An Italian, aRussian and a Spanish film were named the winners of the three Tiger Awards onFriday (Feb 4) at this year's Rotterdam Film Festival.

Italy's ChangingDestiny (Nemmeno il Destino),directed by Daniele Gaglianone, Spain's The Sky Turns (El Ciero Gira), directed by Mercedes Alvarez, and 4 by Russian director Ilya Khrzhanovsky,came out on top of the 14 international films competing.

Earlier in the week, Khrzhanovsky was also awarded thefirst Golden Cactus prize, a new award in memory of murdered film-maker Theovan Gogh.

Each Tiger Award comeswith a prize of Euro 10,000 and guaranteed broadcast by Dutch public televisionnetwork VPRO.

Changing Destiny is about two young students who spending their livesroaming the suburbs and surroundings of an industrial city in decay. The filmwas awarded the First Feature Award and the Young CinemaAward at last year's Venice Film Festival.

The Sky Turns is a picturesque documentary about village life in Spain.Director Alvarez, the last baby born in a now nearly empty village, returns tolet her camera record the essence of countryside life.

Russian debut feature 4 is an absurdist drama set in and around Moscow that toucheson such diverse subjects as cloning and social change in Russia.

Meanwhile the firstTiger Cub Awards for short films were presented to Veere by David Lammers, Interlude by Joost van Veen and to Nuuk by Thomas Köner.

Fipresci granted itsAward to Frakchi (SpyingCam) by Whang Cheol-Meanfrom South Korea. The jury of the KNF, the Association of Dutch film critics,selected Illumination by PascaleBreton as its prize winner.

The MovieZone Award,selected by a young jury, was won Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin.