Duncan Jones's low-budget sci-fi Moon has won the prestigious Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, it was announced today.
The Jury citation read: "We award Moon for its singular vision and
remarkably assured direction as well as for the inspired manner in
which it transcends genre. The central performance by Sam Rockwell
embodies the film's emotional complexity and compelling philosophical
perspective."
This year's Michael Powell Jury were director Joe Wright (Atonement)
who presided over the five-strong Jury: film critic Claudia Puig;
actress Sacha Horler (My Year Without Sex); journalist and
author Janet Street-Porter and Frank
Langella (Frost/Nixon).
Katie Jarvis won the PPG Award for Best Performance in a
British Feature Film, for her role in Andrea Arnold's new film Fish Tank. The Jury cited: "We award Katie Jarvis'
performance in Fish Tank for her portrayal of obsessive first love and
visceral alienation. The moral ambiguity is illuminated by this
extraordinary debut."
Kate Jarvis who just turned 18 last week said this crowned an amazing week: "this is such a great 18th present! It is a real honour to receive this
award, both for myself and the film. I would like to thank Andrea for
the opportunity and for believing in me."
The winner of the inaugural Best New International Feature Award was US director Kyle Patrick Alvarez's Easier With Practice.
The Jury of three: actor/director Alan Cumming, author Lee
Marshall and actor Kerry Fox said: "Easier With Practice is an astonishingly assured writing and directing debut,
distinguished by a gift for original storytelling, a striking visual
aesthetic, and a series of powerfully revealing and truthful
performances."
The Documentary feature award went to Aliona Van der Horst's Boris Ryzhy. The Jury called it "a visually stunning, imaginative,
sensitive and ultimately revealing portrait of both an individual
psyche and a national predicament."
The Skillset New Director's Award went to Cary Johi Fukunaga for Sin Nombre. Neil Peplow, Skillset's Director of Film, commented: "Sin Nombre is a work of staggering achievement. It is a highly ambitious and accomplished film, let alone as a first feature. Cary has shown himself a future talent to reckon with, and completely deserves this award."
The awards were presented by EIFF Artistic Director Hannah McGill,
Deputy Artistic Director Diane Henderson and Patrons Sir Sean Connery
and Seamus McGarvey on the closing day of the Festival at a public
ceremony in Filmhouse.
EIFF Artistic Director, Hannah McGill said: "It says a lot about EIFF and its mission as a
discovery festival that Duncan Jones, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Tomm Moore
and Cary Joji Fukunaga are all first-time feature directors."
The Awards
The full list of award winners for the 63rd EIFF are:
Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film, sponsored by the UK Film Council
Moon - Directed by Duncan Jones
PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film
Katie Jarvis - Fish Tank
Best New International Feature Award
Easer with Practice - Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Standard Life Audience Award
The Secret of the Kells - Directed by Tomm Moore
Best Documentary Award
Boris Ryzhy - Directed by Aliona Van der Horst
Skillset New Directors Award
Cary Johi Fukunaga - Sin Nombre
The Rotten Tomatoes Critical Consensus Award
Humpday - Directed by Lynn Shelton
UK Film Council Award for Best British Short Film
After Tomorrow - Directed by Emma Sullivan
Best International Short Film Award
Princess Margaret Bld. - Directed by Kazik Radwanski
Scottish Short Documentary Award supported by Baillie Gifford
Peter In Radioland - Directed by Johanna Wagner
McLaren Award for New British Animation in partnership with BBC Film Network
Photograph of Jesus - Directed by Laurie Hill