Israeli films snag European Film Awards
Ari Folman’s ‘The Congress’ wins award for best animated feature; ‘Fill the Void’ racks up prize for best cinematography
Two Israeli directors came away from the European Film Awards over the weekend with prizes in Berlin.
Ari Folman, whose “Waltz with Bashir” was nominated for an Oscar in 2008, won best animated film for his futuristic flick “The Congress,” and Rama Burshtein’s “Fill the Void” won in the category of best cinematography at Saturday’s award ceremony.
“The Congress,” starring Robin Wright, is a collaboration among 270 animators from six countries. The movie follows Wright as she agrees to undergo a full body scan at a movie studio and allows them to use her image indiscriminately in exchange for a hefty fee.
Folman was previously nominated for a European Film Award for “Waltz with Bashir,” but was beaten by the Italian film “Gomorrah.”
“Fill the Void,” by newcomer Burshtein, chronicles the story of a Hasidic girl forced into an arranged marriage with her widowed brother-in-law.
The European Film Awards are distributed annually by the European Film Academy and EFA Productions for the greatest achievements in European film from the previous year.
