The Thai film Mundane History, directed by Anocha Suwichakornpong, took the main prize at the festival. The jury praised ?its unconventional structure and eclectic use of images in this moving story, showing the underlying themes of how painful life can be and the fact that people need one another despite being on different social levels?.
The actress Ozana Oancea won both the Best Performance Award in the competition and the Romanian Days Award forBest Debut for her part in First of All, Felicia.
Calin Peter Netzer, director of Medal of Honor, took the Best Directing Award. His lead actor, Romanian legend Victor Rebengiuc, former recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, also won the Best Performance Award, together with Oancea.
The jury, composed of Afghan director Barmak Akram, British film critic Martin Blaney, Austrian festival director Christine Dollhofer, Romanian actress Monica Birladeanu and Dutch director Ineke Smits awarded the Special Jury Prize to Noud Heerkens' Last Conversation, ?a compelling experimental drama which boasts a daring performance by an actress in a unique one-woman show.?
The Audience Award went to Daniel Sánchez Arévalo?s Gordos.
Among the other films shown at the festival was the Hungarian Szabolcs Hajdu?s latest effort, Bibliotheque Pascal, which, according to the director, is neither typical Romanian or Hungarian, but rather Transylvanian. Parts of the film were shot in Transylvania and several Romanian actors have roles in it, he added.
Author: Melinda Varga
