Hong Kong-born director Wayne Wang's "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers" won the best film and best actor awards at the 55th annual San Sebastian film festival in Spain on Saturday.
Based on a short story by the same name by award-winning author Yiyun Li, the movie depicts the tensions that follow when a widower from Beijing, Mr Shi, goes to the US to visit his recently divorced daughter Yilan.

"It was a small film that needed a lot of time to be done because I think films need to breathe, like us," said Wang who was named after his father's favourite actor, John Wayne.
The movie marked a return to low-budget filmmaking for Wang, 58, whose recent films include "Maid in Manhattan" (2002) staring US singer Jennifer Lopez and "The Last Holiday" (2006) featuring Queen Latifah.

The jury was presided by US author and director Paul Auster who Wang worked with on the 1995 independent film "Smoke" and its sequel "Blue in the Face".


AWARD-WINNERS

GOLDEN SHELL FOR BEST FILM
A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, Wayne Wang (AEB / EE.UU. / USA)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
BUDA AZ SHARM FORU RIKHT/BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME, Hana Makhmalbaf (France-Iran)

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST DIRECTOR
NICK BROOMFIELD, BATTLE FOR HADITHA (UK)

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST ACTRESS
BLANCA PORTILLO, SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS (Spain)

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST ACTOR
HENRY O., A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS ( USA)

JURY PRIZE FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHARLIE LAM, CEOT OI KAP GEI/EXODUS (Hong Kong)
GIDOI ONENAREN EPAIMAHAIAREN SARIA ex-aequo

JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAY ex-aequo
GRACIA QUEREJETA y DANIEL PLANELL, SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS (Spain)
JOHN SAYLES, HONEYDRIPPER (USA)

ALTADIS-NEW DIRECTORS AWARD
SOUL CARRIAGE, Conrad Clark (China-UK)

HORIZONTES AWARD
EL BAÑO DEL PAPA, Enrique Fernández y César Charlone (Uruguay-
Brazil-France )

SPECIAL MENTIONS
PÁRPADOS AZULES, Ernesto Contreras (Mexico)
SATANÁS, Andrés Baiz (Colombia)

TCM AUDIENCE AWARD
CARAMEL, Nadine Labaki (Lebanon-France)

AWARD TO THE EUROPEAN FILM
LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLON, Julian Schnabel (France)

YOUTH AWARD
CARAMEL, Nadine Labaki (Lebanon-France)

FILMS IN PROGRESS AWARDS

FILMS IN PROGRESS INDUSTRY AWARD
GASOLINA, Julio Hernández Cordón (Guatemala)

TVE AWARD
ACNÉ, Federico Veiroj (Uruguay-Argentina-Spain-
Mexico)
SOL NA NEBLINA, Werner Schumann (Brazil)

CASA DE AMÉRICA AWARD
GASOLINA, Julio Hernández Cordón (Guatemala)

SIGNIS AWARD
LA EXTRANJERA, Fernando Díaz (Argentina)

CICAE AWARD
GASOLINA, Julio Hernández Cordón (Guatemala)

CINEMA IN MOTION AWARDS
SALT OF THIS SEA, de Anne-Marie Jacir (Palestina)
RECYCLE, de Mahmoud Al Massad (Jordania)

VI INTERNATIONAL FILM SCHOOL MEETING AWARDS

PANAVISION AWARD
VITA DE GIACOMO, Luca Governatori (La Femis, France)
SPECIAL MENTIONS
- IDIOMA, Ian Menoyot ( IAD, Belgium)
- DE LAS RELACIONES, Jorge Acebo.( CECC, Barcelona)
- LA INVENCIÓN, Andrés García Franco (UNAM, Mexico)

OTHER AWARDS

FIPRESCI AWARD
ENCARNACIÓN, Anahí Berneri (Argentina)

TVE OTRA MIRADA AWARD
BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME, Hana Makhmalbaf (Iran- France)

SIGNIS AWARD
A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, Wayne Wang (AEB /EEUU/ USA)
SPECIAL MENTION
BATTLE FOR HADITHA, Nick Broomfield (UK)

CICAE AWARD
BRICK LANE, Sarah Gavron (UK)

2007 CEC AWARD FOR BEST FILM
A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, Wayne Wang (USA)

GUIPUZCOAN BLOOD-DONORS’ ASSOCIATION CORRESPONDING TO THE SOLIDARITY AWARD
JAKOB BRONSKI Max von Sydowk antzeztutako pertsonaia protagonista, Paolo Barzmanek zuzendutako EMOTIONAL ARITHMETIC
filman / JAKOB BRONSKI personaje protagonista interpretado por Max von Sydow, de EMOTIONAL ARITHMETIC, dirigida por Paolo
Barzman / JAKOB BRONSKI, leading character played by Max von Sydow, in EMOTIONAL ARITHMETIC, directed by Paolo Barzman
( Canada)

SEBASTIANE 2007 AWARD
CARAMEL, Nadine Labaki (Libano-Frantzia / Libano- Francia / Lebanon-France)