22/04/2013 - The 9th edition of Bucharest International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival of the Romanian capital, came to an end on Sunday, with its top award going to Berger's film

The 9^th edition of the Bucharest International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival of the Romanian capital, came to an end on Sunday, with its top award going to Pablo Berger’s Snow White [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pablo Berger
film profile]. The jury appreciated the “successful combination of homage to silent film and poetic update of a famous fairy tale”.

Best Director Award went to Israeli director Amir Manor for Epilogue, “a heart-breaking portrait of the end of a life full of disappointments”. UK production Sightseers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ben Wheatley
film profile], directed by Ben Whitley, won Best Screenplay award for “the sardonic and very original way it tackles a certain aspect of British mentality”.

First film Love Building, directed by Romanian Iulia Rugina, received the Audience Award. It also received a Special Mention from the main competition jury for “the energy and enthusiasm of the young team” responsible for the independent production, which will be domestically released in September.

The Critics’ Award went to France-Canada co-production Wrong [+see also:
trailer
film profile], directed by Quentin Dupieux. “Pure cinema, although its author is not a budding filmmaker, but a DJ with vision”, said the jury’s commentary.

Directors Elisabeta Bostan and Amos Gitai received Excellency awards for their contribution to filmmaking.

The 9^th Bucharest festival started on April 15 with the national release of Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Thomas Vinterberg
interview: Thomas Vinterberg
film profile] and ended last night with Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s Caesar Must Die [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
film profile].

The 9^th edition's international jury was lead by Romanian-Israeli film critic Dan Fainaru, who decided the winners together with Italian producer Grazia Volpi, Mons Love Film Festival director Andre Ceuterick, Romanian cinematographer Horia Laptes, and Serbian producer and festival organizer Dragan Marinkovic.