The five members of the competition programme EurAsia jury unanimously decided to give the Grand Prix of the 12th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) to "Hunger" by English artist and director Steve McQueen. McQueen's debut film about the hunger strike in the prison in Northern Ireland received the award for its powerful cinematic language, and confident and passionate narrative.
The award for best Eurasian film was given out at PÖFF for the 5th time. Grand Prix with the scholarship of 10 000 euros was given out by the courtesy of the city of Tallinn.
Award for the Best Director went also to Great Britain, to Michael Winterbottom for his film "Genova". Jury award for Best Actress was handed to young Russian actress Aleksandra Tiuftej for her role in "Mukha" (Russia). Jury award for Best Actor was presented to the tree leading actors from Mika Kaurismäki's "Three Wise Men" (Finland) - Kari Heiskanen, Pertti Sveholm, Timo Torikka.
Special Jury Prize was given to animated documentary "Waltz With Bashir" (Israel) and the award for Best Director of Photography to Luca Bigazzi ("Il divo"). The jury also announced two Special Mentions - "The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks Around The Corner" (Bulgaria) and "Two Legged Horse" (Iran). The competition programme EurAsia included 18 films, the jury was headed by film director Jos Stelling from the Netherlands.
The jury of the Tridens Baltic feature film competition, held for the first time this year, awarded "Three Men and Fish Pond" with Tridens Baltic Film Award. The jury regarded this film by Latvian documentary filmmakers Laila Pakalnina and Maris Maskalans to be a humane poetic and affecting portrayal of the parallel ecologies of human friendship and the natural world, both presented with cinematic emphathy. The award for Best Cinematographer went to the same film - Maris Maskalans received a scholarship of 1000 euros from Elokuvakonepaja.
Scottish Leader Estonian Film Award along with the scholarship of 50.000 Estonian kroons was given by the jury to animated film "Life Without Gabriella Ferri" by Priit and Olga Pärn. The jury announced two Special Mentions - Estonian documentaries "Alyosha" (Meelis Muhu) and "Toomik's Movie" (Marko Raat).
The FIPRESCI jury, that evaluated the films at PÖFF for the first time, judged the programme of the Tridens Baltic feature film competition and chose the Estonian documentary "The Kings of Time" (director Mait Laas) as their favourite.
The jury of Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) awarded Chinese film "The Shaft" (director Zhang Chi), the jury of International Federation of Film Clubs (FICC) gave their award to "World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner" by Bulgarian director Stephan Komandarev.
Estonian Society of Cinematographers' Lifetime Achievement Award, named after Estonian cinematographer Johannes Pääsuke (1892-1918), was given to Harry Rehe for his unique creative contribution and for promoting the national film art. The award included a scholarship of 3000 euros.
The Audience Award was given to "The Wrestler" (USA).
Lifetime Achievement Award to an accomplished film-maker was handed out at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) for the fifth time. This year the award went with all honour to the Swedish-French actor Max von Sydow.
Festival awards were announced at PÖFF's official closing ceremony on 6 December 2008 in Tallinn's Russian Theatre.
See the list of awards.
12. Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival awards
Official Competition EurAsia Jury Awards
GRAND PRIX FOR BEST EURASIAN FILM (scholarship of 10.000 euros)
HUNGER (Director Steve McQueen, Great Britain / Ireland)
JURY PRIZE FOR THE BEST DIRECTOR
MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM (Genova, Great Britain)
JURY PRIZE FOR THE BEST ACTOR
KARI HEISKANEN, PERTTI SVEHOLM, TIMO TORIKKA (Three Wise Men / Kolme viisasta miestä, Finland)
JURY PRIZE FOR THE BEST ACTRESS
ALEKSANDRA TIUFTEJ (Mukha / Muha, Russia)
BEST DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (scholarship 1000 euros from Digitaalne Sputnik, Estonia)
LUCA BIGAZZI (Il Divo, Italy / France)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Director Ari Folman, Israel / France / Germany / USA)
SPECIAL MENTION
THE WORLD IS BIG AND SALVATION LURKS AROUND THE CORNER / SVETAT E GOLJAM I SPASENIE DEBNE OTVSJAKADE (Director Stephan Komandarev, Bulgaria / Germany / Hungary / Slovenia)
SPECIAL MENTION
TWO LEGGED HORSE / ASBE DU-PA (Director Samira Makhmalbaf, Iran)
Tridens Baltic Feature Film Competition Jury Awards
BEST FILM (scholarship 5000 euros)
THREE MEN AND FISH POND / PAR DZIMTENITI (Directors Laila Pakalnina, Maris Maskalans, Latvia)
SCOTTISH LEADER ESTONIAN FILM AWARD (scholarship 50 000 kroons)
LIFE WITHOUT GABRIELLA FERRI / ELU ILMA GABRIELLA FERRITA (Directors
Priit Pärn, Olga Pärn, Estonia)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER
MARIS MASKALANS (Three Men and Fish Pond / Par dzimtenti, Latvia)
SPECIAL MENTION
ALYOSHA / ALJOŠA (Director Meelis Muhu, Estonia)
SPECIAL MENTION
TOOMIK'S MOVIE / TOOMIKU FILM (Director Marko Raat, Estonia)
FICC Jury Award
THE WORLD IS BIG AND SALVATION LURKS AROUND THE CORNER / SVETAT E GOLJAM I SPASENIE DEBNE OTVSJAKADE (Director Stephan Komandarev, Bulgaria / Germany / Hungary / Slovenia)
NETPAC Jury Award
THE SHAFT / DIXIA DE TIANKONG (Director Zhang Chi, China)
FIPRESCI Award
THE KINGS OF THE TIME / AJA MEISTRID (Director Mait Laas, Estonia)
Audience Award
THE WRESTLER (Director Darren Aronofsky, USA)
Estonian Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award (scholarship 3000 euros, in cooperation with the Cultural Endowment of Estonia)
HARRI REHE (Director of Photography, Estonia)
Lifetime Achievement Award
MAX VON SYDOW (Actor, Sweden / France)
