Purple

The Florida Film Festival's coveted Artistic Achievement Award was bestowed upon Oscar-nominated

actress Jennifer Tilly for her achievements in the art of filmmaking and was presented by Don Mancini,

director of "Seed of Chucky" and screenwriter for the Chucky series.

Tillys credits include "The Fabulous Baker Boys," "Bullets over Broadway," "Liar Liar," "Intervention," "High

Spirits," "The Doors," "Made in America," "The Getaway," "Let It Ride," "Relax," "It's Just Sex," "The Crew," "Dancing at the Blue Iguana," "The Cat's Meow," "The Magnificent Ambersons," "Hide and Seek," "The Haunted Mansion," "The Muse," "St Ralph," "Tideland and the infamous Bride of Chucky" and "Seed of Chucky."

The Artistic Achievement Award is the longest running honor in the 17-year history of the Festival, said

Larimer. Jennifer Tilly's diversification, growth, and talent as an artist made her a natural choice as this

years award recipient.

A selection of past recipients of this award include Rosanna Arquette, Karen Black, Brian Dennehy, Illeana

Douglas, Graham Greene, Dennis Hopper, Diane Ladd, Jason Lee, William H. Macy, Campbell Scott,

Christopher Walken, Scott Wilson, and Paul Winfield.

Tillys appearance was made possible by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Visiting Artists Program. The Academy's Visiting Artists Program was established in 1970 to provide a link between the academic study of film and filmmaking and the industry's leading professionals. Through grants made available to institutions, Academy members share their expertise in classrooms, festivals, conferences and other film-related events throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Directed by: Steve Hyde

Special Jury Prize: "The Two brothers" from "8 moments in Barcelona as seen by Johan Kramer"

Development Prize: "Dash Dot"

Directed by Ian Helliwell

The Best UK Film and Audience Prize: "The Flasher"

Directed by Magnus Irvin

In addition, two films received special mentions from the Jury, "Lunch"

Directed by Miklos Solyom

and "Burnt Out and Inarticulate"

Directed by Ian Weake.

Prize Winners 2008

No easy job for the jury. The eight entries in this year's Best International Debut Feature Film Competition for women film directors were all completely different in style and content, which ranged from war parable through road movie to literary film. And the winner was … "L’HOMME QUI MARCHE" by French director Aurélia Georges who was in Cologne personally to pick up €10,000 prize at the evening awards ceremony held in the Film Forum.

According to jury members Dr Barbara Buhl (Cologne), Prof. Dai Jinhua (Peking) and Nina Menkes (Los Angeles)

"L’HOMME QUI MARCHE is an unconventional film portrait of an unknown author seen from a contemporary viewpoint. Screenplay, main actor, camerawork and editing all come together in a bonafide and sparing way to create a convincing, authentic, true-to-detail piece of work about the life of an unsuccessful artist who gradually loses contact with society."

The jury also gave special praise to the Dutch social comedy "MAYBE SWEDEN" by Margien Rogaar, saying …

"Thanks to successful mix of outstanding direction, interplay between the actors, a taut dramatic structure and a sharp sense of humour, the outcome is a strong and politically relevant film."

The winner of the Audience Prize, which comes with €1,000 donated by Choices, the listings magazine, was "COWBOY ANGELS" by Kim Massée (F)

The Focus on China section of the program offered a good overview of the films currently being made by Chinese women film directors and the chance to talk to the film-makers in person. Unique opportunities which, in this form, will probably not be possible in Germany for some time to come. Either way, the variety of the works on view left an impression of an incredibly vital, creative and self-aware film scene.

Unlike previous years, all the programme sections were given equal footing — with Queer Looks, as ever, proving to be the audience magnet. With her comedy "TICK TOCK LULLABY," for example, Lisa Gornik (UK) simply enchanted the Film Forum audience on the Saturday evening.

The ideal of allowing more space and time for the need to talk about film and content also went down very well. For instance, the Panorama film & discussion event with Medica Mondiale revolving round Meira Asher's documentary film "WOMAN SEE A LOT OF THINGS" about former girl soldiers in Sierra Leone made a deep and moving impression on the audience.

Meanwhile, as if in no time at all, our brand-new Festival Blog – a collaborative venture by students at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and the Technical University of Dortmund – became a lively online platform for all the latest news about the festival. It will continue after the festival has finished at: festivalblog.or.yourweb.de

Jury:

Anna Anders, UDK Berlin

Jan Schuijren, NMA Kurator, Amsterdam

Gabriel Soucheyre, Videoformes

Winners:

Reynold Reynolds, Title: "SECRET LIFE"

Installation

Nicholas Provost, Title: "PLOT POINT"

B 2007, BetaCam 13:39

Statement of the jury:

The jury jointly decided to split the EMAF-prize of 3000 Euro, awarding the installation "Secret Life" by American artist Reynold Reynolds, and the video "Plot Point" by Belgian artist Nicholas Provost.

