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BLACK NIGHTS 2017 Awards

Black Nights crowns Kyrgyzstan’s Night Accident

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- The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has announced the winners of its 17-day gathering, with the Grand Prix going to Temirbek Birnazarov’s film

Black Nights crowns Kyrgyzstan’s Night Accident
The winners and hosts of the 2017 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

Night Accident, a story of unlikely love by Temirbek Birnazarov, was awarded the Grand Prix at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival for “its simple, yet immersive story of a man who has been tortured by life’s travails. The accident gives him a rich opportunity to lighten his being and distracts him from an even darker journey, and he seizes it with both hands,” summed up the jury. The winner receives a cash prize of €10,000, donated by the city of Tallinn. 

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South Korean helmer Ju-hyoung Lee was elected Best Director for his simple but highly symbolic Excavator, about a former soldier who is forced to face his demons decades after the Gwangju massacre, in which he participated. Excavator also received the Ecumenical Jury Award. 

The Best Actor Award was nabbed by Rhys Ifans’ reincarnation as the famous Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in Dominion. Best Actress went to Barbara Auer for her portrayal of an HIV-infected mother in Christine Repond’s Vacuum [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christine Repond
film profile
]
.

Estonian films were rewarded with a clutch of prizes on their home turf. Sulev Keedus’ The Manslayer/The Virgin/The Shadow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rea Lest
film profile
]
nabbed the Best Cinematography Award (for Erik Põllumaa and Ivar Taim) and Best Score for Lithuanian composer Martynas Bialobžeskis. The Best Estonian Film Award in the domestic competition was given to November [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rea Lest
film profile
]
 by Rainer Sarnet.

Here is the full list of award winners: 

Main competition

Grand Prix
Night Accident - Temirbek Birnazarov (Kyrgyzstan)

Best Director
Ju-hyoung Lee - Excavator (South Korea) 

Best Cinematography
Erik Põllumaa, Ivar Taim – The Manslayer/The Shadow/The Virgin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rea Lest
film profile
]
 (Estonia/Lithuania)

Best Script
Baris Bicakci, Pelin Esmer – Something Useful [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pelin Esmer
film profile
]
 (Turkey/France/Germany/Netherlands)

Best Actor
Rhys Ifans – Dominion (USA)

Best Actress
Barbara Auer – Vacuum [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christine Repond
film profile
]
 (Switzerland/Germany)

Best Score
Martynas Bialobžeskis - The Manslayer/The Shadow/The Virgin

First Feature competition

Best Film
Different Kinds of Rain [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Isa Prahl
film profile
]
 - Isabel Prahl (Germany)

Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting
The Marriage [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Blerta Zeqiri
film profile
]
 - Blerta Zeqiri (Kosovo/Albania)

Special Jury Prize for Directing
Clara Laperrousaz, Laura Laperrousaz - Sunbeat [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura and Clara Laperrousaz
film profile
]
 (France/Portugal)

Estonian competition

Best Film
November [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rea Lest
film profile
]
 (Estonia/Netherlands/Poland)

Rebels with a Cause section

Audience Award
The Wild Boys [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bertrand Mandico
film profile
]
 - Bertrand Mandico (France)

Other awards

PÖFF Audience Award
Tulipani, Love, Honour and a Bicycle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 - Mike van Diem (Netherlands/Italy/Canada)

NETPAC Award
Goodbye, Grandpa! - Yukihiro Morigaki (Japan)

FIPRESCI Award for Best Debut
The Marriage - Blerta Zeqiri

Ecumenical Jury Award
Excavator - Ju-hyoung Lee

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