Fenar Ahmad can begin to count the honours bestowed upon his short film 'Megaheavy', winner of Odense film festival's National Grand Prix and Best National Children & Youth Film. The film, produced by Beofilm and Shouting Cow Productions, won a Danish Film Academy Robert and was selected for Berlin earlier in the year. This is a third winning short film from Fenar Ahmad, who trained at the alternative film school Super16 in Copenhagen.
'Megaheavy' is about Jolly, 14, who lives on Bornholm. She's introvert, listens to heavyrock, and is in love with her classmate Kenneth. Her life is suddenly turned around, when her neighbour's son arrives to the island to put his father to rest.
The award for Most Surprising Film went to the mute 6-minute animation rock musical 'Out of a Forest' by Tobias Gundorff Boesen. Produced at the Animation Workshop.
The Most Inventive Film award was presented to Jonas Kangas for 'Last Call', produced at Super8. The 8-minute fiction is about a young man who can't make a decision. Is he ready to take responsibility for girlfriend's child? And is the last phone call also the last call for the father-to-be.
A Special Mention and Audience' Choice Award went to 'Out of Love' by Birgitte Stærmose and Alphaville Pictures Copenhagen. After making its mark at Melbourne and Berlin, the film is now running for a European Film Academy Award 2010.
Overview of awards presented
Odense International Film Festival (23-28 August 2010)
National Films Jury
National Grand Prix: 'Megaheavy' by Fenar Ahmad
Most Surprising Film: 'Out of a Forest' by Tobias Gundorff Boesen
Most Inventive Film: 'Out of Love' by Birgitte Stærmose
Audience' Choice Award (presented by TV 2/Fyn)
'Out of Love' by Birgitte Stærmose (Denmark)
International Jury
International Grand Prix: 'A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation' by Martin Wallner and Stefan Leuchtenberg (Germany)
Most Surprising International Film: 'Death by Suffocation' by Visar Morina (Germany)
Most Inventive International Film: 'Logorama' by Francois Alaux, Hervé de Crécy, Ludovic Houplain (France)
International Jury Special Mention: 'Babel' by Henrick Dusollier (France)
Animation (presented by Danish Animation Society)
Best Animation: 'Angry Man' by Abita Killi (Norway)
Special Mention: 'Whistleless' by Siri Melchior (Denmark)
Special Mention: 'The Little Dragon' by Bruno Collet (France)
Talent Award: 'Heavy Heads' by Helena Frank (Denmark) and 'Venus' by Tor Fruergaard (Denmark)
Children & Youth Jury
Best International Children & Youth Film: 'In Our Blood' by Guillaume Senez (France)
Best National Children & Youth Film: 'Megaheavy' by Fenar Ahmad (Denmark)
Special Mention: 'Logorama' by Francois Alaux, Hervé de Crécy, Lodovic Houplain (France)
Pitch Me Baby
Oliver Zahle won 50,000 kr to develop his script for 'Elephant'
Marie Rønn received a Special Mention for the script idea 'Days that Go By'.
PlayOFF (amateur film festival)
Amateurs from all over the world were given 48 hours to make their own 3-minute film with the theme 'silver'.
1st Prize (7,500 kr): 'Søen'/'The Lake' by Louise Wulf Andersen and Astrid Plesner Hansen (Denmark)
2nd Prize (an Ipod+subscription for MovieMaker): 'The Human Sculptures of Joonas Makkonen (Finland)
3rd Prize (subscription for MovieMaker): 'S' by Igor Rado (Denmark)