Bergen International Film Festival
Encyclopedia
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
.
. 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 over 45,000 attending guests in 2010.
, Antanas Mockus
and Enrique Peñalosa
held strong appeals to students of the power of local democracy after the showings of Bogota Change.
.
.
laureate Shirin Ebadi
. The prize money, 50,000 NOK
, is awarded to the people the documentary portrays and their cause, not the filmmakers.
.
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
held annually in October in Bergen, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
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
Magnus Barefoot Cinema Centre
Magnus Barefoot Cinema Centre is a cinema multiplex with 5 screens owned by Bergen Cinema. It is named after the street that runs along the building , which in turned is named after the norwegian king Magnus Barefoot. It is the main venue of Bergen International Film Festival....
, with additional screenings taking place at the local art film
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
theatre at Georgernes Verft
Georgernes Verft
Georgernes Verft was a shipyard in Bergen and is currently the name of a geographical area corresponding to the location of the old shipyard. Over time the surrounding area was populated by shipyard workers and is still known as Verftet....
and at the student cinema at Kvarteret
Kvarteret
Det Akademiske Kvarter , more commonly known as Kvarteret, is a student house in Bergen, Norway. The house is run by about 400 volunteer students. Kvarteret hosts a huge number of happenings each year, ranging from juggling shows to concerts...
.
History
In 2000, Bergen was a European Capital of CultureEuropean Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
. 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 over 45,000 attending guests in 2010.
Programmes
Bergen International Film Festival is organised in various sections:- Cinema Extraordinare, a program for foreign fiction film. A special selection compete for the Cinema Extraordinare Award, which is awarded by an Norwegian jury.
- Documentary Program, with a special selection competing for the best documentary award.
- Checkpoints, a special program that BIFF host with the Rafto Foundation for Human RightsRafto Foundation for Human RightsThe Rafto Foundation for Human Rights was established in 1986 in a memory of , a professor of Economic History at the Norwegian School of Economics and a human rights activist. The main objective of the is the promotion of freedom of political expression and enterprise...
, with documentaries focusing on human rights. Since 2010, a jury has awarded a winner from a special selection.
- Musikalske takter, a program consisting of musical documentaries and concert films.
- Vestland, Vestland, a program showcasing the best of film production in the wester part of Norway.
- 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 BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Antanas Mockus
Antanas Mockus
Aurelijus Rutenis Antanas Mockus Šivickas is a Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician.The son of Lithuanian immigrants, he left his post as the president of the National University of Colombia in Bogotá in 1993, and later that year ran a successful campaign for mayor...
and Enrique Peñalosa
Enrique Peñalosa
Enrique Peñalosa Londoño is a Colombian politician and New Urbanist. He was mayor of Bogotá, from 1998 until 2001, and was runner-up in 2007. He is running in 2011 for mayor as the Green Party candidate. He has also worked as a journalist and consultant on urban and transportation policy...
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 aviable for the students, and award one school each year for best student film.Cinema Extraordinare
The main award at Bergen International Film Festival, chosen by a jury consisting of Norwegian filmmakers and critics. The prize has had its present name since 2007. 2000-2005 it was called The Jury's Award, and 2006-2007 the name changed to The Norwegian Film Institute's Import Award, with the prize being Norwegian distribution. Today the prize is 50,000 NOKNorwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
.
- 2000: Luna PapaLuna PapaLuna Papa is a 1999 movie by Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov with collaboration from Germany, Japan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Russia....
, directed by Bakhtyar KhudojnazarovBakhtyar KhudojnazarovBakhtyar Khudojnazarov is a film director, producer and screenwriter from Tajikistan. His most internationally famous film is the comedy Luna Papa . He won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival for his movie Kosh ba kosh ....
- 2001: LagaanLagaanLagaan is a 2001 Bollywood sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Aamir Khan, who was also the producer for the film, stars with Gracy Singh in the lead roles; British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles...
