Creative Europe films take home Berlin Silver Bears

Of the five Creative Europe-supported titles competing for the Golden and Silver Bears at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) Main Competition, two have been triumphant.

• The Silver Bear for Best Actress was awarded to Trine Dyrholm in The Commune (Kollektivet) by Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands). Danish production company Zentropa received €60,000 for the film through the Single Project development scheme and its release in several countries, including the UK, is supported through the Selective distribution fund. The Commune (Kollektivet) comes to UK cinemas on 29 July 2016 with Curzon Film World. 
• The Silver Bear for Best Script went to Tomasz Wasilewski for United States of Love (Zjednoczone Stany Miłosci) (Poland/Sweden). Polish production company Manana received €50,000 for the film through the Single Project development scheme. 

In the Generation section, dedicated to children and young people, members of the Youth Jury Generation 14plus also awarded a Crystal Bear for Best Film to Mellow Mud (Es esmu šeit) by Renārs Vimba (Latvia).

A number of independent juries also award prizes at the Berlinale:

• The FIPRESCI Jury’s Panorama prize winner was Aloys by Tobias Nölle (Switzerland/France).
• The Ecumenical Jury Panorama prize went to The First, the Last (Les Premiers Les Derniers) by Bouli Lanners (France/Belgium). The film also won the Europa Cinemas Label prize.

A full list of prizes awarded can be found on the Berlinale website.

Photo: United States of Love (Zjednoczone Stany Miłosci), image courtesy of the Berlinale.