Women directors and themes of family relations, censorship, racial and social intolerance dominated in the 43rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival which wrapped today. Asian films stood out in the competition section, which was restricted to first or second films.

Hidenori Sugimori's Woman Of Water (Mizu No Onna) from Japan and Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Blisfully Yours (Sud Sanaeha) from Thailand shared the Golden Alexander with a purse of Euros 37,000.

Min Byoung-hun's Let's Not Cry (Gwenchana Uljima) from Korea grabbed the Artistic Achievement Award and a Special Mention for its male lead, Muhamad Rahimov. The jury, headed by Marco Bellocchio and comprising, among others, Bob Rafelson and French film critic Thierry Jousse, awarded the Silver Alexander and Euros 22,000 to the German production Bungalows directed by Ulrich Koler.

Mexico's Carlos Reygadas was named Best Director for Japon while Czech woman director Alice Nellis received the best screenplay trophy for her second feature Some Secrets (Vylet)

Vylet, was also the recipient of the FIPRESCI award. It shared the ex-aequo prize with Diskoly Apoheretismi for Hard Goodbyes, My Father (O Babas Mou), the directorial debut of another woman director, Peny Panagiotopoulou from Greece.