, directed by Ashutosh GowarikerAshutosh GowarikerAshutosh Gowariker is an Indian film director, actor, writer and producer. He is known for directing the films Lagaan , Swades , Jodhaa Akbar , What's Your Raashee and Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey...
- 2002: Dog DaysDog Days (2001 film)Dog Days , is a 2001 Austrian feature film directed by Ulrich Seidl. It is characterized by a disturbing naturalistic style which is a trademark of Seidl's directing...
, directed by Ulrich SeidlUlrich SeidlUlrich Seidl is an Austrian film director, writer and producer.-Selected filmography:* 1990 Good News* 1992 Loss Is to Be Expected * 1995 Animal Love ...
- 2003: Blind ShaftBlind ShaftBlind Shaft is a 2003 film about a pair of brutal con artists operating in the illegal coal mines of present-day northern China. The film was written and directed by Li Yang , and is based on Chinese writer Liu Qingbang's short novel Shen Mu .-Production history:Most of the filming took place 700...
, directed by Li YangLi Yang (director)Li Yang is a Chinese writer-director. Though often grouped with the so-called Sixth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, he is in fact closer in age to the Fifth Generation and in interviews has denied membership with either group, claiming that such labels are only artificial differentiations.Born...
- 2004: Mysterious SkinMysterious SkinMysterious Skin is a 2004 drama film directed by American filmmaker Gregg Araki, who also wrote the screenplay based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Scott Heim...
, directed by Gregg ArakiGregg ArakiGregg Araki is an American independent filmmaker. He is involved in New Queer Cinema.-Early life:Araki was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Santa Barbara, California...
- 2005: Frozen Land, directed by Aku LouhimiesAku LouhimiesAku Louhimies is a Finnish film director and screenwriter.-Education:He studied at the University of Helsinki and in University of Art and Design Helsinki.-Career:Louhimies has directed six feature-length films:...
- 2006: The MinderThe Minder (film)The Minder is a 2006 Argentine drama film directed by Rodrigo Moreno. It was co-produced by Argentina, Uruguay, France and Germany....
, directed by Rodrigo MorenoRodrigo MorenoFor the Colombian racewalker with the same name see Rodrigo Moreno For the naturalized Spanish footballer currently playing for Bolton Wanderers see Rodrigo Moreno Machado....
- 2007: Silent LightSilent Light- External links :* * at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival* - External links :* * at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival* - External links :* * at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival*...
, directed by Carlos ReygadasCarlos ReygadasCarlos Reygadas is a Mexican filmmaker known for his three films Batalla en el Cielo, Japón and Silent Light . After Batalla en el Cielo, he was known for his raw depiction of sex in his films and the use of old or ugly-seeming characters...
- 2008: The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the CornerThe World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the CornerThe World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner is a 2008 Bulgarian drama film, co-produced with Slovenia, Germany and Hungary. Its original Bulgarian title is Светът е голям и спасение дебне отвсякъде , literally meaning The World is Big and Salvation Prowls on All Sides.The film is...
, directed by Stefan Komandarev - 2009: No One's Son, directed by Arsen Anton OstojićArsen Anton OstojićArsen Anton Ostojić is an acclaimed Croatian film director and screenwriter.Ostojić belongs to the young generation of Croatian directors who rose to prominence in the 2000s...
- 2010: Le Quattro Volte, directed by Michelangelo Frammatino
The Audience Award
Together with Cinema Extraordinare one of the two original awards at BIFF, having existed since the birth of the festival. Until 2010 every film that was screened at the festival was eliagble, but now audiences only can vote for films in competition.- 2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonCrouching Tiger, Hidden DragonCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen...
, directed by Ang LeeAng LeeAng Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
- 2001: Das ExperimentDas ExperimentDas Experiment is a 2001 German film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, about a social experiment, based on Mario Giordano's novel Black Box, which resembles Philip Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment of 1971.-Plot:...
