Kazakhstan's Harmony Lessons wins Grand-Prix at Festival Premiers Plans in Angers

Kazakhstan's film Harmony Lessons by director Emir Baigazin has been awarded with the 2014 Grand-Prix of the Festival Premiers Plans in Angers, France, Tengrinews reports. The 26th edition of the international film festival was held on January 17-26, 2014. Portuguese actress Maria de Medeiros handed the festival’s award to Emir Baigazin along with a 15 thousand Euro prize for promotion and distribution of his film in France. Along with Maria de Medeiros the jury included director and screenwriter Catherine Corsini, actress Elisa Lasowski, scriptwriter Anne-Louise Trividic, director Nadir Moknèche and actor Bruno Todeschini. The international film festival Premiers Plans is held since 1989. It is dedicated to debut works of European cinematographers and meant to help new directors meet their audience. This year the festival presented 137 first works, including 22 features, 69 shorts and 46 student films. 29 European countries were represented. The debut feature film of Emir Baigazin has already won more than 25 awards at international film events, including a Silver Bear of Germany's Berlinale, a special jury prize of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, the Grand-Prix of the Switzerland Film Festival in Basel, the Best New Director Grand Jury Prize of the Seattle International Film Festival, the Grand-Prix of the International Film Festival in Slovakia and many others.