59th Berlin International Film Festival Winners

The 59th Berlin International Film Festival’s jury announced the winners which were chosen from a field of 18 movies by a seven-member international jury under British actress Tilda Swinton.

Peruvian director Claudia Llosa’s “The Milk of Sorrow“/”La teta asustada,” won the Berlin film festival’s top Golden Bear award on Saturday. “The Milk of Sorrow” is the second consecutive Latin American winner in Berlin. Last year’s Golden Bear went to Brazilian director Jose Padilha’s “The Elite Squad.”

The festival’s jury grand prize, which comes with a runner-up Grand Prix Silver Bear, was shared Saturday by two films.
Adrian Biniez’s debut feature “Gigante” tells the story of a Uruguayan supermarket security guard who is obsessed with a co-worker, a cleaner, while German director Maren Ade’s “Everyone Else“/”Alle Anderen” follows a couple during a difficult vacation.

Iranian helmer Asghar Farhadi took the Silver Bear, as best director, for his mystery-thriller “About Elly“/”Darbareye Elley.”

The best actress and actor Silver Bears went to Birgit Minichmayr for “Everyone Else” and Sotigui Kouyate was named best actor for his part in Rachid Bouchareb’s “London River.” He plays a French Muslim desperately awaiting news of his son after the 2005 terrorist attacks in London.

The only major prize for a U.S. film was the Silver Bear for best script, which went to Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon for the military drama “The Messenger,” in which Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster star as U.S. Army officers responsible for informing families about the deaths of soldiers. Moverman also directed the film.

The Silver Bear for artistic contribution went to Gabor Erdely and Tamas Szekely for the sound design of Peter Strickland’s drama “Katalin Varga.”
Two movies shared the festival’s Alfred Bauer Prize – “Gigante” and “Tatarak“/”Sweet Rush,” a postwar story about the relationship between a middle-aged woman and a younger man, from Polish veteran Andrzej Wajda.

Following the awards ceremony, Constantin Costa-Gavras presented the world premiere of his immigrant drama “Eden is West,” the fest’s closing film.

The full list of winners:

GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM
La Teta asustada (The Milk of Sorrow), directed by Claudia Llosa

SILVER BEAR – THE JURY GRAND PRIX
Alle Anderen (Everyone Else), dir. by Maren Ade
Gigante, dir. by Adrián Biniez

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Asghar Farhadi, Darbareye Elly (About Elly)

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS
Birgit Minichmayr, Ale Anderen (Everyone Else)

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR
Sotigui Kouyate, London River

SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION
Gábor Erdély and Tamás Székely for Sound Design in Katalin Varga

SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCRIPT
Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon, The Messenger

ALFRED BAUER PRIZE
Gigante, dir. by Adrián Biniez
Tatarak (Sweet Rush), dir. by Andrzej Wajda

BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD
Gigante, dir. by Adrián Biniez

GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM
Please Say Something, dir. by David O’Reillly

SILVER BEAR
Jade, dir. by Daniel Elliott

DAAD SHORT FILM PRIZE
The Illusion, dir. by Susana Barriga

SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2009
Die Leiden des Herrn Karpf. Der Geburtstag, dir.by Lola Randl

FIPRESCI PRIZE – COMPETITION
La Teta asustada (The Milk of Sorrow)

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