, directed by Oliver HirschbiegelOliver HirschbiegelOliver Hirschbiegel is a German film director. His works include Das Experiment and the Oscar nominated Der Untergang.- Career :...
- 2002: Bowling for ColumbineBowling for ColumbineBowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, directed, produced, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Michael Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns...
, directed by Michael MooreMichael MooreMichael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
- 2003: Kill Bill Vol. 1Kill BillKill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
, directed by Quentin TarantinoQuentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
- 2004: OldboyOldboyOldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
, directed by Park Chan-wookPark Chan-wookPark Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
- 2005: Sirkel, directed by Aleksander Nordaas
- 2006: The QueenThe Queen (film)The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II...
, directed by Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
- 2007: Fashion Victims, directed by Ingo Rasper
- 2008: Young@HeartYoung@Heart (film)Young@Heart is a 2008 British documentary film directed by Stephen Walker. Its focus is Young@Heart, a New England chorus of senior citizens that sings contemporary and classic rock and pop songs.-Synopsis:...
, directed by Stephen WalkerStephen Walker (filmmaker)Stephen Walker is a British filmmaker and director primarily known in the UK for his TV documentaries. He has directed around 14 films, and was voted in the top 10 directors in the UK in Broadcast Magazine in 2007....
- 2009: Bring Children from Streets, directed by Espen Faugstad and Eivind Nilsen
- 2010: World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements, directed by Chris Farina
Best Documentary
Awarded since 2004, after BIFF started to shift it's focus more over to documentaries. The prize is 50,000 NOKNorwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
.
- 2004: The Master and His Pupil, directed by Sonia Herman Dolz
- 2005: The Boys of BarakaThe Boys of BarakaThe Boys of Baraka is a 2005 documentary film produced and directed by filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady . Twenty at-risk boys from Baltimore attend the seventh and eighth grades at a boarding school in Kenya. The documentary follows them in Kenya and in Baltimore, before and after attending...
, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel GradyRachel GradyRachel Grady is a film director involved in producing the documentary films Jesus Camp, The Boys of Baraka, and 12th and Delaware. She is the daughter of James Grady.- Jesus Camp :...
- 2006: God Grew Tired of UsGod Grew Tired of UsGod Grew Tired of Us is a 2006 documentary film about three of the "Lost Boys of Sudan", a group of some 25,000 young men who have fled the wars in Sudan since the 1980s, and their experiences as they move to the United States. The film was written and directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn...
, directed by Christopher Dillon QuinnChristopher Dillon QuinnChristopher Dillon Quinn, also known as Christopher Quinn, is an award-winning American film director, writer, and producer. He was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in neighboring Alexandria, Virginia...
- 2007: Forever, directed by Heddy HonigmannHeddy HonigmannHeddy Honigmann is a Peruvian-born Dutch director of fictional and documentary films.Heddy Honigmann was born on 1 October 1951 in Lima, Peru to Polish Jewish immigrants. She has spent most of her adult life in the Netherlands, having become a Dutch citizen.Most of her films have been Dutch...
- 2008: War Child, directed by Christian Karim Chrobog
- 2009: Afghan Star, directed by Havana MarkingHavana MarkingHavana Marking is a British producer and director of documentary films. She is best known for the 2009 film Afghan Star which won the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.Marking was born in England and moved to the United States as a child...
- 2010: The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu, directed by Andrei UjicăAndrei UjicaAndrei Ujica is a Romanian screenwriter and director.- Life and works :Ujica studied literature in Timişoara, Bucharest and Heidelberg. He moved to Germany in 1981. In 1990 he began making films...
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 JournalismOutfoxedOutfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism is a 2004 documentary film by filmmaker Robert Greenwald that criticises the Fox News Channel, and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, claiming that the channel is used to promote and advocate right-wing views...
, directed by Robert GreenwaldRobert GreenwaldRobert Greenwald is an American film director, film producer, and political activist.-Early life:Greenwald was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ruth and Harold Greenwald. He attended the city's High School of Performing Arts...
