The Times BFI 47th London Film Festival has now ended, the closing night brought Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig and screenwriter John Brownlow on Sylvia, and Anthony Minghella on a festival which “celebrated the power of women in film.” ...

This year the Festival seems happy with attendance gathered from 22 October to 06 November.

The diverse films on offer captured the imagination of the 115,000 people who attended the 350 screenings, 123 of these being sold out. Attendance is 6% higher than last year and consolidates The Times bfi London Film Festival as London's favourite film event of the year.

The following distinctions were awarded.

The BFI’s prestigious Sutherland Trophy was awarded on Closing Night to Osama directed by Siddiq Barmak. The first feature from post-Taliban Afghanistan, the judges decided that Barmak’s unique story was the “most original and imaginative first feature in the Festival.”

The Festival’s highly-prized 6th FIPRESCI International Critics Award was presented at the Closing Night Gala to The Living World (Le Monde vivant) directed by Eugene Green. The panel of international film critics described the winning film as “a graceful, joyous and entirely unpredictable film, steeped in medieval mythology, in Bresson, Rohmer and Lacan; a film of ogres, knights and lions. A delight.”

The 8th annual Satyajit Ray Award was awarded to the Danish film Someone Like Hodder directed by Henrik Ruben Genz. The film is awarded annually to the first time feature director whose film the jury believe best captures the compassion and humanism of Ray’s vision.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World Awarded Best Short Film of 2003 by Top Film Industry Panel of Judges

As part of The Times bfi 47th London Film Festival, The Most Beautiful Man in the World has been awarded TCM Classic Shorts best short film of 2003. Jude Law, Ralph Fiennes and Bernardo Bertolucci are just some of the film industry’s finest who have given their time to judge the films and decide upon a winner to receive this prestigious award.

TCM Classic Shorts is one of the most valuable short film competitions in Europe, awarding £10,000 in prize money. It enjoys the support of international film industry stars, producers, directors and journalists including Richard Eyre, Stephen Frears, Mark Herman, Wendy Ide, Nick James, Richard Jobson, Colin Kennedy, John Madden, Ismail Merchant, Barry Norman and Stephen Woolley. Lending their time and expertise to the initiative since its inception, they have been invaluable in helping nurture new talent and find the British film directors of the future.

Directed by Alicia Duffy, The Most Beautiful Man in the World is a bewitching story of a young girl, who is searching for something to do on a hot day when she aimlessly walks into the path of a stranger. Duffy is the first woman to have won the award in the four years that the competition has run. Jude Law commented that the film was, “beautifully shot”, he added that he, “loved the simplicity and atmosphere of the film”, and the fact he was ”left with questions and emotions”.

Bruno Chatelin