01/10/2007

The Icelandic film Children [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Ragnar Bragason was awarded the Golden Swan for Best Film last Saturday evening during the closing night of the Copenhagen International Film Festival.

Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, Gísli Örn Garðarsson and Olafur Darri Olafsson – three members of the Vesturport theatre group, which wrote and produced the film with Bragason – came onstage to receive the award with the director.

The low budget ensemble piece, based entirely on improvisation, captures the lives of an underworld thug, a single mum with four kids and a schizophrenic. It is the first part of independent twin features exploring the roles of children and parents in today’s Reykjavik.

The film is sold internationally by London-based The Works and Øst for Paradis will release it in Denmark on October 12.

Several other Nordic films and talents were rewarded in Copenhagen: the Golden Swan for Best Director went to the Norwegian film Mirush [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Marius Holst, the Swedish film To Love Someone by Åke Sandgren won Best Actress (Sofia Ledarp) and Best Screenplay, which went to Denmark’s Kim Fupz Aakeson, who was also presented with an Honorary Award.

France was also well represented in the final awards: Mathieu Amalric was named Best Actor for Heartbeat Detector [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Nicolas Klotz; the Israel/French co-production The Band’s Visit [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Eran Kolirin won the the Special Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award; and the Belgium/France co-production Sounds of Sand [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Marion Hänsel, winner of an Alice Award (Best Film by a Female Director).

The UK was honoured by a Golden Swan for Best Cinematography given to Giles Nuttgens for Hallam Foe [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], and Kenneth Branagh’s Sleuth [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] was the closing film of the festival.