The prize winners of the 60th Nordic Film Days Lübeck

The prize winners of the 60th Nordic Film Days Lübeck – “Woman at War” from Iceland garners four awards – the new prize for best feature debut goes to “The Little Comrade” from Estonia

Lübeck, Nov. 3, 2018. The big winner at the Saturday awards gala of the 60^th Nordic Film Days Lübeck, which end on Sunday, November 4, 2018, is the Icelandic feature “Woman at War” (Kona fer í stríd) by Benedikt Erlingsson. Actor Juan Camillo Roman Estrada was called to the stage of Theater Lübeck a total of four times to accept awards for the film. It won the NDR Film Prize, endowed with 12,500 euros, the Baltic Film Prize for a Nordic Narrative Film, worth 2,500 euros, and the Interfilm Church Prize, endowed by the Protestant Lutheran church district of Lübeck-Lauenburg (5,000 euros). The Audience Prize of 5,000 euros, awarded by the Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper, also went to “Woman at War” by Benedikt Erlingsson, whose feature debut “Of Horses and Men” opened the Nordic Film Days Lübeck in 2013. The director sent his personal thanks by video from Los Angeles to the juries and guests at the award ceremony. It is the first time in the history of the festival that a single film has garnered four prizes.

“Four prizes – “Woman at War” and the 60^th Nordic Film Days were a dream combination. It couldn’t have gone better! Of course, we’re over the moon and want to thank the juries and audiences, including on behalf of Benedikt Erlingsson. We’re already looking forward to the 61^st NFL. Lübeck rocks!”, said Björn Hoffmann, managing director of Pandora Film, the German distributor.

A new prize endowed with 7,500 euros by the Friends of the Nordic Film Days for Best First Narrative Film was awarded for the first time this year and went to “The Little Comrade” (Selsimees laps) from Estonia, directed by Moonika Siimets. That film also marked the first time that a narrative from the Baltic States opened the NFL. The Children’s and Youth Film Award of the Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung, worth 5,000 euros went to “Summer Children” (Sumarbörn) from Iceland, directed by Gudrun Ragnarsdóttir. The Children’s Jury Award of the Radisson Blu Senator Hotel(endowment: 5,000 euros) went to Ted Kjellsson from Sweden for his film “Alone in Space” (Ensamma I rymden). The Documentary Film Prize of the Lübeck Trade Unions, endowed with 2,500 euros, went this year to Finland –Director Antti Haase was onstage to accept the award for his film “The Illumninator” (Valontuoja).With its endowment raised to 5,000 euros in 2018, the CineStar Group’s CineStar Prize for a short film in the Filmforum section went to Berlin director Esther Niemeier for “Tracing Addai”.

The Nordic Film Days Lübeck, presented by the city of Lübeck, represent the largest festival on the European continent devoted to films from the northern and Baltic countries, and northern Germany. On Sunday, the final day of the festival, there will be repeat screenings of all the films in Competition, including the winner of the audience prize.

The winners and honourable mentions at the 60^th Nordic Film Days Lübeck:

NDR Film Prize:
WOMAN AT WAR (Kona fer í stríd), dir: Benedikt Erlingsson, Iceland/France/Ukraine

Friends of the NFL Prize for Best First Feature:
THE LITTLE COMRADE (Seltsimees laps), dir: Moonika Siimets, Estonia

“Lubecker Nachrichten” Audience Prize:
WOMAN AT WAR (Kona fer í stríd), dir: Benedikt Erlingsson, Iceland/France/Ukraine

INTERFILM Church Film Prize:
WOMAN AT WAR (Kona fer í stríd), dir: Benedikt Erlingsson, Iceland/France/Ukraine

Baltic Film Prize:
WOMAN AT WAR (Kona fer í stríd), dir: Benedikt Erlingsson, Iceland/France/Ukraine

Documentary Film Prize of the Lübeck Trade Unions:
THE ILLUMINATORS (Valontuoja), dir: Antti Haase, Finland
Honourable Mention goes to:
RODEO, dir: Raimo Joerand, Kiur Aarma; Estonia / Finland

CineStar Prize:
TRACING ADDAI, dir: Esther Niemeier, Germany

Children’s and Youth Film Prize
SUMMER CHILDREN (Sumarbörn), dir: Gudrun Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland / Norway

Children’s Jury Prize
ALONE IN SPACE (Ensamma i rymden), dir: Ted Kjellsson, Sweden
Honourable Mention goes to:
THE ASH LAD: IN THE HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING(Askeladden – I Dovregubbens Hall),
dir: Mikkel Brænne Sandemose, Norway / Ireland / Czech Republic

You can find the jury statements here and a photo of the price winners and also the presenters here.

Contact
Lübeck
Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Press and Publicity Department
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Tel: +49 451 122 1455
presse@nordische-filmtage.de