Festival's Top Prize Awarded to the Anglo/Irish feature film Omagh

The 12th annual Victoria Independent Film & Video Festival wrapped festivities up at The Reef this past Sunday, February 5. Festival Director Kathy Kay said, "The film buffs, volunteers and staff have bonded while putting on the Festival and it's so great to be able to have our closing festivities at the Reef because it makes for such a fine end to the the 12th annual Victoria Film Festival." Colin Easton, of Camosun College's Village 900, hosted a sold-out crowd of local cinephiles and festival supporters and announced this year's crop of award winners.

Omagh, a powerful dramatic Anglo/Irish feature from director Pete Travis received the Star!TV Award for Best Feature Film.
The movie has previously won the prize for best screenplay at the San Sebastian film festival in Spain for its writers Guy Hibbert and Paul Greengrass and received one of the two top prizes at the Toronto Film Festival, the Discovery Prize voted from over 750 international media.

Amnon Buchbinder's Whole New Thing, took the CHUM Television Award for Best Canadian Feature. Shot in Nova Scotia, his beguiling and provocative narrative about the unconventional laws of love captured the jurors' imagination.


The CBC Newsworld Award for Best Documentary went to the NFB's This Beggar's Description directed by Pierre Tetrault about his brother's struggle with schizophrenia.

NBC Universal Award for Best Short went to Bad Blood, Vancouver director Kyle Leydier's look at the nature and repercussions of revenge.

Cineplex Odeon Award for Best Short Animation went to the NFB's Canadian/Scottish co-production, True Story of Sawney Beane, directed by Elizabeth Hobbs

The Audience Favourite Award went to the Canadian mockumentary, Life & Hard Times of Guy Terrifico by Michael Mabbott. The story is about a country music sensation who took the world by storm in the 1970's only to disappear at the height of his career a few months later.

The InVision Award for Best Student Short was given to Israeli director Naomi Levari's Draft - a poignant look at the 24 hours prior to a son leaving for military service.

The winner of the Membership Prize Draw was Louise Manga who will receive a two hour limousine ride for four, courtesy of Alpine Services.


Jeanette Miller is the winner of the Gorilla Software prize from the Film Forum Draw. People who purchased a Film Forum pass were automatically entered into the draw for this state of the art software that helps independent film producers to manage and track budgets, schedules, and other production minutiae.
The winners of Best Short Film (Bad Blood) and the InVision Award (Draft) also received a Gorilla software package.