Yann Demange’s ’71 has won the Golden Athena (the best film award) at the 20th Athens International Film Festival, which was held in the Greek capital from September 17-28.

The film, co-produced by Crab Apple Films, Protagonist Pictures and Warp Films, tells the story of a young and disoriented British soldier who is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the deadly streets of Belfast in 1971.

’71, starring Jack O’Connell, debuted at the Berlinale in February.

Eskil Vogt won the best director trophy for Norwegian drama Blind. The film, which previously won awards at Berlin and Sundance follows a recently blind woman whose deepest fears and repressed fantasies start to take over her life.

Danish horror When Animals Dream, directed by Jonas Alexander Arnby and written by Rasmus Birch won the best screenplay award.

It should be noted that the awards at AIFF were decided by a five-member Jury comprised of cinema students.

In the Music & Films competition, Nick Cave documentary 20,000 Days On Earth won the Golden Athena for best film. The film was directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. Additionally, a special mention went to Florian Habicht’s Pulp: A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets.

Among the Greek features and short films that won accolades are the following:

Michalis Konstantatos’ Luton that follows the story of three ordinary but disparate people, a wealthy high-school student, a trainee lawyer in her thirties and a family father in his fifties. Konstantatos was named best debut director.

Pandelis Voulgaris’ Mikra Anglia (Little England): Sofia Kokkali and Penelope Tsilika were named best female debutant actresses for their part in the film which has been submitted by Greece for the Best Foreign-Language Oscar.

Nicholas Triandafyllidis’ The Sentimentalists: Haris Frangoulis was named best debutant actor.

David Fincher’s much-awaited US crime drama Gone Girl received its European premiere as the closing film of the festival.