01/12/2008

Argentinean director Lisandro Alonso’s Liverpool – a co-production between Argentina, Spain, France, Netherlands and Germany (see news) – won Best Film at the Gijón Film Festival, whose 46th edition ended Saturday. The award is in keeping with the festival’s preference for radical films over market-oriented work.

“The award was a declaration of intentions,” says jury member and actor Alex Brandemühl. “We are awarding a very personal type of cinema, which takes risks and refuses to compromise”.

Liverpool’s Spanish co-producer Lluís Miñarro (of Eddie Saeta) hopes the award will help the film’s local and international distribution. Liverpool has so far only been released in Argentina, with Spanish distribution scheduled for February. Cologne-based The Match Factory handles international sales.

The jury was also won over by French films, presenting the Jury Special Award to Claire Denis’s 35 Shots of Rum [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Best Screenplay to Sylvie Verheyde’s Stella [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

Kazakh-born director Sergey Dvortsevoy picked up Best Director for Tulpan [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Yono Goodman got Best Artistic Direction for Waltz with Bashir [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

The cast of Lance Hammer’s US title Ballast walked away with Best Actress (Tarra Riggs) and Best Actor (ex aequo: Michael J. Smith and JimMyron Ross).

At the closing ceremony, Catalan actress Mercedes Sampietro received the 7th Nacho Martínez award, which each year recognises the achievement of a local film industry personality.