News

The CineMart 2016 awards have been announced marking the close of the 33rd edition of the co-production market. German production "Berlin Alexanderplatz" was awarded the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €20,000, which is given to a project presented by a European producer. Colombian production "Birds of Passage" was awarded the €6,000 Arte International Prize and the Wouter Barendrecht Award went to Christopher Radcliff’s new project "The Strange Ones." The prize of €5,000 is given by the Wouter Barendrecht Film Foundation. The jury for the Arte and Eurimages awards is comprised of the Netherlands Film Fund’s Dorien van de Pas, producer Annamaria Lodato and Fabien Westerhoff, head of international licensing, production and finance company Ffwd (formerly with Hanway and WestEnd). The Wouter Barendrecht Award is decided on by representatives of the Wouter Barendrecht Film Foundation, Nelleke and Ellis Driessen.

CineMart selected 25 international projects to participate in the four day event which has been one of the most successful in recent years. Multiple conferences and panels covering topics ranging from “Making the most of a film festival” to “The Micro-Budget Talent Programmes” were held in front of packed audiences who were invited to be involved in the debates and receive advice. Mike S. Ryan (Greyshack Films), Michael Weber (The Match Factory), Winnie Lau (Jettone Films Ltd) and Bero Beyer (Director Iffr) discussing ‘The Creative Thunder of Cinema’ proved one of the highlights of Iffr 2016.

On making the announcement, Head of Industry and CineMart, Marit van den Elshout commented: “This year’s line-up was exceptional and inspiring. I speak on behalf of the entire team when I say that we could not be more proud – we have seen so many great projects, and so many talented teams behind them, the winners really exemplify this. I am also pleased to say that we hosted multiple extremely well attended panels and conversations, discussing the current state and possible future of the cinema that we love and cherish in Rotterdam.”

This year’s Eurimages Co-Production Development Award winner, "Berlin Alexanderplatz" by Burhan Qurbani (Germany) is a Sommerhaus Filmproduktion production. On the jury’s decision, Dorien van de Pas commented: “The project gives us a new and relevant view on a classic piece. The talented director has already made several films about urgent and relevant topics, that currently affect all our countries. Here he will combine elements of genre film with more political and emotional layers, which makes it accessible for a younger audience. The project leads to an ideal co-production scenario and the money of this award will be well employed for casting and further development.”

The Arte International Prize winner is "Birds of Passage" (Colombia) by Ciro Guerra, who is currently nominated for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award for "Embrace of the Serpent," produced by Ciudad Lunar Producciones and Blond Indian Films. On presenting the award, Annemaria Lodato commented: “We decided to give the Arte International Prize to a young South American filmmaker who has already produced a strong and convincing body of work. The project takes us into the heart of an indigenous community, a time and place never explored on screen.”

The Wouter Barendrecht Award winner is "The Strange Ones" (USA), directed by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein, produced by Sébastien Aubert. "Mysterious events surround the travels of two brothers as they make their way across a remote American landscape. On the surface all seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to something more complex, dark, and potentially deadly." On presenting the award Managing Director of Fortissimo Films, Nelleke Driessen commented: “The short film on which this film project is based, convinced the jury of the potential for the feature. We trust that the makers will succeed to translate this apparent simple story into an intriguing, multi layered psychological thriller.”

Hbf+Europe Distribution Support for International Co-productions

Next to these awards, Iffr’s Hubert Bals Fund is proud to announce the first selection of its brand-new distribution scheme: Hbf+Europe Distribution Support for International Co-productions. The scheme is designed to boost the distribution of internationally co-produced films from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe.

The Hbf is pleased to announce that the first Hbf+Europe Distribution grant of 20.000 Euro has been awarded to Heretic Outreach from Greece to support the distribution of "Babai" by Visar Morina (Kosovo, Germany, Macedonia and France) in Greece, Bulgaria and Egypt.

Full selection list for CineMart 2016:

"The Announcement" - Mahmut Fazil Coskun - Turkey/Bulgaria - Filmotto Production/The Chouchkov Brothers "Berlin Alexanderplatz" - Burhan Qurbani - Germany - Sommerhaus Filmproduktion GmbH "Birds of Passage" - Ciro Guerra - Colombia - Ciudad Lunar/Blond Indian Films "Bloody Marie" - Guido van Driel - the Netherlands/Germany - Family Affair Films/Schiwago Film GmbH "Bootlegger" - Caroline Monnet - Canada - Microclimat Films "Dark Room" - Itamar Alcalay - Israel/Germany - Lama Films/Komplizen Film "The Devil Outside" - Andrew Hulme - UK - Ipso Facto Productions "Is this What You Were Born For?" - Radu Jude - Romania - Hi Film Productions "Jessica" - Ninja Thyberg - Sweden - Plattform Produktion "The Last Harem" - Maryam Keshavarz - France/Portugal - Neon Productions/ Ítaca Films/MaraKesh Films (Art:Film) "The Notebooks" - Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige - Lebanon/France - Abbout Productions "Over the City" - Emir Baigazin - Kazakhstan/Germany - Emir Baigazin Production/Augenschein Filmproduktion "Pompei" - John Shank, Anna Falguères - Belgium/Italy - Tarantula/Solaria Film "Rafaël" - Ben Sombogaart - the Netherlands/Italy/Belgium/Tunisia - Rinkel Film/Verdeoro/Entre Chien et Loup/Nomadis Images/Cinetelefilms "Sick, Sick, Sick" - Alice Furtado - Brazil - Estúdio Giz/Oceano "Slam" - Partho Sen-Gupta - Australia - Invisible Republic "Sleep." - Jan-Willem van Ewijk - the Netherlands - Waterland Film/Propellor Film "The Strange Ones" - Christopher Radcliff, Lauren Wolkstein - France/USA - Adastra Films "Teenage Jesus" - Marie Grahtø - Denmark - Beofilm "Under the Sun" - Qiu Yang - France/China - House on Fire/Colorful Age Culture & Media "Der Unschuldige" - Simon Jaquemet - Switzerland - 8Horses "Ursa Major"- Benjamin Crotty - USA/France - AgX/Les Films du Bal "Vikings" - Daniel Hoesl - Austria - Ulrich Seidl Film Produktion GmbH "Wild Princess" - Ester Martin Bergsmark - Sweden - Garagefilm International (Art:Film) "What if Women Ruled the World?" - Yael Bartana - UK - Jacqui Davies Limited...

Exclusive: Projects hail from Australia, China, Brazil, UK, Lebanon and Us.Scroll down for full line-up

International Film Festival Rotterdam’s (Iffr) co-production market CineMart (Jan 31-Feb 3) has revealed its line-up for the upcoming 2016 edition.

The line-up consists of titles includes new works from filmmakers from the Netherlands, Australia, China, Brazil, the UK, Lebanon, France and the Us. The selection also includes two Art:Film projects.

Filmmakers selected this year include Romania’s Radu Jude, whose Aferim! won the Silver Bear at the 2015 Berlinale and will present his new feature project, Is This What You Were Born For?.

