Completely against my predictions (I plumped for Duane Hopkins Better Things), the prolific and ever popular Shane Meadows (having come close once before) wins the Michael Powell award at the 62nd Edinburgh International Film Festival. Collecting his award and the increased cash prize of £20,000 from Sir Sean Connery, Meadows thanked the EIFF for always supporting his work and screening his first film. Somers Town (see earlier blog post, JD's Somers Town review) is Meadows' second black and white feature since 24/7 and going against type from his recent output, this is a relatively subtle, heartwarming comedy full of the usual trademark observations of social behaviour that Meadows has become renowned for.
I was personally surprised as the Michael Powell award used to be for best first and second time features and could be used to profile an important issue as well as put a spotlight on a new emerging talent that might otherwise not get recognition. Undoubtedly the award will help push the release of the film but Meadows has a loyal fanbase and undoubtedly a distribution deal for Somers Town. But it's not an undeserving winner and it does have the requisite moral and political framework threaded into it in its depiction of immigrant communities.
The audience seemed thrilled by the choice and gave both Meadows, along with the film's writer and producer a rapturous reception. Meadows will be splitting the cash prize with his colleagues and they all plan to buy their dream motor bikes with the money. No one knew if they were kidding or not.
The ceremony was presented and presided over by both television presenter Janice Forsyth and Connery himself. The Standard Life audience award went to Man on Wire with 75% of the voting cards marked 'unmissable' out of four possible descriptions. This is impressive considering the competition from Wall-E, a crowd pleasing heavyweight. Accepting the award on the absent directors behalf, Sean Connery stated that he considered Man on Wire one of the three greatest films he's ever seen and that it had profoundly moved him. He didn't of course tell us what the other two were (Goldfinger and From Russia with Love perhaps?).
Best performance went to Robert Carlyle for his role in Kenny Glennan's Summer and he accepted his award in person - another Powell contender. Best documentary feature went to Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World and the accompanying clip of the infamous scene of the penguin wandering off into the wilderness had the audience in stitches.
The Skillset New Directors award went to Marianna Palka for her debut feature Good Dick. It was described by Hannah McGill, the festival's director, as 'wildly risque, but both tender and intelligent in its treatment of loneliness and longing..."
This year also saw the inauguration of the the Mirrorball Best British Music Video which went to home-grown talent Dougal Wilson for his Goldfrappe video Happiness. It was shown at the event and it's a truly hypnotic, uplifiting, very funny and brilliantly choreographed set-piece - what appears to be a single long take of a man jumping up and down in time to the drum beat of the song, constantly jumping wherever he goes and spreading joy to those all around him. It sounds daft and it is, its very daft but technically very accomplished.
UK Film Council's Best British Short went to Dan Molloy for his film Son and Christmas with Dad won best Scottish Short documentary for Connor Mckormack.
One of the more notable awards of the event went to Space Travel According to John by Jamie Stone and Laura Clarke. Their film is a beautiful wash of brown paint forming the ideas that are narrated by a 12 year old boy as he thinks about how to get to Mars in a spaceship and what it would be like to be there. It's very funny, beautifully realised and it brought the house down. It received the second loudest burst of spontaneous applause and hoots of approval. The laughter didn't end there as the director and producer stole kisses from Sean Connery as they accepted their award.
But of course the clapometer went through the roof for Connery himself who proved to be a witty, patient and congenial host, genuinely admiring of the work and talent on display and was of course given a deafening ovation and cheers from everyone in Filmhouse's largest auditorium.
This is now the first year that the awards ceremony has been presented as an event in itself as well as being open to the public for the first time. In previous years the awards were traditionally announced fairly quickly without much pomp and circumstance before the closing gala film but with this years move to June, it's possible the awards were given more prominence to boost the festival's profile. It seems to have worked. Next year, I'm sure they'll sell out a bigger venue.
Thats enough art for me, I'm off to see Kung Fu Panda. One always needs some Hollywood pap to balance the arthouse from time to time.
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