27/08/2012 - Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud's I Belong won for Best Nordic Feature at the 40th Norwegian International Film Festival, which registered more than 1,300 professional participants

Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud's feature debut, I Belong, received the first Viaplay Nordic Film Award Haugesund – a €10,000 prize for the Best Nordic Film in the programme – at the 40th Norwegian International Film Festival, which ended Thursday (August 23). The Audience Award went to Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg's Kon-Tiki [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

More than 1,300 film professionals attended the showcase (between August 18-23), including 340 participants in the preceding New Nordic Films market (August 15-18) with previews of 23 new films, six works-in-progress and 16 projects pitched at the Co-Production and Film Financing Forum. Screening a programme of 94 titles, festival director Gunnar Johan Løvvik celebrated his own 30th anniversary and Haugesund's 30th hosting of the event.

FULL LIST OF FESTIVAL AWARDS

The Viaplay Nordic Award: Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud's I Belong (Norway). Producers: Yngve Sæther, Sigve Endresen for Motlys AS (Norway). Local distributor: Norsk Filmdistribusjon

The Norwegian Critics' Prize: US director Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild (US). Arthaus

Norwegian Exhibitors' Prize: UK director Ken Loach's The Angels' Share [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ken Loach
film profile] (UK, France, Belgium, Italy). Storytelling Media

The Andreas Ecumenical Prize: Austrian director Michael Haneke's Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile] (France, Germany, Austria). Arthaus

The Audience Award: Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg's Kon-Tiki. (Norway, UK). Nordisk Film Distribusjon AS

The Hestenes Journalist Award: Inger Merete Hobbelstad, of the Dagbladet