Director Guido van Driel from the Netherlands, whose debut feature film Resurrection of a Bastard was the opening film of Iffr in 2013, will present his new project Bloody Marie.

Colombian director Ciro Guerra, whose third feature Embrace of the Serpent won the Art Cinema Award in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs section at 2015 Cannes, will attend...

London Lgbt film festival records biggest box office to date.

BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival concluded on Sunday (March 29) with the European premiere of Malcolm Ingram’s new documentary, Out To Win, celebrating the battle for equality by Lgbt sports people. Special guests included director Malcolm Ingram and basketball star John Amaechi.

The closing night screening broke all box office records in the festival’s 29 years, with audiences of more than 23,500 recorded over the 11-day festival - up by 6.8% on the previous year.

This year’s festival also saw a step-change in industry attendance with a substantial increase in delegate accreditation, including 120 film-makers and more than 200 other industry attendees.

An expanded industry offering included a series of daily workshops on all aspects of film-making, fund-raising, marketing and the creative process.

Mentorship

The inaugural BFI Flare Mentorship programme in association with Creative Skillset was launched with five film-makers.

A partnership between BFI Flare and the British Council...

BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival has announced the successful filmmakers who will take part in the inaugural BFI Flare Mentorship program in partnership with Creative Skillset. This pilot program offers support to five emerging Lgbt filmmakers who will be mentored by a senior figure from the film industry as they develop industry knowledge, professional connections, their passion for cinema and an overview of Lgbt features entering the marketplace with a tailored 9 month program of talks and screenings.

The winning filmmaker participants and their specially chosen mentors are:

Aleem Khan, writer/director, whose short film "Three Brothers" was BAFTA nominated in 2015 and who is currently working on new feature, "After Love." Mentor: Ben Roberts , Director, BFI Lottery Film Fund

Claire Kurylowski, whose web-based work, "In Real Life," garnered a place in Dazed Digital’s Visionaries series and had its cinema premiere at the Institute of Contemporary Arts as part of London Short Film Festival Mentor: Ester Martin Bergsmark, award-winning Swedish filmmaker ("Something Must Break," "She Male Snails")

Islay Bell-Webb, writer, an Nfts graduate who co-wrote "Slap" (directed by Nick Rowland), which was also BAFTA nominated earlier this year Mentor: Russell T. Davies OBE ("Doctor Who" and recently "Cucumber," "Banana" and "Tofu")

Rachelle Constant producer, who is currently a development editor at BBC Continuing Drama and recently produced short film "Two Dosas" which screened at BFI London Film FestivalMentors: Mike Goodridge, CEO of Protagonist Pictures, former editor Screen International; and BAFTA-nominated producer Gavin Humphries

Scout Stuart whose debut feature "Mud" was selected for initial development with Creative England’s iFeatures. He also co-wrote the recent short film "The Pig Child" Mentor: Hong Khaou, director of BAFTA-nominated "Lilting"

Tricia Tuttle, BFI Deputy Head of Festivals, said, “ Watching BFI Flare (formerly Llgff) grow in the last decades, we can see just how much Lgbt cinema has matured and emerged from the shadows. This is rich, vibrant work representing the diversity of Lgbt experience across the globe. But we were also aware there is still a lot of work to be done to support British filmmakers who are Lgbt identified and who may want to tell these stories. We were genuinely impressed by the number of quality applications we received, and blown away by the talent and spirit of our five selected filmmakers. The future of British Lgbt cinema looks very bright indeed. ”

Find out more on the BFI website: http://www.bfi.org.uk/flare/bfi-flare-mentorship-meet-filmmakers...

Mikael Marcimain drama leads pack; Ruben Ostlund, Roy Andersson films follow.

With 13 nominations, Gentlemen, Mikael Marcimain’s adaption of the novel by Klas Östergren, has become one of the most nominated films in the history of Sweden’s national film awards, the Guldbagges.

Ruben Östlund’s Force Majeure (Turist) follows with ten nominations, while there are seven nominations for Venice Golden Lion winner A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron) by Roy Andersson.

A jury of 45 members voted in a secret ballot for the nominations in the main categories.

The Guldbagge Awards ceremony will be held on 26 January, 2015, in Stockholm.

Guldbagge nominees 2015Best Film

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence / En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron

Producer: Pernilla Sandström

Force Majeure / Turist

Producers: Erik Hemmendorff, Marie Kjellson, Philippe Bober

Gentlemen

Producers: Fredrik Heinig, Mattias Nohrborg, [link...

Chicago – The 50th Chicago International Film Festival announced its award winners in a ceremony at the city’s Sofitel Chicago Water Tower on October 17th. The Gold Hugo for “Best Film” went to “The President,” a dark satire from Georgia, France, UK, and Germany. This year’s jury members for the international feature film competition included Oscar-nominated actress Kathleen Turner and renowned German director Margarethe von Trotta.

This festival also marked the introduction of its “Roger Ebert Award,” a celebration of rising new directors, which went to director Jorge Pérez Solano for his film “La Tirisia.”

Honored films include Niels Arden Oplev’s coming-of-age story “Speed Walking,” Abderrahmane Sissako’s luminous film “Timbuktu,” William H. Macy’s directorial debut “Rudderless,” Chicagoan Marie Ullrich’s “The Alley Cat,” and more.

International Feature Film Competition

’The President’

Photo Credit: © Chicago International Film Festival

Gold Hugo for Best Film: “The President” (Georgia, France,...

Debut competition titles at cinematography festival unveiled.

Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 15-22), has revealed the line-up of films screening in three of the festival’s competition sections including Cinematographers’ Debut, Directors’ Debut and Student Etudes.

The entries are:

Cinematographers’ Debut Competition

Duane Hopkins’ Bypass;

UK, 2014; Cinematographer: David Procter

Sidney Lexy Plaut’s Dark Samurai;

Denmark, 2014; Cinematographer: Sidney Lexy Plaut

Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s Difret;

Ethiopia, USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Monika Lenczewska

Krzysztof Skonieczny’s Hardkor Disko;

Poland, 2014; Cinematographer: Kacper Fertacz

Arild Østin Ommundsen’s It’s Only Make Believe;

Norway, 2013; Cinematographer: Arild Østin Ommundsen

Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin-Wilson’s Ruin;

Australia, 2013; Cinematographer: Ari Wegner

Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break;

Sweden, 2014; Cinematographers: Lisabi Fridell and Minka Jakerson

David Pablos’ The Life After;

Mexico, 2013; Cinematographer: José De- La-Torre

Saar Klein’s Things People Do;

USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Matthias Koenigswieser

Jonas Alexander Arnby’s When Animals Dream;

Denmark, 2013; Cinematographer: [link=nm...

Fury (David Ayer)

[via the BFI]

The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. The lineup includes highly anticipated fall titles including David Ayer’s Fury, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, the Sundance smash Whiplash, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild.

As Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, it introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience, offering a compelling combination of red carpet glamour, engaged audiences and vibrant exchange. The Festival provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success at the start of the Awards season, promotes the careers of British and...

World premieres include Wwi drama Testament of Youth, Carol Morley’s The Falling and sci-fi sequel Monsters: Dark Continent.

The line-up for the 58th London Film Festival (Oct 8-19) has been revealed this morning and it is packed with awards contenders and the best of this year’s festivals.

Click here for full line-up

Titles already generating awards buzz that will receive gala screenings at Lff include Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, and Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which proved the breakout hit at Sundance.

Other galas will give European premieres to Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children, starring Adam Sandler and Ansel Elgort with a racy voiceover by Emma Thompson, and biopic Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon and directed by Jean-Marc Vallee.

Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner will also feature among the main gala screenings as will the world premiere of Testament of Youth, a First World...

The 32nd edition of the Los Angeles-based Lgbt comes to a close on July 20 with a screening of Jack Plotnick’s Space Station 76 starring Patrick Wilson, Matt Bomer, Liv Tyler, Sam Pancake and Jennifer Cox.

Sydney Freeland’s Drunktown’s Finest earned the Us Dramatic Feature Film in the grand jury awards, while Stefan Haupt’s The Circle won best documentary feature.

In the audience awards, Daniel Ribeiro prevailed in the dramatic feature category with The Way He Looks and Cheryl Furjanic’s Back On Board: Greg Louganis was named best documentary.

Full list of Outfest 2014 award winners:

Audience Awards

Documentary Short

Families Are Forever, dir Vivian Kleiman

Dramatic Short

Alone With People, dir Drew Van Steenbergen

Documentary Feature

Back On Board: Greg Louganis, dir Cheryl Furjanic

Dramatic Feature

The Way He Looks, dir Daniel Ribeiro

First Us Dramatic Feature

Drunktown’s Finest, dir Sydney Freeland

Grand Jury Awards

Documentary Feature Special Recognition

Dior And I, dir Frédéric Tcheng...

The 32nd edition of the Los Angeles-based Lgbt comes to a close on July 20 with a screening of Jack Plotnick’s Space Station 76 starring Patrick Wilson, Matt Bomer, Liv Tyler, Sam Pancake and Jennifer Cox.

Sydney Freeland’s Drunktown’s Finest earned the Us Dramatic Feature Film in the grand jury awards, while Stefan Haupt’s The Circle won best documentary feature.

In the audience awards, Daniel Ribeiro prevailed in the dramatic feature category with The Way He Looks and Cheryl Furjanic’s Back On Board: Greg Louganis was named best documentary.

Full list of Outfest 2014 award winners:

Audience Awards

Documentary Short – Families Are Forever, dir Vivian Kleiman

Dramatic Short – Alone With People, dir Drew Van Steenbergen

Documentary Feature – Back On Board: Greg Louganis, dir Cheryl Furjanic

Dramatic Feature – The Way He Looks, dir Daniel Ribeiro

First Us Dramatic Feature – Drunktown’s Finest, dir Sydney Freeland

Grand Jury Awards

Documentary Feature Special Recognition – Dior And I, dir Frédéric Tcheng...

A moody exploration of the human need for connection — with others, and ourselves — Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break centers on Sebastian, a queer, androgynous twenty-something, in desperate need of grounding. Drifting through unfulfilling sexual experiences in grungy, modern day Stockholm, a chance encounter leads Sebastian to Andreas, a straight man who nevertheless can’t seem to resist Sebastian’s advances. As their relationship deepens, so do Andreas’ doubts, sending Sebastian towards his feminine alter ego, “Ellie.” Filmmaker spoke to Bergsmark about making the transition from documentary to narrative, and the film’s alternately loose and stylized execution. Something Must Break had its North […]...

A moody exploration of the human need for connection — with others, and ourselves — Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break centers on Sebastian, a queer, androgynous twenty-something, in desperate need of grounding. Drifting through unfulfilling sexual experiences in grungy, modern day Stockholm, a chance encounter leads Sebastian to Andreas, a straight man who nevertheless can’t seem to resist Sebastian’s advances. As their relationship deepens, so do Andreas’ doubts, sending Sebastian towards his feminine alter ego, “Ellie.” Filmmaker spoke to Bergsmark about making the transition from documentary to narrative, and the film’s alternately loose and stylized execution. Something...

Reporting again from Tribeca, here's Jason on the Tiger-winning Something Must Break from Swedish director Ester Martin Bergsmark.

Xavier Dolan directing a remake of Fassbinder's In a Year of Thirteen Moons is what occurred to me about halfway into the Swedish transgender love-story-of-sorts Something Must Break, although I think I probably do director Ester Martin Bergsmark's film a disservice setting it up against the lofty cinema I excitedly imagine that project could be. (Somebody send Xavier a note, please.) As for what the film really is, while it's spiked with moments of aggression and punk (especially in the terrific final moments) it's more intent to drift on languid pauses, hushed tones, and Instagram filters - think Weekend on smack.

Something Must Break tells the tale of Sebastian turning into Ellie while simultaneously falling in love with Andreas, a boy whose outer Sid Vicious masks a more gooey James Dean trustafarian center.

Something Must Break is a nude film. It is about sexuality and gender, profound infatuation and conventionally taboo, even filthy desire. Its characters are often simply, humbly naked in front of an honest but interested camera. They are beautiful and grotesque, typically at the same time. Director Ester Martin Bergsmark has not made a film in order to “rehabilitate” these socially marginal identities and attractions, however. Neither ze nor hir characters is interested in changing the mind of a perhaps unreceptive audience. This isn’t a work of well-meaning, friendly activism. This is a blood- and urine-soaked love story and it is awesome. It goes like this. Sebastian (Saga Becker) is a waifish bundle of nerves, often terribly shy but occasionally confident with a vengeance. She is also evidently transgender, though Bergsmark and co-writer Eli Léven do not introduce simple labeling into this narrative of transitions. She has taken the name of Ellie, at...

Sixth edition of Denmark’s largest fiction festival will feature 160 feature films and more than 400 screenings and events.

Fenar Ahmad’s Flow [pictured] will receive its world premiere as the opening film of the sixth Cph Pix.

Flow will screen at the Imperial cinema on April 2 and also competes for the New Talent Grand Pix. The festival’s main prize will award €15,000 to one of ten debutants to feature at this year’s edition, including Paul Wright’s For Those in Peril and Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. Competing for the prize are:

Jennifer Kent, The Babadook (Australia)Eskil Vogt, Blind (Norway)Felipe Barbosa, Casa Grande or the Ballad of Poor Jean (Brazil)Paul Wright, For Those in Peril (UK)Benjamin Naishat, History of Fear (Argentina, Uruguay)Michalis Konstantantos, Luton (Greece)Gillian Robespierre, Obvious Child (USA)Allessandro Rossetto, Small Homeland (Italy)Bas Devos, Violet (Belgium, Holland)Fenar Ahmad, Flow (Ækte Vare) (Denmark) [pictured]

Overall, this year’s...

