Rafael Ouellet, director of 'Camion' is shown in a publicity handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Ixion
July 07, 2012 - 3:07 PM
KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic - Canadian filmmaker Rafaël Ouellet has won a directing prize at a prestigious Czech film festival.
The francophone drama "Camion" earned Ouellet the best director award at Saturday's closing ceremony for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
It's about a truck driver who falls into a deep depression after a deadly traffic accident. The film is set to hit Quebec theatres Aug. 17.
Telefilm says "Camion" was the only homegrown feature selected for the main competition, although more Canadian titles were showcased in non-competitive sections.
They included David Cronenberg's sexy thriller "Cosmopolis," Guy Maddin's gangster-meets-ghosts dreamscape "Keyhole," Martin Villeneuve's sci-fi feature "Mars et Avril" and Casey Walker's horror-comedy "A Little Bit Zombie."
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is held annually in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
This year's grand jury included Quebec actor François Papineau ("Route 132," "Une Vie qui commence").
In "Camion," Julien Poulin stars as 60-year-old widower Germain. He's an experienced truck driver who is thrown into torment when he's involved in an accident that kills a woman.
Patrice Dubois and Stephane Breton play Germain's two adult sons. They try to pull their father out of his misery but have problems of their own.
Telefilm says it invested $642,000 into the film.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012