55th Nordic Film Days Lübeck: NDR Film Prize goes ex aequo to “Northwest” from Denmark and “I Am Yours” from Norway

Lübeck, 2 Nov. 2013 – Films from Sweden, Norway and Denmark as well as Estonia were the big prize-winners at the 55^th Nordic Film Days Lübeck. At the gala awards ceremony in Theater Lübeck a total of eight prizes were given to nine winning films. The NDR Film Prize, endowed with 12,500 Euros goes this year ex aequo to two films: “I Am Yours” (Jeg er din) by Norwegian director Iram Haq, which has already been nominated as Norway’s candidate for the Academy Awards, and “Northwest” (Nordvest) by Danish filmmaker Michael Noer. Actors Tobias Santelmann from Norway as well as Gustav and Oscar Dyekjær Giese from Denmark celebrated the prizes with their directors.

The motivation of the Jury for the NDR Film Prize states: “The debut film ‘I Am Yours’ by Iram Haq from Norway is a highly emotional tale with unexpected twists in the plot that give us insight into the life of a mother who has to fend for herself” and “‘Northwest’, the second feature film by Michael Noer from Denmark, is distinguished by its outstanding directing and by the grandiose performances of its two young actors.” 

The popular Audience prize of the Lübecker Nachrichten, endowed with 5,000 Euros, goes to “Kertu” from the Baltic state of Estonia. Director Ilmar Raag (“A Lady in Paris”) enthusiastically expressed his thanks to his laudator, the Danish actor Jacob Cedergren, and to the audience. The prize of the Baltic Jury for a Nordic feature film goes to Swedish director Lukas Moodysson. Young ‘leading lady’ Mira Grosin accepted the award for the film “We Are the Best” (Vi är best) and read a word of greeting from the filmmaker.

The Interfilm Church Prize with prize money amounting to 2,500 Euros (endowed by the Evangelical-Lutheran Church District of Lübeck-Lauenburg) went this year to Denmark, happily celebrated by director Søren Kragh-Jacobsen for his competition film “In the Hour of the Lynx” (I lossens time). The Jury of the Documentary Film Prize, the annual award of the Lübeck Trade Unions (endowed with 2,500 Euros), decided to give their award to the film “Bravehearts” (Til ungdommen) by filmmaker Kari Anne Moe from Norway.

In the second year since its introduction the CineStar Prize (amounting to 3,000 Euros) for the best short film in the Filmforum went to filmmaker Katja Adomeit from Germany. Her directorial debut “Little Night Hunter” impressed the Jury with its “emotional depth and refined imagery”. The jury members called it “Great Cinema!”

The Children’s and Youth Film Jury awarded their prize to the two Swedish directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein for their film “Shed No Tears” (Känn ingen sorg). Their joy at receiving the distinction was expressed by the film’s young protagonist Adam Lundgren, who read a word of greeting from the filmmakers. The award is endowed by the “Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung zu Lübeck”, with prize money amounting to 5,000 Euros. 

The Children’s Jury gave their award to Norwegian director Christian Lo for his exciting movie “The Tough Guys” (De tøffeste gutta). The four youngsters aged between 11 and 12 who were responsible for the selection were particularly impressed by the message of the film: “Don’t give up, even if it’s not so easy for you.” The 5,000 Euro prize is endowed by the Radisson Blu Senator Hotel.

The Nordic Film Days Lübeck is the largest festival in Europe outside of Scandinavia devoted to Nordic and Baltic films as well as filmmakers from northern Germany. The 55^th edition of the Nordic Film Days will close its programme on Sunday, 3 November 2013. A number of competition films will be repeated for those who missed them, including the prize-winners “I Am Yours” and “Northwest”, “Kertu”, “In the Hour of the Lynx” and “We Are the Best”.

Foto: Award Winners of 55. Nordic Film Days Lübeck (Copyright: NFL, O. Malzahn)

All Motivations of the different Jurys are available as pdf Download at the end of this press release.

All the prize-winners and Special Mentions

NDR Film Prize

The prize goes ex aequo to:

I AM YOURS / JEG ER DIN  - Director: Iram Haq, Norway

and

NORTHWEST / NORDVEST - Director: Michael Noer, Denmark.

Special Mention: IN THE HOUR OF THE LYNX / I LOSSENS TIME - Director: Søren Kragh-Jacobsen

Audience Prize of the "Lübecker Nachrichten"

KERTU - Director: Ilmar Raag, Estonia

Baltic Film Prize for a Nordic Feature Film

WE ARE THE BEST / VI ÄR BEST - Director: Lukas Moodysson, Sweden 

Interfilm Church Prize

THE HOUR OF THE LYNX / I LOSSENS TIME - Director: Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Denmark

Special Mention: CHASING THE WIND ( JAG ETTER VIND) - Director: Rune Denstad Langlo, Norway

Documentary Film Prize of the Lübeck Trade Unions

BRAVEHEARTS / TIL UNGDOMMEN - Director: Kari Anne Moe, Norway

Special Mention: A BOY LIKE HER / “HRAFNHILDUR” HEIMILDARMYND UM KYNLEIDRÉTTINGU - Director: Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir, Iceland

CineStar Prize

LITTLE NIGHT HUNTER - Director: Katja Adomeit, Germany

Special Mention: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, DACHSHUND AND THE WOLF - Director: Britt Dunse, Germany

Prize of the Childen’s Jury 

THE TOUGH GUYS / DE TØFFESTE GUTTA - Director: Christian Lo, Norway

Special Mention: THE ANDERSSONS IN GREECE - Director: Hannes Holm, Sweden

Children’s and Youth Film Prize

SHED NO TEARS / KÄNN INGEN SORG - Directors: Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, Sweden

Information about the prize-winners and jury motivations under: www.filmtage.luebeck.de

Contact:

Silke Lehmann
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Head of Press and Publicity
Schildstr. 12, 23539 Lübeck, Germany
T: +49 451 122 1454
silke.lehmann@filmtage.luebeck.de
www.filmtage.luebeck.de
facebook.com/nordicfilmdays