FNE at Berlinale 2013: Prize Winners Romania’s Child’s Pose Sweeps to Victory

18-02-2013

FNE at Berlinale 2013: Prize Winners Romania’s Child’s Pose Sweeps to Victory

By Anna Franklin

Child’s Pose

BERLIN: Child’s Pose directed by Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer swept to victory taking home the 63rd Berlinale’s top prize and proving that the Romanian “new wave” is still bringing new talent to European shores. The film also won the prestigious FIPRESCI international critics award.

The festival’s second prize, the Silver Bear for the Jury Grand Prix, also went to a talent from Central and Eastern the Bosnian director Danis Tanovic for his Episode in the Life of and Iron Picker. Nazif Mujic also took home the best actor award for his role in Tanovic’s film making the awards ceremony very much a Central European affair.

In another win for the region Polish director Kasia Roslaniec’s Baby Blues received a Special Mention from the jury of the Generation 14 Plus competition. Polish director Malgoska Szumowska’s In the Name of .. which screened in the main competition was awarded the Teddy Bear for best feature film. Both films are by Polish production outfit Mental Disorder 4

Bulgarian director Peter Valchanov took home 6000 EUR from ARTE for the ARTE International Prix for his film The Lesson.

The strong presence from Central and Eastern European films in this year’s Berlinale marks a return to the festival’s roots which originally was seen as a bridge between east and west. Also creating buzz were the two Georgian films that screened in the programme In Bloom (Georgia, Germany, France) directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross and produced by Tbilisi based Polare Film which screened in the Forum and A Fold in My Blanket (Georgia) directed by Zaza Rusadze and produced by Zazarfilm. Both films were supported by the Georgian National Film Center.

Elsewhere the Croatians continued their extraordinary success story for Croatian film with A Stranger (Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina) directed by Bobo Jelčić and produced by Spiritus Movens Production and www.kadar.ba (Bosnia and Herzegovina) screening in the Forum and supported by Croatian Audiovisual Centre . Croatia has seen a string of locally produced films become local blockbusters recently and has become a country to watch for buyers and international fest directors.

List of Prize Winners.

Main Competition:

Best film: Golden Bear

Child's Pose directed by Calin Peter Netzer, Romania

Production: Parada Film www.paradafilm.ro

Hai-Hui Entertainment www.hai-hui.ro

Supported by Romanian CNC

Jury Grand Prix: Silver Bear

An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker directed by Danis Tanovic, Bosnia Herzegovina,Slovenia, France
Directed by Danis Tanovic
Production: Production: Sarajevo Center for Contemporary Art www.pro.ba,
Vertigo/Emotionfilm www.emotionfilm.si/filmografija
Supported by Sarajevo Foundation for Cinematography of Bosnia Herzegovina

Best Director: Silver Bear

USA director David Gordon Green for Prince Avalanche

Best Actress: Silver Bear

Paulina Garcia for Chilean film Gloria

Best Actor: Silver Bear

Nazif Mujic for film An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker

Best screenplay: Silver Bear

Jafar Panahi and Kamboziya Partovi for Iranian film Closed Curtain

Outstanding artistic contribution: Silver Bear

Kazakh cameraman Aziz Zhambakiyev for Harmony Lessons

Alfred Bauer Prize honouring innovation

Vic + Flo Saw a Bear directed by Denis Cote, Canada