CHICAGO, October 17, 2009 – Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival, Mimi Plauché, Head of Programming, and Jesse Berkowitz, Documentary and Short Film Programmer, proudly announce the winners of the 2009 45th Chicago International Film Festival competitions. The announcement was made at the famed Pump Room at the Ambassador East Hotel. Competitions were held in the International Feature Film, New Directors, Documentary and Short Film categories, along with a special Chicago Award for a local filmmaker. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named after the mythological God of Discovery.

to Marco Bellocchio (Vincere, Italy) for taking us into the privileged details of a love story so well drawn that we cannot renege on what we have felt between the two main characters.
Silver Hugo for Best Actress to Giovanna Mezzogiorno of VINCERE (Italy) for her astonishing understanding of love, its depth and its degradation.
Silver Hugo for Best Actor to Filippo Timi of VINCERE (Italy) for bringing such a commanding virility to a young Mussolini that we are both entranced and repelled by his climb to power and evil.

Mississippi community that keep us both fascinated and horrified by the events that life brings.
Gold Plaque for Best Cinematography to Daniele Ciprì (VINCERE, Italy) who has taken the human face, given its images breath in every sense, and allowed us into each second of this film’s dramatic contortions.
(source: Chicago Film Festival)