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Great recognition for EU-supported films at Berlinale 2017

Five films supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme were awarded with Golden and Silver Bears at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), one of the world's major film festivals.

Film stills form films awared with Golden and Silver bears at Berlinale 2017

Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul), Félicité, Pokot (Spoor), Toivon tuolla puolen (The Other Side of Hope), Ana, mon amour, European Commission and Berlinale

Film stills form films awared with Golden and Silver bears at Berlinale 2017 and logos of Creative Europe Media programme and Berlinale

The Hungarian film Teströl és lélekröl  (On Body and Soul) directed by Ildikó Enyedi has received the Golden Bear for Best Film.

Four other films co-funded by MEDIA programme were awarded with Silver Bears:

  • Félicité by Alain Gomis (France / Senegal / Belgium / Germany / Lebanon) received the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize
  •  Pokot (Spoor) by Agnieszka Holland (Poland / Germany / Czech Republic / Sweden / Slovakian Republic) received the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize for a feature film that opens new perspectives
  • The Silver Bear for Best Director was awarded to Aki Kaurismäki for  Toivon tuolla puolen (The Other Side of Hope), Finland / Germany
  • The Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution was awarded to Dana Bunescu for the editing in Ana, mon amour by Călin Peter Netzer (Romania / Germany / France)

In adition, the Spanish film Estiu 1993 (Summer 1993) by Carla Simón , also supported by MEDIA, received the GWFF Best First Feature Award that gives recognition to debut feature films. Estiu 1993 (Summer 1993) was awarded as well with the Grand Prix of The Generation Kplus International Jury for the best feature-length film, ex aequo with the film Becoming Who I Was by Chang-Yong Moon and Jin Jeon.

The Children’s Jury Generation Kplus gave also recognition to another MEDIA- backed film: Piata Loď (Little Harbour) by Iveta Grófová (Slovak Republic / Czech Republic / Hungary). The film received the Crystal Bear for Best Film. In this section the jury members are no older than those of the audience.

Finally, independent juries also honored the following films supported by Creative Europe MEDIA:

  • Teströl és lélekröl  (On Body and Soul) won the Ecumenical Jury Prize (Competition), the FIPRESCI Jury Prize (Competition) and Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Jury Award
  • Pendular by Julia Murat, Brazil / Argentina / France received the FIPRESCI Jury Prize (Panorama)
  • I Am Not Your Negro , by Raoul Peck  received a Panorama Audience Award and a Special Mention from the Ecumenical Jury
  • Centaur directed by Aktan Arym Kubat won the CICAE Art Cinema Award in the Panorama section.

In total, 25 films supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme participated in the overall Berlinale programme. These films received over EUR 1.7 million support, mainly for film development and distribution outside their home country.

Full list of Berlinale Awards 2017

About Creative Europe MEDIA

The MEDIA Sub-programme of Creative Europe is designed to support European film and other audiovisual industries. It provides funding for the development, promotion and distribution of European works within Europe and beyond. It invests in the training of producers, film distributors, directors, and screenwriters to help them adapt to new technologies. Each year, MEDIA supports around 2,000 European projects in film, television, including series and other audio-visual works, which are distributed digitally in cinema, on television and through video on demand.

More information on the programme