Bergen International Film Festival
The Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) is a film festival held annually in October in Bergen, Norway since 2000, and is the largest film festival in the nation in number of films. The 11th edition of the festival in 2010 featured 150 films in the program, a new record. The festival leader is Tor Fosse, and BIFF is owned by Bergen Cinema.
The festivals main venue is Bergen Cinema's Magnus Barefoot Cinema Centre, with additional screenings taking place at the local art film theatre at Georgernes Verft and at the student cinema at Kvarteret.
Contents
- 1 History
- 2 Programmes
- 3 BIFF and education
- 4 Awards at Bergen International Film Festival
- 4.1 Checkpoints
- 4.2 Best International Documentary
- 4.3 Best Norwegian Documentary
- 4.4 Best Norwegian Short Documentary
- 4.5 The Audience Award
- 4.6 Youth Jury's Documentary Award
- 4.7 Best Norwegian Short Film
- 4.8 Young Talent Award
- 4.9 Cinema Extraordinare (discontinued)
- 4.10 Best Scandinavian Music Video (discontinued)
- 4.11 The Critic's Award (discontinued)
- 5 The Festival by year
- 6 External links
History
In 2000, Bergen was a European Capital of Culture. Due to the occasion, Bergen Cinema arranged Bergen International Film Festival, with the most important films from the festival circuit of the year and many sneak previews of movies already picked up for Norwegian distribution. BIFF was one of the most successful events to take place during the celebration of the Cultural City with almost 20,000 visitors, and was arranged again the year after.
Over the years the festival has grown to be one of the biggest in Norway, with more than 160 films and 57,000 admissions in 2015.
Programmes
Bergen International Film Festival is organised in various sections:
- Checkpoints, the main program at BIFF, hosted with the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, consisting of documentaries focusing on human rights. Since 2010, a jury has selected a winner.
- International Documentary Program, with a special selection competing for the best international documentary award.
- Norwegian Documentary Program, with a special selection competing for awards for best Norwegian documentary and best Norwegian short documentary.
- Norwegian Short Film Competition, a special program of short films, where filmmakers have to apply before being accepted.
BIFF and education
Bergen International Film Festival has an extensive program for high school and junior high school students in Bergen. BIFFs offers schools in the area to participate in two different programs:
BIFF for Schools
The festival offers free showing of documentaries that covers important subjects in history, democracy and human rights. BIFF also tries to bring filmmakers and even the characters the films portray to the screenings, making it possible for the students to converse with the talent afterwards. In 2010, former mayors of Bogotá, Antanas Mockus and Enrique Peñalosa held strong appeals to students of the power of local democracy after the showings of Bogota Change.
The School Film Festival
BIFF also offers a crash course film school for junior high schools, with professional filmmakers holding seminars. The festival then make camera and editing stations available for the students, and award one school each year for best student film.
Awards at Bergen International Film Festival
Checkpoints
Awarded since 2010 and one of the main prizes at BIFF, selected by a jury from a competition program consisting of films focusing on human rights.
- 2010: Budrus, directed by Julia Bacha Israel
- 2011: The Last Mountain, directed by Bill Haney United States
- 2012: Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony, directed by Alvaro Longoria Spain
- 2013: The Act of Killing, directed by J. Oppenheimer Indonesia
- 2014: Drone (2014 film), directed by Tonje Hessen Schei Norway
- 2015: The Hunting Ground, directed by Kirby Dick United States
Best International Documentary
Awarded since 2004, after BIFF started to shift its focus more over to documentaries. The prize is 50,000 NOK, since 2013 awarded by NRK.
- 2004: The Master and His Pupil, directed by Sonia Herman Dolz Netherlands
- 2005: The Boys of Baraka, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady United States
- 2006: God Grew Tired of Us, directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn United States
- 2007: Forever, directed by Heddy Honigmann Netherlands
- 2008: War Child, directed by Christian Karim Chrobog United States
- 2009: Afghan Star, directed by Havana Marking United Kingdom
- 2010: The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu, directed by Andrei Ujică Romania
- 2011: Buck, directed by Cindy Meehl United States
- 2012:
- 2013: The Unknown Known, directed by Errol Morris United States
- 2014: Waiting for August, directed by Teodora Ana Mihai Belgium Romania
- 2015: Pervert Park, directed by Frida Barkfors and Lasse Barkfors Denmark Sweden United States
Best Norwegian Documentary
Awarded since 2011. The prize is 40,000 NOK, since 2013 awarded by NRK.
- 2011: Folk ved fjorden, directed by Øyvind Sandberg
- 2012: De andre, directed by Margreth Olin
- 2013: Banaz A Love Story, directed by Deeyah Khan
- 2014: Drone, directed by Tonje Hessen Schei
- 2015: Voldtatt, directed by Linda Steinhoff
Best Norwegian Short Documentary
Awarded since 2011. The prize is 10,000 NOK, since 2013 awarded by NRK.
