娱乐英语新闻:American director Granik receives highest prize of Stockholm film festival

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- American woman director Debra Granik Saturday received the highest 7-kg Bronze Horse Prize for this year's Best Film "Winter's Bone" at a grand prize gala in Stockholm as the XXI Stockholm International Film Festival came to an end.

"Through her heroine, the director paints an original portrait of a matriarchy who, by turns, warns, punishes, and ultimately offers an unlikely deliverance. The story and performances worked together to realize an uncompromised vision," a jury of the film festival said in a statement.

Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone" won Best Actress Award for her skillful performance in the film while Best Actor Prize was awarded to George Pistereanu for his performance in the Romanian-Swedish film "If I want to whistle, I whistle."

Director Debra Granik arrives for the screening of the film Every Day at the 36th American film festival in Deauville September 6, 2010.

The 34-year-old Vietnamese director Phang Dang Di got Best First Feature and Best Cinematography for his best debut family drama, "Bi, Do not Be Afraid", which revolves around a troubled generation of accommodation in Hanoi today.

Earlier during the festival which began on Nov. 17, the Stockholm Visionary Award was presented to director Gus Van Sant while the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Harriet Andersson.

The Stockholm International Film Festival started in 1990 with just 45 films and is today one of the leading competitive film festivals in Europe with 180 films.

The Festival is also recognized for its ability to promote and offer a venue for young and unestablished film-makers. As many as a third of the films selected are made by a debuting director and only directors who have made less than 3 films are selected for the competition.