Awards of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival

Awards of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival

The Awards Ceremony and the Closing Gala of the 29th edition of the International İstanbul Film Festival was held on Saturday, April 17, at Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Lifetime Achievement Award of the Festival was presented to Austrian actor and director Klaus Maria Brandauer. The other awards were as follows:

INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN TULIP COMPETITION

The International Jury of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival presided over by actor and director Klaus Maria Brandauer and composed of producer Tom Luddy, actress Anamaria Marinca, cinematographer Anders Refn and director Jasmila Zbanic has decided to give the:

• Golden Tulip in memory of Şakir Eczacıbaşı to THE MISFORTUNATES directed by Felix Van Groeningen, for "giving us a contemporary, raw, energetic and truthful picture of how hard it is to grow up; and for portraying with precise and sensible details, individual change and the power of art."
• Special Jury Prize to SANDRINE KIBERLAIN in Mademoiselle Chambon directed by Stéphane Brizé, because "a universe of wishes and desires, doubts and anxieties, and craft comes every second through her eyes and her entire body. A dream of an actress in a film..."

NATIONAL GOLDEN TULIP COMPETITION

The National Jury of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival presided over by director Yeşim Ustaoğlu, and composed of actress Ülkü Duru, actor Güven Kıraç, executive director of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival Peter Scarlet, writer Latife Tekin has decided to give:

• The Golden Tulip Best Film Award to VAVIEN directed by Yağmur Taylan and Durul Taylan;
• the Best Director Award to MİRAZ BEZAR for his film Min Dît - Ben Gördüm / The Children of Diyarbakir.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey gave a monetary prize of 50,000 TL to each of the above-mentioned winners.

• The Best Actress Award to ŞENAY ORAK for her performance in Min Dît - Ben Gördüm / The Children Of Diyarbakır;
• The Best Actor Award to TANSU BİÇER for his performance in Beş Şehir / Five Cities.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey gave a monetary prize of 10,000 TL to each of the above-mentioned winners.

• The Best Screenplay Award to ENGİN GÜNAYDIN for his screenplay for Vavien;
• The Best Director of Photography Award to BARIŞ ÖZBİÇER for his work in Bal / Honey;
• the Best Music Award to MUSTAFA BİBER for his work for Min Dît - Ben Gördüm / The Children Of Diyarbakır;
• The Special Prize of the Jury to BAL / HONEY by Semih Kaplanoğlu.

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE FILM AWARD, "FACE"

The FACE Award (Council of Europe Film Award) is presented to the director of a film that arises public awareness and interest in human rights issues, creates better understanding of their importance, and best reflects the Council's values of respect for human rights, individual freedom, political liberty and the rule of law. The award includes a sculpture in bronze and a cash prize of Euro 10,000. It is awarded as part of the Human Rights in Cinema section of the festival. The Human Rights Jury of the 29th International İstanbul Film Festival is composed of director Marco Becchis, Executive Director of Eurimages, the European Film Fund Roberto Olla, director Sırrı Süreyya Önder and director of co-operation in the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs of the Council of Europe, Marja Ruotanen decided to give:

• The FACE AWARD to AJAMI by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani (Israel-Germany) for being an "original tale of a multilayered society where different religions, beliefs, traditions and interests have to co-exist. The two directors have skilfully found the right cinematographic language to tell this powerful story."
• The Special Jury Prize to THE DAY GOD WALKED AWAY by Philippe van Leeuw (France-Belgium) "not to forget Rwanda."

INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION (FIPRESCI) PRIZES

The FIPRESCI Jury of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival presided over by Barbara Lorey and composed of Marli Feldvoss, Salome Kikaleishvili, Anisoara Dumitrescu, Aslı Selçuk, Özgür Şeyben gave:

• The FIPRESCI Prize in the International Competition to "MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON" by Stéphane Brizé (France) "for a magnificently told story about renouncement, a love story that puts ordinary people's lives in turmoil, which talks to us through moments of silence rather than words;"
• The FIPRESCI Prize in the National Competition, in memory of Onat Kutlar, to "VAVIEN" directed by Yağmur Taylan and Durul Taylan, "for an utmost enjoyable and unpredictable, well-acted dark comedy from the heartland of Anatolia that links elements of popular comedy with a witty and intelligent screenplay."

As in the previous years, Efes Pilsen has given a prize of US$ 30.000 to the winner of the Onat Kutlar Prize, Yağmur Taylan and Durul Taylan, to be used for their next film project.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS

People's Choice Awards sponsored by the Radikal Newspaper and determined by the votes of the Festival audience, are given to:

• I KILLED MY MOTHER by Xavier Dolan in the International Competition, and
• BAL / HONEY by Semih Kaplanoğlu in the National Competition.

MEETINGS ON THE BRIDGE

FEATURE FILM PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP AWARDS

Organised for the third time within the Meetings on the Bridge platform, the Feature Film Project Development Workshop Award was given to ORHAN ESKIKÖY AND ZEYNEL DOĞAN for their project Babamın Sesi / Voice of My Father receiving a monetary award of US$10.000 with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, and also post-production award worth 25,000 Turkish Liras by Melodika. The monetary award worth €10.000 by Centre National de la Cinematographie (CNC) was won by EMRE YEKSAN AND EMRAH SERBES for their project Üst Kattaki Terörist / Terrorist Upstairs.

Fourteen projects remained from the 65 applications after the pre-selection by director Tayfun Pirselimoğlu, producer Sevil Demirci, production consultant Isabelle Fauvel, producer and festival director Ahmet Boyacıoğlu, producer Yamaç Okur and producer Zeynep Özbatur Atakan. The winning projects were selected from among these 14 projects by Amra Baksic Camo, Katriel Schory, Ellis Driessen, Jacobine Van Der Vloed, Lilette Botassi, Nicole Mackey, Marie Pierre Macia, Michel Reilhac, Mira Staleva, Roberto Olla, Savina Neirotti and Simon Perry.