Awards of the Young People's Jury | Awards of the International Jury

Awards of the Young People's Jury
- Crystal Bear -

The 'Young People's Jury' awards the Crystal Bear for best feature film to:

THERE’S ONLY ONE JIMMY CRIMBLE
by John Hay

The story is about a boy who learns to believe in himself.
We were greatly impressed by the marvelous camerawork and the good special effects.
We really liked the brilliant mixture of humor, sensitivity and suspense.

Moreover, we award a Special Mention for a feature film to:

THE TESTIMONY OF TALIESIN JONES
by Martin Duffy

We found the film's moving and profound exploration of belief particularly convincing. The actors, especially John Paul McLead in the leading role of Taliesin Jones, gave outstanding performances.

Suspenseful and sentimental moments were brought out wonderfully by the music and the good camerawork.

The Crystal Bear for the best short film goes to:

HOOVES OF FIRE
by Richard Goleszowski

We picked this film from Great Britain because it is funny and well animated.
We also thought the music fit the story.
At times we've wished to have a great nose like Robbie's, so that we can hop our way through life like he does.

Special mention to:

O BRANCO
The color white
by Ángela Pires and Liliana Sulzbach

This year's special mention for a short film goes to the wonderfully understanding film O BRANCO by Juliana Sulzbach and Ángela Pires.

The Children's Jury 2001 picked this film this year because of its great actors and interesting subject. We also found the combining of colors and days convincing, and the blind boy's thoughts also came across well.

 

Awards of the International Jury
- Awards of the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk -

Jury Members:
Alexandra Schatz (Germany), David Elfick (Australia), Catherine M. Kavanaugh (USA), Lennart Ström (Sweden), Albert Hanan Kaminski (Israel)

The International Jury of the Kinderfilmfest of the 51st Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin awards the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix for the best feature, which includes a cash award of DM 15,000 to

NAGISA
by Masaru Konuma

Set in a seaside town in the 1960's, NAGISA is a portrait of a girl's apprehensive examination and exploration of adulthood. This exquisitely photographed film gives us such palpable scenes that allow us to enter her world, feel the hot sun, smell her mother's cooking and travel with Nagisa through the events of her twelfth summer. Madoka Matsuda gives an uncompromised performance, ably supported by a fine cast of unique young and adultcharacters. It is a film of wonderful sensitivity, humor and sadness with many memorable scenes that stay with one long after the film is viewed.

Director Konuma does not resort to manipulation or hyper-sentimentality, nor to buffoons or bullies to tell his story but rather relies on his meticulous craftsmanship to take us inside the lifestyle and consciousness of the Japanese people while telling a universal story abut adolescence. And the subtle rhythm of his editing offers a balance that draws us even further into the film.

It is an outstanding film in all aspects: entertaining, poignant, and beautifully constructed - a most worthy recipient of this award.

Special Mention to

IL CIELO CADE
The Sky is Falling
by Andrea and Antonio Frazzi

In this true story, set during World War II, IL CIELO CADE, masterfully recreates life in rural Tuscany as a part-Jewish family faces the mounting threat of extreme fascism. Although almost 60 years have passed, this story of religious intolerance is still very relevant today.

The Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Special Prize for the best short film which includes a cash award of DM 5,000 goes to

HOOVES OF FIRE
by Richard Goleszowski

The international jury had the most pleasant and entertaining moment in the whole festival watching HOOVES OF FIRE. We decided unanimously to award Robbie and his reindeer friends the short film award of Das Deutsche Kinderhilfswerk.

The jury appreciated the originality of the story, the excellent casting, the brilliant performance of the actors, the non-stop humor, and the references made to cinema.

Special Mention to the film

LA NOTA FINAL
My final Note
by Maite Rivera Carbonell

In six minutes, director Maite Riviera Carbonell gives us a gem. Set in the streets of Havana, young Gabriel Buenaventura shows us that you don't need instruments to create wonderful music, only imagination.