The first awards from this year's 48th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival were announced this afternoon.
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| Women on the verge ... in the Russian drama Shame which won the FIPRESCI jury award at Karlovy Vary. |
The international critics FIPRESCI jury chose Russian drama Shame from the main competition, inspired by the Kursk submarine disaster, for offering "a claustrophobic drama about an isolated community of women in a realistic and captivating style reminiscent of Greek tragedies."
The FEDEORA Award of the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean of Film went to a film screened in the East of the West Section, the Slovak-Czech-Croatian Velvet Terrorist for "an innovative approach to portraying Communist past with humor and creative balance between the film’s scripted scenes and documentary sections".
The Ecumenical Jury Award went to Bluebird, an American-Swedish film about a bus driver whose momentary lapse of attention causes a tragedy. The jury described the Lance Edmands film as "a deep and mature debut."
The Europa Cinemas Label Award for best European film in the Main Competition and East of the West section went to Le Grand Cahier for "an intense portrayal of childhood, death and life during war." According to the jury, the drama by Hungarian director János Szász is full of metaphors, realistic violence, but also hope for a better future.
Richard Mowe was a member of the FIPRESCI jury.
