58th Berlinale Independent Juries Awards Winners

Tomorrow the fest will end and here are some already announced winners.

Prizes of the Ecumenical Jury
In Competition: Il y a Longtemps que Je T’Aime, Philippe Claudel, France and Germany
Special Mention: Zuo You (In Love We Trust), Wang Xiaoshual, China
Panorama: Boy A, John Crowley, UK
Forum: Corridor #8, Boris Despodov, Bulgaria

Prizes of the FIPRESCI Juries
In Competition: Lake Tahoe, Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico
Panorama: Rusalka (Mermaid), Anna Melikian, Russia
Forum: Shahida – Brides of Allah, Natalie Assouline, Israel

Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas: Restless, Amos Kollek, Israel, Germany, Canada, France and Belgium

Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai - C.I.C.A.E. Prizes

Panorama: Revanche, Götz Spielmann, Austria. The Panorama-Jury gives the Art-Cinéma-Award 2008 to Austrian director Götz Spielmanns Revanche, a very thoroughfully written and directed film about the struggle for a better, for a civil life. The director chooses the form of a calm and quiet drama to tell a very universal, emotional story about the loss of dreams, about moral values, love and forgiveness. What makes Revanche so much different of linear dramas or simple-crime-movies are it‘s very subtle interpreted, multi-dimensional characters and the writer-director is supported here by magnificent actors who are responsible for the films incredible richness

Forum: United Red Armny, Wakamatsu Koji, Japan. United Red Army is both an interesting and strong impressive movie. The film allows all audiences to have a very deep cinematographic experience. Following the destiny of young radical people from about 40 years ago is an experience that also young people from today will like. It is a movie which length is no weakness but makes it even stronger. The subject is an interesting starting point for discussions.

Label Europa Cinemas: Revanche, Götz Spielmann, Austria.

Manfred Salzgeber Prize: Megane (Glasses), Naoko Origami, Japan
Special Mention: Improvvisamente l’inverno scorso (Suddenly, Last Winter), Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi, Italy

Teddy Awards
Best Feature Film: The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela, Olaf de Fleur, Iceland "for its ability to address race, gender and poverty in an entertaining way, while also playing with audiences expectations of form."
Jury Prize: Be Like Others, Tanaz Eshaghian, USA, Canada and Iran "an uncompromising and moving portrayal of the shocking reality faced by queer Iranians."

Dialogue en Perspective: Drifter, Sebastian Heidinger, Germany
Special Mention: Lostage (Star-Crossed), Bettina Eberhard, Germany and Switzerland

Caligari Film Prize: Tirador (Slingshot), Brillante Mendoza, Philippines

NETPAC Prize: United Red Army, Wakamatsu Koji, Japan
Special Mention: Paruthiveeran, Ameer Sulthan, India (movie in Tamilian)

Amnesty International Film Prize: Sleep Dealer, Alex Rivera, USA and Mexico
Special Mention: Be Like Others, Tanaz Eshaghian, USA, Canada and Iran

Panorama Audience Awards
First Place: Lemon Tree, Eran Kiklis, Israel, Germany and France
Second Place: Darling! The Pieter-Dirk Uys Story, Julian Shaw, Australia
Third Place: Erika Rabau (Puck of Berlin), Samson Vicent, Germany

Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Choice Award: Il y a Longtemps que Je T’Aime… (I’ve Loved You So Long…, Philippe Claudel, France and Germay
Tagesspiegel Readers’ Prize: God Man Dog, Singing Chen, Taiwan
Volkswagen Audience Award: Football Under Cover, David Assmann and Ayat Najfi, Germany

To check all awards go here. If you’re wondering how come they have so many awards think that most awards come with money attached, which helps a lot production costs. This is one of the reasons why this festival is so popular, as it helps a lot of filmmakers to continue working in this industry.