Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Karlovy Vary 2013

When a female school bus driver fails to notice a sleeping boy in the back of her bus, this causes a tragedy that overshadows not only her life and family but also the lives of many others in her economically depressed small hometown. Lance Edmands' debut deals with topics like guilt, estrangement and isolation but first and foremost centers around the tragic lack of connection, closeness and the search for a place in this world. "Bluebird" is the most thoughtful and mature, the most atmospheric, superbly restrained, yet deeply emotional work we have ever seen by a first time feature-length film director.