Le Havre Takes The Top Film Prize at the 2011 Chicago International Film Festival

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Le Havre, Finland's official submission for 2012 Academy Awards - Best Foreign Language Film, topped a lineup of more than 180 feature-length fiction films, documentaries and shorts to win the top prize, the Gold Hugo at the 47th Chicago International Film Festival Competitions. Directed by Aki Kaurismäki, "in this warmhearted portrait of the French harbor city that gives the film its name, fate throws young African refugee Idrissa (Blondin Miguel) into the path of Marcel Marx (André Wilms), a well-spoken bohemian who works as a shoeshiner. With innate optimism and the unwavering support of his community, Marcel stands up to officials doggedly pursuing the boy for deportation. A political fairy tale that exists somewhere between the reality of contemporary France and the classic cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville and Marcel Carné, Le Havre is a charming, deadpan delight." Le Havre opens in LA and NYC on October 21.

The complete list of winners of the 2011 Chicago International Film Festival. {jathumbnail off}

Academy Awards $450,000 to U.S. Film Festivals in 2011

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The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded $450,000 to 30 U.S. film festivals for the 2011 calendar year, Festival Grants Committee Chair Buffy Shutt announced today.

The Chicago International Film Festival will be the recipient of a multiyear grant for its World Cinema Spotlight program. It will receive a total of $150,000 over a three-year period. The Nashville Film Festival and the New Orleans Film Festival are each in the third and final year of a multiyear grant, with each receiving $75,000 in total for numerous outreach programs.

While the grants are awarded for a variety of festival programs, organizers are encouraged to submit proposals intended to make festival events more accessible to the general public, provide greater access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and help strengthen the connection between filmmakers and the general public.

The 2011 film festival grants allocations are as follows:

$50,000
Chicago International Film Festival – World Cinema Spotlight program

$30,000
San Francisco International Film Festival – World Cinema Spotlight program
Seattle International Film Festival – Asian Trade Winds spotlight program

$25,000
Mill Valley Film Festival – Youth Focus and Children’s FilmFest programs
Nashville Film Festival – Outreach to multiethnic and underserved audiences
New Orleans Film Festival – Outreach and emerging filmmakers programs

$20,000
Chicago Latino Film Festival – Children’s film screenings and filmmaker talks
Cleveland International Film Festival – Women of the World program
Traverse City Film Festival – Visiting filmmaker program
Portland International Film Festival – Hispanic Film Showcase and Cine-Lit program

$17,500
Ashland Independent Film Festival – Education and accessibility programs
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival – Retrospective Artist Spotlight
Native American Film & Video Festival – Native Networks conference
New York International Children’s Film Festival – Girls’ POV program
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival – Filmmaker Spotlight, Filmmaker Retrospectives and Out of the Vaults programs

$15,000
Roger Ebert’s Film Festival – Q & A sessions and panel discussions

$10,000
Woodstock Film Festival – Exposure program
Aspen Shortsfest – Youth education program
KidFilm – Free tickets and outreach program
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival – Women-focused discussions, screenings and
workshops

$6,000
Anchorage International Film Festival – Filmmaker travel

$5,500
Binational Independent Film Festival – Filmmaker travel and free screenings/seminars
Black Maria Film & Video Festival – Filmmaker travel

$5,000
Port Townsend Film Festival – Community involvement program
San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival – Focus on Sri Lanka program
United Nations Association Film Festival – UNAFF and Kids program

$3,000
Arizona International Film Festival – Filmmaker travel

$2,500
Damn! These Heels – Filmmaker travel
JFilm: The Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum – Audience development efforts
Saugatuck Children’s Film Festival – Outreach to underserved children

Since its establishment in 1999, the Academy’s Festival Grants Program has distributed 252 grants totaling $4.4 million in funding. For more information on the grants program, visit http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/grants/.

The Academy Foundation – the Academy’s cultural and educational wing – annually distributes more than $1 million to film scholars, cultural organizations and film festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad. The Foundation also presents the Academy’s rich assortment of screenings and other public programs each year.

46th Chicago International Film Festival Award Winners

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Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival, Mimi Plauché, Head of Programming, and Associate Programmers Joel Hoglund and Penny Bartlett proudly announce the winners of the 46th Chicago International Film Festival competitions. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named after the mythological God of Discovery.

International Feature Film Competition Gold Hugo for Best Film to HOW I ENDED THE SUMMER (Russia) for the brilliantly acted and dynamically staged exploration of human nature under pressure. Director: Aleksei Popogrebsky

Special Jury Prize shared by: Silver Hugo Special Jury Prize to A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN (Norway) for a hilarious and deeply serious adventure into crime and, if necessary, retribution. Director: Hans Petter Moland

Silver Hugo Special Jury Prize to WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (Mexico), a film as dazzlingly unpredictable as it is cunningly constructed, a Hammer horror as directed by Buñuel. Director: Jorge Michel Grau

Silver Hugo for Best Actor to Youssouf Djaoro of A SCREAMING MAN (France / Belgium / Chad) for a performance that ignites like a quiet fire.

Silver Hugo for Best Actress to Liana Liberato of TRUST (USA) for a moving performance beyond her years, which is at the same time innocent, stubborn and heartbreaking.

