The seventh edition of the Tirana International Film Festival marked an end on December 6, 2009. The Sunday evening award ceremony was followed by a gala celebration in the National Theatre where most of the ten day festival took place.
This was the first year that TIFF expanded into a features competition after its previous six editions which were mostly shorts and special programs. The competing shorts and features that fill the day-long programs have been featured in numerous festivals including Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and Locarno.
The festival opened with an out of competition showing of Serb director Goran Paskaljevic’s ‘Honeymoons’, the first Albanian-Serbian co-production and co-written by festival programmer Genc P쳭eti and produced by festival director Ilir Butka.
A packed hall on Friday night watched Filippos Tsitos comedy of a man discovering his Albanian roots, ‘Plato’s Academy’ which is sure to be a top contender for the grand prize. The movie was attended by the Greek director as well as one of the Albanian stars Anastas Kozdine who received a thunderous ovation in the theater after the films introduction. The festival was also marked with half a dozen special screenings and programs including a tribute to Albanian film pioneer Viktor Gjika, a collection of Chinese propaganda films and several rare prints of international classics from the vaults of the Albanian State Film Archive.
Sunday’s closing awards also featured a lifetime achievement award given to Greek master filmmaker Theo Angelopoulous, who visited Albania the subject of many of his acclaimed motion pictures. During the nine days, three of his classic films were featured in special screening in Tirana’s Sheraton Hotel, the location of many of the special programs.
Among the attendees of Sunday nights closing were a number of visiting foreign artists and filmmakers to Albania among them, the German experimental filmmaker Sylvia Schedelbauer, American indie producer Paul Mezey along with deciding jurors Josh Marston (Maria Full of Grace), American character actor Richard Edson and British experimental legend Ben Rivers.
Box
Tirana International Film Festival Awards
Best film of TIFF
Woman without a piano – Javier Rebollo& Platono’s academy- Filipos Tsitos
Best Director
Gjergj Xhuvani- East West East
Best Actor
Ndricim Xhepa, Helidon Fino, Gentian Hazizi, Fation Pustina, Ervin Bejleri,
Lul컩m Zeqja (East West East)
Best Actress
Carmen Machi
(Woman without a piano)
Media Award
Devil’s town- Vladimir Pascaljevic
Public Award
The camion- Ilir Kaso& Cloud souls- Sophie Bartes
Best Fiction Short Film
The one in charge- (Sergio Barrejon)
Special mentioned
Jinx in a jiffy- (Gentian Koci)
Best Animation Short Film
De si pres- Remi Durin
Special mentioned
Two princesses- Maria Stepanova
Meaning of life- Jani Zhonga
Best Documentary Short Film
Goleshovo- Ilian Metev& Two love stories- Shota Bukoshi
Special mentioned
Two highways- Alexander Markov& Nick Teplov
Best Experimental Short Film
November- Boris Greiner
Special mentioned
Eulogy- Ben Claremont
Best Albanian Movie
Signs- Odeta Cuni
Special mention
Saligia-1- Irida Zhonga
The dinner- Blerta Zeqiri
Gratitude
Goran paskaljevic
Career achievement award
Theodoros angelopoulos
Lifetime achievement award
Viktor Gjika
