THE RETURN (Vosvrashchenie) by Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev is the winner of the John Templeton European Film of the Year Award 2003. The Award is presented on behalf of the US-based Templeton Foundation by the International Church Film Organisation INTERFILM and the Conference of European Churches, and is chosen by an international jury. It carries the sum of CHF10,000.- and a certificate of recognition. The winner is selected from the Ecumenical Awards given at international film festivals during the past year.

THE RETURN tells the story of the return of a father, after a 12 years absence, into the lives of two boys. A trip through the northern Russian lake district proves to be a trial of strength between the stranger and the two boys which ends tragically. The jury appreciated the high artistic quality, the powerful narration and the compelexity of the film.

The award ceremony will take place during this year's Berlin Film Festival during a service in St. Matthew's Church. The film will be shown beforehand in a special screening at the Hacke'sche Hoefe. THE RETURN received the Ecumenical Award at the Festival of East European Cinema 2003 in Cottbus and the Golden Lion of Venice.