Silver Hugo to BROTHER & SISTER (Argentina), a delicious ensemble concoction of rock-solid and seasoned performances led by Antonio Gasalla and Graciela Borges. Director: Daniel Burman

Silver Hugo for Best Screenplay to Mahamat-Saleh Haroun of A SCREAMING MAN (France / Belgium / Chad), a simple and profound story of a threatened father and son relationship in a time of violent change.

Gold Plaque to Márta Mészáros in recognition of her long and distinguished career in the international cinema on the occasion of LAST REPORT ON ANNA (Hungary).

Silver Plaque to THE MATCHMAKER (Israel) for the lighthearted but touching way it describes a coming of age in an Israel torn between memory and desire. Director: Avi Nesher

The International Feature Film Competition Jury includes Denis Dercourt (France), John Russell Taylor (UK), Regina Taylor (USA), Valery Todorovsky (Russia) and Lucy Virgen (Mexico).

New Directors Competition Gold Hugo to SHAHADA (Germany). In a world packed with narratives that overlap, SHAHADA pinpoints in precise moments the forces in its character’s complicated lives— work and love, immigration and Islam. The story is specific to Germany and Europe today, but universal in its implications. SHAHADA is especially inspiring as the first feature of a young director, Burhan Qurbani, fresh from film school. Director: Burhan Qurbani

Silver Hugo to NORMAN (USA). NORMAN, Jonathan Segal’s bittersweet debut, is a witty variation on the American teen movie, adding death, cancer and mourning to drama club and first love. The father-son bond between Richard Jenkins and the splendid young Dan Byrd as Norman is especially touching and funny.

Director: Jonathan Segal

Gold Plaque to ERRATUM (Poland). A Polish feature by first-time director, Marek Lechki, ERRATUM chronicles a man’s journey in which he struggles with regret from the distant and recent past. Through insightful and emotionally poignant encounters, the film offers hope that it’s never too late to address life’s mistakes, big and small. Director: Marek Lechki

The New Directors Competition Jury includes Zbigniew Banas (Poland / USA), Ray Pride (USA), Lisa Nesselson (France / USA) and Reiner Veit (Germany).

Docufest Competition Gold Hugo to BEAUTIFUL DARLING (USA), an elegant character study that unfolds almost as a mystery as it explores the public face and private thoughts of an enigmatic heroine. The film navigates the contrasts of its subject—beauty and decay, fame and obscurity, masculinity and femininity—to moving and thoughtful effect. Director: James Rasin

Silver Hugo to THE MINUTEMEN (USA), a strong vérité film that challenges our perceptions of a controversial issue. The film catalyzes us to consider the meaning of patriotism, immigration and freedom. Director: Corey Wascinski

Gold Plaque to MOVING TO MARS (UK / Thailand), a lyrical film that captures the complex realities of what it means to lose everything, be displaced, and then begin anew. The film’s characters are compelling and insightful and their journey inspires a precarious hope. Director: Mat Whitecross

Silver Plaque to SEX MAGIC (USA) for achieving something that is difficult to do in the documentary medium: It brings us into a potentially shocking world with confidence and sly humor. Directors: Jonathan Schell, Eric Liebman

The Docufest Jury includes Tod Lending, Heather Ross and Matt Tyrnauer.

Short Film Competition The Gold Hugo for Best Short Film goes to DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY (Australia), which combines outstanding cinematography, camerawork and editing to successfully create an ominous tone and a claustrophobic feel while also allowing for a formal exploration of shape, geometry and texture. The film also fluidly moves from lightness to violence; confusion to wonder; and ultimately to a quiet sense of release. It expertly marries a distinctive style, complex tone, and carefully reserved storytelling and performances. Director: Ariel Kleiman

The Silver Hugo is awarded to THE SWIMMERS (Cuba), a lighthearted look at life for a local boy’s swim team in search of a place to practice. The jury applauds the warmth and humor that transcends the difficult circumstances that face the boys and their troubled nation. Its simple and direct storytelling, carefully considered use of color, and excellent use of location give it a charm and gentleness that are strongly affecting. Director: Carlos Lechuga

The jury awards a Gold Plaque to GRANDMOTHERS (Brazil) for its stellar cinematography, its deft rendering of period details, and for handling difficult subject matter with both humor and heartfelt emotional impact. Through its editing and differing shooting styles, the film blurs the distinction between narrative and documentary, which adds weight to the themes of history, memory and reality. Director: Michael Wahrmann

A second Gold Plaque goes to THE DESCENT (Israel) Focused on three family members dealing with loss, it is a beautifully shot film wrought with emotion and tension. Deeply rooted in symbolism, it captures Israeli landscapes that are otherworldly and unexpected. The arid light and stark surroundings complement the grief and raw feeling of the characters. Director: Shai Miedzinski

A Silver Plaque for Best Animation goes to STANLEY PICKLE (UK). Its clever use of stop-motion animation wonderfully complements its comic, but bittersweet, story about loneliness, isolation and freedom. Director: Victoria Mather

The Short Film Jury includes Mimi Brody, Jamie Ceasar, Patrick Frie and John Noble.

The Human Condition 60 Second Film Competition First Prize of $1,000 goes to I.D., directed by Sam Firth.

Second Prize of $500 goes to BUBBIE AND ZAYDIE, directed by Zev Franck. Third Prize, Audience Choice Award of $250 to be announced.