Fantasporto 2000 March 4, 2000 Siam Sunset is the big winner Fantasporto is an internationally recognized annual film festival, held in Porto, Portugal, specialized in fantasy and science-fiction in its Official Competitive section. Now going to its 20th edition, the festival ran from 25th February to 4th March, and included the 10th New Directors Week with an official competition, a Fantasia section dedicated to Eastern films and a Retrospective section. The prizes for the Official Competition were announced today, after the decision of the international jury. The Great Prize of Fantasporto 2000 was awarded to John Polson's film Siam Sunset (Australia). This movie was the only non-european in the competition to get an award in this 20th Edition. Danielle Cormack was considered the best actress for her role as Grace in Siam Sunset. The film won yet another award for best script, to Max Dann and Andrew Knight, becoming the big winner of this year's Festival. Siam Sunset is the story of Perry (Linus Roache), a colourist in a paint company, who wins an Aussie bus tour. He sets out to find Siam Sunset, a colour so perfect it will free him from his life of torment. He meets up with Grace (Danielle Cormack), who's fleeing a violent past and a nasty ex-lover... Also, in the 10th New Directors Week, reserved to directors who have made up to two films, was screened Channelling Baby by Christine Parker (New Zealand). The main roles in this movie are played by Danielle Cormack (Bunnie), Kevin Smith (Geoff), Joel Tobeck (Tony) and Amber Sainsbury (Cassandra). From Channelling Baby's Official Site: It is 1971. New Zealand soldiers are heading off to Vietnam amidst hordes of peace protesters and the heady excitement of a solar eclipse. In a column of soldiers stopped to board a military truck, Geoff catches sight of Bunnie, a beautiful hippy whose glorious, intimate smile is the lasting vision he takes with him to war. Destiny brings the pair together a second time, when Geoff returns from Vietnam a few months later. Each has been badly hurt in different ways, but in spite of their personal damage, they fall instantly and passionately in love. They start a life together and Bunnie gives birth to a baby girl. Their lives should be joyously complete, but one day, Geoff and the baby mysteriously disappear, leaving Bunnie devastated. Years later, in the 1990’s Bunnie accepts help from Cassandra, a young woman who claims to be a clairvoyant and her strange brother Tony, to find out what has become of her child. Cassandra brings the couple back together again to solve the mystery of what really happened. Their memories are startlingly different, but pieced together, the truth emerges, bringing escalating consequences.