Anton Corbijn's Control emerged as one of the major winners at the
61st Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Corbijn's stunning monochrome biopic of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis was one of the discoveries at Cannes this year and has continued to build critical acclaim and industry buzz.

In Edinburgh it won the Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature and also the inaugural Best Performance In A British Feature award which went to lead actor Sam Riley.


Control had also been one of the front runners for the Audience Award
alongside Ratatouille and In The Shadow Of The Moon.

The prize ultimately went to Paul Taylor's documentary We Are Together telling the emotional story of a group of South African orphans who have transcended their tragic circumstances through the formation of a
joyous choir.

The film has won a number of awards on the Festival circuit this year including the Audience Award at Tribeca and will be released theatrically in the UK in November with all proceeds going to the children of Agape.

We Are Together is the first documentary to win the audience award since The Buena Vista Social Club in 1999.


Edinburgh's New Directors Award went to Lucia Puenzo for her Cannes
prize-winner XXY, a sensitively handled account of the emotional
anguish experienced by a teenager with a genital ambiguity.

The film has been acquired by Peccadillo Pictures for UK release in 2008.
The Best Documentary Award went to Jennifer Venditti for her debut
feature Billy The Kid, a previous Best Documentary winner at the SXSW
Fim Festival earlier this year.


This was the last Edinburgh Film Festival in August before a
permanent move to June and a series of refinements building towards
an event that focuses on what Artistic Director Hannah McGill
describes as ' discovery, education and discussion' and a vibe that
is closer to Rotterdam and Sundance than Cannes and Venice.

The 2008 dates have been announced as June 18-29.

Full List of prizewinners


Michael Powell Award For Best New British Feature Film
Control


PPG Award for Best Performance In A British Feature Film
Sam Riley (Control)


Standard Life Audience Award
We Are Together


Sky Movies Best Documentary Award
Billy The Kid


Special Jury Commendation

The Monastery: Mr Vig And The Nun


Skillset New Directors Award
Lucia Puenzo (XXY)


UK Film Council Kodak Award for Best British Short Film
The One And Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island (James Griffiths)


Special Mention

Dog Altogether (Paddy Considine)


European Film Academy Short Film 2007-Prix UIP
Soft (Simon Ellis)


Special Mention

Final Journey (Lars Zimmermann)

Ottica Zero (Maja Borg)


Scottish Short Documentary Award
Breadmakers (Yasmin Fedda)


Special mention

How To Save A Fish From Drowning (Kelly Neal)

McLaren Award for New British Animation
Over The Hill-Peter Baynton

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