Edinburgh Film Festival 2010

Since 1947, the Edinburgh International Film Festival has
devoted itself to discovering and promoting the very best in international
cinema – and to embracing, celebrating and debating changes and developments in
the global film industry. Intimate in its scale, ambitious in its scope, and
fuelled by pure passion for cinema in all its manifestations, EIFF seeks to
expose the cutting edge of new film talent, in a setting steeped in history.

Notable films premiered in recent years have included: The
Hurt Locker, Moon, Fishtank, Let The Right One In, Somers Town, Man On Wire,
Wall-E, Control, Knocked Up, Ratatouille, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient
Truth, Tsotsi, Billy Elliot, Amores Perros and
Amélie.

EIFF’s 2010 Michael Powell Jury were actor Sir Patrick
Stewart who presided over the five-strong
Jury: director Mike Hodges; film
curator Laurence Kardish;
director Rafi Pitts and actress Britt
Ekland. The awards were presented by EIFF
Artistic Director Hannah McGill
and Patrons Tilda Swinton and Seamus
McGarvey on the penultimate day of the
Festival at Cineworld. This year’s winners are:

What? The Michael
Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film, sponsored by the
UK Film Council

Who? Skeletons,
directed by Nick Whitfield

Why? The Jury
citation read: ‘ Skeletons best exemplifies the spirit of Michael Powell in its
original vision and dark humour.’

Lizzie Francke, Senior Production Executive with the UK
Film Council, sponsor of the Michael Powell award said: “Nick Whitfield’s Skeletons is an imaginative
and touching debut film and winning the Michael Powell award confirms he is a
talent to look out for.”

What? PPG Award for Best
Performance in a British Feature Film

Who? David Thewlis
in Mr Nice

Why? The Jury cited:
“… for his energetic and electrifying performance as Jim McCann in Bernard
Rose’s feature Mr Nice.”

Thewlis said: “This
is a thrill and totally unexpected, and made all the more special by being
honoured by one of my favourite cities in the world. Thank you.”

Who? The Dry Land,
directed by Ryan Piers Williams

Why? ‘… this
delicate and emotional film took a subject that could have been predictable and
explored it with a refreshing subtlety of characterisation, with universally
beautiful performances and with a respect for the audience’s intelligence that
made it not only a superbly told, gripping and relevant story, but a natural
and unanimous winner.’

What? Moët New Directors
Award

Who? Gareth
Edwards for Monsters

Why? ‘…the award,
which acknowledges both ability and potential, to MONSTERS and its maker Gareth
Edwards, whose extraordinary talents we confidently expect to see a great deal
more of in the years to come.’

What? Best Feature
Documentary Award

Who? The Oath,
directed by Laura Poitras

Why? ‘…in recognition
of the complexity and subtlety of its storytelling; the brilliance of its
conception and execution; and the presence of an authorial voice that is strong
without being didactic, the jury awards the EIFF 2010 Best Feature Documentary
Award to Laura Poitras for The Oath.’

What? EIFF 2010
Standard Life Audience Award was

Who? Get Low,
directed by Aaron Schneider.

Why? The winner is chosen by audience votes
from the Gala and British Gala sections.