By the looks of it, the Tribeca Film Festival might finally be growing out of their awkward teenage phase and moving into a new era where the nab more than just Sundance and SXSW festival rejects. Artistic Director Frederic Boyer has managed to nab some noteworthy American indie projects such as Lou Howe’s Gabriel (see pic above), Keith Miller’s Five Star, Adam Rapp’s Loitering with Intent, and Tristan Patterson’s Electric Slide.

On the docu front, we’ve got the latest from the likes of notable documentarians Marshall Curry and Jessica Yu. Think Ewan McGregor’s Long Way Round meets child solider movie for Curry’s awesomely titled Point and Shoot — where the Libyan rebel army take hold of Curry’s subject. Yu moves from water shortage in Last Call at the Oasis (read our review) to the biggest pandemic of all; Misconception looks at the consequences...

The 13th Tribeca Film Festival has announced half its slate for next month’s New York celebration, which runs April 16-27. Culled from more than 6,000 submissions, Tribeca 2014 includes 55 world premieres, 37 first-time filmmakers, and 22 female directors. “Variously inspired by individual interests and experience and driven by an intense sensibility of style, the array of new filmmaking voices in this year’s competition is especially impressive and I think memorable,” said Frederic Boyer, Tribeca’s artistic director. “The range of American subcultures and international genres represented here are both eclectic and wide reaching.”

On April 17, Gabriel will open the World Narrative competition,...

Tribeca Film Festival top brass have announced (4) the World Narrative and Documentary Competition film selections and Viewpoints titles, comprising 47 of the 89 features that will screen at the festival over April 16-27.

The World Narrative Feature Competition will open with the world premiere of Lou Howe’s Gabriel starring Rory Culkin, while the corresponding documentary category kicks off with the world premiere of Frédéric Tcheng’s Dior And I (pictured).

Viewpoints opens with the world premiere of Onur Tukel’s Summer Of Blood and the section includes the North American premiere of Diao Yinan’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Black Coal, Thin Ice as well as the Us premiere of David Mackenzie’s Starred Up.

All three sections will commence on April 17. As previously announced, the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival will open with documentary Time Is Illmatic a day earlier.

Overall the festival will screen features from 32 countries including 55 world premieres, six international premieres, 12 North American...

Exclusive: Outplay Films has sold Rotterdam winner Something Must Break to Germany and closed a brace of other film sales elsewhere in Europe.

Something Must Break, winner of this year’s Rotterdam Hivos Tiger Award, has been sold by Outplay Films to Germany’s Salzgeber & Co. Medien.

Transgender filmmaker Ester Martin Bergsmark’s first foray into fiction was described by the Tiger Award jury as “a free-floating personal voyage… with a sincere and playful use of cinematographic language.”

The Swedish film is a love story set on the fringes of Stockholm, between androgynous Sebastian (who likes to dress as ‘superwoman’ Ellie) and Andreas, who is straight.

Other deals

Rise & Shine World Sales closed an all-rights deal for ex-Yugoslavia for the Riahi Brothers’ documentary Everyday Rebellion, which was awarded the Cinema For Peace Best Documentary Prize during the Berlinale.

Distributors from Italy and ex-Yugoslavia have picked up Noel Dernesch and Moritz Springer’s Zurich award-winner Journey To Jah, which...

Lgbt sales company with Rotterdam/Gothenburg film and further four titles

French Lgbt distributor Outplay’s fledgling sales arm Outplay Films is making its first appearance at this year’s Efm with a line-up including Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break straight from playing in competition in Rotterdam - where it won a Tiger - and Gothenburg.

The new outfit’s head of international acquisitions and sales Philippe Tasca also has lined up Moroccan writer-director Abdellah Taia’s Salvation Army; Argentinian film-maker Rodrigo Guerrero’s third feature The Third One; Yannick Delhaye’s documentary Hands Untied - Looking For Gay Cinema; and Mark Thiedeman’s debut Last Summer, which won the award for Best Director at last year’s Little Rock Film Festival.

Before coming onboard Outplay Films, Tasca had headed up his own sales company Rendez-vous Pictures for the last eight years.

Rendez-vous will no longer be acquiring new titles, although sales and...

This weekend saw the end of the 2014 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and we can make a tally of all the awards. First and foremost among these are the Hivos Tiger Awards, given to directors only for either their first or second feature, but there were plenty of others to be had as well. Here is the list: Hivos Tiger Awards: This year the Tigers (and the accompanying 15,000 Eur each) go to the three gentlemen above. From left to right: Ikeda Akira - The Anatomy of a Paperclip Ester Martin Bergsmark - Something Must Break Lee Su-jin - Han Gong-ju The Fipresci Award: This is an international film critic award, and it goes to Uruphong Raksasad for The Songs of Rice....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Hisham Zaman has become the first director to be a two-time winner of Gothenburg’s Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film.

This year, Zaman’s Letter to The King won the top prize (and its lucrative €113,000 award), following on last year’s win for Before Snowfall.

Letter To The King is about a group of refugees, all with their own agendas, on an excursion to Oslo.

The jury said: “Letter to the King is a film that takes us to a subculture that is not very well-known. It tells us about people stuck in some kind of no man’s land. It is a film that is compassionate and honest in its presentation of human existence.

“To tell a story with multiple characters is a difficult task, and we appreciate the way all the pieces are put together.”

The jury comprised Chad director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Icelandic producer Agnes Johansen, Norwegian producer Kalle Løchen, Swedish director...

Hisham Zaman has become the first director to be a two-time winner of Gothenburg’s Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film.

This year, Zaman’s Letter to The King won the top prize (and its lucrative €113,000 award), following on last year’s win for Before Snowfall.

Letter To The King is about a group of refugees, all with their own agendas, on an excursion to Oslo. “Letter to the King is a film that takes us to a subculture that is not very well-known. It tells us about people stuck in some kind of no man’s land. It is a film that is compassionate and honest in its presentation of human existence. To tell a story with multiple characters is a difficult task, and we appreciate the way all the pieces are put together,” said the jury of Chad director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Icelandic producer Agnes Johansen, Norwegian producer Kalle Løchen, Swedish director...

The awards have all been handed out at this year's International Film Festival Rotterdam. Here is a list of the winners:

Canon Tiger Awards for Short Films:

La isla by Dominga Sotomayor and Katarzyna Klimkiewicz, Chile/Poland/Denmark

Giant by Salla Tykkä, Finland/Romania 

The Chimera of M. by Sebastian Buerkner, United Kingdom

 

Lions Film Award:

Love Steaks by Jakob Lass

 

Hubert Bals Fund Lions Film Award:

Los Hongos by Oscar Ruiz Navia

 

Hivos Tiger Awards:

Anatomy of a Paperclip by Ikeda Akira

Han Gong-Ju by Lee Su-Jin

Something Must Break by Ester Martin Bergsmark

 

MovieZone Award:

Jacky au royaume des filles by Riad Sattouf (France)

 

Netpac Award:

28 by Jayakody Prasanna (Sri Lanka)

 

Fipresci Award:

The Songs of Rice by Uruphong Raksasad (Thailand)

 

Knf Award:

To Kill a Man by Alejandro Fernández Almendras (Chile/France)

 

Big Screen Award:

Another Year by Oxana Bychkova (Russia)

 

Eurimages Co-Production Development Award:

Tabija by...

