54. Nordic Film Days Lübeck: NDR Film Prize Awarded to “Eat Sleep Die” and “The Hunt” - Thomas Vinterberg on Location to Accept Three Prizes in Person

Lübeck, 03.11.12 – The Danish director Thomas Vinterberg received a total of three prizes at the 54. Nordic Film Days Lübeck. His film “The Hunt” was awarded the NDR Film Prize (ex aequo) as well as the popular Audience Prize of the Lübecker Nachrichten, endowed with 5,000 euros, and the Baltic Film Prize.The film recounts the gripping tale of a man (played by Mads Mikkelsen) who must defend himself against false accusations and struggles for his reputation and his position in society. Thomas Vinterberg travelled to the Hanseatic City in person to accept the awards. He was joined by the young star of his film, Lasse Fogelstrøm. Altogether eight prizes were presented at the Film Prize Night of Europe’s largest festival for Nordic and Baltic films and filmmaking from northern Germany on 3. November 2012 at Theater Lübeck.

Endowed with 12,500 euros, the NDR Film Prize went ex aequo to the Swedish director Gabriela Pichler for her film “Eat Sleep Die” and to Thomas Vinterberg’s “The Hunt”. Gabriela Pichler also travelled to Lübeck to accept her award in person. The NDR Film Prize jury’s motivation for choosing Pichler was based on the film’s “highly authentic and powerful manner, featuring lovingly narrated characters”. It applauded “The Hunt” for “mesmerizing its audience as it recounts the panic-fuelled reactions of a small-town community, resulting in the near devastation of a man’s life. The Baltic Film Prize jury decided on “The Hunt”, because the film “boldly explores a sensitive topic in society, using dramatically effective means and an engaging set of characters”.

The Interfilm Church Prize, endowed with 2,500 euros, once again went to Finland, which particularly pleased the prize-winning director Aku Louhimies. His competing film “Naked Harbour” is an urban tale that consists of brilliantly composed episodes. The jury was particularly moved by the “highly convincing dramaturgical realization of its existential subject-matter”. Endowed with the same amount of prize money, the Documentary Film Prize of the Lübeck Trade Unions, donated by DGB, was awarded to the director Katja Gauriloff for “Canned Dreams”. The film’s producer Joonas Berghäll accepted the award representatively. The jury of seven was impressed by the “tin can that shattered the dreams of globalised employment”.

The Children’s and Youth Film Prize and the Prize of the Children’s Jury also featured a double winner. Morten Køhlert from Denmark took home both prizes for his gripping children’s and youth film “The Secret”. The Children’s Jury, consisting of children aged 11 to 13, was deeply touched, especially by the film’s message: “Live every day!”. The adult members of the jury that awarded the Children’s and Youth Film Prize, found the tale of three adolescents who loose their mother to be “a deeply touching, delicate film that is sensitively directed and gives an intimate depiction of its characters without ever compromising them.”

This year saw the first presentation of the newly donated CineStar Prize for a short film of the Filmforum section, endowed with 3,000 euros. The winning film „Get Up And Go“ by Barbara Dévény was simultaneously the shortest film on the programme, which succeeded in “presenting its topic in a very precise and humorous manner”, as the jury put it.

On Sunday, 4. November 2012, this year’s edition of Nordic Film Days Lübeck closes its programme with an opportunity to see a number of the competing films that may have been missed earlier. They include the award winners “The Hunt”, “Eat Sleep Die”, “Naked Harbour” and “Canned Dreams”.

Photo of the award winners of 54. Nordic Film Days Lübeck

The photo shows from left to right:

Morten Køhlert - Prize of the Children's Jury und Prize of the Children's And Youth Film Jury
Thomas Vinterberg with his young actor Lasse Fogelstrøm - Vinterberg received the NDR Film Prize (ex aequo), the Audience Award of the "Lübecker Nachrichten" and the Baltic Film Preis
Gabriela Pichler - NDR Film Prize (ex aequo)
Barbara Dévény - CineStar Prize
Aku Louhimies - Interfilm Church Prize
Producer Joonas Berghäll - who accepted the award of the Documentary Film Prize for director Katja Gauriloff

List of Award Winners and Special Mentions:

NDR Film Prize:

The prize goes ex aequo to:
EAT SLEEP DIE / ÄTA SOVA DÖ, director: Gabriela Pichler, Sweden
and
THE HUNT / JAGTEN, director: Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark
Audience Prize of the “Lübecker Nachrichten”:
THE HUNT / JAGTEN, director: Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark
Baltic Film Prize:
THE HUNT / JAGTEN, director: Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark
Interfilm Church Prize:
NAKED HARBOUR / VUOSAARI, director: Aku Louhimies, Finland
Documentary Film Prize:
CANNED DREAMS / PURKITETTUJA UNELMIA, director: Katja Gauriloff, Finland
and a Special Mention to:
THE TWISTED LIFE OF ELVA / SNÚIÐ LÍF ELVU, director: Egill Eðvarðsson, Island
Prize of the Children’s Jury:
THE SECRET / HEMMELIGHEDEN, director: Morten Køhlert, Denmark
and a Special Mention to:
THE ICE DRAGON / ISDRAKEN, director: Martin Högdahl, Sweden
Children’s and Youth Film Prize:
THE SECRET / HEMMELIGHEDEN, director: Morten Køhlert, Denmark
CineStar Prize:
GET UP AND GO / STEH AUF UND GEH, director: Barbara Dévény, Germany
and a Special Mention to:
HERR SCHULTZ SETS SAIL / HERR SCHULTZ STICHT IN SEE, director: Frank Mueller, Germany

Jury Statements as .pdf

Contact:

Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Press and Publicity
Schildstr. 12, 23539 Lübeck, Germany
T: +49 451 122 1455
F: +49 451 122 1799
presse@filmtage.luebeck.de