Göteborg International Film Festival's Closing Party

Award ceremony at Göteborg International Film Festival's Closing Party
The Closing Gala Evening of the 30th Göteborg International Film Festival was celebrated tonight at restaurant Tres at Lindholmen, where the following awards were presented; The Göteborg International Film Festival Nordic Film Award, Startsladden, Kodak Nordic Vision Award, the Church of Sweden Film Award, the Fipresci Award (the international film critic award for best Nordic film) and the Audience's Choice Award, feature and short film.


The Nordic Film Award
The Nordic Film Award at the Göteborg International Film Festival goes to Johan Kling, the director of Darling, "a film that intelligently and effectively depicts the shallow and often heartless lifestyle of a young urban elite. But Darling also deals with the social abandonment of elderly people in today's society och, through an unexpected meeting between these two worlds, shows us the need for human compassion."

The Nordic Jury consisted of Monika Tunbäck-Hanson (chairman, Sweden), Anders Engström (producer and director, Finland), Åke Sandgren (director, Denmark), Ingrid Dahlberg (director, producer etc, Sweden) and Krister Henriksson (actor, Sweden).


Kodak Nordic Vision Award
The same jury also chose the winner of the Kodak Nordic Vision Award. The Kodak Nordic Vision Award goes to cinematographer Harald Paalgard for "his sharp and sensitive camera work in Peter Schønau's film The Art of Crying. His images draws our attention to the human being and the human condition, creating a very special mood in this dark tale."


The Church of Sweden Film Prize
The Church of Sweden Film Prize goes to Kid svensk, by Nanna Huolman, "a film which is a powerful and sympathetic account from the 80´ies Sweden, with great resonance in today's multiethnic Sweden."

The church jury consisted of Mikael Ringlander (Chairman)), Gunnar Bergdahl (film critic, journalist and director), Anne-Louise Eriksson (Swedish Church), Kim Skjoldager Nielsen (scriptwriter).


The Fipresci Prize
The prize from the international critic jury goes to The Bothersome Man (Norway), by Jens Lien, "for its original and brilliant storytelling, its humorous view of modern western society and its statement against homologation and conformism."

The Fipresci Jury consists of Roger Wilson - Sweden, Francisco Ferreira - Portugal and Marco Spagnoli - Italy


The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award
The first The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award goes to Red Road, by Andrea Arnold, "a film which combines deep humanity and original, powerful cinematic story-telling. The director created a world that was very realistic and, at the same time very personal. It is a film to which all of us can find something to connect."

The award consists of a weeks stay at The Bergman Week 2007, at Fårö, a beautiful engraved stone from Ingmar Bergman's own beach and a dvd box with 30 Bergman films.

The TIBIDA jury consisted of film professor Maaret Koskinen, Sweden, Stephen Uljaki, Cinema Department San Fransisco State University, USA, and directors Agnieszka Holland, Poland, Jafar Panahi, Iran, Laila Pakalnina, Latvia.


Startsladden (The Synch Leader)
The winner of the short film competition Startsladden (Synch Leader) 2007 is Coming Home by Jonas Holmström and Jonas Bergergård. The award consists of film equipment worth a total of 870 000 SEK technique and materials and 130 000 SEK in cash from the Swedish Film Institute. Nineteen technique companies from the organisation Bratek and the Swedish Film Institute supports this award.

This year's jury consisted of Anette Mattsson, Nordisk Film Post Production, Hans Wallén, Media Store, and directors Jens Jonsson and Maria Blom.


Audience's choice best feature film:
Paraguayan Hammock by Paz Encina, Paraguay


Audience's choice, best short film:
The Price of Knowledge, by Anders Muammar