Update: Upc Audience Award goes to Alexander Payne’s Nebraska. Festival’s second Big Screen Award to support Dutch distribution goes to Russia’s Another Year.

At the Iffr awards ceremony last night, the winners of three equal Hivos Tiger Awards were:

Anatomy of a Paper Clip (Yamamori clip koujo no atari) by Ikeda Akira (Japan)

Interview: Ikeda Akira

The jury said: “Challenging narrative form with precision and economy, this film elevates observations of the absurd in human behavior, and brings it into the poetic domain.”

Something Must Break (Nånting måste gå sönder) by Ester Martin Bergsmark (Sweden)

Interview: Ester Martin Bergsmark

The jury said: “A free-floating personal voyage traces the pains and pleasures of intimacy, recounted in a tender depiction of characters, with a sincere and playful use of cinematographic language.”

Han Gong-Ju by Lee Su-Jin (South Korea)

Interview: Lee Su-Jin

The jury said: “A skilfully crafted and highly accomplished debut – deviating from classicist structure, this film...

Update: Upc Audience Award goes to Alexander Payne’s Nebraska. Festival’s second Big Screen Award to support Dutch distribution goes to Russia’s Another Year.

At the Iffr awards ceremony last night, the winners of three equal Hivos Tiger Awards were:

Anatomy of a Paper Clip (Yamamori clip koujo no atari) by Ikeda Akira (Japan)

Interview: Ikeda Akira

The jury said: “Challenging narrative form with precision and economy, this film elevates observations of the absurd in human behavior, and brings it into the poetic domain.”

Something Must Break (Nånting måste gå sönder) by Ester Martin Bergsmark (Sweden)

Interview: Ester Martin Bergsmark

The jury said: “A free-floating personal voyage traces the pains and pleasures of intimacy, recounted in a tender depiction of characters, with a sincere and playful use of cinematographic language.”

Han Gong-Ju by Lee Su-Jin (South Korea)

Interview: Lee Su-Jin

The jury said: “A skilfully crafted and highly accomplished debut – deviating from classicist structure, this film...

Update: Upc Audience Award goes to Alexander Payne’s Nebraska. Festival’s second Big Screen Award to support Dutch distribution goes to Russia’s Another Year.

At the Iffr awards ceremony last night, the winners of three equal Hivos Tiger Awards were:

Anatomy of a Paper Clip (Yamamori clip koujo no atari) by Ikeda Akira (Japan)

Interview: Ikeda Akira

The jury said: “Challenging narrative form with precision and economy, this film elevates observations of the absurd in human behavior, and brings it into the poetic domain.”

Something Must Break (Nånting måste gå sönder) by Ester Martin Bergsmark (Sweden)

Interview: Ester Martin Bergsmark

The jury said: “A free-floating personal voyage traces the pains and pleasures of intimacy, recounted in a tender depiction of characters, with a sincere and playful use of cinematographic language.”

Han Gong-Ju by Lee Su-Jin (South Korea)

Interview: Lee Su-Jin

The jury said: “A skilfully crafted and highly accomplished debut – deviating from classicist structure, this film...

During today's Awards Ceremony in de Doelen (Rotterdam), the winners of Iffr’s nineteenth Hivos Tiger Awards Competition, as well as of the second Big Screen Award Competition and of the Netpac, Fipresci, Knf, and MovieZone awards were announced. Tomorrow Saturday, 1 February the festival audience favorites will be awarded the Upc Audience Award for best festival film and the Dioraphte Award for best Hubert Bals Fund-supported film.

Hivos Tiger Awards

Fifteen first or second films by talented filmmakers from around the globe competed in the 2014 Hivos Tiger Awards Competition. The Jury consisted of distinguished filmmaker Elia Suleiman; celebrated Dutch filmmaker Nanouk Leopold, Indonesian filmmaker and former Tiger Award nominee Edwin; Violeta Bava, Bafici programmer and film producer from Argentina and Japanese actress and producer Kiki Sugino. Each Hivos Tiger Award comes with a prize of €15,000 for the filmmaker.

The winners of the three equal Hivos Tiger Awards 2014 are:

Anatomy of a Paper Clip (Yamamori clip koujo no atari)

by Ikeda Akira (Japan, 2013)

“Challenging narrative form with precision and economy, this film elevates observations of the absurd in human behavior, and brings it into the poetic domain.”

Ikeda Akira (1976, Japan) began to make his own short films while studying English literature at Bunkyo University. After being involved in various fields such as theatre, music and dance, he directed his first feature-length film The Blue Monkey in 2006. Anatomy of a Paper Clip is his second feature.

Something Must Break (Nånting måste gå sönder)

by Ester Martin Bergsmark (Sweden, 2014)

“A free-floating personal voyage traces the pains and pleasures of intimacy, recounted in a tender depiction of characters, with a sincere and playful use of cinematographic language.”

Ester Martin Bergsmark (1982, Sweden) trained at the Swedish University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. Together with Mark Hammarberg he made the award-winning documentary Maggie in Wonderland

(2008). In 2010, he made Fruitcake as part of the experimental feminist porn suite Dirty Diaries. She Male Snails (2012) won several awards at the Gothenburg International Film Festival.

Han Gong-Ju

by Lee Su-Jin (South Korea, 2013)

“A skilfully crafted and highly accomplished debut – deviating from classicist structure, this film lures the spectator to participate in the pleasures of storytelling through an extraordinary and intricate narrative puzzle.”

Lee Su-Jin (South-Korea) is a screenwriter and director. He made several award-winning short films in his homeland. His roll of honour continues with his debut feature Han Gong-Ju, which won two awards at Busan, plus the top prize at the film festival of Marrakech.

Hivos director Edwin Huizing:

“Hivos aims to give young filmmakers a voice. To inspire us; to push boundaries. Their work has the potential to break open societies, so thoughts and creativity can flow more freely. The Hivos Tiger Awards give them the recognition they deserve.”

The Big Screen Award

Iffr introduced a new competition in 2013: The Big Screen Award Competition, aimed at supporting the distribution of films in Dutch cinemas. Ten very recent films with no Benelux distributor confirmed were nominated for this prize. An audience jury, chaired in 2014 by Christine de Baan, chose the winner. Iffr will connect a prize of €10.000 to the award in 2014. The money is for the distributor to support the costs of publicity for the releases of the winning film in cinemas in the Netherlands.

The winner of The Big Screen Award 2014 is:

Another Year

(Yeshche odin god) by Oxana Bychkova (Russia, 2014)

“At a time when Dutch media abound with negative news about Russia, Another Year

takes us straight into the daily lives of the young people who will shape its future and makes us open up our hearts to them. More than just a simple love story, it shows us how globalization meets tradition in present-day Russia, how they clash, and how they might be reconciled. Pitch perfect, beautifully acted and choreographed, modest, subtle and utterly convincing.”