Reynold Reynolds "Secret Life", two channel video installation, 2008

(Quote Reynolds) "One thing that I enjoy about dreams is the way that narrative collapses. Emotion and context replace the question of plot. The subconscious meaning of things becomes prevalent. Reynolds background in physics and philosophy, becomes apparent in both works presented in the EMAF exhibition. The jury decided to award "Secret Life". Set in an apartment, Reynolds frames reality in a laboratory, showing us to what extent our connection with Œreal life_ is a very subconscious or even unconscious one. In ŒSecret Life_, time becomes an entity of its own, contracting and expanding, becoming circular and repetitive time becoming the agent of life. The apartment becomes an activity of life and destruction, and the familiar becomes uncanny and frightening, leaving the spectator hovering between emotional fascination and physical repulsion.

Nicholas Provost / Plot Point / 13:39 min / 2007

The crowded streets of New York City turn into fictive, cinematographic scenery. Provost is playing with our collective memory, its cinematic codes and narrative languages _ questioning the boundaries between a staged, suggested reality and authentic fiction. Although for the most part filmed with a hidden camera, ŒPlot Point_ presents a highly dramatic construction with overly sophisticated images and a subtle but tangible urge in the soundtrack. The meticulousness with which Provost shoots and edits the images and sounds make "Plot Point" the perfect trailer for dramatized experience in our daily life, an ordinary walk on the street will never be the same again.

Dialogue Award:

Jury:

Anna Anders, UDK Berlin

Jan Schuijren, NMA Kurator, Amsterdam

Gabriel Soucheyre, Videoformes

Giesela Rueb, Goethe Institut Paris

Winner:

Julia Meltzer & David Thorne, Titel: WE WILL LIVE TO SEE THESE THINGS, OR, FIVE PICTURES OF WHAT MAY COME TO PASS /USA 2007 / Mini DVD / 47:04

Neil Beloufa, Titel: KEMPINSKI / F7Mali 2007 / DVD / 13:58

Statement of the jury

The ministry for external affairs (Auswärtiges Amt) offers a 2.000 EUR dialogue prize for a work which supports the intercultural dialogue between different cultures and regions of the world.

The jury selected two works. Each of them gets 1.000 €:

1) Neil Beloufa /"Kempinski" / 13:58 min/ 2007

We choose "Kempinski" by Neil Beloufa, who lives in Paris, for the Dialogue Prize because this work questions our expectations and projections of Africa in a very clever way and on a extremely high visual level. The story is set in a small village in Africa. It is night time with little artificial light. The villagers are talking directly into the camera, telling present-time stories of a futuristic, magical world which seems to connect to African culture. It takes some time to realize that it might not be a documentary that we're confronted with, and slowly but surely you begin to wonder about the surrealistic elements they speak so naturally about being married to a cow, telepathy and teleportation, spaceships. Irritation and fascination alternate continuously, culminating in the neon sign of Hotel Kempinski.

2) Julia Meltzer & David Thorne / "We Will Live to See These Things, or, Five Pictures of What May Come to Pass"/ 47:04 min / 2007

"We Will Live to See These Things, or, Five Pictures of What May Come to Pass" is a political and yet poetic documentary in five parts, each stylistically autonomous and concise. The video delivers a kaleidoscopic and subtle portrait of Syria, opening up possible futures. In a very elaborate but simple visual language the work offers a different perspective on a place where people live between the competing forces of a repressive regime, a growing conservative Islamic movement, and intense pressure of the United States. The two American artists provide information without making fixed statements. The essayistic approach evokes an active and engaged reading of the work, turning a highly complex situation into a very accessable one, allowing the viewer to draw his own conclusions.

Prize for Best German Experimental Film:

This year's "Preis der deutschen Filmkritik" in the category "Experimentalfilm", conferred during the European Media Art Festival Osnabrück by the "Verband der deutschen Filmkritiker" goes to Sylvia Schedelbauer for her film "Falsche Freunde" (false friends).

Jury

Leni Höllerer, Marc Heirapetian, Hans-Jürgen Tast

Statement of the jury

With the simple means of old black-and-white archive material and rather familiar, albeit slightly alienated horror soundtrack, the director manages to draw the viewer into the nightmarish atmosphere of the images by the unsettling rhythm of the cuts. "Falsche Freunde" takes place in the undefined space between video art and feature film narration. The oppressive tension never abates, even though the mysteriousness, which is reminiscent of David Lynch, of the dark - in both senses of the word - scenes do not look set to be deciphered.

The night of the festival the audience is asked to vote for their favorite film or video with a ballot they receive on their program. Votes are counted that night and the next day we announce that years "LeBlanc Audience Choice Award." The "LeBlanc Audience Choice Award" is dedicated to former ASU Art Museum Security Officer Steve LeBlanc, whose life was taken from us tragically prior to the 1998 festival. He was a great friend to everyone and a major reason the festival was a big success in its first year. Everyone loved Steve and that is why we found it appropriate to dedicate this award to his memory.

