The winners of the RIFF 2011, Reykjavík International Film Festival, have been just announced.
Winner of The Golden Puffin, the main award of the festival, is Russian director Angelina Nikonova‘s first film Twilight Portrait (Portret V Sumerkakh). The jury statement:
“For the extremely inspired use of cinematic language and storytelling while depicting an intriguing and provocative subject matter with unsettling, realist sensibility.”
Special mention went to Italian director Andrea Segre’s Shun Li and the Poet (Io Sono Li), “For the poetry and grace employed in treating the subject of the integration (or lack of integration) of immigrants in western society.”, and to Oslo 31. August by Norwegian Director Joachim Trier, “For the strong demonstration of directorial skills when dealing with a complicated and sensitive subject.”.
The jury was led by Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen, and included Tudor Giurgiu, Director of the Transilvanian International Film Festival and Irene Bignardi, Italian journalist and film critic.
The FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award went to Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson‘s Volcano (Eldfjall), “For the sensitive yet unsentimental portrayal, built on powerful acting, of themes that are not usually the focus of filmmaking: aging with dignity in an intimate relationship, dealing with severe illness, caring and dying.” The film also won the Church of Iceland Award. On the jury were Alison Elizabeth Frank, Ph.D. from the University of Oxford (England); Nicole Santé, Chair of Dutch Board of Film Journalists (Holland) and Susanne Schütz, Arts Editor Rheinpfalz (Germany).
The RIFF Audience Award went to Aki Kaurismaki’s Le Havre. This year, the audience award was calculated using admissions and taking into account the size of the screening room and the number of screenings. And truth be told, the screening at Háskólabíó was so packed I had to stand up for half of the movie.
The RIFF Environmental Award went to Irish director Risteard Ó Domhnaill’s The Pipe. The jury statement:
“Risteard Ó Domhnail’s way of telling the story is powerful, yet simple. It contains all the good elements of a classic cinema. In the spirit of Cinema Verité he brings forth few but strong characters to lead the story forward, the style is effortless and clear. Although a local story from a remote area it speaks to us in a bigger context.The Pipe is a film that talks to our times and has a rendezvous with the future. ”
Special mention went to Eco Pirate: The Paul Watson Story by Trish Dolman.
“Eco Pirate: The Paul Watson Story is an epic tale of a one man’s struggle against the exploitation of the oceans, and at the same time provides a unique observation of four decades of the environmental movement Greenpeace. The film is a traditional documentary that deals with its subject matter with profound care, well balanced structure and historical subplots.”
A new award, Best Icelandic Short Film, was also established this year to honor the memory of renowned author Thor Vilhjálmsson. Thor loved movies and loved RIFF – last year, our first year of attendance at the festival, we saw him at movie screenings many times. The award comes with the first grant (200,000 ISK credit with Iceland Express to fly anywhere in the world and 150,000 ISK credit at the Eymundsson bookstores) from the Thor Vilhjalmsson Fund, founded by RIFF and the Icelandic Society of Filmmakers. The prize went to Börkur Sigthorsson’s Skaði (Come To Harm), with special mention for Haukur M. Hrafnsson’s Ósýnileg Mæri (Invisible Border).
The RIFF organization reported record attendance this year, with 27,000 admissions. The appointment for RIFF 2012 is from September 27 to October 7.
Stay tuned on Iceland Chronicles: we still have more coverage coming about the festival.