Oxana Bychkova (1972, Ukraine) is a screenwriter and director. She studied journalism in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, graduating in 1995. After a career as a radio journalist, Bychkova began studying directing in 2000, focusing on filmmaking. Another Year is her first feature film.

Netpac Award

The Netpac Jury (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) awards the best Asian film in the Iffr 2014 Official Selection. The Jury consisted of Paul Agusta, filmmaker, filmcritic and poet from Indonesia; Defne Gursoy, film critic and writer from Turkey; and Anu Rangachar, programme director of the Mumbai Film Festival, India.

The winner of the Netpac Award 2014 is:

28

by Prasanna Jayakody (Sri Lanka, 2014)

“A well-measured and crafted film that emotionally engages the audience through poetic storytelling of a critical subject.”

Prasanna Jayakody (1968, Sri Lanka) was born into an artistic family strongly rooted in traditional Sinhala values, and grew up in a Buddhist environment. This became a major inspiration for his productions. He made his debut at the age of 21 with the stage drama Shadows and Men, which was a critical success. He then started directing television dramas that were loved by the masses and won him numerous television awards. His earlier films Sankara (2006) and Karma (2010) have also screened at Iffr.

Fipresci Award

The Jury of the International Association of Film Critics Fipresci (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique) awards the best film among the twenty-two world premieres in Bright Future 2014. The Jury consisted of president Blagoja Kunovski, Macedonia (Mrtv, Kinopis, Sintheses); Maria Fosheim Lund, Norway (Aftenposten, Wuxia); Guilhem Caillard, Canada (Séquences, Panorama-Cinéma, Cineuropa); Alberto Castellano, Italy (Il Manifesto, Segnocinema) and Sasja Koetsier, the Netherlands (De Filmkrant, Tijdschrift Lover).

The winner of the Rotterdam Fipresci Award 2014 is:

The Songs of Rice (Pleng khong kao)

by Uruphong Raksasad (Thailand, 2014)

“Fully relying on its strong cinematography, it creates an immersive sensory experience that makes us part of a vivid community revolving around the cultivation of a tiny grain.”

Uruphong Raksasad (1977, Thailand) studied film and photography at Thammasat University. After graduating in 2004, he worked as an editor and post-production supervisor on several Thai feature films. Since 2004, he has focused on his own career, returning to the region where he was born and shooting his feature debut Stories from the North (2006). The Songs of Rice is his third feature.

Knf Award

For the Knf Award, The Dutch Circle of Film Critics (Knf) Jury chose the winner out of the ten films in The Big Screen Award Competition 2014. The Knf Award consists of a subtitled Dcp. The Knf Jury consisted of Kees Driessen (Vrij Nederland); Paul van Es (Troskompas/TVKrant); Jelle Schot (Vpro/Cinema.nl); Nienke Huitenga (Lola/Filmtab) and Quirijn Foeken (Biosagenda).

The winner of the Knf Award 2014 is:

To Kill a Man (Matar a un hombre)

by Alejandro Fernández Almendras (Chile/France, 2013)

Read the review by Carlos Aguilar Here

“A compelling film with great visual style, impressive acting, and exactly the right length. The story is both simple and challenging. We follow the humiliation of the protagonist step by step and are confronted with our own fears in the process. This unremitting psychological thriller deserves to be seen on the big screen.”

Alejandro Fernández Almendras (1971, Chile) has a degree in journalism and worked as a film critic, photographer and journalist. Since 2002, he makes short films and video installations. His award-winning feature film debut Huacho (Alone)

premiered in Cannes in 2009.

MovieZone Award

MovieZone Jury gives young people the opportunity to fully experience a film festival and present their opinions on film. The MovieZone Iffr Jury consisted of five members between the ages of 15 and 18: Hanneke Bijker; Dzifa Kusenuh; Mauro Casarini; Moeddie Sherif and Floris Detering. In Rotterdam, they selected the winner out of eighteen eligible festival films. The winner of the MovieZone Iffr Award 2014 receives € 1,500 for promotion of the film among young people. The film also has a chance to become part of an Eye educational film programm.

The winner of the MovieZone Award 2014 is:

Jacky in the Kingdom of Women (Jacky au royaume des filles)

by Riad Sattouf (France, 2014)

“It was like a classical fairytale but with a completely different point of view. The makers of the film created a whole new world with the art direction and costume design and the film had a theme that everyone can relate to. The film was really funny but also had a great message.”

Riad Sattouf (1978, France) is a French writer, comic book artist and director with Syrian roots. He has successfully published various graphic novels and has a weekly comic in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. In 2009, he made his directing debut with the award-winning film Les beaux gosses. Jacky au royaume des filles is his second film.

Iffr previously announced winners of the Canon Tiger Awards for Short Films

and Arte International and Eurimages for best CineMart 2014 projects...

Above: Something Must Break

International Film Festival Rotterdam 2014

Tiger Awards Competition

Afscheid van de Maan/Farewell to the Moon by Dick Tuinder (Netherlands, 2014, world premiere)

Visual artist Dick Tuinder’s second feature revolves around 12-year-old Dutch and his family in the hot summer of 1972, when the Americans launch their last mission to the moon. Tuinder contrasts the tragicomic adventures of his protagonists with the lost illusions of that transitional year, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and approaching oil crisis. Iffr showed many of Tuinder’s short films, as well as his first feature Winterland (2009).

Anatomy of a Paper Clip by Akira Ikeda (Japan, 2013, European premiere)

Akira Ikeda's crazy and funny second feature is a dark fairytale revolving around Kogure, a paperclip bender in a paperclip factory, a man without characteristics and a stoical loser. One day he finds a butterfly in his flat. She becomes his wife,...

The International Film Festival Rotterdam has completed the lineup for its Hivos Tiger Awards Competition.

These 10 titles join the five previously announced. All 15 first or second features will compete for three equal Tiger awards worth €15,000 each.

Elia Suleiman will lead the jury, also comprised of of Nanouk Leopold, Edwin, Violeta Bava and Kiki Sugino.

The selections (listed in full below) including Dutch artist Dick Tuinder’s second feature after Winterland, a 1972-set Dutch family story entitled Farewell To The Moon; Syria-set debut feature Arwad by Samer Najari and Dominique Chila; Busan audience award winner Han Gong-ju by Lee Su-jin; producer Luis Minarro’s first fiction feature Falling Star, about the lonely king of Spain in 1870; and Mark Jackson’s Us production War Story starring Catherine Keener.

The titles confirmed today are:

Farewell To The Moon (Afscheid van de Maan)

Dick Tuinder (Netherlands, world premiere)

Arwad

Samer Najari and Dominique Chila (Canada)

Casa grande

Fellipe Barbosa (Brazil, world...

