The Edinburgh International Film Festival 2008

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The Edinburgh International Film Festival 2008

The Michael Powell Awards

Sir Sean Connery presenting the awards at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2008

EIFF Patron Sean Connery & Marianna Palka, Director of Good Dick Winner of Skillset New Directors Award

EIFF Patron Sir Sean Connery & Dougal Wilson, Director of Happiness (Goldfrapp) and winner of the Mirrorball Best British Music Video Award

EIFF Patron Sean Connery & Daniel Mulloy UK Film Council Award for Best British Short Film

Marianna Palka, Dougal Wilson, Anders Jedenfors, Jamie Stone, Shane Meadows with the frame, Robert Carlyle

Shane Meadows receiving the Michael Powell Award

Shane Meadows thanking Sir Sean, the audience and all those involved

Robert Carlyle receiving the PPG Award

Robert Carlyle with the PPG Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2008

The award winners lined up with their awards

Robert Carlyle with the PPG Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2008

Robert Carlyle with the PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film

AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT 62nd EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

 

Edinburgh, Scotland, 29 June... The Edinburgh International Film Festival today announced the winners in the ten competition categories for both feature and short films. The awards were presented to the winners by EIFF Patron Sir Sean Connery on the closing day of the Festival at a public ceremony in Filmhouse. This year’s winners are:

 

Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film, sponsored by the UK Film Council

SOMERS TOWN – Directed by Shane Meadows

 

PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film

ROBERT CARLYLE - Summer

 

Standard Life Audience Award

MAN ON WIRE – Directed by James Marsh

 

Best Documentary Award

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD – Directed by Werner Herzog

 

Skillset New Directors Award

MARIANNA PALKA – Good Dick

 

UK Film Council Award for Best British Short Film

SON – Directed by Daniel Mulloy

 

European Film Academy Short Film 2008 - Prix UIP

2 BIRDS – Directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson

 

Scottish Short Documentary Award supported by Baillie Gifford

CHRISTMAS WITH DAD – Directed by Conor McCormack

 

McLaren Award for New British Animation in partnership with BBC Film Network

SPACE TRAVEL ACCORDING TO JOHN – Directed by Jamie Stone & Anders Jedenfors.

 

Mirrorball Best British Music Video Award

HAPPINESS (Goldfrapp) – Directed by Dougal Wilson

 

 

This year’s Michael Powell Jury were actor Danny Huston (THE KREUTZER SONATA, THE CONSTANT GARDENER) who presided over the five-strong Jury, international producer Sigurjon Sighvatsson (ZIDANE: A 21st CENTURY PORTRAIT); Orange Prize nominated author Scarlett Thomas (The End of Mr. Y); Golden Globe Best Actress nominee Joely Richardson (NIP\TUCK) and acclaimed director Iain Softley (INKHEART; K-PAX). 

 

The Jury citation read: “It is a great pleasure to recognise SOMERS TOWN as the freshest, most imaginative, maverick work deserving of the Michael Powell Award. After viewing an impressive selection of films and a long deliberation we the Jury unanimously agreed that the award would go to SOMERS TOWN.”

 

This year the Michael Powell Award was significantly increased from £5000 to £20,000.

 

On awarding Robert Carlyle The PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film, the Jury cited: “It is our great pleasure in the category of best actor/actress to recognise a flawless performance in a great, uncompromising film, a film that touches the heart - and at the film’s heart a triumph of a performance by an actor who inspired all of us. The vote was unanimous.”

 

The Best Documentary Award Jury, chaired by Seamus McGarvey, said “The documentaries competing for this award were, in many cases, exemplary.  It was a powerful shortlist of contrasting styles and experience.  Our deliberations were lengthy; each of us had favourites about which we were passionate.  In the end, however, there was one film which we all agreed was the outstanding entry, a poetic vision but one with an unflinching gaze focusing on an area which should concern us all.  This film is ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD directed by Werner Herzog. The film is about discovery.  Herzog uses his camera as a writer might use a pen, making notes as he goes along, allowing the audience to share the discoveries he makes through the lens.  Many of the shortlisted films confront important issues in the world today. ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD approaches equally important issues but draws its authority from its quiet assurance.  It is a challenging film and reveals, sometimes obliquely, sometimes directly, profound insights into the state we're in.  We felt it was a celebration of documentary filmmaking that thoroughly deserves to win the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival Best Documentary Award.”

 

The Scottish Short Documentary Jury said: “The jury was very impressed by the overall quality of the films, particularly the extremely high technical standard and the stunning cinematography. The winning film, the jury felt, told a beautifully structured story, introducing the viewer to a situation through subtly observed scenes and gradually revealing unexpected details that combined to produce an unforgettable portrait of a modern family.”

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The Edinburgh International Film Festival

 

Copyright photographs taken by Andrew Murphy

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Information the Edinburgh International Film Festival

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