A FILM about the Piper Alpha disaster has won a prize at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF).
Reinstated this year after a two-year absence, the Audience Award went to Fire in the Night, directed by Anthony Wonke, a documentary detailing the 1988 disaster in the North Sea.
The film, which received its world premiere at the festival, combines archive footage, audio recordings and interviews with some of the 61 survivors of the disaster, some of whom are interviewed for the first time.
Mr Wonke said: "It's 25 years ago this July that Piper Alpha exploded and sank into the North Sea and we hope that with this film the memory of that fateful night that affected so many lives will act as a suitable remembrance.
"I'd like to thank everyone who voted for Fire in the Night, it really does mean an awful lot to everyone involved especially all the men who took part in the film."
Chris Fujiwara, artistic director of the film, said: "The Audience Award, which we reinstated this year after a two-year hiatus, is not only one of the most significant of EIFF's initiatives designed to engage audiences with cinema, it's also one of the most fun.
"We're delighted by the enthusiasm shown by our audience members who took part in choosing this award, and we're grateful for the support and commitment of Sainsbury's Bank."
Not Another Happy Ending, tomorrow's closing night gala, closes the 12 day festival.
The Award for Best Film in the International Competition was presented to Mahdi Fleifel's A World Not Ours.
The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film went to Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel's Leviathan.
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