A German children’s jury decided the winner, declaring ”the story is funny and the young actors enthralling. We couldn’t help laughing. An outsider becomes a hero because of a great love.” The international jury for the section gave the film a Special Mention.
Andresen was in Berlin to receive the honours at an awards ceremony this afternoon in Berlin’s Haus der Kulturen der Welt, the centre of the festival’s selection of films for children and youth audiences. His Goalie was competing with 12 other titles.
Based on Lars Mæhle’s book, and scripted by Lars Gudmestad, the coming-of-age comedy follows girls and boys who both play football, worship their idols, and are frustrated by complicated friendships, young love, anxious mothers and over-ambitious football coaches.
Produced by Håkon Øverås and Karin Julsrud for 4½ Fiksjon, the film – which took 85,000 admissions domestically - was the first sell-out at this year’s Berlinale. It was awarded the Silver Lump as Best Kidpic 2010 by the Association of Norwegian Cinema Directors.