Press release March 13, 2006
For immediate release

Pelicanman won both the Main Prize and the Children´s Jury Prize at Cairo International Film Festival for Children

Liisa Helminen´s family film Pelicanman (Pelikaanimies, 2004) has won two main prizes at Cairo International Film Festival for Children, March 2 – 9, 2006. Besides the Main Prize, Golden Cairo, it also received the Children´s International Jury Prize.

The main jury stressed the fact that children´s films “should be produced for children and not merely about them”. Pelicanman meets this prerequisite just fine, which was proven once again by the fact that also the children´s jury considered it to be the best film at the festival.

Pelicanman appeals strongly to children all over the world. It has earlier received main prizes from children´s juries in London last October and in Zlin, Czech Republic last June. It has also won two audience awards: one also in Zlin and one in Chicago last October. Other awards include Teddy Bear Special Prize in Moscow last December and Special Mention in Kristiansand, Norway last May. In Finland, Pelicanman has received the State Quality Award as well as two Jussi Awards.

Pelicanman has not only been screened at dozens of festivals, but it has also been widely sold. It has by now found theatrical or TV distribution in at least 15 countries, e.g. Japan, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxemburg and several eastern European countries. The international sales agent of the film is NonStop Sales.

Pelicanman has been produced by Hanna Hemilä / Lumifilm Oy. The Swedish co-producer is Anita Oxburgh / Migma Film. The main cast includes Kari Ketonen, Roni Haarakangas and Inka Nuorgam.

Further information:

Lumifilm Oy
Producer Hanna Hemilä, +358 400 512 205, hemila@lumifilm.fi
Outi Gaib, +358 40 5139957, lumifilm@lumifilm.fi 
www.lumifilm.fi

NonStop Sales
Judith Toth, +46 70 416 9983

The Finnish Film Foundation
Satu Elo, +358 9 6220 3020, satu.elo@ses.fi

www.pelikaanimies.fi