Sergey Dvortsevoy's Tulpan has picked up the Golden Puffin award for Discovery of the Year at the Reykjavik International Film Festival (Sept 25-Oct 5).

The film, which took the top prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes earlier this year, tells the story of a man trying to build a new life after discharge from the Russian navy. The film screened in the festival's New Visions section.

Blind Loves, from Slovakian director Juraj Lehotsky, received a special mention from

the jury which comprised Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur, Icelandic actress Margret Vilhjalmsdottir, Finnish director Arto Halonen, Faroese director Katrin Ottarsdottir and Canadian-Armenian actress Arsinee Khanjian.

The FIPRESCI Award went to Ursula Meier's drama Home, which screened in the New Visions category.

The Church of Iceland award went to Aida Begic's Snow which was recently announced as Bosnia Herzegovina's submission for the best foreign Oscar. The Queer Cinema award went to Bohdan Slama's A Country Teacher, with a special mention to Gwen Haworth's documentary She's A Boy I Knew.

The audience award went to Arnar Jonasson's documentary Electronica Reykjavik, about the city's rich dance music scene.

Held in the Icelandic capital and now in its fifth year, the Reykjavik International Film Festival attracted almost 300 guests including around 50 directors and producers. These included auteur Costa-Gavras, in town to receive the festival's lifetime achievement award, Danish actress and director Paprika Steen and Iranian video artist Shirin Neshat.

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