For those who submitted films, or were invited, the Awards are a vital part of the Festival not only for the accolades and prestige, but also for the cash prizes that are always welcomed, especially by the independent filmmakers. With the Festival shifting its focus more towards independent film from next year, with its new date, it was encouraging to see that the indies won, even in the Audience Award, especially as there were some big studio pictures like Ratatouille to compete with. What is even more impressive is the Audience Award was won by a documentary. It was no surprise that Control won two prizes, but the rest were anyone’s guess. Here are the winners:
Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film, sponsored by the UK Film Council
Control – directed by Anton Corbijn
PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film
Sam Riley – Control
Standard Life Audience Award
We Are Together directed by Paul Taylor
Sky Movies Best Documentary Award
Billy the Kid directed by Jennifer Venditti
Special Jury Commendation to The Monastery: Mr Vig and the Nun directed by Pernille Rose Gronkjaer
Skillset New Directors Award
Lucia Puenzo - XXY
European Film Academy Short Film 2007 - Prix UIP
Soft by Simon Ellis
Special mention to Final Journey by Lars Zimmermann and Ottica Zero by Maja Borg
UK Film Council Kodak Award for Best British Short Film
The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island by James Griffiths
Special mention to – Dog Altogether by Paddy Considine
Short Scottish Documentary Award Supported by Baillie Gifford
Breadmakers by Yasmin Fedda
Special mention to How to Save a Fish From Drowning by Kelly Neal
McLaren Award for New British Animation in Partnership with BBC Film Network
Over the Hill by Peter Baynton
The closing night film was Julie Delpy’s Two Days in Paris, which she wrote, directed, starred in (along with her parents), edited and even did some of the music. It is a film along the same lines as Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, in that it is a walkie-talkie movie, except this has less romance and more angst and humour. It is on general release from August 31.
So that’s it for another year and with next year’s Festival moving to June (one of the hottest topics of the Festival) Hannah and her team certainly have their work cut out. And my opinion of the change? I think they are going to lose a huge amount of audience, especially from those attending the other festivals in Edinburgh who want to catch a non-commercial film as a break from all the live shows on offer. I will miss having the chance to do the opposite and catch some comedy as a break from watching films all day, although it will mean I might actually get some sleep.
Coming next: Raindance and London.
