Turkish director Nuri BilgeCeylan's Uzak (Distance) emerged as the main winner at the Silver ScreenAwards of the 17th Singapore International Film Festival, bagging three majorprizes in the Asian feature film category.

Beating 12 other contenders,Uzak was named the Best Film, with Ceylan winning Best Director andMehmet Emin Toprak earning Best Actor. The film, which tells the story of anemigre in Istanbul, won the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes last year. Toprakwho played the lead role of Yusuf was killed in a road accident after filming.

The Special Jury Prize wentto Ryuichi Hiroki's Vibrator, a Japanese film about a woman's encounterwith a truck driver, while its lead actress Terashima Shinobu won Best Actress.

Sri Lankan film IraMadiyama (August Sun) directed by Prasanna Vithanage scooped theNETPAC/FIPRESCI award while Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf's At Five In The Afternoon received theYoung Cinema Award.

More than 300 films fromover 35 countries have been lined up at the film festival which started onApril 15. Tsai Ming Liang's Goodbye Dragon Inn will be the closing filmthat wraps the festival on May 1.