The New Montreal FilmFest has announced the winners of its Audience Awards and three specials prizes at a ceremony that took place today, 5 p.m., at its headquarters, 1700 St-Denis.

Audience Award Winners

Award for best film
Lady Zee, by Georgi Djulgerov – Bulgaria

Award for best Canadian feature
L’audition, by Luc Picard – Canada

Award for best performance in a Canadian feature
Luc Picard (L’audition) – Canada

Award for best short film
Revolver Tango, by Pascale Marcotte – Canada

Award for best Canadian short film
Revolver Tango, by Pascale Marcotte – Canada

Award for best direction of a short film
Radio, by Patrick Boivin – Canada

Best first work in short films
Revolver Tango, by Pascale Marcotte – Canada

Winners of Special Prizes

In addition to the Festival’s seven audience awards, Festival films were eligible for three additional prizes: two Quebec Critics’ prizes sponsored by Air France for best French short film and best French feature – attributed by a jury comprised of Louise Blanchard, Juliette Ruer and Luc Perreault – and a documentary prize sponsored by the National Film Board of Canada, whose jury was comprised of director-screenwriter Marquise Lepage, Senegalese-Canadian filmmaker Seydou Kane and scientist Roger Blais.

Quebec Critics' Prize for best French feature
Le silence, by Orso Miret – France
For its half-toned vision of Corsica, its brutal symbolism of hunting, the evocative power of its environment, its universality of a subject rooted in a local context, and its sober, nuanced and effective direction. The movie will be distributed by K-Films.

Quebec Critics' Prize for best French short film
Le baiser, by Stéfan Le Lay – France
For its humourous, absurd look at the all-powerfulness of the cinema

NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA Award for best documentary film

For its manifest technical qualities, the power of its theme, its personal perspective and the rightness with which the director depicts the courage and dignity of his compatriots, the jury awarded its prize to La dignidad de los nadies (La dignité des pauvres / The Dignity of the Nobodies), by Fernando E. Solanas – Argentina, Brazil, Switzerland.

The jury also attributed a Special Mention to a film which was compelling in its sincerity, and in the dignity of its subjects and their desire to promote peace, justice and fraternity in a world where future generations will be no longer be imprisoned by errors of the past: Winterkinder – Die schweigende generation (Les enfants d’hiver – la génération silencieuse / Winter’s Children – The Silent Generation), by Jens Schanze – Germany.

Short film winners shared $35,000 in prize money and services at the inaugural edition of the New Montreal FilmFest: Loto‑Québec donated $5000 to the winner of the Gold Iris for best short film in the Festival’s official competition; the winner of the Le Lait Audience Award for best short film receives $10,000; the winner of the Le Lait Audience Award for best Canadian short film receives $10,000 in post-production services from Studio Ex‑Centris; the Vidéotron Audience Award for best direction in a short film is accompanied by $5,000 from Canal Vox, and Vidéotron will showcase the film to ensure its promotion; and Air France is donating $5000 in plane fare each to the winners of its best French short film and best French feature prizes attributed by a jury of Quebec Critics.

In addition to having their say by voting for the seven Audience Awards, the festival-going public became eligible for their own prizes: a 2006 Toyota Corolla Sport sedan, a complete home theatre supplied by Vidéotron and Dumoulin, and a year's VIP pass to the Cineplex Odeon and Galaxy cinemas across Canada.