Home » News & Media » Press » NEW TALENT CLAIMS TOP AWARDS AT ENCOUNTERS

NEW TALENT CLAIMS TOP AWARDS AT ENCOUNTERS

AND FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES NEW DATES FOR 2012

DATE: WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2011 The 17th Bristol Encounters International Film Festival came to a close on Sunday 20th November after an action-packed 5-day programme brimming with talent, inventiveness and imagination. Showcasing the latest short films and animation from established and new filmmakers alongside a host of exclusive special events such as Bruce Robinson’s career retrospective with Directors UK, to one of the most innovative animators of his time, John K selecting his Desert Island Flicks, this year’s festival was a huge success.

The festival had over 700 delegates attend from across the world, of which 230 were home and international filmmakers. Encounters is pleased to announce that it will be moving the dates of the festival next year. This decision has come in light of developmental changes within the festivals strategy, to align itself within the relevant calendar year for the Academy Awards® and European Film Awards for which it is an accredited festival, and to seek a less congested time within the short film and animation festival year. Please join us for the 18th Bristol Encounters International Film Festival, 18 – 23 September 2012.

We would like to say many congratulations to all the filmmakers who were selected for this year's Encounters International Film Festival. It’s been a fantastic year and the level of talent was extraordinarily high. There were 1800 films submitted to the festival with only a tenth of those making it through to the festival competition programmes.

On the closing night of the festival, we announced the winners of the 2011 Encounters awards. The Brief jury consisted of Eileen Arandiga (WWSFF, Canada), Jes Benstock (Director), Susanne Folkesson (UR-Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company) and last year’s Grand Prix winner, Paul Negoescu. They awarded the Brief Grand Prix, to Ulrike Vahl’s UTTER NULL (BELOW ZERO) “for its sensitive exploration of a family under stress through the mental illness of the father, the quality of the performances and layering of the narrative”.

The Animated Grand Prix, was presented by the Animated Jury; Sarah Cox (Arthur Cox), Nigel Davies (Aardman Animation) and Lea Zagury (Anima Mundi Festival) to Dan Ojari for his animation SLOW DEREK, an epic and spellbinding tale of Derek, an office worker, as he struggles with the true speed of planet earth. SLOW DEREK also received the Cartoon d’Or nomination for best European animation. The jury felt it was “a film that truly embraces the medium of animation with its original narrative and characterisation. Beautifully paced and structured, this film won us over with its quiet force”.

Both Ulrike Vahl and Dan Ojari each received £2,000 GBP and a Digital Cinema Print provided by Arts Alliance, and an engraved Bristol Blue Glass carafe for winning the Brief Grand Prix and Animated Grand Prix respectively.

The Children’s Animation jury Award, which was voted by 299 children from nine schools throughout Bristol was awarded to Michael Zachary Huber’s part science fiction, part thriller & part cautionary fairytale, WORLDS APART. The Audience Award was won by Johannes Nyholm’s LAS PALMAS, featuring a one year girl as a middle aged lady, while the rest of the cast are marionette puppets.

As an accredited festival for the European Film Awards 2012, the Bristol Short Film nomination was awarded to MITEN MARJOJA POIMITAAN (HOW TO PICK BERRIES), directed by Elina Talvensaari ‘for its exploration of Finnish mentality and revelation of the absurdities of global economy through exquisite cinematography’

DepicT! Watershed's super-short filmmaking competition, presented three awards selected by an esteemed jury including Christine Bardsley (British Council), David Sproxton (Aardman Animations), Gina Fucci (Films at 59), Nik Powell (National Film and Television School), Patrick Collerton (Director), and Sarah Cooper (Screen International). The DepicT! British Special Mention was awarded to Michelle Arbon’s animation ABOVE AS BELOW. The Shooting People Audience Award was won by Tom Bassford’s drama feature THE LAUNDERETTE, and the DepicT! Award went to Nick Fogg for her film WAKE about 87-year old Lis who is determined to live life to the full and holds her own wake so as not to miss out on the party.

The UWE European New Talent Award for Brief Encounters was given to TO ALL MY FRIENDS, directed by Behrouz Bigdeli, which “takes the viewer on a nihilistic, uncompromising and unflinching portrait of a relationship between two young men caught between brotherhood, friendship and change”. UWE European New Talent Award for Animated Encounters awarded to THE BACK WATER GOSPEL, animated by Bo Mathorne for its “stunning visual tour de force with a fantastic narrative and soundtrack”. They both received 1,000 Euros supported by the University of the West of England.

