Netflix’s Jack Lowden Starrer ‘Calibre’, ‘Whitney’ Win At Edinburgh

The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film at the 72nd Edinburgh International Film Festival has gone to Matt Palmer’s debut feature Calibre.

Dunkir’s Jack Lowden and The Survivalist star Martin McCann play two lifelong friends who get more than they bargained for when they head up to an isolated Scottish Highlands village for a weekend hunting trip. Netflix previously picked up world rights to the film, which had its world premiere in Edinburgh.

The winner was chosen by the Michael Powell Jury comprised of Ana Ularu, Jason Connery and Iain de Caestecker. The jury said, “Beautifully shot, technically accomplished, with a fantastic ensemble performance, director and screenwriter Matt Palmer pitches the tension and emotional journey flawlessly. We are fully invested in the characters and their dilemmas as the choices they make lead to a shattering conclusion.”

The award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film, also selected by the same jury, went jointly to actresses Liv Hill and Sinead Matthews for their roles in another UK debut Jellyfish, James Gardner’s drama about a young carer discovers an unlikely talent for stand-up comedy.

Meanwhile, the award for Best International Feature Film went to Cyril Shäublin’s Swiss drama Those Who Are Fine, which got its UK premiere in the Scottish capital. The winner was chosen by the International Jury comprised of Gráinne Humphreys, Simin Motamed-Arya and Yung Kha. The International Jury also gave a Special Mention to Likarion Wainaina’s Supa Modo.

The award for Best Documentary Feature Film went to Kevin Macdonald’s well-received bio-doc Whitney, which had its world premiere in Cannes. This year’s doc jury was was comprised of Gaston J-M Kaboré, Nada Cirjanic and Kate Muir. A Special Mention went to Island Of The Hungry Ghosts. The winner of this year’s EIFF Works in Progress and recipient of the £2,500 prize was Riding The Wave by Martyn Robertson.

The 12-day festival concludes on Sunday with the UK premiere of UK comedy Swimming With Men.