Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy, Manuel Nieto Zas's The Dog Poundand Walking On The Wild Side, by Han Jie, have won the three VPRO Tiger Awards at this year'sRotterdam International Film Festival.

A total of 14 films competed forthe awards, which are given annually to first or second-time film-makers.

The 35th Rotterdam festival's Tiger Awards section was marked this year bythe return of US film-makers after an absence. One of the winners, Old Joy, is a US production. Walking,a China/France co-production, and The DogPound, from Uruguay/Argentina/Canada/Spain, were both helped by Rotterdam's own Hubert Bals Fund.

Each Tiger winner takes home $12,000(Euros 10,000) and a guaranteed Dutch TV broadcast.

The FIPRESCI Award at Rotterdam, meanwhile, went to Madeinusa, a Chile/Spainco-production that also featured in the Tiger competition.

The NETPAC Award for the promotionof Asian cinema was shared between TheLost Hum, by Japan's Hirisue Hiromasaand The Blossoming OfMaximo Oliveros, fromthe Philippines. Sarah Watt's LookBoth Ways, meanwhile, continued its international festival career bywinning the Dutch film critics association award, theKNF.

The Tigers for short film went to Beginnings, a Dutch film by Roy Villevoye, Who I Am And What I Want by the UK's David Shrigley and ChrisShepherd and Rabbit by Run Wrake, also from the UK. The Prix UIP Rotterdam for short film went to Meander, by Joke Libergefrom Belgium.