Leviathan is best foreign film at Palm Springs Fest

Russian drama      ‘Leviathan’ was     named best foreign language film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The fest also recognised Haluk Bilginer, who stars in Turkey’s ‘Winter Sleep’, and ‘Mommy’ star Anne Dorval as best actor and actress in a foreign language film, respectively.
PSIFF has screened 196 films from 65 countries, reported Variety. The Oscar-shortlisted ‘Leviathan’, directed by Andrey Zvya-gintsev, was also named best film at the London Film Festival Awards in October.
“At once timely and timeless, this film manages to comment on contemporary issues in a way that is both artistically stunning and deeply humane,” the jury said. ‘Winter Sleep,’ in which Bilginer stars, was this year’s Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival.
Meanwhile, Dorval from Canada’s ‘Mommy’, was honoured for her expres-sive range. Additionally, the New Voices/New Visions Award was given to Vuk Rsumovic’s Serbian film ‘No One’s Child’, the Cine Latino Award went to the Spanish movie ‘Flowers’ from filmmakers Jon Garano and Jose Mari Goenaga, Eliza Kubarska’s Polish film ‘Walking Under Water’ won the John Schlesinger Award — given to a first-time documentary filmmaker — and ‘Corn Island’, directed by Georgian George Ovashvili, received the HP Bridging the Borders Award, presented by Cinema Without Borders and Hewlett Packard.
Kosovo’s ‘Three Windows and a Hanging,’ from director Isa Qosja, received the Cinema Without Borders Special Jury Award. (PTI)