Film Shame wins MIFF Grand Prix

MOSCOW. April 26 (Interfax) - The winner of the Golden St. George, the grand prix of the 46th Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF), is the Mexican-Qatari film Verguenza (Shame) by the director Miguel Salgado, an Interfax correspondent reported from the award ceremony at the Rossiya cinema on Friday evening.

The film is a story of two young men, who were kidnapped and, to survive, had to fight each another to the death. Pedro wins and gets freedom. Despite feeling guilty to Lucio, he never finds the courage to tell the truth to his friend's grief-stricken family.

The Silver St. George prize for directing went to Nahid Sedigh from Iran for her film Ahe Sard (Cold Sigh).

The special jury prize for the most extraordinary approach to motion picture went to the Nirvana film directed by Asif Islam (Bangladesh).

The prize for the best female role went to the actress Mareike Beykirch for her role in the Schlamassel film by German director Sylke Enders. The prize for the best male role went to Juan Ramon Lopez (Verguenza).

MIFF is the world's second oldest film festival after the Venice one. The first MIFF took place in 1935 when it was titled the Soviet Film Festival in Moscow. Its jury was chaired by Sergei Eisenstein. Since 1959 screenings have been held regularly: every two years until 1999, thereafter annually. Screenings were traditionally held in June, but in 2018 were brought forward to April to avoid a clash with the world soccer cup. After that, it was decided to hold the MIFF in April on a permanent basis.

This year's festival was held from April 19 to 26, with ten motion pictures represented in the main competition.