Norwegian film wins Czech festival prize

Norwegian film "The Almost Man" won the 47th edition of the Czech Republic's Karlovy Vary international film festival on Saturday, the organisers said. The film by director Martin Lund beat another 11 movies to win the Crystal Globe prize worth $25,000 (20,344 euros) at a gala ceremony on Saturday. US actress Susan Sarandon won a Crystal Globe for her contribution to world cinematography on Saturday, joining British actress Helen Mirren who was awarded the same prize as the festival opened on June 29. Some 220 films -- including four world and eight international premieres -- were screened during the festival. The festival jury was led by Richard Pena, programme director at New York's prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Center. More than 120,000 cinemagoers visited the festival in the western Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of the Czech capital Prague.