NEWS
J´ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother) won the Golden Puffin at RIFF award ceremony
THE GOLDEN PUFFIN
Discovery Award
The Golden Puffin was awarded to Canadian director Xavier Dolan for his startling debut film J´ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother) which chronicles the stormy relationship between a teenage boy and his mother. The film also won the Prix Regards Jeunes at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
Jury Statement
“We chose this film not only because we were impressed by the main characters who are so expressive, never full of self-pity and who remain truthful all at the same time. The director is able to see his story in the wider context of human existence.
We like not only the story but the way the story is told: in a distant, reflected, witty way. The film shows a deep insight into the complexity of the relationship between mother and son. The ending shows a precise and warm reflection and knowledge about this turbulent love hate relationship.
Last but not least, we want to point out the fact that this young filmmakermakes us curious to follow his next films and see how he will continue to develop his film language and storytelling.”
FIPRESCI AWARD
Awarded by International Federation of Film Critics
The Fipresci Award was handed to Swedish director Fredrik Ekdfelt´s first feature Flickan (The Girl) which tells the story of a 10-year old girl who, left alone, creates her own reality.
THE CHURCH OF ICELAND AWARD
Norwegian director Matias Armand Jordal recieved the Church of Iceland Award for his film Sammen (Together), which tells the story a shattered family´s fight to re-establish their bonds.
The Church of Iceland Award is presented for the fourth time this year to an outstanding film that deals with important existential questions.
Jury Statement
Father and son react differently to a tragic loss. Sammen invites the viewer on a journey through barren landscapes of sorrow. It illustrates healthy and unhealthy reactions to a tragedy and shows convincingly how the daily tasks of life can overwhelm the bereaved.
Sammen is a story about guilt and despair. It tells us that love can keep us alive when everything else has fallen apart. Three embraces mark the way from sorrow to acceptance, from despair to hope. Sammen is a realistic and hopeful film that reminds us that the smallest touch can do wonders.
RIFF AUDIENCE AWARD
Icelandic director Janus Bragi Jakobsson won the RIFF Audience Award for his short film The Gentlemen. It tells the tale of male bonding, aided by copious amounts of alcohol
THE ICELANDIC RED CROSS AWARD
Human Rights Award
The Icelandic Red Cross handed the Human Rights Awards to French directors Jean Marc Sainclair and Jean Crousillac for their film Umoja: Where Men Are Forbidden. It documents the story of a Kenyan village women´s fight for their rights without any men.
RIFF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
In recognition of its fine and original treatment of important issues that affect the economics and ecological realities of Africa, The RIFF awards its first ecological award to Brice Laine for his film The Dancing Forest. The director has skillfully portrayed in his film the realities and aspirations of people in a small African community who refuse to wait for outside aid choosing to dynamically combine tradition and modern agricultural knowledge, in their serious attempt to fight poverty and isolation. The film becomes a strong and honest statement of people working to better their lives in harmony with traditions and through environmental concern for nature, based on love for Man and the Land, respect for people and the land.