Maurice Chauvet for "Three-Fifty"

Honorable Mention: David Pomes, "Cook County."

Best Documentary Feature (Sponsored By Ground Zero): Peter Entell, "Shake The Devil Off."

Honorable Mention: Lisa Merton & Alan Dater, "Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai.

Audience Award For Best Narrative Feature (Sponsored By Curb Records): David Pomes, "Cook County."

Audience Award For Best Documentary Feature (Sponsored By The Documentary Channel): Barry Simmons, "Sons Of Lwala."

2008 Nashville Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award: Patricia Neal.

President's Award: Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

Governor's Award: William H. Macy.

Reel Current Award (Presented By Al Gore): Michael O'Connell, "Mountain Top Removal."

NPT Human Spirit Award (Sponsored By Nashville Public Television): Barry Simmons, "Sons of Lwala."

Best LGBT Film Award (Sponsored By Logo TV): Tie, Tom Gustafson, "Were The World Mine" And Sophie Gregg, "The Manual."

Women In Film & Television Award For Best Film Directed By A Woman (Sponsored By Women In Film & Television Nashville Chapter): Lisa Merton, "Taking Root: The Vision Of Wangari Maathai.

Rosetta Miller Perry Award for the Best Film By A Black Filmmaker (Sponsored By The Tennessee Tribune): Elvis Mitchell, "The Black List"

Lonely Seal Releasing Feature Film Award: Paul Leuer, "Eden Court."

Best Cinematography in a Feature Film (Sponsored By AC, Inc.): David Morrison, "Tracing Cowboys."

Tennessee Independent Spirit Award for the Best Feature-Length Film Directed By a Tennessee Resident (Sponsored By The Tennessee Film, Music And Entertainment Commission): Barry Simmons, "Sons Of Lwala."

Tennessee Independent Spirit Award for the Best Short-Form Directed By a Tennessee Resident (Sponsored By The Tennessee Film, Music And Entertainment Commission): Drew Langer, "Blindsided."

Honorable Mention: Rachel Lawson, John Edgerton, Terrie Lawrence, “A Child Shall Lead Them.”

Best Music In A Narrative Feature Film (Sponsored By Naxos of America): Jessica Fogle, Cory James Krueckeberg and Tim Sandusky, “Were the World Mine.”

Impact of Music Award: Stephen Walker, "Young@Heart"

Honorable Mention: Denny Tedesco, "The Wrecking Crew."

Honorable Mention: Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden, "Anita O'Day: The Life A Jazz Singer."

Best Documentary Short (Sponsored By Ground Zero): Daniel Robin, "my olympic summer."

Honorable Mention: Tim O'Hara, "Swim For Life."

Best Narrative Short: Spencer Susser, "I Love Sarah Jane."

Honorable Mention: Brett Wagner, "Chief."

Honorable Mention: Nash Edgerton, "Spider."

Golden Opportunity Award For Best College Student Short (Sponsored By Vanderbilt University): Wyatt Garfield & Ed Yonaitis "The Execution Of Solomon Harris."

Honorable Mention: Daniel Robin, "my olympic summer."

Honorable Mention: Sam Goetz, "Bruno."

Best Animated Short: Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowksi, "Madame Tutli-Putli."

Honorable Mention: Josh Raskin, "I Met the Walrus."

Best Experimental Short: Olivo Barbieri, "Sevilla --> ∞ 06."

Young Filmmaker Scholarship Award (Sponsored By Watkins College of Art & Design/Film School): Joseph Procopio, "Western Spaghetti."

Honorable Mention: Roman Dent, "South Africa: From the City, To the Slum, To the Savannah."

Honorable Mention: Ben Clark, Victoria Whitaker, Chris McKie, Andrew Arwood and Andy Fannon, "A Love Story...Kind Of...Well...Not Really."

Glimmer International Award

£1000 prize supplied to winning film from World Trade Centre Hull and Humber

"Hairlady"

Director: David Birdsell

This experimental 8 minute film from the US showed ‘great invention’ and ‘enormous wit’ according to our jury members

Glimmer UK Award

£500 Prize supported by Hull Trains

"Dog’s Mercury"

Director: Martin Radich

A weird and wonderful glimpse into life providing an ‘aching humanity’ and ‘dark humour’ that the jury members adored

Glimmer Yorkshire Award

£500 Prize supported by Yorkshire Forward

"You, Me and Captain Longbridge"

Director: Kenny Doughty

This film, receiving it’s world premiere at Glimmer, was ‘beautifully shot’ and told an ‘emotional story’ that resonated with our jury.

A special mention also went to:

"Christmas In Huddersfield"

Director: Peter Spence

A simple documentary telling an extraordinary story.

