DVORTSEVOY’S TULPAN TAKES DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR AWARD AT REYKJAVIK
Leon Forde in Reykjavik
Screendaily.com (subscription)
06 Oct 2008 17:32
UK
Story
Sergey Dvortsevoy’s Tulpan has picked up the Golden Puffin award for
Discovery of the Year at the Reykjavik International Film Festival
(Sept 25-Oct 5).
The film, which took the top prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes
earlier this year, tells the story of a man trying to build a new
life after discharge from the Russian navy. The film screened in the
festival’s New Visions section.
Blind Loves, from Slovakian director Juraj Lehotsky, received a
special mention from the jury which comprised Icelandic director
Baltasar Kormakur, Icelandic actress Margret Vilhjalmsdottir,
Finnish director Arto Halonen, Faroese director Katrin Ottarsdottir
and Canadian-Armenian actress Arsinee Khanjian.
The FIPRESCI Award went to Ursula Meier’s drama Home, which screened
in the New Visions category.
The Church of Iceland award went to Aida Begic’s Snow which was
recently announced as Bosnia Herzegovina’s submission for the best
foreign Oscar. The Queer Cinema award went to Bohdan Slama’s A Country
Teacher, with a special mention to Gwen Haworth’s documentary She’s
A Boy I Knew.
The audience award went to Arnar Jonasson’s documentary Electronica
Reykjavik, about the city’s rich dance music scene.
Held in the Icelandic capital and now in its fifth year, the Reykjavik
International Film Festival attracted almost 300 guests including
around 50 directors and producers. These included auteur Costa-Gavras,
in town to receive the festival’s lifetime achievement award, Danish
actress and director Paprika Steen and Iranian video artist Shirin
Neshat.