22 February 2016 (Hong Kong) – The 40th Hong Kong International Film Festival congratulates and presents Asian Premieres of the award-winning films of the Berlin International Film Festival 2016, including winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize Death in Sarajevo, winner of Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery and winner of Outstanding Artistic Contribution (Cinematography) Crosscurrent.
Director Danis TANOVIĆ won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with Death in Sarajevo, a witty look at the changes and problems of Europe today. TANOVIĆ sets the whole film in one day in Hotel Europa, where the staff prepares for the 100th anniversary of an assassination in Sarajevo that started a war and changed Europe.
Winner of the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize, Lav DIAZ has been fascinated by the promises and betrayals of Filipino history. Masterfully intertwining major events and theatrical monologues with songs, poetry and folklore, the 8-hour A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery is a remarkably intimate historical epic for the Filipino nation.
Director YANG Chao's Crosscurrent, which won the Outstanding Artistic Contribution (Cinematography) award, is a story about a barge captain and failed poet GAO Chun's encounters with prostitute AN Xu at each port as he illegally transports cargo up the Yangtze River. Shot expertly by Mark Ping-Bin LEE, this earthbound magical realist drama explores man's eternal quest for the unknown and unknowable.
HKIFF will also present Austrian director Händl KLAUS' Tomcat winner of the Teddy Award Best Feature Film. Both winners of the Ecumenical Prize are also included in this year's line-up, they are Barakah Meets Barakah by Mahmoud SABBAGH and Those Who Jump by Abou Bakar SIDIBÉ, Estephan WAGNER and Moritz SIEBERT.
For the Short Film Competition, the winner of Golden Bear for Best Short goes toBatrachian's Ballad by Leonor TELES, which will be featured in the Short Film Competition Programme III, whereas the Audi Short Film Award winner Anchorage Prohibited by CHIANG Wei-Liang will be featured in Short Film Competition Programme II.