The best film award went to the Italian/German/Swiss coproduction Four Times directed by Michelangelo Frammartino. French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg won the best actress award, with a suggestion by the jury that she be invited to sit on the jury next year. But the big winner of the night was the French Canadian film 10½. The drama of an abused young boy fighting for his life won the best actor award for the film's young star Robert Naylor, as well as the FIPRESCI award and the award of the student jury.
The documentary jury gave its best film award to a Swedish film, Familia, directed by Alberto Herskovits (who received the award in person) and Mikael Wistrom. FNE and the Visegrad Fund also presented a documentary award, which went to young Slovak director Martina Sakova for her work as codirector on the German documentary The Housemaid.
Slovak based multimedia company Film Europe (www.filmeurope.eu) presented a special prize for the actor who best represents the Slovak Republic internationally to Marko Igonda, a past Shooting Star designee.
The short film jury gave its best film award to the Finnish film How to Pick Berries, which was received by director Elina Talvensaari. A certificate of merit went to an Irish/German coproduction, The External World directed by David O'Reilly.
Festival director Matthieu Darras assembled a stong jury of international festival directors: Eva Zaoralova of the Karlovy Vary (www.kviff.com), Mirsad Purivatra of Sarajevo and CineLink, Aude Hesbert of the Paris Cinema festival, Kim Dong-ho of Pusan, and Mikel Olaciregui of San Sebastian.
Darras told FNE that attendance was up at this year's festival, with several sold-out or near sold-out screenings. The festival added two new venues for its 12th edition, and continues with satellite festivals at Kosice 12-14 November, Banska Bystrica 15-16 November, and Zilina 17-18 November.
