Francisco Paparella's Three Brothers wins Moscow International Film Festival's Grand Prix

MOSCOW. April 28 (Interfax) - Tres Hermanos (Three Brothers), a film by Brazilian director Francisco Paparella, has won the golden statue of Saint George at the 45th Moscow International Film Festival's Grand Prix.

The award ceremony took place at the Rossiya movie theater on Thursday evening, an Interfax correspondent reported.

"The winner of our festival is a film with a powerful story, great acting and visuals, and every other element that creates a striking, heartbreaking film. The jury awards the prize to the film Three Brothers by director Francisso Paparella," the chairman of the jury for the festival's main contest, Indian director Rahul Rawail, said at the award ceremony.

Paparella thanked the jury and said he was honored to receive the award, in view of "the incredible films" running in the competition.

Mexican director Tonatiuh Garcia won the silver statue of Saint George for best directing in Luna Negra (Black Moon). The jury's special prize went to the film Phi 1.618, from Bulgarian director Theodore Ushev.

The best actress award went to Kaho Seto, who starred in the film Fragile Flowers in the Stream of Days by Japanese director Yutaka Tsunemachi. Fernando Arze won the best actor award for his role in Los de Abajo (Those Who Live Below) by Bolivian director Alejandro Quiroga.

Some 38,000 viewers attended screenings of the Moscow International Film Festival this year, according to the festival's president Nikita Mikhalkov.

"More than 200 films, 391 screenings in ten movie theaters in various parts of Moscow, and 38,000 viewers within a week [...], I think this is a wonderful result," Mikhalkov said at the festival's closing ceremony.

He congratulated all the winners on their awards.