24/05/2008

Kazakh filmmaker Sergey Dvortsevoy yesterday evening picked up the Un Certain Regard Award at the 61st Cannes Film Festival.

Presided by German director Fatih Akin, the jury unanimously decided to present the prize to this co-production between Germany (Pandora Film and Pallas Film), Switzerland (Cobra Film), Poland (Filmcontract), Russia and Kazakhstan. This fascinating feature set in the steppes will be distributed by ARP Sélection and sold internationally by German company Match Factory.

There is a strong German presence on the Un Certain Regard 2008 prize list, as the jury – who announced five winners rather than the usual three – awarded their Coup de Cœur Prize to Andreas Dresen’s Cloud 9 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news).

France was also honoured with Jean-François Sauvaire’s French/Belgian co-production Johnny Mad Dog winning the Hope Award. This feature centres on child soldiers in Liberia (see news).

Other prize winners include Japan’s Kiyoshi Kurosawa and US director James Toback.

The jury also paid homage to the film (La Vie moderne) and oeuvre of French documentary filmmaker Raymond Depardon.

Un Certain Regard prize winners

Un Certain Regard Award:
Tulpan - Sergey Dvortsevoy (Kazakhstan)

Jury Prize:
Tokyo Sonata - Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan)

Coup de Cœur Award:
Cloud 9 - Andreas Dresen (Germany)

KO Prize:
Tyson - James Toback (documentary - US)

Hope Award:
Johnny Mad Dog - Jean-François Sauvaire (France)

(Translated from French)