Glimmer Hull Award

Prize of Nokia 6550 sponsored by The Mobile Point

"What You Do by Cool Fun"

Director: Jay Moy

This music video was ‘fun to watch’ and filmed in a ‘visually exciting way’

Golden Horseman Animated Film:

"Madame Tutli-Putli"

Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Canada, 2007)

€ 7 500

Golden Horseman Short Fiction Film:

"Valuri (Waves)"

Directed by Adrian Saturi ( Romania, 2007)

€ 7 500

and "Examen"

Directed by Paul Negoescu (Romania, 2007)

Golden Horseman - Youth Jury

"Moen-Koey" (Always)

Directed by Sivaroj Kongsakul ( Thailand, 2006)

€ 2 000

Stiftung für Kunst & Kultur der Stadtsparkasse Dresden

Golden Horseman Audience Award: "Run"

Directed by Mark Albiston (New-Zealand 2007)

€ 2 000

Sächsische Zeitung

ARTE Short Fiction Film Prize: "La Parabólica" (The Parabolic Dish)

Directed by Xavi Sala ( Spain, 2007)

€ 6 000

National Competition

Golden Horseman Best Animated Film: "Weiss" by Florian Grolig (2007)

€ 3 000

German Institute for Animated Film

Golden Horseman Best Short Fiction Film: "Robin"

Directed by Hanno Olderdissen (2007)

€ 3 000

Saxony Film Association

Mitteldeutscher Film- und Fernsehproduzentenverband

Golden Horseman Audience Award

"Bende-Sira Ich bin dran" ( It's my turn )

Directed by Ismet Ergün ( 2007)

€ 2 000

MDR Public Broadcaster

Minister of Fine Arts Promotion Prize

"Liebeskrank" (Lovesick)

Directed by Spela Cadez (2007)

€ 20 000

Saxon Ministry of Science and the Fine Arts

Best Sound(scape) Award

Golden Horseman

Best Sound(scape) Award of the European Centre for the Arts Hellerau

National and International Competition

"Madame Tutli-Putli"

Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Germany, 2007)

€ 3 000

European Centre for the Arts Hellerau

Exchange Forum

"Perspectives for Animated Film"

Promotion Prize

min. € 4 000

DEFA Foundation

by JEON Soo-il (South Korea)

JURY PRIZE: "FLOWER IN THE POCKET"

by LIEW Seng Tat (Malaysia)

"WONDERFUL TOWN"

by Aditya ASSARAT (Thailand)

LOTUS AIR FRANCE | CRITICS' PRIZE: "WITH A GIRL OF BLACK SOIL"

by JEON Soo-il (South Korea)

LOTUS ACTION ASIA | BEST ACTION ASIA FILM: "HEROS DE GUERRE"

by FENG Xiaogang (China)

“Our awards are an integral part of ReelWorld. It’s an opportunity to give back something really tangible to the filmmakers…not only a trophy honoring them, but in many cases resources to sustain their dreams,” says Tonya Lee Williams, ReelWorld founder and president. “These prizes would not be possible without the support of our sponsors Cineplex Media, TD Bank Financial Group, Pierre Laurent Timepieces, Audio Vision, Kodak Canada Entertainment Imaging, Movieola, Star! TV, Stoltz family, National Film Board (NFB) a big thanks to all of them”

The Tonya Lee Williams Award for Outstanding Canadian Feature was awarded to “The Limits”, Directed by Ben Mazzotta, Produced by Maria Kennedy and Drazen Baric presented by Chantelle Nicholls, District vice-president, on behalf of proud Closing Night sponsor TD Bank Financial Group. Honorable Mention “Freaky Useless Spicy Story” (Faltu Utpatang Chutpati Kahani) Directed and Produced by Kalpesh Patel.

ReelWorld Award for Outstanding Canadian Short Film went to “Souvenirs from Asia" Directed by Joyce Wong, Produced by S. Brent Martin;

Honorable Mention goes to “Darkness Calls in Gitxsan” Directed by Anthony Wong, Produced by Sean Muir, Presented by Sasha Stoltz, Publicist.

ReelWorld Award for Outstanding Canadian Documentary went to “Midnight Ballads” Directed by Diego Briceno-Orduz, Produced by Yanick L’etourneau, presented by Anita Lee, National Film Board Producer.

Star! ReelChoice Audience Award went to “Ocean of Pearls” Directed by Sarab S. Neelam, Produced by Jim Burnstein, Jeff Dowd, Sarab S. Neelam, and Jaspal K. Neelam; Runner Up: “This is the Life” Directed by Ava DuVernay, Produced by Ellene V. Miles presented by Star! TV’s Husein Madhavji.

ReelWorld Award for Outstanding Canadian Music Video was awarded to “Compton to Scarboro” by The Carps, Directed by Marc Ricciardelli. Honorable Mention: “Haven't Seen U Smile” by Imann Faith, Directed by Gobi; Presented by Diego Fuentes, ReelWorld Music Video Programmer.

