A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS 

Tuesday, October 2--------A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, the latest film from Hong Kong-born and United States-based director Wayne Wang, was the big winner at the San Sebastian Film Festival, as the awards were announced on Saturday evening in the Basque coastal resort town. The film won the Festival's Golden Shell as Best Film, also winning a Silver Shell for Best Actor for the film's lead Henry O. The film, based on a short story by award-winning author Yiyun Li, depicts the tensions that follow when a widower from Beijing goes to the US to visit his recently divorced daughter . This clash of cultures, which symbolizes the growing political and economic tensions between East and West, is perfectly refelcted in an intimate film of deep emotions. The film marks a return to low-budget filmmaking for Wang, who first burst on the American indie scene in the 1980s with CHAN IS MISSING, but whose recent output have been the Hollywood potboilers MAID IN MANHATTAN and THE LAST HOLIDAY.

The Competition Jury was presided over by US novelist Paul Auster, who worked with Wang on two 1990s indie projects, SMOKE, and its sequel BLUE IN THE FACE. The film was one of two (the other titled THE PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA) which both had their world premieres at this year's Toronto Film Festival. The win in San Sebastiah should help A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYER find North American distribution, something that has not yet happened.

The jury was presided by US author and director Paul Auster who Wang worked with on the 1995 independent film "Smoke" and its sequel "Blue in the Face".

SAN SEBASTIAN FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

GOLDEN SHELL FOR BEST FILM
A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, Wayne Wang (AEB / EE.UU. / USA)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
BUDA AZ SHARM FORU RIKHT/BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME, Hana Makhmalbaf (France-Iran)

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST DIRECTOR
NICK BROOMFIELD, BATTLE FOR HADITHA (UK)

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST ACTRESS
BLANCA PORTILLO, SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS (Spain)

SILVER SHELL FOR BEST ACTOR
HENRY O., A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS ( USA)

JURY PRIZE FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHARLIE LAM, CEOT OI KAP GEI/EXODUS (Hong Kong)
GIDOI ONENAREN EPAIMAHAIAREN SARIA ex-aequo

JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAY ex-aequo
GRACIA QUEREJETA y DANIEL PLANELL, SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS (Spain)
JOHN SAYLES, HONEYDRIPPER (USA)

ALTADIS-NEW DIRECTORS AWARD
SOUL CARRIAGE, Conrad Clark (China-UK)

HORIZONTES AWARD
EL BAÑO DEL PAPA, Enrique Fernández y César Charlone (Uruguay-
Brazil-France )

SPECIAL MENTIONS
PÁRPADOS AZULES, Ernesto Contreras (Mexico)
SATANÁS, Andrés Baiz (Colombia)

TCM AUDIENCE AWARD
CARAMEL, Nadine Labaki (Lebanon-France)

AWARD TO THE EUROPEAN FILM
LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLON, Julian Schnabel (France)

YOUTH AWARD
CARAMEL, Nadine Labaki (Lebanon-France)

FILMS IN PROGRESS AWARDS

FILMS IN PROGRESS INDUSTRY AWARD
GASOLINA, Julio Hernández Cordón (Guatemala)

TVE AWARD
ACNÉ, Federico Veiroj (Uruguay-Argentina-Spain-
Mexico)
SOL NA NEBLINA, Werner Schumann (Brazil)

CASA DE AMÉRICA AWARD
GASOLINA, Julio Hernández Cordón (Guatemala)

SIGNIS AWARD
LA EXTRANJERA, Fernando Díaz (Argentina)

CICAE AWARD
GASOLINA, Julio Hernández Cordón (Guatemala)

CINEMA IN MOTION AWARDS
SALT OF THIS SEA, de Anne-Marie Jacir (Palestina)
RECYCLE, de Mahmoud Al Massad (Jordania)

VI INTERNATIONAL FILM SCHOOL MEETING AWARDS
 
PANAVISION AWARD
VITA DE GIACOMO, Luca Governatori (La Femis, France)
SPECIAL MENTIONS
- IDIOMA, Ian Menoyot ( IAD, Belgium)
- DE LAS RELACIONES, Jorge Acebo.( CECC, Barcelona)
- LA INVENCIÓN, Andrés García Franco (UNAM,  Mexico)
 
FIPRESCI AWARD
ENCARNACIÓN, Anahí Berneri (Argentina)

TVE OTRA MIRADA AWARD
BUDDHA COLLAPSED OUT OF SHAME, Hana Makhmalbaf (Iran- France)
 
SIGNIS AWARD
A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, Wayne Wang (AEB /EEUU/ USA)
SPECIAL MENTION
BATTLE FOR HADITHA, Nick Broomfield (UK)
 
CICAE AWARD
BRICK LANE, Sarah Gavron (UK)

2007 CEC AWARD FOR BEST FILM
A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, Wayne Wang (USA)

SEBASTIANE 2007 AWARD
CARAMEL, Nadine Labaki (Libano-Frantzia / Libano- Francia / Lebanon-France)

Sandy Mandelberger, Awards Watch Editor