More awards than ever before - and the Edinburgh International Film Festival has, for the first time, made the Awards Ceremony into a major event. Open to the public. We pack out the Filmhouse, waiting with the nervous excitement of teenagers on a first date. Last year Control made waves around the world, picking up Best New British Feature as well as Best Performance In A British Feature Film for Sam Riley. Britain, and the Edinburgh Film Festival, were more firmly on the map than ever before, with Control continuing to career from success to success internationally, so expectations were high.
This year also saw Edinburgh making a splash with one of its biggest opening films ever, the star-studded Edge Of Love, with Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Sean Connery and many other celebrities gracing the specially extended Red Carpet. No longer seen as an adjunct to the Edinburgh Fringe, the Film Festival stands on its own. Its new time slot in June has catapulted it into the international film festival diary more successfully than ever before.
It hasn’t always been like this. Although it's the longest continually running Film Festival in the world, Edinburgh has been slow to consolidate its status. I recall talking to Artistic Director Hannah McGill long before she held that post. The thinking then was that Awards were expensive and unpopular – it meant extra costs for filmmakers staying on to see if they would win. I disagreed strongly. Hannah was enthusiastic. But would she put her words into practice? In the first two years of her term, she has not only initiated new awards (and found the funding!), but turned a cloistered announcement into a glittering Awards Event that shows clips of the winning films. This year sees yet another new award – for Best British Music Video. The event continues to grow.
And so to the presentations. There are ten competition categories, for both features and shorts. Patron Sir Sean Connery does the honours and the event is compered by Radio Scotland’s Janice Forsyth. This year’s winners are:
Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature: Somers Town – Directed by Shane Meadows. Shane says “I’m using my prize money to buy a Triumph Bonneville.”
Best Performance in a British Feature Film: Robert Carlyle - Summer.
Standard Life Audience Award: Man On Wire – Directed by James Marsh. Sir Sean described Man On Wire as, “One of the best three films I’ve ever seen.” It was voted as 'unmissable' by 75% of the participating audience.
Best Documentary Award: Encounters At The End Of The World – Directed by Werner Herzog.
Skillset New Directors Award: Marianna Palka – Good Dick.
UK Film Council Award for Best British Short Film: Son – Directed by Daniel Mulloy.
European Film Academy Short Film 2008 - Prix UIP 2 Birds – Directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson.
Scottish Short Documentary Award supported by Baillie Gifford: Christmas With Dad – Directed by Conor McCormack.
McLaren Award for New British Animation in partnership with BBC Film Network: Space Travel According To John – Directed by Jamie Stone & Anders Jedenfors.
Mirrorball Best British Music Video Award: Happiness (Goldfrapp) – Directed by Dougal Wilson.
This year’s Michael Powell Jury were actor Danny Huston (The Kreutzer Sonata, The Constant Gardener) who presided over the five-strong Jury; international producer Sigurjon Sighvatsson (Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait); Orange Prize nominated author Scarlett Thomas (The End Of Mr. Y); Golden Globe Best Actress nominee Joely Richardson (Nip\Tuck) and acclaimed director Iain Softley (Inkheart; K-Pax). The Jury citation read: “It is a great pleasure to recognise Somers Town as the freshest, most imaginative, maverick work deserving of the Michael Powell Award. After viewing an impressive selection of films and a long deliberation we the Jury unanimously agreed that the award would go to Somers Town.”
This year the Michael Powell Award was significantly increased from £5000 to £20,000. On awarding Robert Carlyle The PPG Award for Best Performance In A British Feature Film, the Jury stated: “It is our great pleasure in the category of Best Actor/Actress to recognise a flawless performance in a great, uncompromising film, a film that touches the heart - and at the film’s heart a triumph of a performance by an actor who inspired all of us. The vote was unanimous.”
The Best Documentary Award Jury, chaired by Seamus McGarvey, said “The documentaries competing for this award were, in many cases, exemplary. It was a powerful shortlist of contrasting styles and experience. Our deliberations were lengthy; each of us had favourites about which we were passionate. In the end, however, there was one film which we all agreed was the outstanding entry, a poetic vision but one with an unflinching gaze focusing on an area which should concern us all. This film is Encounters At The End Of The World, directed by Werner Herzog. The film is about discovery. Herzog uses his camera as a writer might use a pen, making notes as he goes along, allowing the audience to share the discoveries he makes through the lens. Many of the shortlisted films confront important issues in the world today. Encounters At The End Of The World approaches equally important issues but draws its authority from its quiet assurance. It is a challenging film and reveals, sometimes obliquely, sometimes directly, profound insights into the state we're in. We felt it was a celebration of documentary filmmaking that thoroughly deserves to win the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival Best Documentary Award.”
The Scottish Short Documentary Jury said “The jury was very impressed by the overall quality of the films, particularly the extremely high technical standard and the stunning cinematography. The winning film, the jury felt, told a beautifully structured story, introducing the viewer to a situation through subtly observed scenes and gradually revealing unexpected details that combined to produce an unforgettable portrait of a modern family.”