ReelWorld Award for Outstanding International Feature Film went to “Namibia” Directed by Charles Burnett, Produced by Abius Akwaak, Steve Gukas, and Uazuva Kaumbi. “Namibia” is a visually compelling film that examines the Namibian people’s long struggle for independence with brutal honesty. Award presented by Rob Trimbee, Audio Vision Canada.

ReelWorld Award for Outstanding International Short went to “Pariah” Directed by Dee Rees, Produced by Nekisa Cooper. “Pariah” is a poignant drama that explores the duality between who you are and who you are thought to be. Presented by Rob Trimbee, Audio Vision Canada

ReelWorld Award for Outstanding International Documentary was won by “Welcome To Nollywood”, Directed by Jamie Meltzer, Produced by Cayce Lindner and Henry S. Rosenthal. Honorable Mention “Nosaltres” Directed by Moussa Toure, Produced by Les Films du Crocodile. “Welcome To Nollywood” takes place in the Nigerian Film Industry. Presented by Hayet BenKara, ReelWorld Programming and Industry Series Director.

Well respected Broadcaster, journalist, television program director and administrator, and a radio television and feature film producer Fil Fraser received this year’s Tony Stoltz ReelWorld Visionary Award. Presented by Lynne Stoltz, Author and screenwriter, Producer for Have Faith Productions. The Tony Stoltz award recognizes organizations and individuals who pioneer to create opportunities for others, to open doors and to make change happen.

Accomplished artist Charles Burnett received the ReelWorld Award of Excellence. Director Charles Burnett has risen to the top of the film industry and has established himself as a strong voice in the American Cinema. Presented by Salah Bachir, President, Cineplex Media.

Also recognized at the ceremony were the 2008 ReelWorld Trailblazers. Presented by Actress, Producer and Founder of the ReelWorld Film Festival Tonya Lee Williams

Andre Beraud, TF1, Artistic Director of Fiction, KC Collins, Actor, Jani Lauzon, Freelance Artist, CO-Managing Artistic Director for Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble; CO-chair of ACTRA Toronto and ACTRA National Diversity Committees; Actor

Lisa Mahal, National Communications Manager, Directors Guild of Canada

Austin Wong, Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Rhombus Media

Feature Narrative:

Audience Award: "Dakota Skye"

Best Director: Ron Berrett for "An American in China"

Best Actor: James McDonald in "Fissure"

Best Ensemble Cast: "Dakota Skye"

Feature Documentary

Audience Award: "Two Million Minutes"

Best Educational Film: "Two Million Minutes"

Best Environmental Film: "Who's Got the Power?"

Short Narrative

Audience Award: "Looking Up Dresses"

Best Ensemble Cast: "A Day's Work"

Best LA Insider Film: "Partially True Tales of High Adventure!"

Best Male Performance: Ron Rifkin in "Pivot"

Best Performance by a Child: Tolan Aman in "Pumpkin Hell"

Best Female Performance: Hanieh Jodat in "Rabia"

Best Comedy: "Looking Up Dresses"

Best Dark Comedy: "Feeding"

Best Cinematography: "Persona"

Best Thriller: "The Colony"

Best Director: Ramaa Mosley for "The Brass Teapot"

Best Satire: "Orion Slave Girls Must Die!!!"

Best Action Film: "R.I.P. Tide"

Best Visual Effects: "Hank’s Auto Repair"

Shorts Too

Audience Award: "The Light"

Best Director: "No Middle Ground"

Best Thriller: "Abingdon"

Best Historical Film: "The Light"

Best Concept: "Lucky 10"

Best Supernatural Film: "Messages"

Best Horror Film: "The Butcher"

Best Comedy: "Mr. Gnobody"

Mini-Docs

Audience Award: "The Beanie Baby Soldier"

Best Historical Short Film: "Pilgrimage"

Best Current Events Short Film: "The Beanie Baby Soldier"

Best Social Awareness Short Film: "Get On The Bus For Mother's Day"

Animation

Audience Award: "Simulacra"

Best Short Animation: "Simulacra"

Best Short Animation Philly: "Sam and Piccolo"

Music Videos

Audience Award: "GLARING AT THE SUN"

Best Group Performance: "GLARING AT THE SUN"

Best Solo Performance: "Lies"

Best Philly Music Video: "Gone"

Student Shorts

Audience Award: "The Legend of Rosalie"

Best Documentary: "The Legend of Rosalie"

Best Narrative: "All She Wants to Do"

AND FINALLY THE GRAND PRIZE...

