Hunger wins inaugural Sydney Film Prize!
June 23rd 2008 06:23
At the announcement at Sydney Opera House, Jury President Gillian Armstrong said,
“Before we announce the winner of the Sydney Film Prize the jury would like to make special mention of two films. We commend Carlos Reygadas’ Silent Light for its highly poetic and creative use of sound and image and the honest treatment of its universal story of love and pain. The second film we commend is Matthew Newton’s Three Blind Mice for its energy, passion, superb ensemble cast and as such a fine collaboration by a talented group of young filmmakers. Choosing a winner has been a challenging decision because the competition presented such a strong and diverse selection of films. However, our final decision was unanimous.
The inaugural Sydney Film Prize is awarded to Steve McQueen’s Hunger ”.
“Hunger was selected for its controlled clarity of vision, its extraordinary detail and bravery, the dedication of its cast and the power and resonance of its humanity,” said Armstrong.
Hunger will receive AUD$60,000, generously provided by SFF’s Principal sponsor, Hunter Hall Investment Management, and a unique award created by Dinosaur Designs
The Official Competition Jury – Australian Director Gillian Armstrong, Australian actress Essie Davis, LA film writer and critic Scott Foundas, Iranian director/writer/producer Majid Majidi and Hong Kong producer Nansun Shi – agreed unanimously on the decision, assessing the merits of each film within the criteria of ‘audacious, cutting-edge and courageous filmmaking’.
Hunger is the debut film of UK Director Steve McQueen. Working in collaboration with Irish playwright Enda Marsh, McQueen has created an extraordinary feature debut about IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Establishing the conditions of Her Majesty’s Maze prison near Belfast in the early 80s, McQueen initially presents the prison cells as installation sites for articulating a series of intense and violent clashes between wardens and prisoners. In a bold narrative choice, Sands (Michael Fassbender) only emerges as a character in a punchy philosophical exchange with a Catholic priest, dissecting the political and religious implications of his decision to starve himself. Clearly influenced by McQueen’s recent stint as a war artist in Iraq, the contemporary relevance of Hunger is loud and resounding.
SFF is the first Australian film festival to have an Official Competition accredited by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations).
Sydney Film Festival screened feature films, documentaries, short films and animations across the city at State Theatre, Greater Union George Street Cinemas, Metro Theatre and Dendy Opera Quays. The festival is a major event on the New South Wales cultural calendar and is one of the world’s longest running film festivals. In 2008, SFF introduced the inaugural Official International Competition, a FIAPF-accredited competition for ‘new directions in film’, which rewards courageous and audacious filmmaking.
www.sydneyfilmfestival.org
SJC 230608
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