The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, Plus Camerimage, is the greatest and most recognized festival dedicated to the art of cinematography and its creators - cinematographers. Plus Camerimage contributes to the growth of cinematographers' prestige. The unconventional format of the Festival, which awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values, has turned out to be an alternative for traditional film festivals. As all our guests emphasize - Plus Camerimage is unique. The Festival proves to be a great forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking. Plus Camerimage helps young filmmakers and integrates the community of those already recognized, allowing them to explore new artistic areas.

The following competition winners for Plus Camerimage, were revealed in grand fashion as the milestone 20thanniversary edition came to a close at the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz:

Student Films Competition

Golden Tadpole winner: Blackstory

The most original and innovative film that opens the gate to the future. Christoph Brunner and Stefan Brunner directors, Robert Oberreiner, cinematographer. Institut fur Film und Fersehen Filmakadmie Wien, Austria and Switzerland.

Silver Tadpole winner: The Zone

Brave, bold story, told with cinematographic teamwork. Lauri Randla, director, Mikko Kaumunen, cinematographer. University of Art and Design, Finland.

Bronze Tadpole winner: Without Snow

A gentle, beautifully told story, made with sensibility and maturity. Magnus von Horn, director & Magnus Borge, cinematographer. PWSFTiT, Łódź, Poland.

Directors’ Debuts Competition

For having the confidence to trust the audience and to tell a story of unflinching honesty with the simplicity and grace of an artist, the Directors’ Debuts Competition Award goes to Miguel Angel Jimenez for the film Chaika.

Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition

The Golden Frog Award goes to Chaika. This film deserves the award for the best cinematographer’s debut, because it dares to fulfill the dream of cinema on the big canvas that takes your breath away with beautifully composed vistas in which an intimate human drama unfolds.

Best Music Video

For the best music video award the jury chose a unique video that is using simple means to achieve complex ends, and a startlingly coherent effect. The Best Music Video Award goes to: Roger Ballen and Ninja for Die Antwoord ‘I Fink U Freeky’

Best Cinematography in Music Video

Best Cinematography in a Music Video award goes to an extraordinary video – poetic and with beautiful and original imagery – transcending its location and bitter history. Best Cinematography in a Music Video Award for goes to: Matthew J. Lloyd for Flying Lotus ‘Until The Quiet Comes’

Documentary Shorts Competition

The Jury awards the Golden Frog – Grand Prix to Lorenzo Castore and Adam Cohen for their originality, fearlessness and disturbing weirdness in: No Peace Without War.

The Jury awards the Special Mention to Jacek Bławut and Paweł Chorzępa for a film that captured the madness, mystery and paranoia of art in: The Loneliness Of Sound.

Documentary Features Competition

The Jury awards the Golden Frog – Grand Prix to the Cinematographer Seung-Jun Yi and Director Seung-Jun Yi for the sensitive camera work and intimate approach to the subject in: Planet Of Snail.

The Jury awards the Special Mention to Ester Martin Bergsmark and Minka Jakerson for their extraordinary accomplishment of director’s vision and their creative approach to questions of identity in: She Male Snails

Polish Films Competition

This emotionally compelling film, open to complex interpretations along with outstanding performances and craftsmanship, makes the Jury’s choice for the Best Polish Film at Plus Camerimage 2012: To Kill A Beaver.

Main Competition

Golden Frog winner: War Witch

Director: Kim Nguyen / Canada / 2012 / Cinematographer: Nicolas Bolduc

Silver Frog winner: Holy Motors

Director: Leos Carax / France / 2012 / Cinematographer: Caroline Champetier

Bronze Frog winner: Rhino Season

Director: Bahman Ghobadi / Turkey, Kurdistan, Iraq / 2012 / Cinematographer: Touraj Aslani

As promised, the 20th edition of the Festival was the biggest yet, with a lineup of hot new films and considerable star power. 314 films from around the world were showcased from November 24 to December 1 as industry attention turned to Bydgoszcz for a Festival that has earned its stature as one of Europe’s marquee film festivals and destinations for the biggest films, most recognizable talent and the best cinematographers in the world.

The Festival began last Saturday with Keanu Reeves’ new documentary “Side by Side”, followed by the Polish premiere of Ang Lee’s critically acclaimed “Life of Pi.” Both Reeves and ”Life of Pi” cinematographer Claudio Miranda were in attendance for the exciting opening gala.

Special guests this year included four-time Academy Award® nominated director, writer and producer David Lynch (“Mulholland Dr.,” “The Elephant Man,” “Blue Velvet”); Academy Award®winning film editor Alan Heim (“All That Jazz,” “Network,” “The Notebook,” “American History X”);Academy Award® winning director Steven Okazaki (“Day of Waiting,” “The Mushroom Club,” “Unfinished Business”); and Two-time Primetime Emmy nominated director Michael Lindsay-Hogg (“Let It Be,” “The Object of Beauty,” “Master Harold…and the Boys”).

Two-time Academy Award® nominee Gus Van Sant (“Good Will Hunting,” “Milk,” “Elephant”) was present to accept the Festival’s Director Duo Award on behalf of his late friend, Harris Savides (“American Gangster,” “Zodiac,” “The Game,” “Milk”).

The 20th Plus Camerimage Film Festival was proud to have an illustrious jury that included Joel Schumacher, two-time Academy Award® nominated director, writer and producer Alan Parker, Primetime Emmy nominated director and producer Roger Spottiswoode, Primetime Emmy nominated director Michael Lindsay, award-winning director Paweł Łoziński, Academy Award®winning director Steven Okazaki, Academy Award® winning film editor Alan Heim and cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub.

About Plus Camerimage

Celebrating its landmark 20th anniversary this year, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, Plus Camerimage is the most recognized festival dedicated to the art of cinematography and the biggest international film festival in Poland. The unconventional format of the Festival, which awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values, is a unique alternative to traditional film festivals.

Plus Camerimage proves to be a great forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking and provides a platform for young filmmakers to explore new artistic areas.

In addition to the main competition, the Festival offers a Polish Films Competition, Student Etudes Competition, Documentary Films Competition, Feature Debuts Competition, Music Videos Competition, Plus Camerimage Market, Plus Camerimage Forum, special screenings and premieres, various reviews, retrospectives, meetings and also accompanying events such as art exhibitions and music performances.

Various presentations of modern film equipment and of the latest production and postproduction technologies (both traditional and digital) are also an inherent aspect of the Festival and have been organized with cooperation from companies such as Plus, Arri, Panavision, Kodak, Hawk, K5600, J.L. Fisher, Sony, Panasonic, KinoFlo, Technicolor and Zeiss.

Plus Camerimage is an extraordinary event where art and technology meet, creating a unique and unforgettable atmosphere. Please visit http://www.pluscamerimage.pl for more information.

Outfest 2012, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (Lgbt) media, has announced the award winners of its 30th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

The nation’s leading Lgbt festival and the oldest continuously running film festival in the city ran from July 12th to 22nd. Outfest 2012 closed with Brian Dannelly’s Struck by Lightning, starring Chris Colfer. Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney and Ashley Rickards.

