Hot topics: australia, sport, united-states, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, nsw, qld, wa, business-economics-and-finance, community-and-society

Balibo wins two BIFF awards

Posted August 9, 2009 19:01:00
Updated August 10, 2009 08:00:00

Balibo took out both the Interfaith and Fipresci Jury Awards at the Brisbane International Film Festival.

Balibo took out both the Interfaith and Fipresci Jury Awards at the Brisbane International Film Festival. (AFP: Mario Jonny Dos Santos)

Balibo, a film about the murder of five Australian journalists in East Timor in 1975, has been awarded two of the five jury prizes at the 2009 Brisbane International Film Festival.

Robert Connolly's film took out both the Interfaith and Fipresci jury awards and closed the festival last night.

Balibo was to have been screened in a single cinema, but was shown in two due to public demand.

Director Connolly, actor and producer Anthony LaPaglia, actor Damon Gameau and Shooting Balibo author Tony Maniaty attended the red carpet screenings.

Three other BIFF jury awards were also announced, including two for films for young people screened at the festival.

It's Not Me, I Swear by Philippe Falardeau was singled out by the Junior Cine Sparks jury, while the Senior Cine Sparks jury named Ben X by Nic Balthazar as its award winner.

The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema jury named two titles for recognition - Agrarian Utopia by Uruphong Raksasad and About Elly by Asghar Farhadi.

Seersucker by Mairi Cameron was awarded the critics' choice in the Queensland Short Film Competition awards, while Behind Blue Eyes was named audience favourite.

Writer, director and producer Jackie McKimmie received the Kinetone Award for outstanding contribution to the Queensland film industry.

- ABC/AAP

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, carnivals-and-festivals, feature-films, australia, qld, brisbane-4000

ABC News Online Investigative Unit

The ABC News Online Investigative Unit encourages whistleblowers, and others with access to information they believe should be revealed for the public good, to contact us.

  1. British Labour leader Tony Blair receives a kiss from his wife Cherie Animal instincts

    Tony Blair reveals intimate details about his wife and describes the sexual shenanigans of other politicians in his memoirs.

  2. The cast from 'Tomorrow, When The War Began', star in a scene from the movie Video Bring it on

    Tomorrow When The War Began could become Australia's teen film franchise, director Stuart Beattie tells the ABC.

  3. Locust Locust attack

    With spring heralding warmer weather, scientists say conditions are ripe for millions of locust eggs to hatch in parts of Australia's south-east.

  4. Titanic rediscovered Video Watch

    The latest expedition to explore the wreck of the Titanic delivers new images of the liner on the ocean floor.