Roshane Saidnattar's France-Cambodia co-production, The Main Thing Is to Stay Alive (L'Important c'est de rester vivant), won the people's documentary choice at the Monteal Film FestivalKorkoro wins big as festival closes
Tony Gatlif's feature about Roma fleeing the Nazis captures the Montreal World Film Festival's Grand prix des Amériques and an Ecumenical prize, and is voted best film by the public
September 8, 2009
By JOHN GRIFFIN The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
The 33rd Montreal World Film Festival ended last night at Place des Arts' Théâtre Maisonneuve with an awards ceremony and closing film, The Everlasting Flame: Beijing Olympics 2008, by Gu Jun, who was also honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
The Grand Prix des Amériques for films in Official Competition went to a long-time festival favourite, the Roma chronicler Tony Gatlif, for Korkoro (Freedom). A Special Jury Prize was given to Weaving Girl, by China's Wang Quan'an.
Kichitaro Negishi was recognized as Best Director for Viyon No Tsuma (Villon's Wife). Best Actress was Marie Leuenberger, in the Swiss entry Die Standesbeamtin (Will You Marry Us?), by Micha Lewinsky. Best Actor was determined to be Cyron Melville, for Morten Giese's Danish film, Vanvittig Forelsket (Love and Rage).
Other "Bests" included Screenplay, won by Alain Le Henry for Je suis heureux que ma mère soit vivante (I'm Glad My Mother Is Alive), co-directed by France's Claude and Nathan Miller, père et fils.
Artistic Contribution honours were secured by Srdjan Dragojevic for St. George Shoots the Dragon, a Serbia-Bosnia-Bulgaria co-production. The Innovation Award was won by Mohsen Amiryoussefi, for the Iranian entry Atashkar (Fire Keeper).
In the short film section, American Lucas Martell won First Prize for Pigeon Impossible, with a Jury Award going to Sweden's Carin Brack, Cecilia Actis and Mia Hulterstam, for Fast Vid Dig (Attached to You).
Zenith Awards for debut competitors in the First Fiction Features section were awarded in gold, silver and bronze denominations. Top of the list was France's Sophie Laloy, for Je te mangerai (You Will Be Mine). Next up, Mohammadreza Vatandoost's When the Lemons Turned Yellow, from Iran. Bronze went to Ecuador's Cristina Franco, Jorge Alejandro Fegan, Diego Coral López and Nataly Valencia, for Los Canallas (Riff Raff).
The public got into the act by voting for their favourite films of the fest. Gatlif's Korkoro took top prize there, too, for the stirring story about persecuted Roma fleeing the Nazis during the Second World War.
Quebec veteran Roger Cantin's Un Cargo pour l'Afrique (A Cargo to Africa) was voted most popular Canadian feature. Its star, Pierre Lebeau, was also honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
The Glauber Rocha Award for Best Latin American Film went to Andrés Nos Quiere Dormir la Siesta (Andrés Doesn't Want to Take a Siesta), by Argentinian Daniel Bustamente. Roshane Saidnattar's France-Cambodia co-production, The Main Thing Is to Stay Alive (L'Important c'est de rester vivant), won the people's documentary choice, while locals filled the ballots in the Best Canadian Short Film category for Surmenage, by Quebecers Alexandre Leblanc and Benoît Bourbonnais.
Fipresci, The International Federation of Film Critics, also liked Wang Quan'an's Weaving Girl. Ecumenical awards were given to Lancelot von Naso's German entry Waffenstillstand (Ceasefire) and to Gatlif's Korkoro, clinching his claim to 33rd edition dominance.
jgriffin@thegazette.canwest.com
September 8, 2009
By JOHN GRIFFIN The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
The 33rd Montreal World Film Festival ended last night at Place des Arts' Théâtre Maisonneuve with an awards ceremony and closing film, The Everlasting Flame: Beijing Olympics 2008, by Gu Jun, who was also honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
The Grand Prix des Amériques for films in Official Competition went to a long-time festival favourite, the Roma chronicler Tony Gatlif, for Korkoro (Freedom). A Special Jury Prize was given to Weaving Girl, by China's Wang Quan'an.
Kichitaro Negishi was recognized as Best Director for Viyon No Tsuma (Villon's Wife). Best Actress was Marie Leuenberger, in the Swiss entry Die Standesbeamtin (Will You Marry Us?), by Micha Lewinsky. Best Actor was determined to be Cyron Melville, for Morten Giese's Danish film, Vanvittig Forelsket (Love and Rage).
Other "Bests" included Screenplay, won by Alain Le Henry for Je suis heureux que ma mère soit vivante (I'm Glad My Mother Is Alive), co-directed by France's Claude and Nathan Miller, père et fils.
Artistic Contribution honours were secured by Srdjan Dragojevic for St. George Shoots the Dragon, a Serbia-Bosnia-Bulgaria co-production. The Innovation Award was won by Mohsen Amiryoussefi, for the Iranian entry Atashkar (Fire Keeper).
In the short film section, American Lucas Martell won First Prize for Pigeon Impossible, with a Jury Award going to Sweden's Carin Brack, Cecilia Actis and Mia Hulterstam, for Fast Vid Dig (Attached to You).
Zenith Awards for debut competitors in the First Fiction Features section were awarded in gold, silver and bronze denominations. Top of the list was France's Sophie Laloy, for Je te mangerai (You Will Be Mine). Next up, Mohammadreza Vatandoost's When the Lemons Turned Yellow, from Iran. Bronze went to Ecuador's Cristina Franco, Jorge Alejandro Fegan, Diego Coral López and Nataly Valencia, for Los Canallas (Riff Raff).
The public got into the act by voting for their favourite films of the fest. Gatlif's Korkoro took top prize there, too, for the stirring story about persecuted Roma fleeing the Nazis during the Second World War.
Quebec veteran Roger Cantin's Un Cargo pour l'Afrique (A Cargo to Africa) was voted most popular Canadian feature. Its star, Pierre Lebeau, was also honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
The Glauber Rocha Award for Best Latin American Film went to Andrés Nos Quiere Dormir la Siesta (Andrés Doesn't Want to Take a Siesta), by Argentinian Daniel Bustamente. Roshane Saidnattar's France-Cambodia co-production, The Main Thing Is to Stay Alive (L'Important c'est de rester vivant), won the people's documentary choice, while locals filled the ballots in the Best Canadian Short Film category for Surmenage, by Quebecers Alexandre Leblanc and Benoît Bourbonnais.
Fipresci, The International Federation of Film Critics, also liked Wang Quan'an's Weaving Girl. Ecumenical awards were given to Lancelot von Naso's German entry Waffenstillstand (Ceasefire) and to Gatlif's Korkoro, clinching his claim to 33rd edition dominance.
jgriffin@thegazette.canwest.com
1 comment:
Sound like the lives of TODAY Cambodian!
Should add "Only the powerless suffer"
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