The Best of Fest Award: "DAKOTA SKYE"

The jury for the 13th PBIFF consisted of: Director Dan Wolman (winner of PBIFF’s 2007 Best Feature, Tied Hands) and Joan Robbins, Sr. VP, Talent Relations, Entertainment Studios, who judged Feature Films; Emmanuel Itier, film producer, and Debbie Frank, COO of the Frank Theatres, who voted on Documentaries; Conrad Bachmann, former governor of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences judged the Short Films. The jury was particularly appreciative of the effort each filmmaker put into their projects and felt they should be commended for the creative energy that went into each film! The winning films were:

The Award for Best Feature Film went to the heartwarming and inspirational Italian film "Rosso Come Il Cielo" (Red like the Sky) directed by Cristiano Bortone. “Red Like The Sky” recounts the incredible true story of early life of blind sound editor Micro Mencacci, the victim of a childhood accident which robbed him of his sight. The film shows how the imaginative and creative boy not only changes the lives of everyone around him, but contributes to change the country’s misguided treatment of children with disabilities.

The Award for Best Director of a Feature Film subsequently went to Cristiano Bortone for his film "Rosso Come Il Cielo" (Red like the Sky). Said jurors Wolman and Robbins, “It was very difficult for us to decide who will be Best Director among the almost equally deserving men and women in this category, but we chose Cristiano Bartone for his emotional and cinematically powerful direction.

The Features Jury awarded a Special Jury Prize to Lachen Zinoun, the world-famous dancer-choreographer for his directorial debut, “Our Al Ward (The Lost Beauty).” “Zinoun, who succeeds in giving his film a fairy tale, almost classical feel, shows great imagination and talent,” commented Wolman and Robbins.

After viewing nine worthy competitors, the jury decided not to give the prize for “Best Performance” to an individual, but rather to the entire ensemble cast of the engrossing Irish film, “Kings,” for their touching portrayal of Irish emigrants in England – a performance rich in humanity and emotion. The cast was led by Colm Meaney, Donal O’Kelly, Brendan Conroy, Donncha Crowley, Barry Barnes, Seán O’Tarpaigh and Peadar O’Treasaigh.

The Award for Best Documentary Feature went to "D'une Seule Voix" (With One Voice), directed by de Lauzanne Xavier. Long-time music vagabond Jean-Yves Labat de Rossi invited musicians from Israel and Palestine to join together on an extraordinary tour that would unite them in France for three weeks. On stage it was a triumph, but tempers flared backstage. But this inescapable proximity forced them to communicate. The stresses from the exhausting tour and political rivalries slowly developed into close ties, sustained and driven by the music.

Documentary juror Emmanuel Itier commented, “This year, again, was such a rich and diverse year with inspirational movies that truly touched the heart and made a political statement."

A Special Jury Prize was awarded to Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit’s “Saving Luna,” about a lost baby orca whale. Seeking friendship from humans, he is both beloved and feared. Tragedy makes him a symbol of wild beauty…wonderful to know, hard to save. Commented juror Debbie Frank, “It was a phenomenal and touching story that showed just how similar humans are to wild beings…it broke down the fundamental barrier of mutual fear and ignorance that normally exists.”

The Award for Best Short Film went to Shalini Kantayya’s “A Drop of Life.” Shorts juror Conrad Bachmann commented, “Never before has the saying ‘A drop in the bucket’ become more monumental than the impact of this film. Crafted with precision, it has all the impact of our future. Shalini Kantayya takes us on a journey of society’s class system and the world of profit. In 17 minutes this film will change your life.”

The Voices of Local Films winners were:

Best Picture: "Valentino’s Day," directed by Joel Barham and Nick De Palo

Best Original Screenplay: "Sweet Jesus," directed by Swati Kapila

Best Director: Joel Rodriguez for "Undocumented"

At the center of the Film Festival were the filmmakers. Randi Emerman, PBIFF Director, commented, “This year, for me, it was refreshing and inspiring to have had the honor to discover so many wonderful filmmakers from the corners of the earth. The films unveiled a wide swath of experiences…they entertained and dazzled us, they made us laugh and cry, but more importantly, they made us think!”

Directed by: The Deagol Brothers

Documentary Feature: "At the Death House Door"

Directed by: Peter Gilbert and Steven James

Pink Peach Award Presented by Turner: "XXY"

Directed by: Lucia Puenzo

Narrative Short (Academy ® Award Qualifying): "Aquarium"

Directed by: Rob Meyer

Animated Short (Academy ® Award Qualifying): "But Some Are Brave"

Directed by: Grace Channer

Documentary Short: "Africa's Daughters"

Directed by: Natalie Halpern

Rapid i Movement Grand Prize: "Done in One"

Directed by: Jay D Zimmerman and Pat Clark

Special Jury Prize For Excellence in Direction: "My Effortless Brillance"

Directed by: Lynn Shelton

Special Jury Prize For First Documentary: "Land of Confusion"

Directed by: Jeremy Zerechak

Special Jury Prize For Pure Documentary Entertainment: "Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story"

Directed by: Jeffrey Schwarz

Special Jury Prize Pink Peach Award: "The Elevator"

Directed by: Ben Hakim

Audience Award Winner Feature: "Young @ Heart"

Directed by: Stephen Walker

Audience Award Winner Short: "Mexican in the Closet"

Directed by: Chuck Moore

Feature Jury:

