BUCKSKIN Wins Sydney 2013 Documentary Prize, PERCEPTION Wins the Dendys

Yesterday Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives won the whopping $60,000 Jury Prize at the 60th Sydney Film Festival. This was the second time Refn had won the award in its short history - Bronson also won in 2009, the year after the festival introduced the prize. Last night at the closing ceremony, the other awards were announced. 

Buckskin, about a young man who has dedicated his life to his Aboriginal culture, won the $10,000 Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize. The win heralds the arrival of a striking new talent, Dylan McDonald, who is the son of producer Penelope McDonald and Samson & Delilah writer-director Warwick Thornton. Buckskin follows Jack Buckskin, who is on a mission to renew Kaurna, an Australian language, and through that and dance, inspire a new generation to connect with the land and culture of his ancestors.

Two documentaries were highly commended: Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls, about Burma's first all-girl band, and Big Name No Blanket, about the famed Warumpi Band.

In the short film awards, the Dendys, Miranda Nation's Perception was judged best live action short, Isabel Peppard's Butterflies won the Yoram Gross Animation Award and David Lyons was awarded the Rouben Mamoulian Award for his direction of Record.