Uruguayan drama “Moonless Night” wins Zurich Fest best int’l film award

PanARMENIAN.Net - Uruguayan drama A Moonless Night (Una Noche Sin Luna) has won the top prize for best international film at this year's Zurich International Film Festival.

The low-key drama, set in rural Uruguay, follows the fate of four lonely souls over a single night. It won over the international jury, headed by Oscar-winning director Susanne Bier (In A Better World).

The prize for best international documentary went to Toto and His Sisters from Romanian director Alexander Nanau, which traces the lives of children and teenagers in a tough suburb of Bucharest. Director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) was president of the documentary jury.

The honor for best German-language feature at the 10th Zurich festival went to Children of the Arctic, a portrait of five Native Alaskan teenagers growing up in Barrow - the northernmost community in the United States.

Each of the three main winners received a $25,800 (CHF 25,000) cash prize as well as $103,000 (CHF 100,000) to use towards promoting their films in Swiss cinemas.

Zurich's inaugural Emerging Swiss Talent Award went to Bruno Deville for his Swiss comedy Bouboule. Swedish drama Underdog from director Ronnie Sandahl won this year's critic's choice award. The Audience Award, voted on by Zurich festival attendees, went to Rebecca Panian's euthanasia documentary Zu Ende Leben while younger fans voted Veit Helmer’s Quatch und die Nasenbarbande the best children's film, handing it the ZFF for Kids audience award.

Zurich's treatment competition, gave its top prize to Christine Widerkehr for her treatment for the drama Anneli. The treatment prize comes with a $5,100 (CHF 5000) cash bursary and a further $25,800 (CHF 25,000) towards development of her screenplay.