"The Misfortunates" directed by Belgian director Felix Van Groeningen won the Golden Tulip Award at the closing gala of the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival on Saturday evening.

With 11 films competing for the International Golden Tulip Awards, the jury decided to give the award to "The Misfortunates" for "giving us a contemporary, raw, energetic and truthful picture of how hard it is to grow up, and for portraying, with precise and sensible details, individual change and the power of art."

According to the statement of the festival, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Austrian actor and director Klaus Maria Brandauer.

Special Jury Prize was given to French director Stephane Brize's Sandrine Kiberlan in Mademoiselle Chambon because "a universe of wishes and desires, doubts and anxieties, and craft comes every second through her eyes and her entire body. A dream of an actress in a film..."

The festival hosts more than 200 films in 23 categories from April 3 to April 18, screening new features from 2009 and 2010, along with unforgettable film classics and selections from the filmographies of master filmmakers.

The festival was organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and sponsored by Turkey's Akbank.

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