SouthAfrican/UK feature Tsotsi emerged as the major prize-winner at this year'sEdinburgh Film Festival, winning both the Michael Powell Award for the bestBritish Film and the Standard Life Audience Award as the public favourite.

Setin the shanty towns of South Africa, Gavin Hood's third feature is based on an AtholFugard novel and tells of a young hoodlum's journey from crime towards redemption.

Itwon widespread critical support but faced tough opposition for the AudienceAward from Joss Whedon's Serenity, a big-screen version of his cancelledsci-fi western series Firefly that brought fans out in their droves for itsEdinburgh world premiere.
Michael Kuhn chaired the Michael Powell Jury whose members included director AntoniaBird, actors Eva Birthistle and Alessandro Nivola and veteran screenwriter PaulMayersberg.

Competitionhere included the well-received British Dogme feature Gypo, Thomas Clay'scontroversial The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael and Richard E Grant'sdirectorial debut Wah-Wah.
The Guardian New Directors Award went to Mike Mills for Thumbsucker,an adaptation of the Walter Kirn novel starring Tilda Swinton, Keanu Reeves andVince Vaughn.
The Festival is expected to record another advance on admission following the5% increase in 2004 and Artistic Director Shane Danielsen will continue in hiscurrently role for one more edition, the 60th Festival in August 2006.

Prize winners
Standard Life Audience Award -Tsotsi

Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film -Tsotsi
(Special Commendation -Song Of Songs)

Guardian New Directors Award-Mike Mills for Thumbsucker

Kodak UK Film Council Award for Best British Short Film-Hibernation (John
Williams)

European Film Academy Short Film 2005-Prix UIP -Autobiographical Scene No 6882(Ruben Ostlund)

The McLaren Award for New British Animation-The True Story Of Sawney Beane(Elizabeth Hobbs)

Saltire Society Award for Short Scottish Documentary-Arts: The Catalyst, The
Craigmillar Story
(Simon Hynd)