Valery Todorovksy’s Hipsters has won the best film award atthe 22nd Nika Awards. The musical also took awards for best cinematography, costume design and sound editing.

The film, which is set in Fifties Soviet Russia, competed against Wild Field by Mikhail Kalatozishvili, Paper Soldier by Alexei German Jr., Captive by Alexei Uchitel and Vanished Empire by Karen Shakhnazarov.

Oleg Dolin and Roman Madyanov took the best actor and best supporting actor awards for their performances in Wild Field. Its writers, Pyotr Lutsik and Alexei Samoryadov, who both tragically died before the film was made, received a posthumous award for best screenplay.

The best actress and best supporting actress awards also went to a single film, Zhivi I Pomni by director Alexandr Proshkin. Dariya Moroz won best actress with best supporting actress going to Anna Mikhalkova.

Mikhalkova caused controversy by not attending the awards following a long-lasting feud between Nika organisers and her father, the Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt By The Sun, 12). Mikhalkov has a history of speaking out publicly against Nika, accusing it of cronyism. He even went on to establish rival awards, Golden Eagle, closely based on the Oscars.

Alexei German Jr. scooped the best director award for Paper Soldier, which tells the story of astronaut Yuri Gagarin and the Soviet space programme. The film also took the award for best director of photography.

The awards, held at the Moscow Operetta Theatre on Friday (April 3), also honoured German’s father, the veteran filmmaker Alexei German Sr., with a lifetime achievement award.

Meanwhile, Valeria Gai Germanica was named discovery of the year for Everybody Dies But Me. The film won Prix Regards Jeune and Golden Camera special mention at Cannes last year and has just been released in France.

2009 Nika Awards:

Best Feature Film:Hipsters, directed by Valery Todorovsky

Discovery of the Year:Everybody Dies But Me, Valeriya Gai Germanica

Best Film From CIS And Baltic Countries:Birds Of Paradise, Roman Balayan (Ukraine)

Best Director: Alexei German Jr, Paper Soldier

Best Screenplay: Pyotr Lutsik and Alexei Samoryadov, Wild Field

Best Cinematography: Maksim Drozdov and Alisher Khamidkhodjaev, Paper Soldier

Best Actress: Daria Moroz,Zhivi I Pomni

Best Actor: Oleg Dolin, Wild Field

Best Supporting Actress: Anna Mikhalkova, Zhivi I Pomni

Best Supporting Actor: Roman Madyanov,Wild Field

Best Costume Design: Alexandr Osipov, Hipsters

Best Music : Alexei Aigi, Wild Field

Best Sound: Sergey Chuprov, Hipsters

Best Documentary:Anastasia, Viktor Lisakovich

Best Animation:Three Little Piglets, Konstantin Bronzit

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