27/08/2007

A movie about the front man of 1980s band, Joy Division, has been chosen the best new British film to screen at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.

‘Control, about Ian Curtis, by Anton Corbijn, has picked up the festival’s Michael Powell Award.

The festival finished at the weekend, with the awarding of a further eight awards, including one voted for by audiences and another for Scottish short documentaries.

Said the Michael Powell Award jury: “It was a great pleasure to be presented with such a diverse selection of new British films. The fact that eight of the eleven features we saw were debuts underscores our belief that there is no shortage of strong and distinctive new talents feeding the British film industry. Our winner, ‘Control,’ struck us as being fully and brilliantly realised in every department.” 

The full list of winners reads:

Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film, sponsored by the UK Film Council  - ‘Control’ - directed by Anton Corbijn.

PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film - Sam Riley – ‘Control’.

Standard Life Audience Award - ‘We Are Together’ -directed by Paul Taylor.

Sky Movies Best Documentary Award - ‘Billy the Kid’ - directed by Jennifer Venditti. Special Jury Commendation to ‘The Monastery: Mr Vig and the Nun’ - directed by Pernille Rose Gronkjaer.

Skillset New Directors Award - Lucia Puenzo - ‘XXY’.

UK Film Council Kodak Award for Best British Short Film -  ‘The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island’ - by James Griffiths. Special mention to - Dog Altogether’ - by Paddy Considine. 

European Film Academy Short Film 2007 - Prix UIP - ‘Soft’ - by Simon Ellis. Special mention to ‘Final Journey’, by Lars Zimmermann and ‘Ottica Zero’, by Maja Borg. 

Short Scottish Documentary Award, supported by Baillie Gifford - ‘Breadmakers’ - by Yasmin Fedda. Special mention to ‘How to Save a Fish From Drowning’, by Kelly Neal 

McLaren Award for New British Animation in Partnership with BBC Film Network - Over the Hill - by Peter Baynton.

Said the Sky Movies Best Documentary Award jury: “There were two films that were really strong contenders and it took us several hours to come to a conclusion. There was practically nothing between them: both films focused on strong and unusual protagonists. The filmmakers could have chosen to emphasise their marginality, but instead they succeeded in throwing light on the
human condition with humour and affection.”

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