11/12/2006

DarkBlueAlmostBlack [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the directorial debut of Spanish filmmaker Daniel Sánchez Arévalo (see interview), has won the top award – Best Eurasian Film, which comes with a €10,000 cash prize – at the 10th Black Night Film Festival (BNFF), which had its closing ceremony last night in Tallinn.

Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Best Director Award for Climates [+see also:
trailer
interview: Zeynep Ozbatur
film profile], Finland’s Samuli Edelmann was voted Best Actor for his part in Aku Louhimies’ Man Exposed, Germany’s Sandra Hüller was crowned Best Actress for her part in Requiem [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hans-Christian Schmid
interview: Hans-Christian Schmid
interview: Sandra Hueller
film profile], and the Special Jury Prize went to Lithuanian/German co-production You Am I, directed by Kristijonas Vildziunas.

Two Special Mentions were also given to Polish film Retrieval [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Slawomir Fabicki and Chinese film Little Red Flowers.

In the Estonian feature film competition, the Best Film Award (and its 50,000 EEK cash prize) went to Veiko Õunpuu’s Empty. The 40-minute directorial debut beat other competitors such as Jade Warrior [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and this year’s top title in Estonia, the animated film Lotte From Gadgetville [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

Empty is the story of Mati, a young intellectual who decides to spend a weekend with his wife (this year’s shooting star Maarja Jakobson) and her lover at a summerhouse. There, surrounded by the majestic scenery of large forests and an empty beach, Mati does everything to win her back. The film was produced by Tallinn-based Kuukulgur Film.

Other key awards were the Don Quijote Award from the FICC (Fédération Internationale de Cine-Clubs) for Norwegian debut film Sons [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Erik Richter Strand, the Estonian Film Critics’ Award for Taxidermia [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and the Audience Award for Marcos Carnevale’s Elsa & Fred [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Argentina/Spain).

Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki received a Lifetime Achievement Award and his latest work, Lights in the Dusk [+see also:
trailer
film profile], was the festival’s closing night film.