20.09.2005
BUSTER, Copenhagen
International Children's Film Festival - this year with a record number of
admissions of more than 19,000 - presented their awards at the prizegiving
ceremony on Friday 16th September.
Children's Jury
and Youth Jury: feature filmsThe Children's Jury, staffed by
six children, aged 11-13, awarded Best Buster Award to the feature film
"An Italian", directed by Andrei Kravchuk, Russia. The jury announced that
they were captivated by the film's authenticity and sincerity. The film
tells the story of Vanya, a six-year-old boy in an orphanage, who is up
for adoption by a wealthy Italian family, but ends up making his own
choice.
The Youth Jury awarded
Best Youth Film to the feature film "Mysterious Skin" by Gegg Araki, USA.
The four young actors on the jury, Amalie Dollerup, Neel Rønholt, Stefan
Pagels Andersen and Sebastian Jessen, announced that the film "in its
original and provocative depiction, stood out from the rest. The film's
portrayal of such tough subjects as paedophilia and homosexuality is so
direct and authentic that it keeps the audience riveted from start to
finish."
The choice made by the
two juries is striking: "It's interesting that the children's jury and the
youth jury picked these two exact films", says Charlotte Giese, Head of
Buster-programme group, "This year, we decided to include more films of
the kind that are usually left out of children and youth film festivals,
because they take up subjects that do not harmonise with conventional
views of what children and young people should be allowed to
see."
International
Jury: feature filmsThe international jury, consisting of
Sidse Babett Knudsen of Denmark, Reza Parsa of Sweden and Firdoze Bulbulia
of South Africa, awarded the Buster Grand Prize to the Chilean children's
feature film "Machuca" by Andrés Wood and gave a special mention to the
Iranian film "Turtles Can Fly" by Bahman Ghobadi.
Documentary and
short film awardsBuster's Documentary Film Award went to
"Living Rights: Yoshi", by Duco Tellegen, Holland; while Buster's Best
Children's Short Film went to "Engel en Broer", by Hanro Smitsman, also
from Holland; and the award for Best Youth Short Film went to "The
Surprise", by Lancelot von Naso, Germany.
The International Jury
chose "Birthday Boy", by Sejong Park as Best Children's Short Film, and
presented a Special Mention to the short film "Lard" by Ornette Spenceley,
Great Britain.
For further
information:
BUSTER -
Copenhagen International Children's Film Festivalwww.busterfilm.dk
BUSTER's
Festival DirectorDionysos Reitz Kerasiotis, +45 3393 0721, dionysosk@busterfilm.dk