Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival winner returns prize money

The team behind the Grand Prix winner of the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia, have returned their €10,000 (US$10,600) prize money to the festival.

The directors and producers of The Throne, which won Best Film at the festival last week, expressed their hope that the money might help the festival to become “a new European hub to create cinematic joy and fun”.

The film’s screenwriter and co-producer, Cho Chul-hyun, accepted the award, penning a letter to the organisers of Black Nights to explain what director Lee Joon-ik and production company Tiger Pictures wished to do with the prize money.

The Throne is South Korea’s entry in the foreign-language film category of the 2015 Oscars. It also received the prize for Best Music at Black Nights.

Black Nights is the only film festival in the Baltic/Nordic region with an international film competition programme recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF), a status enjoyed by only 14 other festivals, including Berlin, Cannes and Venice. The Black Nights Film Festival 2015 took place from 13 – 29 November.

Source: Screen Daily