Special Programming Awards

Special Programming Award for Freedom

Sponsored by The Mondrian Los Angeles

I Am A Woman Now, Directed by Michiel van Erp

For illuminating the stories of the first generation of transwomen who forged their paths with grace, courage, and fabulousness and the pioneering surgeon who changed history for transpeople everywhere, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Freedom goes to I Am A Woman Now, directed by Michiel van Erp.

Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement

Sponsored by Fandango

She Male Snails, Directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark

For its bold imagination, provocative storytelling, striking imagery and unshakable emotional impact, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to Ester Martin Bergsmark, director of She Male Snails.

Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent

Sponsored by Katten Muchin Rosenmann Llp

Marialy Rivas, Writer/Director

For crafting a stylistically fearless film to match the excitement, danger and chaos that can erupt with youthful sexual exploration, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Marialy Rivas, the writer/director of Young & Wild.

Audience Awards

Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film

Sponsored by Ramada Plaza Hotel West Hollywood

A Force Of Nature, Directed by Barbara Kopple

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film

Sponsored by Wolfe Video

The First Date, Directed by Janella Lacson

Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film

Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios

I Stand Corrected, Directed by Andrea Meyerson

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film

Sponsored by Innovative Artists

Any Day Now, Directed by Travis Fine

Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film

Sponsored by HBO (cash prize of $5,000 from HBO)

Mosquita Y Mari, (Isa:Film Collaborative), Directed by Aurora Guerrero

Jury Awards

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film

Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios

The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, Directed by Antony Osso.

For its sensitive portrayal of enduring love that spans seven decades, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film goes to The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, directed by Antony Osso.

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film

Sponsored by Cre – Computer Rentals & Av Solutions

Dol (First Birthday), Directed Andrew Ahn

For its honest exploration of the complexities of culture, family and relationships, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film to Dol (First Birthday), directed by Andrew Ahn.

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film

Sponsored by Avalon

Wildness, Directed by Wu Tsang

With beautiful cinematography, a vibrant score and poetic storytelling, this year’s winning documentary succeeded in taking on the complexities of class, culture and difference in a most timely and brave fashion. The Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film goes to Wildness, directed by Wu Tsang.

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film

Sponsored by The Los Angeles Athletic Club

My Brother The Devil, Directed by Sally El Hosaini

For its taut narrative, sensitive interrogation of masculinity, excellent performances by an ensemble cast, and intense cinematic experience, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film goes to My Brother The Devil, directed by Sally El Hosaini.

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film

Sponsored by The Avenue Hollywood

Fenessa Pineda, Mosquita Y Mari

This actress brought nuance and subtlety to a fresh coming of age story. For beautifully capturing the fleeting moments of transition from innocence to curiosity to self-discovery, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film goes to Fenessa Pineda in Mosquita Y Mari.

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film

Alan Cumming, Any Day Now

For bringing depth, humor, fierce wit, and emotional integrity to a moving portrait of a man who unexpectedly finds a family and the strength to fight for it, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film goes to Alan Cumming in Any Day Now.

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting

Sponsored by Yellow Cab

Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, Keep The Lights On

For masterfully constructing an emotionally honest portrait of a relationship that spans the better part of a decade and artfully weaving the mundane and the momentous, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting goes to Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias for Keep The Lights On.

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film

Sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue

Keep The Lights On, (Isa: Films Boutique), Directed by Ira Sachs

This film resonated with us for its confidence, complexity, and emotional intelligence. For taking us on a challenging but poetic journey through the landscape of a long-term relationship, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film goes to Keep The Lights On, directed by Ira Sachs.

For more information, log on to http://www.outfest.org/fest2012/

To download high-res images, please visit: ftp://ftp.mprm.com/outfest2012

Outfest 2012: The 30th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is presented by HBO. Grand Sponsors include Absolut and Ease Entertainment Services. Under the Stars Series Sponsor is presented by Oxygen. The Automotive Partner is Mini. Other sponsors at the Premiere level include: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Directors Guild of America, Directv, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, Merrill Lynch, Out, Variety and 104.3MYfm, The Official Sponsors are Barefoot Wines, Big Picture Group, Coca-Cola, Luca Bites, Lichter Yu & Associates, NBCUniversal, Orbitz, Propaganda Media, Room & Board, Southwest Airlines, Stella Artois, techpal, and Verizon Wireless. Day Sponsors are The David Geffen Foundation, Frontiers/InLA, Hollywood & Highland, Instinct Magazine, The Lesbian News, Lifetime, Logo, Sony Pictures, and Wells Fargo, Organizational Funders: Andrew Kuehn Foundation, City of West Hollywood, Department of Cultural Affairs, Hollywood Foreign Press, and Los Angeles County Arts. For more information about Outfest 2012 sponsorship, visit www.outfest.org/sponsor.

About Outfest

Outfest celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2012 with a yearlong celebration honoring the organization's rich film history, innovative filmmakers and cultural legacy. The anniversary celebration includes the signature film festival, a major film restoration, a new logo, a new monthly screening series and a comprehensive social media campaign. Founded by volunteers on the campus of UCLA in 1982, Outfest has grown into an internationally recognized organization that works to promote Lgbt equality through the arts. For three decades Outfest has brought together film lovers, artists, celebrities and entertainment industry professionals to create a world-class forum for stories that reflect and often transform Lgbt lives. Outfest has showcased over 5,600 films to audiences, reaching close to one million people, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected over 18,000 stories and images through the Outfest Legacy Project for Lgbt Film Preservation, the only program of its kind in the world.

"Keep The Lights On," Ira Sachs' drama about an intesely charged relationship between a documentary filmmaker and a closeted lawyer, took the Grand Jury Prizes for outstanding screenwriting and U.S. Dramatic Film at the 2012 Outfest, which closed Sunday night. The nation's leading Lgbt film festival, now in its 30th year, Outfest ran from July 12 to July 22. The complete list of winners follows: Special Programming Awards: Special Programming Award for Freedom: "I am a Woman Now," directed by Michiel van Erp Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement: "She Male Snails," directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent: Marialy Rivas, Writer/Director Audience Awards: Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film: "A Force of Nature," directed by Barbara Kopple Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film: "The First Date," directed by...

Norwegian film Kompani Orheim (The Orheim Company) was awarded the Dragon Award for the best Nordic film at the 35th Göteborg International Film Festival held from January 27 to February 6,2012. Directed by Arild Andersen as part of a trilogy about a personage named Jarle Kepp,the film is a dark, but warm, humorous, and moving tale of Jarle’s childhood at the hands of an alcoholic and brutal father. Strongly in contention for the award were 10 Timer Til Paradis (Teddy Bear), a Danish feature directed by Mads Mattheisen, about a mature adult trying to escape the imposing presence of his mother, and Pojktanten (She Male Snails), a documentary feature directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark, which won a special mention from the jury as well as the audience award for best Nordic feature.

The Göteborg international film festival held in Sweden’s second largest city is a mecca for films from Norway,...