Panorama Audience Award 2005

Of all large festivals, the Berlinale is regarded as the festival most open to the public. Radio channel “radioeins” and Berlin’s city magazine “tip” have again made it possible for film fans to vote for their favourite films and then in collaboration with the Panorama section to present the only official audience award of the Berlinale, the PanoramaAudienceAward. 34 feature films and 18 documentaries competed for this year’s prize. And the audiences cast their votes for: Va, vis et deviens by Radu Mihaileanu. This French-Israeli co-production took the lead very early on and held the front position straight through to the finish.

For the seventh time, visitors to the Berlinale were asked to cast ballots for their favourite films. In all, almost 19,000 votes were counted. For the first time this year, visitors could also place their votes using the Kinomatch push-button system installed at all Panorama movie-theater exits. As in past years, cineastes were also able to participate by filling out a voting card or voting online at www.PanoramaPublikumsPreis.de

The PanoramaAudienceAward will be presented on Sunday, February 20 at 5 p.m. in CinemaxX 7 at Potsdamer Platz. The winning feature film will receive the bronze statue by Berlin sculptor Hubertus Brand. The event will be hosted by “radioeins” film expert Knut Elstermann. The main prize will be awarded to director Radu Mihaileanu by Helmut Lehnert, chief editor of “radioeins”, and Robert Weixlbaumer, film editor of “tip”. Wieland Speck, head of the Panorama section, will also participate in the ceremony. Following the award presentation, these winning films will be screened.

PanoramaAudienceAward 2005: Va, vis et deviens by Radu Mihaileanu

To escape death from starvation in Ethiopia, a black boy pretends to be a Jewish orphan. He is adopted by an Israeli family and then lives in Tel Aviv. He experiences racism, love, Western culture and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet what he fears most is that someone finds out the truth about him…..

Va, vis et deviens (France/Israel, 2005)
Directed by and screenplay: Radu Mihaileanu

2nd place PanoramaAudienceAward:
Silentium (Austria, 2004)Directed by: Wolfgang Murnberger

3rd place PanoramaAudienceAward:
Lost Children (Germany, 2005)Directed by: Ali Samadi Ahadi & Oliver Stoltz

This year, for the second time, audiences also cast their ballots for their favourite short film. Out of 26 short films in the Panorama section, audiences voted for Hoi Maya by Claudia Lorenz.

The PanoramaAudienceAward for Best Short Film goes to:

Hoi Maya (Hi Maya, Switzerland, 2004, 12 min) Directed by: Claudia Lorenz