- 2005: Lost Children, directed by Oliver Stoltz
- 2006: A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, directed by Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack
- 2007: SharkwaterSharkwaterSharkwater is a 2007 Canadian documentary film written and directed by Rob Stewart, who also narrates it. In the film, Stewart seeks to deflate current attitudes about sharks, and exposes how the voracious shark-hunting industry is driving them to extinction.Filmed in high definition video,...
, directed by Rob StewartRob Stewart (filmmaker)Rob Stewart is an Canadian photographer and movie director/filmmaker, best known for making and directing the multi-award-winning movie Sharkwater.-Biography:...
- 2008: Yodok StoriesYodok StoriesYodok Stories is a documentary film directed by Pole Andrzej Fidyk and produced by Torstein Grude. Today, more than 200,000 men, women and children face torture, starvation and murder in North Korea's concentration camps...
, directed by Andrzej FidykAndrzej FidykAndrzej Fidyk is a Polish documentary filmmaker and producer. His best-known work is his 1989 documentary Defilada , which depicts the mass parades choreographed to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1988.Initially Fidyk planned to be an economist...
- 2009: The Cove, directed by Louie PsihoyosLouie PsihoyosLouis Psihoyos is an American photographer and documentary film director known for his still photography and contributions to National Geographic. Psihoyos, a licensed scuba-diver, has become increasingly concerned with bringing awareness to underwater life...
- 2010: Bogota Change, directed by Andreas Møl Dalsgaard
Checkpoints
The Checkpoints program have existed since 2007, and is a special program focusing on human rights. In 2010, for the first time, there was declared a winner of the program by a jury led by Iranian Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
laureate Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's,...
. The prize money, 50,000 NOK
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
, is awarded to the people the documentary portrays and their cause, not the filmmakers.
- 2010: BudrusBudrus (film)Budrus is a 2009 Israeli/Palestinian/American documentary film directed by Julia Bacha, produced by Ronit Avni and Julia Bacha, and with a screenplay by Bacha...
, directed by Julia BachaJulia bachaJulia Bacha is a Brazilian documentary filmmaker.-Background:Bacha was born in 1980 in in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
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
Best Scandinavian Music Video
Awarded for the first time in 2010.- 2010: Torgny - "The Only Game", directed by Emil Trier
Young Talent Award
Awarded since 2005, with a prize of 20,000 NOKNorwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
.
- 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
The Critic's Award (discontinued)
Only awarded once, by the film journalists attending the festival in 2003.- 2003: A Good Lawyer's WifeA Good Lawyer's WifeA Good Lawyer's Wife is a 2003 South Korean film written and directed by Im Sang-soo. The film is about the various affairs of members of a dysfunctional South Korean family.-Plot:...
, directed by Im Sang-sooIm Sang-sooIm Sang-soo is an award-winning South Korean film director and screenwriter.-Early life and film career:Im was born in Seoul. He studied sociology at Seoul's Yonsei University before making a move to The Korean Academy of Film Arts in 1989...
The Festival by year
- 2003 Bergen International Film Festival2003 Bergen International Film FestivalThe 2003 Bergen International Film Festival was arranged in Bergen, Norway 16–21 October 2003, and was the fourth edition of the festival.-Cinema Extraordinare:* A Good Lawyer's Wife, directed by Im Sang-soo...
- 2009 Bergen International Film Festival2009 Bergen International Film FestivalThe 2009 Bergen International Film Festival was arranged in Bergen, Norway 21st-28th of October 2009, and was the 10th edition of the festival.-Important screenings:Opening film:* In the Loop, directed by Armando Iannucci Closing film:...
- 2010 Bergen International Film Festival2010 Bergen International Film FestivalThe 2010 Bergen International Film Festival was arranged in Bergen, Norway 20th-27th of October 2010, and was the 11th edition of the festival. It featured over 150 feature films and documentaries, and had an attendance over 45,000, both numbers a new record for the festival.-Important...