26/08/2016 - Benjamin Ree and Maren Ade have taken the top prizes at the 44th Norwegian International Film Festival

Norwegian actress-director Liv Ullmann (left) presents Swedish actress-director Pernilla August with the festival’s Honorary Award

Norwegian director Benjamin Ree’s first feature-length documentary, Magnus [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which had its Norwegian premiere at the 44^th Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, received the Ray of Sunshine from the Norwegian Exhibitors’ Association at the awards ceremony held on Thursday night (25 August) at the Edda Cinema Centre.

Previously screened at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival, Germany’s Filmfest München and the Moscow International Film Festival, Magnus portrays Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian who, at 22, became World Chess Champion and was named one of the most influential people alive by Time magazine. Ahead of the film’s theatrical launch on 2 September, it has been sold to 56 countries by Denmark’s TrustNordisk.

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Meanwhile, German director Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Maren Ade
film profile], which has already collected five awards, including the international film critics’ FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, was the favourite of the Norwegian Film Critics’ Association, while Danish director Jesper W Nielsen’s The Day Will Come [+see also:
trailer
film profile] went home with the FIPRESCI Prize, which was presented in Haugesund for the first time.

On Wednesday (24 August), Swedish actress-director Pernilla August, who screened her latest directorial effort, A Serious Game [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Karin Franz Körlof
film profile], in the main programme, received the Norwegian International Film Festival’s Liv Ullmann Honorary Award from Ullmann herself, who is also the honorary president of the Haugesund showcase.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Ray of Sunshine
Magnus [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Benjamin Ree (Norway) 

Norwegian Film Critics’ Award
Toni Erdmann [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Maren Ade
film profile] – Maren Ade (Germany)

International Film Critics’ FIPRESCI Award
The Day Will Come [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Jesper W Nielsen (Denmark)

Audience Award
Perfect Strangers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Paolo Genovese (Italy)

Andreas (Ecumenical) Award
Agnus Dei [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Anne Fontaine (France)

Best Project/Nordic Co-production and Financing Market
Amundsen & Nobile – Katja Næss (Norway)

Eurimages Lab Project Award/New Nordic Films
The Wind Blew On – Katrín Ólafsdóttir (Iceland)

Next Nordic Generation Award/New Nordic Films
I’ll Try Again – Jo Widerberg (Sweden)

Playing Faun
Håkon Skogrand (former programme director)

Liv Ullmann Honorary Award
Pernilla August