44th TIFF: THE AWARDS

44th INTERNATIONAL THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL

NOVEMBER 21-30, 2003

List of Awards

The jury for the International Competition of the 44th Thessaloniki Film Festival was comprised of, Otar Iosseliani, Film Director (Georgia), President Tamila Koulieva, Actress (Russia/Greece) Jean-François Amiguet, Film Director, (Switzerland) Walter Lassally, Cinematographer (U.K) Wang Xiaoshuai, Film Director, (China) Samir Farid, Film Critic, (Egypt) and Jafar Panahi, Film Director (Iran)

The Αwards

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION SECTION

-Best Full Length Film Award - Golden Alexander (37.000 euros) POSLEDNIY POEZD (The Last Train) By Alexei German Jr., Russia

-Special Jury Award - Silver Alexander (22.000 euros) to, IL DONO (The Gift) by Michelangelo Frammartino, Italy

-Best Director Award To: CELINA MURGA for, Ana y Los Otros (Ana and the others), Argentina.

-Best Screenplay Award to DIMITRIS INDARES for, Gamilia Narki (Totally Married), Greece.

-Best Actress Award to DOROTA NVOTOVA in, Devcatko (Girlie) by Benjamin Tucek, Czech Republic

-Best Actor Award to MARIO KUBAS in, Devcatko (Girlie) by Benjamin Tucek , Czech Republic .

-Artistic Achievement Award To: DANEHAYE RIZE BARF (Tiny Snowflakes) by Ali Reza Amini, Iran

-Special Mention for the direction to SIEGRID ALNOY for the film Elle est des Nôtres (For She is a Jolly Good Fellow), France

FIPRESCI AWARDS

The FIPRESCI (Federation of International Film Association) jury, comprised of, Peter Keough (USA), President Mariola Wiktor (Poland) Marina Kostova (FYROM) Safaa Haggag (Egypt) Göran Bjelkendal (Sweden) Einar Guldvog Staalesen (Norway) Orestis Andreadakis (Greece) at the 44th International Thessaloniki Film Festival decided to give the FIPRESCI award for a film of the International Competition to

POSLEDNIY POEZD (The Last Train) by Alexei German Jr., Russia For depicting, with uncompromising honesty through exquisite mise en scene, subtle visual composition and long, meditative takes, the brutal absurdity of war and the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of it.

For a film of the Greek Films 2003 section to

OXIGONO (Oxygen) by Michalis Reppas & Thanassis Papathanasiou, Greece For uncovering, with authentic dialogue and gritty melodrama, the corruption of society and the breakdown of the family. By so doing it updates the Greek Tragedy in a sordid contemporary setting.

And a Special Mention for a film of the New Horizon section to

VOZVRASCHENIE (The Return) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia For its delicate balance between subject and style, its excellence in the direction of the actors and for telling a strong story without special effects and with minimal means.