Un Certain Regard Awards

Tulpan by Kazakh director Sergey Dvortsevoy was awarded the Un Certain Regard GAN Fondation Prize by the Jury President Fatih Akin at this evening’s awards ceremony.

The Un Certain Regard Jury, presided by Fatih Akin, consisting of José Maria Prado, director of the Spanish national film archive, as well as journalists Anupama Chopra, Catherine Mtsitouridze, and Yasser Moheb, awarded four other prizes: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire garnered the Hope Prize for Johnny Mad Dog, James Toback accepted the KnockOut Prize for Tyson, the Jury Prize went to Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Tokyo Sonata, and Cloud 9 by Andreas Dresen won the One-From-The-Heart Award.

Thierry Frémaux pointed out that on the Un Certain Regard menu were 20 films, 23 directors from 23 different countries. Jury President Fatih Akin introduced the awards, “The films this year were extraordinary, so great that we didn’t feel comfortable for this selection to choose just three films. We asked the authorities to make an exception this year, so that instead of giving three awards, we gave five awards. It was still very difficult… First of all, the Jury would like to pay a special tribute to the great work and career of Raymond Depardon [Modern Life]. It is a tradition that we have to name these awards and that was the thing we spent the most time on.”

The Hope Award was received by director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire:
“I made this film for the children who fought during the war in Liberia. We are very happy, myself and the children, to receive this prize tonight and as I am returning to Liberia next week, I will be sure to give it to them.”

The Knock Out Award was received by director James Toback:
“I was on the phone with Mike before and I told him that I thought we were going to win one award and he thought I was lying. He’s doing the commentary on a match tonight in London and so he’s going to announce this award on HBO during the fight…It was almost like a home movie when it started and it gives a sense of the very, very thin and almost soon-to-be-erased line between amateur filmmakers and professional filmmakers, actors and non-actors and that virtually anybody can participate. Thank you.”

The One-From-the-Heart Award was not received by Andreas Dresen who had returned to Germany already, but who sent the following message, “We are delighted that our film has been awarded this prize, confirming our dedication to making the film. Thank you.”

The Jury Prize was received by the film distributor who shared this with the audience, “Kiyoshi Kurosawa had to go back to Japan for personal reasons, for his wife whose disease has her in a hospital. He thanks you for the great reception here.”

The Un Certain Regard GAN Foundation Prize, which was a unanimous decision of the Jury, was received by the entire crew of Tulpan. Kazakh director Sergey Dvortsevoy, obviously thrilled, had this to say, “It’s so great and so unbelievable. It’s true that five days ago I didn’t know we can finish properly film because it was big rush and we wanted to achieve the Festival. And now we are here on this stage; it’s a great event and thank you very much, audience, for the great reception at the three screenings.”