Tony Manero, Men On The Bridge take top awards at Istanbul

The Golden Tulip for international competition was given to Pablo Larrain’s Tony Manero from Chile which the jury described as “a highly original portrait of life under an oppressive political regime, and which is shocking, funny and moving.”

Ian Fitzgibbon’s Irish black comedy A Film With Me In It won the special jury prize from the same jury which described it as “rare comedy which keeps you laughing from beginning to end with its unusual story and dark, dark humour.”

The international jury comprised of film-makers Goran Paskaljevic, Christian Mungiu and Umit Unal, Holland Film and European Film Promotion chief Claudia Landsberger and Screen’s Mike Goodridge.

The national jury gave the Golden Tulip for best film to Men On The Bridge directed by Asli Ozge and the best director award to Mahmut Fazil Coskun for Wrong Rosary. The two winners took home a monetary prize of 50,000 TL from the Ministry Of Culture And Tourism Of Turkey.

The jury, consisiting of director Kutlug Ataman, critic Geoff Andrew, author Ayse Kulin, producer Zeynep Ozbatur, Sarajevo Film Festival director Mirsad Purivatra and actress Bennu Yildirimlar, also named Derya Alabora best actress for Pandora’s Box and Nadir Saribacak best actor for Wrong Rosary. They eached received 10,000 TL.

Best screenplay went to Tarik Tufan, Gorkem Yeltan and Bektas Topaloglu for Wrong Rosary; Ozgur Eken won the director of photography award for Milk and best music went to Nail Yurtsever for Ali’s Eight Days. The special jury prize went to 10 To 11 by Pelin Esmer.

The Council Of Europe Film Award or FACE Award, which is presented to the director of a film that raises public awareness and interest in human rights issues, was awarded to Marco Bechis’ Birdwatchers. Bechis received a sculpture in bronze and a cash prize of Euros 10,000.

The jury was composed of producer and Eurimages executive Peter Gustafsson, director Huseyin Karabey, The Council Of Europe’s Jan Kleijssen and actress Serra Yilmaz.

Nandita Das’s Firaaq won the special jury prize.

The FIPRESCI jury award went to Semih Kaplanogiu’s Milk for a film in international competition and to Reha Erdem’s My Only Sunshine for a film in the national competition.

The FIPRESCI national prize in honour of Onat Kutlar comes with a $30,000 prize which Reha Erdem will use for his next film project.

The People’s Choice Awards went to Milk in the international competition and to Children Of The Other Side by Aydin Bulut in the national competition.

The inaugural feature film project development workshop award organised within the Meetings On The Bridge seminars went to Huseyin Karabey for his project Come To My Voice! He receives $10,000 award money from the Ministry Of Culture And Tourism Of Turkey.