Award News: 4th annual Gopo Awards (Romania)

The very restrained, subtle crime drama Poliţist, adjectiv (Police, Adjective) was the night's big winner at the 4th annual Gopo Awards celebrating the best of Romanian cinema. It had previously won the FIPRESCI Prize and Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. I chose it for my personal top ten list for the best films of 2009. It won six of its ten nominations including Best Picture, Director and Screenplay for Corneliu Porumboiu.

Cea mai fericită fată din lume (The Happiest Girl in the World) led with eleven nominations, but only received the Best Newcomer award for Andreea Boşneag. French-Belgian-Romanian co-production Concertul (The Concert) won four of its eight nominations, including Best Editing and Best Original Score. Hilda Peter took Best Actress for British-Romanian co-production Katalin Varga.

The ceremony took place at the Palace of Parliaments in Bucharest on Monday. The Gopos are named in honor of Romanian director Ion Popescu-Gopo and presented annually by the Association for Romanian Film Promotion.

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Complete list of 4th Annual Gopo Award winners

Best Feature
Poliţist, adjectiv (Police, Adjective) by Corneliu Porumboiu

Best Director
Corneliu Porumboiu, Poliţist, adjectiv (Police, Adjective)

Best Screenplay
Corneliu Porumboiu, Poliţist, adjectiv (Police, Adjective)

Best Actor
Dragoş Bucur, Poliţist, adjectiv (Police, Adjective)

Best Actress
Hilda Peter, Katalin Varga

Best Supporting Actor
Vlad Ivanov, Poliţist, adjectiv (Police, Adjective)

Best Supporting Actress
Luminiţa Gheorghiu, Francesca

Best Sound
Dana Bunescu şi Cristinel Şirli, Amintiri din Epoca de Aur (Tales from the Golden Age)

Best Editing
Ludo Troch, Concertul (The Concert)

Best Cinematography
Marius Panduru, Poliţist, adjectiv (Police, Adjective)

Best Original Score
Armand Amar, Concertul (The Concert)

Best Production Design
Cristian Niculescu, Concertul (The Concert)

Best Costumes
Svetlana Mihăilescu, Călătoria lui Gruber (Gruber's Journey)

Best Hair and Makeup
Dana Busoiu, Michelle Constantinidis, Concertul (The Concert) 

Best Documentary
Lumea văzută de Ion B. (The World According to Ion B.) by Alexander Nanau

Best Short Film
Nunta lui Oli (Oli's Wedding), Tudor Jurgiu

Best Newcomer
Andreea Boşneag, Cea mai fericită fată din lume (The Happiest Girl in the World)

Audience Award for most successful movie in 2009
Amintiri din Epoca de Aur (Tales from the Golden Age), by Cristian Mungiu, Răzvan Mărculescu, Hanno Hoeffer, Ioana Uricaru şi Constantin Popescu

Best European Film
Gomorra by Matteo Garrone

Special Awards

Special Award: Romanian Society of Cinematographers
Vivi Drăgan Vasile, Cealaltă Irina (The Other Irene)

Special Award
Gina Stoica (colour timer)

Special Award for supporting Romanian film
French ambassador in Bucharest Henri Paul 

Special Lifetime Achievement Award
Writer Dumitru Carabăţ

Lifetime Achievement Award
Actress Draga Olteanu Matei