Trending
    • Jasmin Mozaffari’s short film ‘Motherland, wins TIFF award
    • Poor Thing, Wins Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival
    • Toronto Film Festival 2023
    • Iranian Influential Women: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad
    • Sundance Film Festival Asia
    • Enea, review
    • French rising star, Adèle Exarchopoulos, 4 top favorite movies
    • Cinematography director Morteza Pursamadi dies at 70
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Cinema Without Borders
    • Home
    • Feature Story
    • News
    • Conversations
    • Festivals
    • Cinema Tech
    • Film Reviews
    • CinéEqual
    • Other Arts
    • Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Cinema Without Borders
    You are at:Home»Festivals»SEEFest 2011 announces Awards, MEDAL OF HONOR Wins Best Feature Film Award

    SEEFest 2011 announces Awards, MEDAL OF HONOR Wins Best Feature Film Award

    0
    By Luz Aguado on 05/04/2011 Festivals

    South East European Film Festival, SEE Fest 2011 concluded Monday night in Los Angeles with the screening of the Austrian documentary that explores the roots of the famed Balkan Gypsy music, “GYPSY SPIRIT: HARRI STOJKA, A JOURNEY” directed by Klaus Hundsbichler.

    The big winner of this year’s festival was Romanian MEDAL OF HONOR  directed by Calin Peter Netzer, which won Cinema Without Borders award for Best Feature Film. The jury members Bijan Tehrani, editor in chief, James Ulmer, international editor, and Turkish director Atil Inac who won this award last year, gave the overall top score to the Romanian film. Consul General of Romania the Hon. Catalin Ghenea accepted the award on behalf of the filmmaker. At the ceremony held at the UCLA Bridges Theatre the same jury awarded an Honorable Mention to the Macedonian-Swiss co-production THE WAR IS OVER, directed by Mitko Panov, about the Kosovo war of 1999 as seen by an Albanian refugee in Switzerland whose longing for the ancestral lands and heritage informs the film. Line producer Hans-Martin Liebing accepted the award on behalf of director Panov.

    Best Documentary Film Award for young Italian filmmaker of Bosnian-Romani origin, Laura Halilovic and ME MY GYPSY FAMILY AND WOODY ALLEN

    Three members of the documentary jury, Oscar-winning filmmaker (for “Genocide”, in 1981) Arnold Schwartzman; renowned Hungarian filmmaker and professor at UCLA Film School Gyula Gazdag, and long time head of programming at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles Margit Kleinman unanimously awarded Laura Halilovic for her inspired, well-rounded, charming documentary. She was only 19 when she made the film two years ago, and the jury noted that she is a major talent to watch.

    “Medal of Honor” and “Apnea” share Audience Award
    Audience vote went to two films, tied with the highest voting score: once again it was the Romanian feature “Medal of Honor”, a lyrical and deeply humanistic film about an aging man who is suddenly thrust into the neighborhood spotlight when he receives a medal for WWII bravery which he cannot recall; and Greek bittersweet drama of two young people drawn apart by their incompatible commitments, “Apnea” by Ari Bafalouka, about a competitive swimmer and an environmental activist. Producer Ron Yerxa, who was also Honorary Chair of the SEE FEST business conference,  presented the award.

    SEE Fest Filmmakers Circle’s Best First Feature Film Award goes to Bulgarian “SHELTER” directed by Dragomir Sholev
    Five jury members from the SEE Fest’s Filmmakers Circle, Elizabeth Henderson, Jelena Erceg, Valentina Ganeva, Aldo Shllaku and Rich Sturdevant gave the Award for Best First Feature Film to ”Shelter” by first-time feature director Dragomir Sholev. Jury member Valentina Ganeva, Bulgarian expat who works in Hollywood, presented the award.

    SEE Fest Business Conference
    Earlier in the day SEE Fest held a Business Conference sponsored by UCLA Center for European and Eurasian Studies, and UCLA Anderson/ CIBER, and co-sponsored by Women in Film International Committee. Hollywood producers Ron Yerxa and Andrew Pfeffer were joined by Patricia Mayer, entertainment attorney, and Nesim Hason, producer and distributor with ties to the region. Second panel with new media experts Katharine Cook and Cheryl Brooks, and distributors Freyr Thor and Orly Ravid engaged the audience in a productive discussion about working in South East Europe, and new distribution platforms for independent and foreign language films.

    SEE FEST sponsors and supporters include the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and UCLA Center for European and Eurasian Studies; followed by ELMA, European Languages and Movies in America, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, DK Art Publishing, Dan Tana’s Restaurant, Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, UCLA Anderson Center for International Business Education and Research, Women in Film International Committee,  Cinema Without Borders and Latino Weekly, Eurochannel, KPFK 90.7FM, and consulates general of Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Turkey, Romania, as well as Croatia, Bulgaria, and Greece. The festival also enjoys broad support from community-based groups and cultural organizations in California, as well as film companies, distributors and sales agents in Europe. SEE FEST cadre of volunteers, including students, film fans, researchers, designers, social media coordinators, and event production crews function on a year-round basis.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Luz Aguado

    Luz Aguado was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and grew up in East Los Angeles. She is the oldest of four siblings. Prior to attending The Art Institute, Luz was a student at the University of California Riverside where she studied biology and aspired to become a medical doctor. Now she studies Media Arts and Animation at The Art Institute of Los Angeles and hopes of one day having the opportunity to work for Disney Animation Studios. Three dimensional animation and the innovative techniques that have given animation a more realistic appearance is something that she wishes to focus on while at The Art Institute.

    Related Posts

    Jasmin Mozaffari’s short film ‘Motherland, wins TIFF award

    Toronto Film Festival 2023

    BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.



    Most donations are tax deductible.
    Latest Stories
    09/19/2023

    Jasmin Mozaffari’s short film ‘Motherland, wins TIFF award

    09/10/2023

    Poor Thing, Wins Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival

    09/07/2023

    Toronto Film Festival 2023

    09/07/2023

    Iranian Influential Women: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad

    Bridging The Border Award

    At a time when physical, religious, racial, cultural, and economic borders divide the population of our planet, efforts to bridge those borders should be appreciated. In that spirit, Cinema Without Borders presents Bridging the Borders Award to the films that are most successful in bridging and …Read More

     

    I, Immigrant, International Film Festival
    CineEqual

    CinéEqual represents filmmakers, institutions, and community members with a focus on social justice cinema. As an integrated unit of CWB, it promotes a diverse, inclusive, and equitable democratic society that values the worth of all humans…Read More

     

    About
    About

    Cinema Without Borders is a meeting place of independent cinema. Based in Los Angeles, CWB puts the spotlight on rising talent around the globe to achieve its mission, which is to serve and strengthen communities of filmmakers and film students across real and virtual borders.

    Copyright Cinema Without Borders@2018

    Popular Posts
    01/02/2001

    Cinecon 46-The 46th edition of the Classic Film Festival

    10/09/2006

    An Interview with Jonathan Wolf, Managing Director of AFM

    10/11/2006

    Film & TV production in Afghanistan

    Article Photos
    NasserFarhoudiWP
    SiggrpphSlider
    FundingCoverImage
    6-RADUSlider
    Nouredin-WP-Slider
    NOHOFestival-WP-Slider
    MiamiFF-WP-Slider
    MarkTamez-WP-Slider
    LouderThanBombs-WP-Slider
    HP-Rick-WP-Slider
    HP-Bridging-2-WP-Slider
    HP-Bridging-1-WP-Slider
    Contacts & Credits

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.