[press release from MB Publicity]
The 2009 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival is delighted to announce three Australian films as winners of the BigPond Audience Awards with the brilliant SAMSON AND DELILAH, directed by Warwick Thornton scooping the Best Feature Award. THE CAT PIANO by Eddie White and Ari Gibson has won Best Short Film and YES MADAM, SIR by Megan Doneman was voted Best Documentary.
Justin Milne, Group Managing Director Telstra Media said, ‘The calibre of the films at the 2009 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival was exceptional and we are delighted to recognise the very deserving winners, SAMSON AND DELILAH, THE CAT PIANO and YES MADAM, SIR, in this way.’
Responding to the news, Warwick Thornton said, ‘It’s a beautiful day! To have our film embraced by the audience in Adelaide is such a gorgeous reward for all the Samsons and Delilahs in the world.’
Producer Kath Shelper said, “The experience of BigPond Adelaide Film Festival was such a buzz for us and our cast and crew, and to receive the audience recognition like this is just very sweet icing on the cake.”
The 2009 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival wrapped on Sunday night after 11 wildly exciting days during which twenty two world premieres, including nine features and three documentary features, 62 Australian premieres and 143 films from 49 different countries screened. Additionally, there were five forums, the two day Art & Moving Image Symposium, four major gallery exhibitions, GPS bikes and the Dome Project.
The 2009 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival is pleased to report that the overall 2009 box office grew by almost 30% over the 2007 festival. There were 39 international and 183 Australian film industry guests who participated in illuminating discussions after the films, as part of think tanks, laboratories, symposiums and forums across the program.
In a crowded cultural calendar the 2009 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival bold yet accessible programming ensured one third of all sessions had an attendance of 80% or more with 20% completely sold out.
The winner of the 2009 NATUZZI International Award for Best Feature Film was TREELESS MOUNTAIN (USA/SOUTH KOREA) by So-yong Kim. The NATUZZI International Best Feature Award is the first of its kind in Australia and director So-yong Kim wins a cash prize of $AUD25,000.