History came full circle last night with the choosing of theatre boycott documentary "When Voices Rise" as the People's Choice of the Fifth Bermuda International Film Festival.

Filmmaker Errol Williams said it was the ultimate vote of confidence to receive the audience choice award.

And a Canadian feature about dysfunctional marriages scooped up the Jury Prize at BIFF awards ceremony last night at the Elbow Beach hotel.

The jury of film critic Rex Reed, actress Martha Plimpton and internet-writer David Poland selected the cynical tale of unravelling relationships as the 2002 standout from a field of 12 narrative features.

"I loved the way the characters were fully developed," said Ms Plimpton. "Their behaviour, even the way they moved and spoke, brought the characters to life and told the stories of their lives and the film."

"Last Wedding" was written and directed by Bruce Sweeney and featured actors Frida Betrani, Benjamin Ratner, Tom Scholte, Nancy Sivak, Vincent Gale and Molly Parker.

Juror Rex Reed referred to the film as a slick ensemble piece which is "cynical but funny".

"It is well-paced, well-shot and tells us a lot about the way we live now, how relationships exist today," he said.

The jury also awarded special mentions to "Malunde", a touching tale of an unlikely friendship in the `New South Africa' and the Japanese feature "An Adolescent", a provocative story of love between a 15-year-old girl and a 46-year-old police man.

"Malunde deals with very important issues, the lingering effects of apartheid, racism and homelessness," noted Mr. Reed. "Cinematically the film brought to life a culture we have no access to."

In the hotly-contested Best Documentary category - judged by last year's category winner Monteith McCollum and local videographer Peter Backeberg - a film co-produced by Bermuda High School alumni Julie Parker got the nod.

Winner "Blue Vinyl" is a multilayered exploration of the dangers associated with the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

"The film starts very personal and small, but it shows how connected we all are by developing the global aspect of the story," said Mr. Backeberg.

"Blue Vinyl filmmakers Judith Helfand and Daniel Gold are to be congratulated for taking a massive amount of material and making something artistic from it," added Mr. McCollum. "The film had an inventive technique and good structure."

Those who missed "Blue Vinyl" in the theatres can catch the award-winner on HBO next month.

The cable channel is broadcasting the doc on May 5 at 11 p.m. Bermuda time.

Also earning kudos in this category was "Daughter from Danang" from filmmakers Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco - a Grand Jury Prize winner at Sundance.

Backeberg and McCollum also judged the short films and young British filmmaker Ravi Kumar takes home the "Bermuda Shorts" this year.

His film, "My Other Wheelchair is a Porsche", gently tells the story of a severely disabled boy who experiences his sexual awakening while in hospital.

Mr. McCollum said the short was "comparable to a piece of poetry that says something elegant about something simple. It had an integrity that was consistent".