Local filmmaker Rachel Tillotson received £500 GBP supported by South West Screen for the Brief South West Award for her acclaimed short, I’LL TELL YOU, “an intimate exploration of love, memory and place as perceived by a young woman who herself is waiting for first love to come her way”. The Animated Best South West prize of £500 GBP supported by South West Screen was awarded to Bristol animators Naomi Zahl & Matt Morris’ ON THE BUS, “a glimpse of Bristol history beautifully captured in a nugget of a film”.

“Great humour, great design and direction” was cited by the jury for A MORNING STROLL, directed by Grant Orchard, was the winner of Animated Best of British supported by Cartoon Network and awarded £1000 GBP. Brief Best of British Jury Award was given to Simon Ellis’ JAM TODAY for “its strong acting and accomplished direction”. The award has a value of £1,000 GBP, which will go towards the director’s next project supported by Directors UK. Simon will receive a short film course from the National Film and Television School, and the film will be selected into the British Council Film Catalogue. The Documentary Award, supported by Icon Films with a prize of £1000 GBP, was presented to Marcin Koszaeka for his film DECLARATION OF IMMORTALITY, a moving story about a mountain climber and his inability to come to terms with old age and about desire of immortality.

 

The full list of award winners:

Children’s Animation Jury Award
£500 GPB Voted for by 299 children from nine schools throughout Bristol in October.
Presented by: Liz Harkman, Managing Director
Winning film: WORLDS APART, directed by Michael Zachary Huber

Cartoon d’Or nomination
Presented by: Sarah Cox (Brief Jury)
UK Nominated film for consideration for the best European animation at the 2011 Cartoon d'Or
Winning film: SLOW DEREK, animated by Dan Ojari

Audience Award
£500
Presented by: Liz Harkman, Managing Director
Winning film: LAS PALMAS, directed by Johannes Nyholm

DepicT! '11 British Special Mention Award
Presented by: Patrick Collerton (DepicT Jury)
Winning film: ABOVE AS BELOW, animated by Michelle Arbon

Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award
Presented by: Aidan McAiteer (last year’s DepicT! award winner)
Winning film: THE LAUNDRETTE, directed by Tim Bassford

DepicT! Award
resented by: Sarah Cooper, Screen International (DepicT! Jury)
Winning film: WAKE, directed by Nick Fogg

Brief Encounters
BRISTOL SHORT FILM NOMINATION FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2012
Presented by Simon Perry, ACE/Board Member and Matthieu Darras (Brief jury)
Winning film: MITEN MARJOJA POIMITAAN (HOW TO PICK BERRIES), directed by Elina Talvensaari
JURY CITATION:
For its exploration of Finnish mentality and revelation of the absurdities of global economy through exquisite cinematography, the EFA nomination goes to MITEN MARJOJA POIMITAAN (HOW TO PICK BERRIES) by Elina Talvensaari

Animated Encounters
UWE European New Talent Award
1,000 EUR supported by UWE
Presented by: Lynn Barlow, University of the West of England & Lea Zagury (Animated Jury)
Winning film: THE BACK WATER GOSPEL, animated by Bo Mathorne
JURY CITATION: A stunning visual tour de force with a fantastic narrative and soundtrack. A whole world is brilliantly created with really strong characters and great art direction, we are looking forward to seeing more from this director.

Brief Encounters
UWE European New Talent Award
1,000 EUR supported by UWE
Presented by Lynn Barlow (UWE) and Eileen Arandiga (Brief Jury)
Honourable Mentions: Silent River directed by Anca Miruna Lazarescu & 15 Summers Later directed by Pedro Collantes
JURY CITATION:
There are two Honourable Mentions for the European New Talent Award: For its subtle presentation of the desperate measures people will take for freedom and the importance of family we give an Honourable Mention to Silent River directed by Anca Miruna Lazarescu. And 15 Summers Later. For its light-hearted tone and its resolute decision to not use close-up’s we give an honourable mention to 15 Summers Later, directed by Pedro Collantes
Winning film: TO ALL MY FRIENDS, directed by Behrouz Bigdeli
The award for European new talent goes to a filmmaker whose film takes the viewer on a nihilistic, uncompromising and unflinching portrait of a relationship between two young men caught between brotherhood, friendship and change. The director’s command of his material and deft direction are clear indicators that this filmmaker is a young man to watch. Congratulations Behrouz Bigdeli and the dramatic short TO ALL MY FRIENDS

Documentary Award
£1,000 GBP supported by ICON
Presented by Lucy Middelboe (Icon) and Susanne Folkesson
Winning film: DECLARATION OF IMMORTALITY directed by Marcin Koszaeka
JURY CITATION: The honourable mentioned goes to Abuelas directed by Afarin Eghbal, a film that combines a serious topic with a playful style that makes the story even more compelling. With a spectacular cinematography and a mis-en scene, a moving story about age and immortality, the interaction between the filmmaker and the character. The Documentary Awards goes to Declaration of Immortality (Deklaracja Niesmiertelnosci) directed by Marcin Koszaeka.

