Silent City Driver speeds off with top prize in Tallinn

Silent City Driver Photo: Courtesy of POFF

Mongolian drama Silent City Driver won the Grand Prix for best film in Tallinn Black Nights' Official Selection yesterday. The film, directed by Sengedorj Janchivdorj follows a hearse driver as he navigates his life.

The best director prize went to Nir Bergman's Israeli drama Pink Lady, which charts a marriage in an ultra-orthodox community that is rocked by a revelation, while Turkish drama Empire Of The Rabbits, by director Seyfettin Tokmak, won the cinematography and screenplay awards.

German director Steve Bache took the best first feature award for his coming-of-age drama No Dogs Allowed, with the prize for best Baltic film going to Lithuanian drama The Southern Chronicles, directed by Ignas Miškinis. Indian drama Pyre from director Vinod Kapri won the audience award. Diego Figueroa won the prize for best director in the First Feature section for his Chilean thriller A Yard of Jackals.

Pirjo Lonka and Elina Knihtilä shared the best actress gong for their portrayal of damaged sisters in Teemu Nikki’s Finnish comedy 100 Litres of Gold. Lee Hyo-Ye won best actor fo Korean thriller The Loop, directed Sang-Beom Koo.

Irene von Alberti’s social satire Protected Men took home the Rebels with a Cause top prize, while Masaki Tsujino’s Japanese family drama The Brothers Kitaura won best film in the Critics’ Picks selection. The Doc@PÖFF competition saw The Watchman from directors Lou Du Pontavice and Victoire Bonin triumph.

Just Film, which is aimed at children and young people, saw Kontra, by Danish director Jonas Risvig, take the Youth Jury best film award and the Grand Prix.

The full list of winners is below:

Official Selection

• Grand Prix Best Film - Silent City Driver

• Best Director - Nir Bergman for Pink Lady

• Best Cinematography - Claudia Becerril Bulos for Empire Of The Rabbits
• Best Script - Seyfettin Tokmak for Empire Of The Rabbits
• Best Actor - Lee Hyo-Ye for The Loop
• Best Actress - Pirjo Lonka and Elina Knihtilä for 100 Litres of Gold
• Best Original Score - Alyana Cabral and Moe Cabral for Some Nights I Feel Like Walking
• Best Production Design - Munkhbat Shirnen for Silent City Driver

First Feature Competition

• Best Film - No Dogs Allowed
• Best Director - Diego Figueroa for A Yard of Jackals

Baltic Film Competition

• Best Film - Southern Chronicles
• Best Baltic Director - Laurynas Bareiša for Drowning Dry

Critics’ Picks

• Best Film - The Brothers Kitaura
• Best Director - Dechen Roder for I, The Song

Rebels with a Cause

• Protected Men
• Best Director - Ruiqi Lu for Contact Lens

Doc@PÖFF

• Best Film - The Watchman

Audience Award

• Pyre

FIPRESCI Award

• Mongrels

Just Film

• Grand Prix - Kontra