The closing ceremony, including ESFF’s 2010 award selection and screening of the winning films, was held on March 28th at the «Comptoir Général» in Paris. Members of the Jury and selected guests were pleased to present awards for each of the following categories :
BEST SPIRITUAL FICTION 2010 :
MILAREPA
Milarepa – Neten Chokling – Bhutan, 2009 – 90 mn
Milarepa depicts the humble beginnings of the man who was to become Tibet’s greatest saint. A true story based on centuries-old oral traditions, a youthful Milarepa is propelled into a world of sorrow and betrayal after his father’s sudden death. Destitute and hopeless,he sets out to learn black magic – and exact revenge on his enemies – encountering magicians, demons, an enigmatic teacher and unexpected mystical power along the way. But it is in confrontation with the consequences of his anger that he learns the most. Photographed in the stunning Lahaul-Spiti region of Northern India, Milarepa offers a provocative parallel to the cycle of violence and retribution we see consuming today’s world.
Director: Neten Chokling – Cast: Jamyang Lodro – Orgyen Tobgyal – Kelsang Chukie Tethtong – Producer: Raymond Steiner – Script: Neten Chokling – Music: Joel Diamond – Photography: Paul J. Warren – Sound: Robert Hein – Editor: Suzy Elmiger
BEST EUROPEAN SPIRITUAL FILM 2010 :
SUNDAY IS THE DAY
Sunday is the Day – Joeri Vlekken – Belgium, 2009 – 52 mn
Carl Ridders, a 5O year old Belgian actor,suffers from the motor neurone disease ALS. In the last month’s of his life he receives a lot of visitors. One of them is the photographer Lieve Blancquaert. Together, they have very intimate talks, take pictures and philosophize about life. In the final stage of the disease, Carl opts for euthanasia and the two friends have to say farewell.
Director: Joeri Vlekken – Producer: Paul Peyskens – Photography: joeri vlekken – Editor: Tom Meersseman
BEST SPIRITUAL DOCUMENTARY 2010 :
LA ROUTE DE LA NON VIOLENCE
La Route de la Non Violence – Emma Baus – France, 2009 – 51 min
A road-movie following an Indian social worker, Avani Kumar, inspired by Gandhian spirituality. He takes us to remote villages of his country where artisans keep living on their traditional skills. By doing so, they protect both their quality of life and the environment.
Director: Emma Baus – Producer: Pascal Albertini – Photography: Edmond Carrere – Editor: Rémi Dumas
BEST SPIRITUAL ANIMATION FILM :
YOGA NOGA REYOGA
Yoga Noga Reyoga – Kengo Kurimoto – England, 2007 – 6 mn
Two young monks meditate, in the search for greater Cosmic Union. However, in their quest, they become increasingly aware of the others’ activities, jealously upping the stakes in order to be the “most enlightened”. Before they know it, they are embroiled in an all out Enlightenment Competition.
Director: Kengo Kurimoto – Producer: Kengo Kurimoto – Script: Kengo Kurimoto
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD 2010 :
(R)EVOLUTION
R(evolution) – Mustafa Zaveri – India, 2007 – 79 mn
A book is connected to the lives of three people from three different decades: 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s. This is a story about how ordinary people connect in extraordinary ways.
Director: Mustafa Zaveri – Cast: Mustafa Zaveri – Anand Tiwari – Faezeh Jalali – Producer: Mustafa Zaveri – Script: Mustafa Zaveri – Music: Benjamin Humphries – Photography: Prashant Rai – Editor: Manoj Sankla – Website: http://www.revolutionfilmsindia.com
BEST SPIRITUAL SHORT FILM AWARD 2010 :
THE MORSE COLLECTORS
The Morse Collectors – David Cooke – England, 2008 – 16 mn
1942, A world at war. Two children are alone, waiting. Hoping for a message.
Director: David Cooke – Cast: Oisin O’Connell – Katie Boyle – Sandra O’Connell – Producer: Crawford Anderson-Dillon – Gary Sugarman – Script: Pol Mag Uidhir – Photography: Angus Mitchell – Sound: Ronan Hill – Joe Goudie – Editor: Andy Keil – Brian Philip Davis – Website: http://www.morsecollectors.com
PLANET PRIZE 2010 :
CITY OF THE DAWN
City of the Dawn – Christopher Buhrman – United States, India, 2009 – 80 mn
City of the Dawn is a documentary film exploring Auroville, an experimental city created to be a living embodiment of human unity. This laboratory for the future wants to transcend all that separates human beings, religion, politics, money, race, social position, creed, etc., and find new ways to coexist that benefit all. Here, citizens from 40 nations live their lives dedicated to this aspiration for a place where a more-conscious human family lives and shares and supports one another as part of one planet.
Director: Christopher Buhrman – Cast: Francine Roussel – Mark Morettini – Ravi Kappor – Producer: Michael Joyce – Script: Christopher Buhrman – Francis Rothluebber – Music: John Tanner – Photography: Chip Duncan – Robert Huck – Sound: David Conner – Editor: Jerry Riedel