Erik Jambor (Indie Memphis)

Craig Zobel (GREAT WORLD OF SOUND)

Documentary Jury:

Ray Barry (AFI Silver)

Karin Hayes (MISSING PIECE)

Bill VanDerKloot (VanDerKloot Productions)

Shorts Jury:

Paul Rachman (Slamdance, AMERICAN HARDCORE)

Peter Knegt (IndieWIRE)

Linda Dubler (High Museum of Art)

Pink Peach Jury:

Dave Hayward (Touching Up Our Roots)

Melissa Carter (Q-100)

Randal Luckow (TurnOut)

Rapid i Movement Jury:

Janet Smith (Red Bull)

Lon Slack (Multimedia Services)

Walker Anderson (Comcast)

Christopher Holland (B-Side)

The awards were introduced by Festival Director of Programming, Tom Hall and Festival Programmer, Holly Herrick and were presented by each of the competition category jurors. The Audience Awards were presented by Hall and Herrick.

The 2008 Sarasota Film Festival presented three competitions, Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Independent Visions, each showcasing some of the finest films at the festival. Each of the competition awards carries a $5,000 cash prize for the filmmaker. In addition, the Bombay Sapphire Audience Awards will also be presented in the categories of Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, World Cinema Feature, and Short Film, and each category carries a $1000 cash prize.

The Jurors for the 10th Sarasota Film Festival’s Narrative Feature Competition include John Kochman, President - UNIFRANCE USA; Writer/Producer Ligiah Villalobos (La Misma Luna); Alison Wilmore (IFC.com). The Jurors for the 2008 SFF Best Documentary Feature Competition include Head of Red Envelope Entertainment, Liesl Copland; Matt Dentler, Festival Producer, SXSW Film Festival and Filmmaker AJ Schnack, (Kurt Cobain: About A Son). The 2008 SFF Independent Visions Competition Jury includes Marc Mauceri, VP, First Run Features; David Nugent, Director of Programming, Hamptons International Film Festival and Nick Dawson, Filmmaker Magazine.

The 2008 Best Narrative Feature Competition Award: “Munyurangabo”

by Lee Isaac Chung.

The 2008 Best Documentary Feature Competition Award sponsored by Sky Sotheby’s: “Stranded: I Have Come From A Plane That Crashed On The Mountains”

by Gonzalo Arijon.

A Special Documentary Jury Prize : “To See If I’m Smiling”

by Tamar Yarom.

The 2008 Independent Visions Competition Award, sponsored by Heineken: “The Pleasure of Being Robbed” by Joshua Safdie.

An Independent Visions Special Jury Prize for Cinematography: “Medicine For Melancholy”

by Barry Jenkins, Cinematography by James Laxton.

Sponsored by Bombay Sapphire, special recognition goes to winners of our Audience Favorite Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary, Excellence in World Cinema, and Best Short Film. Each category carries a $1,000 cash prize presented to the filmmaker.

Bombay Sapphire Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: “Fugitive Pieces”

by Jeremy Podeswa.

Bombay Sapphire Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: “Of All The Things”

by Jody Lambert.

Bombay Sapphire Audience Award for Best in World Cinema: “Christmas Story” (Finland)

by Juha Wuolijoki.

Bombay Sapphire Audience Award for Best Short Film: “La Corona”

by Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega.

Later that evening, at the gala 10th Anniversary Ball held at the Longboat Key Club & Resort, Board President Ian Black, Festival Executive Director, Jody Kielbasa, Master of Ceremonies, radio personality Cliff Rowles, and special honored guest Florida Governor Charlie Crist paid tribute to its Award Winners and Special Honorees. This year we were thrilled to have a stellar group of honorees including 2008 Regal Entertainment Group’s Career Achievement Award recipient, Charlize Theron; 2008 Renaissance Award in honor of his work as a Writer/Director/Actor, Stanley Tucci (presented by his friend, and 2007 SFF World Cinema Honoree, Steve Buscemi. The Producer award was presented (by Florida Film Commissioner Lucia Fishburne) to Ted Hope and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (introduced by SFF Honorary Co-Chair and CEO of United Artists Paula Wagner) received the Festival’s Breakthrough Award.

The evening also found the awarding of the Heineken Red Star Award. Heineken is partnering with the SFF, and select other festivals, in presenting the Heineken Red Star Award to independent filmmakers who embody the ideals of innovation, originality and vision in the process of outstanding film achievement.

The award, selected by SFF’s Independent Visions Jury: “The Pleasure of Being Robbed”

by Joshua Safdie.

Earlier in the Festival, at the Luncheon Under the Banyans event, Michael Barker, (Co-President of Sony Pictures Classics) presented the international acclaimed actress/director, Liv Ullmann, with the “Master of World Cinema Award.”

Also, at the Awards presentation at the Longboat Key Club and Resort, The Youth Awards were presented by Outreach & Education Director Hans Wohlgefahrt.

