STRANDED, Gonzalo Anjon's film recounting the incredible survival of the 1972 Uruguayan rugby team that survived a plane crash in the Andes (and yes, decided to eat one of their dead companions), took the Joris Ivens Award at IDFA today. 16 films competed for the prize, which last year was given to Pernille Rose Gronkjær's THE MONASTERY.
The Silver Wolf Award (for best short film longer than 30 minutes but shorter than 60) went to Tamar Yarom's TO SEE IF I'M SMILING, a look at the compulsory military service for women in Isreal. The film also took the Volkskrant Audience Award. The Silver Cub (for best short under 30 minutes) to Oscar Perez' THE TAILOR, a profile of a Pakistani-owved tailor shop in Barcelona.
The First Appearance prize for Best Debut went to Robert Nugent for END OF THE RAINBOW, chronicling the arrival of a multination gold mining company in Guinea.
Finally, Kim Longinotto was awarded a special jury prize for HOLD ME TIGHT, LET ME GO, a record of life at Mulberry Bush School, home to numbers of special needs children. The film also took Best British Feature at BritDoc earlier this year.
Also, Hubert Sauper of "Darwin's Nightmare" received a special award, best doc out of Doc U! was "B Boy" from the US (I think the US is kicking ass, creatively BTW), Movies That Matter Award went to "Jerusalem is Proud to Present" from Israel (ditto paren comment above), Best Student Film out of IDFAcademy, "Three Journeys." First Appearance category was pretty mesmerizing all around, I must say--doc makers of the future will do new and wondrous things, so that's encouraging to see.
Posted by: Pamela | December 01, 2007 at 05:19 PM