HONG KONG — Singaporean film “Ilo Ilo” took top honors at the Vladivostok film festival (Sept. 7-13, 2013) as well as a pair of supplementary awards.
The festival — properly called the International Film Festival of Asian-Pacific Countries in Vladivostok, but also known as the “Pacific Meridian” festival – featured a ten film competition section. Additionally there were sidebars on cinema from India, Laos and Russia as well as tributes to veteran Russian director Alexei German and Japan’s Momoru Oshii.
“Ilo Ilo” collected the festival’s Seashell award and $19,000 (Rubles 625,000) as winner of the Grand Prize, while its star Yeo Yann Yann was named best actress and pocketed $7,600. The film about a Filipina maid and the uncomfortable relations with her Singaporean employers during the Asian Financial Crisis was also named best film by a separate NETPAC jury.
Previously, “Ilo Ilo” and director Anthony Chen won the Camera d’Or in Cannes for best first feature. It was also recently named as Singapore’s contender for the foreign-language Oscar.
Other prizes in Vladivostok went to Mexico’s Diego Quemado-Diez as best director for “The Golden Cage;” to Denis as best actor in Russian drama “The Major;” and to New Zealand film “Shopping” and its star Jacek Koman.
“The Butter Lamp” directed by China’s Hu Wei was named as best short film, a prize worth $9,900.
