Mosel wine at Benelux festival
Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 3:39 pm
Annelies from Holland overall winner
Maybe it's interesting to know the results of the Benelux Film Festival that took place last week. The ceremony was in the little town of Clervaux in Luxembourg on Sunday afternoon. The overall winner is ... Annelies Heesakkers from the Netherlands. I think she must be a newcomer because I have not seen her name before. It's a pity that her film was not screened at the ceremony, but on the other hand I should have stayed in Luxembourg for four days in order to see all the films.
"Rex" first prize in category "fiction films"
In the category "Fiction films" the Dutchman Berry Van der Vorst was the winner with "Rex". Very controversial, but it's better not to stir up things. I asked one of the judges, who's very good at evaluating films, if he knew why Berry had chosen the title "Rex". He didn't know. In my opinion the title of the film is very essential. I congratulated Berry and we talked about BIAFF in Chesterfield. He enjoyed the festival in England very much. As you know he was one of the diamond award winners. In Luxembourg he also won the award for "Best photography". Second in "fiction films" was Daniel Mannelli from the French speaking part of Belgium. The title of his film : "Merry Christmas". I don't think that Daniel has already participated in BIAFF or Guernsey with that film. As you know he has already been very successful in British film festivals.
There were three categories : "fiction films", "Information films" and "Other films" (animation, etc...)
The first prize in the category "Information films" was for the Dutchman René Roeken. He's one of my friends. It's a film about animals in Madagascar. The title of his film : "Het Land van de Lemuren". René is one of my Dutch friends who's taken part in the Lily festival twice or three times.
Luxembourg very successful
Top awards in three categories + overall winner : The Netherlands 3, Luxembourg 4 and Belgium (French-speaking part) 3. No Flemish films.
Special awards : The Netherlands 1, Luxemburg 4, Belgium (French speaking part) 1, Belgium (Dutch speaking part) 6.
These results show that the Luxemburg filmmakers have made excellent films. Third prize in the category "Information films" for instance was for Willy Lang. An excellent filmmaker. I think that his name has already appeared in at least one of the BIAFF-proclamation lists.
The Dutchman Vlamdimir Muirtin was one of the judges and so was Guido Haesen, the very kind Luxembourg filmmaker who attends BIAFF and the Guernsey Lily very often. I talked to Guido and his evaluation was correct.
I wept crocodile tears
I didn't win any award. I wept crocodile tears for hours and hours. The organisers didn't have enough floor-cloths and buckets. Everybody wanted to cheer me up. To be honest : I expected it because of several reasons. The acting in my film for instance is horrible, etc... , but many friends told me that they had enjoyed my film after having seen it a hundred times. That's the best compliment.
Wheel-chairs
Some of my friends stayed in Luxembourg for some days. They had to go back home empty-handed. They seemed to be very disappointed. I know they have worked very hard to have an extraordinary film. The theme, however, is a bit controversial and that's very risky. It is a co-production and one of them said : "You must make films about people in wheel-chairs to be very successful." In some way it revealed his bitter disappointment. These are typical emotions after a festival. I had hoped to encourage both filmmakers to enter their films for BIAFF and the Lily, but I have already given it up.
I felt tipsy after the Mosel-wine
I myself enjoyed the day-trip to Luxembourg very much, also thanks to the glorious sunshine. The venue was a castle on top of a hill overlooking the little town of Clervaux. Before going to the ceremony we had lunch in a restaurant in open air. After the ceremony we drank some Mosel wine. I became more and more talkative. I had to ask my friend Werner to drive my car... Before leaving Guido said something like "Hast Ye Back !" I'll be back next time.
Maybe it's interesting to know the results of the Benelux Film Festival that took place last week. The ceremony was in the little town of Clervaux in Luxembourg on Sunday afternoon. The overall winner is ... Annelies Heesakkers from the Netherlands. I think she must be a newcomer because I have not seen her name before. It's a pity that her film was not screened at the ceremony, but on the other hand I should have stayed in Luxembourg for four days in order to see all the films.
"Rex" first prize in category "fiction films"
In the category "Fiction films" the Dutchman Berry Van der Vorst was the winner with "Rex". Very controversial, but it's better not to stir up things. I asked one of the judges, who's very good at evaluating films, if he knew why Berry had chosen the title "Rex". He didn't know. In my opinion the title of the film is very essential. I congratulated Berry and we talked about BIAFF in Chesterfield. He enjoyed the festival in England very much. As you know he was one of the diamond award winners. In Luxembourg he also won the award for "Best photography". Second in "fiction films" was Daniel Mannelli from the French speaking part of Belgium. The title of his film : "Merry Christmas". I don't think that Daniel has already participated in BIAFF or Guernsey with that film. As you know he has already been very successful in British film festivals.
There were three categories : "fiction films", "Information films" and "Other films" (animation, etc...)
The first prize in the category "Information films" was for the Dutchman René Roeken. He's one of my friends. It's a film about animals in Madagascar. The title of his film : "Het Land van de Lemuren". René is one of my Dutch friends who's taken part in the Lily festival twice or three times.
Luxembourg very successful
Top awards in three categories + overall winner : The Netherlands 3, Luxembourg 4 and Belgium (French-speaking part) 3. No Flemish films.
Special awards : The Netherlands 1, Luxemburg 4, Belgium (French speaking part) 1, Belgium (Dutch speaking part) 6.
These results show that the Luxemburg filmmakers have made excellent films. Third prize in the category "Information films" for instance was for Willy Lang. An excellent filmmaker. I think that his name has already appeared in at least one of the BIAFF-proclamation lists.
The Dutchman Vlamdimir Muirtin was one of the judges and so was Guido Haesen, the very kind Luxembourg filmmaker who attends BIAFF and the Guernsey Lily very often. I talked to Guido and his evaluation was correct.
I wept crocodile tears
I didn't win any award. I wept crocodile tears for hours and hours. The organisers didn't have enough floor-cloths and buckets. Everybody wanted to cheer me up. To be honest : I expected it because of several reasons. The acting in my film for instance is horrible, etc... , but many friends told me that they had enjoyed my film after having seen it a hundred times. That's the best compliment.
Wheel-chairs
Some of my friends stayed in Luxembourg for some days. They had to go back home empty-handed. They seemed to be very disappointed. I know they have worked very hard to have an extraordinary film. The theme, however, is a bit controversial and that's very risky. It is a co-production and one of them said : "You must make films about people in wheel-chairs to be very successful." In some way it revealed his bitter disappointment. These are typical emotions after a festival. I had hoped to encourage both filmmakers to enter their films for BIAFF and the Lily, but I have already given it up.
I felt tipsy after the Mosel-wine
I myself enjoyed the day-trip to Luxembourg very much, also thanks to the glorious sunshine. The venue was a castle on top of a hill overlooking the little town of Clervaux. Before going to the ceremony we had lunch in a restaurant in open air. After the ceremony we drank some Mosel wine. I became more and more talkative. I had to ask my friend Werner to drive my car... Before leaving Guido said something like "Hast Ye Back !" I'll be back next time.