36, Ilo Ilo win in Warsaw

Nawapol Thamrongrattanrit's 36 continues to win awards, picking up the Best Film prize at the seventh Five Flavours Film Festival, which wrapped up today in Warsaw.

And Singapore's Academy Awards submission, Ilo Ilo, which is still showing in Bangkok at House cinema, earned a special mention.

Here's the jury statement:

The Jury members decided to award 36 for "[being] a proposal, in which a bold visual statement becomes an integral part of the story about the role of memory, [which is] more and more frequently replaced by digital recording. For combining this perspective with a simple, nostalgic story about a blooming feeling."

The Special Mention was granted to Ilo Ilo for bringing a story about "dynamic interpersonal relations, in a personal and unpretentious way.

We appreciate the efficient use of artistic means what allows us to admire the details of this seemingly ordinary story", the Jury members pointed out in their verdict.

Other films in the New Asian Cinema competition were Bends by Hong Kong's Flora Lau, Homostratus by Vietnam's Siu Pham, Jiseul by South Korea's O Muel, Lethal Hostage by China's Cheng Er, Longing for the Rain by Hong Kong's Yang Lina, Poor Folk by Myanamar-Taiwanese director Midi Z and With You, Without You by Sri Lanka's Prasanna Vithanage.

Five Flavours also had a Horror Cinema program, which included Thailand's Oscar pick, Countdown.

Meanwhile, Nawapol's latest film, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy, is also on the festival circuit, most recently screening in the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.

Mary has also secured a limited release in Bangkok, opening at select cinemas on November 28, and in the run-up to that, producer Aditya Assarat and his Pop Pictures are staging a "rewind" of all their films at House cinema, starting last week with Aditya's Wonderful Town. This week it's Sivaroj Kongsakul's Eternity (Tee-Rak) followed on November 21 with Hi-So, all screening in 35mm.