ERA New Horizons IFF

by Sandy Mandelberger, Online Dailies Editor

HUNGER, multiple-award-winning film debut of the famous visual artist Steve McQueen, has won the Grand Prix (20 000 €) of NEW HORIZONS International Competition. The festival's highest honour was awarded by the international jury.
HUNGER also took home the Film Critics Award (10 000 €). The film, which won the Camera D'Or prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival, tells the chilling tale of Irish Republican Army activist Bobby Sands, whose prison hunger strike eventually help push the English out of their grip over Northern Ireland. The Audience Award went to OXYGEN by the Russian director Ivan Vyrypayev, an eye-opening feature-length film told in music video chapters. All three winning titles are guaranteed distribution in Poland.

In the FILMS ON ART International Competition, the international jury awarded FLicKeR by Canadian documentarian Nik Sheehan as the Best Film (10 000 €). The film, which tells the untold story of a "dream machine" invented by a Beat artist in the 1950s that continues to inspire filmmakers, poets and musicians, will also be guaranteed distribution in Poland. Jury's Special Mention went to DOUBLE TAKE by Belgian avant-gardist Johan Grimonprez, who uses clips from the films, outtakes and interviews of the film master Alfred Hitchcock to cook up its own brew of thriller.

In the NEW POLISH FILMS Competition the Wroclaw Film Prize (approx. 25 000 €), founded by the Mayor of Wroclaw, Mr Rafal Dutkiewicz went to SNOW WHITE AND RUSSIAN RED by Xawery Zulawski. Katarzyna Roslaniec, director of MALL GIRLS, was awarded the Best New Director Prize (approx. 10 000 €) funded by the Marshal of Lower Silesia, Mr Marek Lapinski.

During the 11 days of films, music concerts and art exhibitions, the ERA NEW HORIZONS International Film Festival presented 242 full-length films from 45 countries - more than 120 of them had their Polish premieres in Wrocław. 303 short and medium-length films were presented. Nearly 125,000 tickets were sold, making it one of the biggest festivals in Europe. For more information, visit the Festival's website: www.enh.pl