The International Radio Drama Festival held in Bucharest

The Grand Prix Nova International Radio Drama Festival, organised by Radio Romania, has come to a close. The first prize in the Short Drama Section went to a French show and the first prize in the Radio Drama Section was grabbed by a Swiss production

Leyla Cheamil, 06.06.2016, 12:24

A record number of participants, 44 productions from 21 countries, took part in the fourth edition of the “Grand Prix Nova International Radio Drama Festival, organised by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation.

The show “So Far Away from Life authored by Ulrich Bassenge and directed by Johannes Mayr (Switzerland) got the first prize in the “Radio Drama Section, whereas the first prize in the “Short Drama Section went to writer and director Charles Trahan (ARTE Radio, France), for “Pedal Power.

Three special prizes have been granted for the exceptional performance of Romanian actors in the radio productions of the National Radio Drama Department, premiered in the 2015 season. Florentina Tanase won the début award for her performance in the show “Rapunzel, by the Grimm Brothers. Oana Maria Margineanu received the prize for best actress in a leading role, in the shows “Catalina Toderoiu – the Brave-Hearted Woman from Jiu and “Catalina Toderoiu – Flight to Freedom, two radio scripts by Ion-Costin Manoliu. The prize for best actor in a leading role went to Marius Manole for the role of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the show “Tchaikovsky by Nina Berberova.

On Sunday, the last night of the festival, the Radio Hall Room hosted an event-show “Surprise/ Hors Concours directed by Mihai Lungeanu, an adaptation of a text by Federico Fellini and performed by Virgil Ogasanu. The production is part of a brand-new project carried out by the National Radio Drama Department. The Director of the Cultural Media Centre of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Attila Vizauer, has said: “It is a very important event, ‘Federico Fellini and radio drama, and I would like to underline this, because the world famous film maker Federico Fellini has also written scripts and directed radio drama shows on the Italian public radio.

Grand Prix Nova is the only festival of sound productions whose central theme is “Innovation. The event was held under the High Patronage of Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Margareta of Romania.