10th Belfast Film Festival Awards

Ciarán Hinds received his ‘Belfast Sink’ Award for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Film and Televsison’

This year the Belfast Film Festival marked its 10th anniversary by launching the first ever ‘Belfast Sink’ Awards. Local ceramicist Steven Farnan was commissioned to produce a piece of ceramic art based on the iconic household jaw-box sink.  Its association with Belfast’s industrial history, and its reputation as a design classic, made it the ideal inspiration for the creation of the new award to mark the anniversary of the film festival.

This inaugural award was launched by presenting the first one to a legend in the film industry. Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler who attended the Festival last week.

A ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award was presented to the irrepressible filmmaker after a screening of his seminal 60’s film Medium Cool. Wexler took part in an inspirational public interview after the film and was presented with his ‘Belfast Sink’ Award by Laurence McKeown, filmmaker, writer and founder of the Belfast Film Festival.

Belfast born actor Ciarán Hinds was presented with a ‘Belfast Sink’ Award for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Cinema & Television’. He accepted his award at a special event honouring key moments in his career, and with a screening of The Eclipse, starring Ciarán as a grieving widower who experiences some ghostly goings on as he volunteers on a Literary Festival in Cobh County Cork.

Best Short Film Award at this year’s Belfast Film Festival was presented to The Chronoscope, directed by Andrew Legge. This 20 minute short is in the form of a faux documentary about a beautiful scientist who invents a machine that can see into the past. The film is narrated by Jeremy Irons.

The judges were impressed with the originality of the story and the wit and inspiration used in it's realisation. “The choice of archive material, the interwoven original material, it's grading and the inclusion of graphics and manipulation of images to create  this faux documentary demonstrates that the director is a confident and extremely competent film maker as well as a storyteller to look out for in the future. The supreme irony of the film is that its message is that truth can sometimes ruin a good story. Here a good story is told by the invention of a piece of "missing" history.”  Commented Kevin Jackson on behalf of the Jury.

The judges of the Best Short Film competition, were Lisa Barros D’Sa (Co-director Cherrybomb) Kevin Jackson (producer) and  Brian Durnin (Red Rage Films, who directed  last year’s winning short Of Best Intentions).

The Maysles Brothers Documentary winner at this year’s Festival was October Country, directed by Michael Palmieri and  Donal Mosher.

Jury members included Alison Millar (Director At Home With the Cleary’s) Eva Weber (Director City of Cranes) and DanielJewesbury (visual artist and filmmaker).

“We couldn't be more pleased to welcome the 2010 jury's decision to award the Belfast Film Festival's Maysles Brothers Award 2010 to Michael and Donal for their magnificent film October Country - a true gem of American cinema that overturns a lot of preconceived notions about an American obsession with violence and its impact on society. It covers some dark subject matter but the film has an intoxicating and dream-like fascination with family, a sense of slow-brewed wisdom and leaves you with a deep respect for the Mosher family and the courage and intelligence of America's everyman. It's equally pleasing that it is the first American film to win our Maysles Brothers Award considering it is a fitting tribute to the Maysles' style of filmmaking, recognising their contribution to American cinema”.  Commented Cian Smyth, the Festival’s Documentary Programmer.

Shot over the course of a year from one Hallowe’en to the next, the film presents three generations of a working class American family in upstate New York. The film details many of the personal trials and tribulations of the Mosher family but, on a universal level, provides an honest insight into what is often too simply described as America’s obsession with violence. Engrossing, rich, multi-layered and stunning to watch, this first feature leaves you feeling like you’ve read a seriously good book. October Country, was the winner of Best US Documentary AFI, Silverdocs

The final award to be announced will be, ‘The Audience Award’, for most popular film or event. This will be announced after the closing night premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro, on Friday 30th April.

Other highlights over the next three remaining days of Festival:

Then and Now: Index on Censorship  QFT 28th April 2pm free admission

The Battle of Algiers – Director’s Choice  - QFT 28th April  6.45pm 

The First Movie: Mark Cousins directorial debut  QFT Thursday 29th  6.45pm 

The Prisoner:  An episode from the cult 60s classic - Screening in the First Church of Christ Scientist  Thursday 29th April 8pm

Closing Night Premiere: Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro, Moviehouse Dublin Road -  Friday 30th April 6.45pm