Canadian wins Berlin festival breakthrough award

Canadian director Bruce McDonald has won the Manfred Salzgeber Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival for his film The Tracey Fragments.

The prize, named after the man who once headed the Panorama section of the festival, was awarded Saturday andis given to works that broaden the boundaries of cinema today.

The Tracey Fragments had its world premiere at Berlin, opening the Panorama program, which is dedicated to art-house films.

The film, based on a book by Maureen Medved, follows 15-year-old Tracey Berkowitz as she sets out to find her missing brother, who thinks he's a dog.

McDonald usessplit-screen to show parts of Tracey's consciousness and the sordid details of her life, including a junkie mother and cruel fellow students.

McDonald is known in Canada as the director of films such as Hard Core Logo, Highway 61, Dance Me Outside and Roadkill. His TV credits include directing Lexx and episodes of This is Wonderland and Queer as Folk.

The Tracey Fragments was one of 11 Canadian films in Berlin.