Career achievement prizes given to Martin Sheen, Kevin Brownlow, and Francois Ozon.

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival wrapped at the weekend with a preview of François Ozon’s Potiche, attended by the director, drawing to a close 11 days of screenings, masterclasses, panel discussions and Q&As, and a strong audience response to the packed programme.

Commenting on the closing night, Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys said: “We’ve had 11 days of outstanding films, generous and insightful film makers and enthusiastic audiences, so we’re very extremely pleased with the reception that this year’s festival has received, and grateful to all our sponsors, friends and supporters.” 

The Audience Award went to the documentary Benda Bilili!, about five parapelegics and an able bodied teenager who form the street band Staff Benda Bilili, and eventually achieve international success. Previous winners of the award include Wave Riders, Anvil! The Story of Anvil and His & Hers.

The Dublin Film Critics Circle awarded their Best-Of-The-Fest picks over the weekend, honoring Banjamin Heisenberg’s The Robber with Best Film, and Aleksei Popogrebsky as Best Director for How I Ended This Summer. Carmel Winters scooped the award for both Best Irish Film and Best Irish Director for her debut feature Snap, and the Michael Dwyer Discovery Award this year went to Still Films, whose documentary Build Something Modern premiered at the festival.

Honouring career achievement, the three Volta awards were given to actor Martin Sheen, who was presented the award by Jim Sheridan after the screening of The Way; film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow, who was presented the award after the live presentation of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the National Concert Hall with live sound track by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra; and director François Ozon, who was presented the award by Neil Jordan at a special reception held in the French Embassy.

The winner of the UNTITLED Screenwriting competition - run in association with The Irish Film Board - was announced as The Bogman King by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, with the winner receiving a first draft team development loan of €16,000. The selection panel was comprised of Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys; Cheryl Taylor, BBC’s Controller, Comedy Commissioning, Irish film director Paddy Breathnach and comedy agent Caroline Chignell.

Commenting on the closing night, Emma Donnellan, Marketing Director, Ireland (IDL) said: “The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival has again been a great success and we are already looking forward to the festival in 2012! We were also thrilled with the launch of the Jameson Cult Film Club, where Oscar winner Kevin Spacey delighted the audience after the very special screening of The Usual Suspects in the specially customised ‘San Pedro’ warehouse in the docks.”

The festival opened with a gala screening of Richard Ayoade’s Submarine, while the much-anticipated surprise film turned out to be the Sundance opener Cedar Rapids, starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Anne Heche.

The Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards:

Best Film:The Robber

Best Director: Aleksei Popogrebsky – How I Ended This Summer

Best Irish Film:Snap

Best Irish Director: Carmel Winters – Snap

Michael Dwyer Discovery Award: Still Films

Best Cinematography: Tim Fleming – As If I Am Not There

Best Screenplay:Medal of Honour

Best Short: Kathy Brady – Small Change

Best International Documentary:Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Best Irish Documentary:Men of Arlington

Best Debut: Philip Koch – Picco

Best Actor: Jacob Cadergren – Submarino

Best Actress: Martina Gusman – Carancho

Special Jury Prize:Le Quattro Volte