- 2011: Selger 327, directed by Kari Anne Moe
- 2012: Havet sølv, directed by Are Pilskog
- 2013: Du velger selv, directed by Kajsa Næss
- 2014: Dette er Kabul, directed by Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Nargis Azaryun, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss
- 2015: Asylbarna: Farida, directed by Ragnhild Sørheim og Christer Fasmer
The Audience Award
- 2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee China
- 2001: Das Experiment, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel Germany
- 2002: Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore United States
- 2003: Kill Bill Vol. 1, directed by Quentin Tarantino United States
- 2004: Oldboy, directed by Park Chan-wook South Korea
- 2005: Sirkel, directed by Aleksander Nordaas Norway
- 2006: The Queen, directed by Stephen Frears United Kingdom
- 2007: Fashion Victims, directed by Ingo Rasper Germany
- 2008: Young@Heart, directed by Stephen Walker United Kingdom
- 2009: Bring Children from Streets, directed by Espen Faugstad and Eivind Nilsen Norway
- 2010: World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements, directed by Chris Farina United States
- 2011: Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch United States
- 2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed by Benh Zeitlin United States
- 2013: Søsken til evig tid, directed by Frode Fimland Norway
- 2014: Good Girl, directed by Solveig Melkeraaen Norway
- 2015: Voldtatt, directed by Linda Steinhoff Norway
Youth Jury's Documentary Award
A prize awarded since 2004 by a jury consisting of high school students that choose from the films that is a part of the BIFF for Schools program.
- 2004: Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, directed by Robert Greenwald United States
- 2005: Lost Children, directed by Oliver Stoltz Germany
- 2006: A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, directed by Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack Switzerland
- 2007: Sharkwater, directed by Rob Stewart Canada
- 2008: Yodok Stories, directed by Andrzej Fidyk Norway
- 2009: The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos United States
- 2010: Bogota Change, directed by Andreas Møl Dalsgaard Denmark
- 2011: Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch United States
- 2012: 5 Broken Cameras, directed by Emad Burnat Palestine
- 2013: The Human Scale, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard Denmark
- 2014: We Are the Giant, directed by Greg Barker United States
- 2015: The Mask You Live In, directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom United States
Best Norwegian Short Film
Awarded since 2004.
- 2003: Fear Less, directed by Therese Jacobsen
- 2004: The Bible, directed by Bjørn Amundlien
- 2005: Drømme kan du gjøre senere, directed by Thomas A. Østbye
- 2006: Drømmehuset, directed by Øystein Mamen
- 2007: Bo jo cie kochom (Fordi jeg elsker deg), directed by Gine Therese Grønner
- 2008: Ekornet, directed by Stian Einar Forgaard
- 2009: Skylappjenta, directed by Iram Haq
- 2010: Jenny, directed by Ingvild Søderlind
- 2011: Asyl, directed by Jørn Utkilen
- 2012: Å vokte fjellet, directed by Izer Aliu
- 2013: Money Back Please, directed by Even Hafnor
- 2014: Ja vi elsker, directed by Hallvar Witzø
- 2015: Small Talk, directed by Even Hafnor
Young Talent Award
Awarded since 2005, with a prize of 20,000 NOK.
- 2005: Aleksander Nordaas
- 2006: Morvary Samaré and Astrid Schau-Larsen
- 2007: Tor Kristian Liseth
- 2008: Olav Øyehaug
- 2009: Espen Faugstad and Eivind Nilsen
- 2010: Kedy Hassani
- 2011: Frida Eggum Michaelsen
- 2012: Are Pilskog
- 2013: Mads Andersen
- 2014: Kjell Mathiesen
- 2015: Hildegunn Wærness
Cinema Extraordinare (discontinued)
The former main award at Bergen International Film Festival, awarded to the best feature film 2000-2011. The prize has had its present name since 2007. 2000-2005 it was called The Jury's Award, and 2006-2007 it was named The Norwegian Film Institute's Import Award, with the prize being Norwegian distribution.
- 2000: Luna Papa, directed by Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov Tajikistan
- 2001: Lagaan, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker India
- 2002: Dog Days, directed by Ulrich Seidl Austria
- 2003: Blind Shaft, directed by Li Yang China
- 2004: Mysterious Skin, directed by Gregg Araki United States
- 2005: Frozen Land, directed by Aku Louhimies Finland
- 2006: The Minder, directed by Rodrigo Moreno Argentina
- 2007: Silent Light, directed by Carlos Reygadas Mexico
- 2008: The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner, directed by Stefan Komandarev Bulgaria
- 2009: No One's Son, directed by Arsen Anton Ostojić Croatia
- 2010: Le Quattro Volte, directed by Michelangelo Frammatino Italy
Awarded 2010-2013.
- 2010: Torgny - "The Only Game", directed by Emil Trier Norway
- 2011:
- 2012: Todd Terje - "Inspector Norse", directed by Kristoffer Borgli Norway
- 2013: The Knife - a Tooth for an Eye, Sweden
The Critic's Award (discontinued)
Only awarded once, by the film journalists attending the festival in 2003.
- 2003: A Good Lawyer's Wife, directed by Im Sang-soo South Korea
The Festival by year
- 2003 Bergen International Film Festival
- 2009 Bergen International Film Festival
- 2010 Bergen International Film Festival
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