This year’s Kids Jury consists of 18 aspiring film critics from New Gate School. Instructed on how to critique film by local reviewers, they preview the shorts films and provide theater introductions during the Festival. This year, the Kids Jury selected:

Kids Jury: KidsFest Best Short Film Award: “Lucky Oli” Directed by Saschka Unseld and Johannes Weiland, Germany

Young Filmmakers' Showcase: Neil D. McCurry Scholarship for Best Direction: “Virulent”

Directed by Kasey Hettig-Rolfe, USA

Young Filmmakers' Showcase: Gerd Petrik Scholarship for Best Screenplay: “Mouse Trap”

Directed by Vincent Dale, USA

Young Filmmakers' Showcase: Honorable Mention: “Pits In Paradise”

Directed by Harrison Sanborn and Nick Roberts, USA

Dr. John Welch Scholarship: “The Wall”

Directed by Michael Lloyd Green, USA

The 10th Annual Sarasota Film Festival, ended on Sunday, April 13th after 10 days of films, parties, seminars, education and excitement. This year’s program, coordinated by festival director of programming Tom Hall, was a celebration of diversity and internationality. From the Opening Night kick off on April 4th with the presentation of “The Deal” with stars William H. Macy, Jason Ritter, Fiona Glascott and Director Steven Schacter in town, through to the Gala Tribute celebration for our Filmmaker Honorees & Special Guests, Charlize Theron, Stanley Tucci, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Ted Hope, Governor Charlie Crist, Paula Wagner, Steve Buscemi, our Competition and Audience winners, and our Closing Night Film, Stuart Townsend’s “Battle in Seattle,” in with his cast, Ms. Theron, Michelle Rodriguez and Martin Henderson the festival was a beehive of activity. SFF presented over 225 narrative, documentary and short films in programs including World Cinema, youthFEST!, Industry Spotlight, Narrative Features, Documentaries, Shorts and Independent Visions.

The festival presented two special sidebars during the event. Face To Face: The Films of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman. In honor of Liv Ullmann, our 2008 Master of World Cinema Award winner, we presented the complete retrospective of the twelve film collaboration between Ms. Ullmann and the director Ingmar Bergman, one of the most fruitful relationships in the history of cinema. She also joined us for our Conversation Series at the Historic Asolo Theater moderated by Sony Pictures Classics Co-President Michael Barker. In partnership with the Sarasota Manatee Jewish Federation, The Sarasota Film Festival was proud to present Israel@60: The Nation, The Diaspora and Beyond a selection of contemporary films that explore Jewish history, culture and identity as well as the complex diversity of art and life in Israel.

Among the other guests appearing at the festival were Nora Dunn, Rosemary Harris, Jennifer Ehle, Jeremy Renner, Michael Badalucco, Norman Lloyd, Mark Burton, Ian Ziering, Juha Wuolijoki, Bela Fleck, Elvis Mitchell, David Darcy, Joe Sirola, Ry Russo-Young, Michael Tully, Alex Karpovsky, Azazel Jacobs, Todd Rohal, Ben Kasulke and a terrific array of filmmakers, actors, journalists and industry folk. And, most exciting, all the area students who passed through the festival and experienced the art of filmmaking via production programs, backstage theatre visits, and screenings as well as many of our filmmakers visiting and talking out in their classrooms.

Winner of the Jameson Award for the Best Short Film

"THE SOUND OF PEOPLE"

Director: Simon Fitzmaurice

The jury felt that this is a stylish, wonderfully cinematic film of great imagination. A marvelous central performance, an extraordinary voice over and some remarkable and compelling cinematography combine to provide a feast for the eyes and ears.

Winner of the Skillset Award to the best NI film

"JAMES"

Director: Connor Clements

The jury felt that the director had handled the extremely sensitive and emotive subject with care, skill and style. There was an impressive performance from the young actor whose character was seeking guidance about his concerns over his sexuality and whilst there was the danger that the story could be reduced to stereotypical characterisation, the writer / director avoided this trap and delivered a truly moving film.

Highly commended

The Jury highly commend the films "NEW BOY" directed by Steph Green and "BUA," directed by Sonya Gildea. New Boy for the mature performance of the young actors, witty dialogue and impressive story telling, including some brilliantly conceived, designed and filmed African settings. Bua for such courageous directing, editing and shot selection and in dealing with the subject matter so energetically and particularly with the added difficulty of having a horse as a central character in the piece

Winner of the Maysles Brothers Documentary Award

"END OF THE RAINBOW"

Director: Robert Nugent

The jury commented:

“We were struck by the way in which End of the Rainbow told an important and powerful story with breathtaking clarity, economy and beauty. We were also impressed by the way in which the director avoided what could have been an easy and obvious stereotyping of his characters and, in doing so, left the audience to reflect on the universal themes explored in the documentary.”

Winner of the Best Documentary Short

"THE FIRST DAY"

Director: Marcin Sauter.