Animated Best South West
£500 GBP supported by South West Screen
Presented by: Nigel Davies (Brief Jury) & Caroline Norbury, Creative England
Winning film: ON THE BUS, animated by Naomi Zahl & Matt Morris
JURY CITATION: A glimpse of Bristol history beautifully captured in a nugget of a film.

Brief South West Award
£500 GBP supported by South West Screen
Presented by Caroline Norbury and Eileen Arandiga
Winning film: I’LL TELL YOU, directed by Rachel Tillotson
JURY CITATION: The Southwest Award goes to an intimate exploration of love, memory and place as perceived by a young woman who herself is waiting for first love to come her way. The filmmaker has perfectly captured the reckless freedom of youth. Congratulations to Rachel Tillotson for I’LL TELL YOU The honourable mention goes to an honest portrait of young people talking about the twists and turns their lives have taken before moving into a group home in Somerset. Congratulations to Peter Snelling and the young collaborators who created UNTIL MY HEART’S, LIKE, FINISHED

Animated Best of British
£1,000 GBP supported by Cartoon Network
Presented by: Sarah Cox (Animated Jury)
Winning film: A MORNING STROLL, directed by Grant Orchard
Great Humour, great design and direction. This is a really good example of contemporary British film Making.

Brief Best of British Jury Award
£1,000 GBP
Presented by: Abi Berry (Directors UK) and Paul Negouscu (Brief Jury / winner of Grand Prix 2010)
Winning film: JAM TODAY, directed by Simon Ellis
JURY CITATION:
The award with a value of £1,000, towards the directors’ next project supported by Directors UK. The winner will also receive a short film course from the National Film and Television School and the film will be selected into the British Council Film Catalogue. For its sweet, funny and gently skewed vision of pre-teen sexual awakening, it's strong acting and accomplished direction we give the British Award to Jam Today. For its delicious contemporary British satire and its great central performance Honourable Mention goes to Big Society.

Animated Grand Prix
£2,000 GBP & Digital Cinema Print provided by sponsors Arts Alliance
Presented with an award thanks to Bristol Blue Glass
Presented by: Nigel Davies (Animated Jury)
Winning film: SLOW DEREK, animated by Dan Ojari
JURY CITATION: A film that truly embraces the medium of animation with its original narrative and characterisation. Beautifully paced and structured, this film won us over with its quiet force.

Brief Grand Prix
£2,000 GBP & Digital Cinema Print provided by sponsors Arts Alliance Presented with an award thanks to Bristol Blue Glass
Presented by: Jes Benstock (Brief Jury)
Winning film: UNTER NULL (BELOW ZERO), directed by Ulrike Vahl
JURY CITATION: For its sensitive exploration of a family under stress through the mental illness of the father, the quality of the performances and layering of the narrative we give the Grand Prix to Below Zero. For its powerful central performance and emotionally satisfying conclusion the Honourable Mention goes to The Father.

EDITOR’S NOTES

Bristol Encounters International Film Festival
Bristol Encounters International Film Festival is the umbrella festival for Animated Encounters and Brief Encounters which together presents one of the world’s best-known showcases and meeting points for new and established international short and animated film talent. The longest running competitive short film and animation festival in the UK, and one of Bristol’s leading cultural events, Encounters seeks to promote the importance of short film as a means to develop and progress the next generation of creative talent. The 2012 festival will be held in Bristol, UK, between 18 to 23 September. The festival is funded by the British Film Institute, Bristol City Council, Creative England and South West Screen. Encounters Festivals Ltd operates as an independent company and is a registered charity. For more details log on to: www.encounters-festival.org.uk

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For further information: Margaret London +44 (0) 20 7033 6868
Caroline Jones, Publicity: caroline@margaretlondon.com
Hilary Cornwell, Publicity: hilary@margaretlondon.com

Festival Office: +44 (0) 117 929 9188
Mireia O’Prey, Festival Coordinator: mireia.oprey@encounters-festival.org.uk

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Encounters-Short-Film-Festival/16162795635
Twitter: twitter.com/encountersSFF

ENDS