A visibly shocked Sakti Parantean from Indonesia received the International Award. ‘We've been joking that I couldn't win the award this year, because an Indonesian won it last year’ commented Parantean on receiving the award, ‘I was even helping some of my fellow finalists with their presentations! I want to thank the British Council for this amazing award and I want to say to my fellow finalists, you are all remarkable.’

The jury were touched and inspired by his vision and believe he is both an entrepreneur and a leader. Sakti wins a £7,500 prize fund, which he can use to develop a project between Indonesia and the UK.

This is the second year of the International Young Screen Entrepreneur programme - the global search for the brightest and best international young screen entrepreneur. Awards for creative talent are common but what sets this prize apart is that is recognises the importance of entrepreneurs in keeping the screen industries alive and thriving, and promoting the best of what’s hot on the local scene. For more information about the IYSE award please visit: www.creativeconomy.org.uk/IYSE.

Dutch national Teun Hilte took the UK Young Screen Entrepreneur prize. Hilte is the Managing Director of Content Republic, a company specialising in digital distribution, that he established with his business partner two years ago. Satwant Gill, Director Film at the British Council, read out the judges' citation:

‘In a polished presentation, Teun impressed with both his own professional history as a producer and his clever business plan with Content Republic, pioneering digital distribution based on the opportunities rather than threats posed by the internet. The jury feel there is real potential for scale and convinced that both he and his business will be a success.’

Hilte, with two runners-up, Geraldine Patten, Managing Director of Keel Films, and Phil Wood, Co-founder and Programmer of Roxy Bar and Screen, will take part in a two week tour of the Indian film industry in February 2009.

Hilte is the first non-UK national to win one of the British Council's Young Creative Entrepreneur awards. Andrew Senior, the British Council's Senior Expert on the Creative Economy commented: 'Roughly 20 per cent of the applications that we receive are from foreign nationals who have come to the UK and are building their businesses here. They are attracted by both the creative and business climates that they find here. It's a position that we surely want to encourage, if we are to remain competitive. All of this is testimony to the UK being the leading hub in the global creative economy.'

This was the first year of the UK Young Screen Entrepreneur award, created by the British Council with the support of NESTA. The award recognises the potential of young individuals (aged between 25 and 35) working within the screen sector, who have the potential to become a future leader of the sector in the UK, and indeed internationally. The award seeks to further stimulate the development of the UK screen sector in an international business context. For more information about the UKYSE award please visit: www.creativeconomy.org.uk/UKYSE.