28/06/2010

Nick Whitfield’s Skeletons has won the Michael Powell award for Best New British Feature at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). The jury also accorded a Special Mention to Edward and Rory McHenry for their animated film Jackboots on Whitehall [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

David Thewlis won the award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film for his performance in Mr Nice [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which the jury described as “energetic and electrifying”.

The Best International Feature Award went to family drama The Dry Land, directed Ryan Piers Williams. The Audience Award went to Get Low, starring Robert Duvall and Bill Murray. The UK Film Council Award for Best British Short Film went to Daniel Mulloy for Baby. Gareth Edwards, for his science fiction film Monsters [+see also:
trailer
film profile], won the New Directors Award.

Laura Poitras won the Best Feature Documentary Award for The Oath. A special mention also went to war doc Restrepo by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger. The Best International Short Film Award went to directors Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza for Rita.

The award for Best New British Animation, in partnership with the BBC Film Network, went to Victoria Mather, director of Stanley Pickle. Director Anne Milne won both the Scottish Short Documentary Award, and the Edinburgh Short Film Nomination for the European Film Awards 2010 with Maria’s Way.

EIFF Artistic Director Hannah McGill said, “We have had a tremendous festival experience this year, and it's a particular pleasure to close with the world premiere of a film as beautiful, idiosyncratic and moving as Third Star. I warmly congratulate all of our award-winners, as well as the generous supporters of those awards; and I thank the wonderful people on our juries for their enthusiasm and dedication.”