Two feminist-themed pictures have grabbed the top prizes at the 22nd International Istanbul Film Festival.

The jury, headed by Irish director Jim Sheridan, handed the top award, the Golden Tulip, to the Argentine Tan De Repente (Suddenly) (pictured) by Diego Lerman, while Rebecca Miller's Personal Velocity was given the Special Jury Prize.

On the local front, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Distant (Uzak), selected for competition at Cannes, towered above the rest of the local titles. The film was named Best Turkish Film of the Year and Ceylan himself, the Best Director.

A few months ago, he managed a similar performance at the national film festival, which took place in Antalyia. Ceylan, who is his own producer (also scriptwriter, cameraman and editor), donated part of the money award that came with the prize to a couple of young, short-film directors.

FIPRESCI critics picked Ceylan's film again from the national competition, and Iceland's The Sea (Hafid), from the international section.

For the Audience Awards, it was Personal Velocity again, with Hejar by Handan Ipekçi for the home product.

Originally scheduled to participate last year in the festival, Hejar was prevented at the last moment by censorship, since lifted, because it touched a sensitive nerve in addressing the Turkish treatment of the Kurdish minority.

Two additional awards in the national competition went to actress Suna Selen for Unsent Letters (Gonderilmemis Mektuplar) and actor Firat Tanis in Chidren Of Secret (Sir Cocuklari).