Belgian film wins top award at Montreal festival

The Belgian film “Come As You Are” directed by Geoffrey Enthoven, which takes a humorous look at sex and love for the handicapped, won top honors at the World Film Festival in Montreal on Sunday.

The film recounts the story of three young men — one who is blind, the other using a wheelchair and the third completely paralyzed — who travel to Spain seeking to lose their virginity.

It is the third Flemish-language production to win the top prize at the festival.

The special jury prize went to “Chronicle of My Mother,” by Japan’s Masato Harada.

The best director went to Brigitte Maria Bertele of Germany for “The Fire.”

Iran’s Fatehmeh Motamed-Arya was named best actress for the film “Here Without Me” and the best actor award was shared by Borys Szyc for the Polish film “The Mole” and Danny Huston for the Israeli-French production “Playoff.”

The jury gave the award for best screenplay to Emmanuel Mouret for “The Art of Love” and the best artistic contribution to Italy’s Giuseppe Gagliardi for “Tatanka.”

The innovation award went to Takahisa Zeze of Japan for “Life Back Then.”