vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #533 / Arts and Ideas / Reading article...

A Russian movie ‘The Wanderer’ directed by Sergei Karandashov captured the Grand Prix of the fourth International Pacific Meridian Film Festival for the first time in the festival’s history.

The film was chosen by the international jury out of 12 full-length movies featured at the festival’s contest program, which included works of various genres by filmmakers from 15 countries such as Australia, S. Korea, China, USA, Japan, Thailand, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand and India.

‘The Wanderer’, which is Karandashov’s first fiction picture, is centered around a man named Fyodor, who goes through life’s hardships seeking to find his place through spiritual search while experiencing ups and downs.

Overall, the festival which was held in Vladivostok from August 25-31 headlined a total of 125 films from 21 countries shown in the contest program and various non-competitive programs, such as ‘Canada’s Cinema Today’, ‘Russia’s Cinema’, ‘Panorama’ and others.

Among nine short-length movies presented in the contest program, ‘Tell Me What You Feel’ by Mexican filmmaker Iria Gomez Concheiro was selected the winner.

The Chinese-Italian movie ‘Little Red Flowers’ directed by Zhang Yuan, won prize for best director’s work.

The Best Male Actor trophy was handed to Boris Leskin for his performance in ‘Everything Is Illuminated’ film directed by American filmmaker Liev Schreiber. Australia’s Justine Clark was nominated the best actress for performance in ‘Look Both Ways’ directed by Sarah Watt.

Primorye Governor Sergei Darkin’s special award named '9,228 kilometers', the number describing the exact distance from Moscow to Vladivostok, was awarded to Russian actor Vitaly Pichik, who played a leading part in ‘The Wanderer’.

This year’s Jury’s Special Award was granted to ‘The Sacred Family’ directed by Chile’s Sebastian Campos, while the special Russian Filmmakers Guild’s prize was received by Australian director Paul Cox and his film ‘The Remarkable Mr. Kaye’.

Finally, the People’s Choice award was given to the movie ‘Stone Bramble. Summertime’ made by Russian director Dmitry Fyodorov.

This year’s new prize, the Yul Brynner award, which was established by the festival organizers for the best starting director, was bestowed to Russian filmmaker Nikolai Khomeriki and his picture ‘977’.

The festival’s special guest Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi presented a master-class on ‘How to Narrate the Modern World.’ Another celebrity Kiera Chaplin, American actress and model, a granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, brought to the festival a retro documentary on her renowned grandfather’s life.

Pacific Meridian Film Festival was initiated in 2003 and since then has garnered love of local residents who enthusiastically welcome to Vladivostok both movies and their makers.

For the previous three years, the festival’s grand prize went to foreign movies. In 2003 and 2004, the jury picked S. Korean films as winners ‘The Way Home’ and ‘Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring’ directed by Lee Jeong-Hyang and Kim Ki-Duk respectively. Last year, the festival’s top honor was awarded to the Peruvian movie 'Dias De Santiago' ('Days of Santiago') directed by Josue Mendez.