Liberia film wins Tribeca honour

Liberian President Johnson-Sirleaf with festival founder Robert De Niro

A documentary about female peace activists in Liberia has won best documentary at New York's annual Tribeca Film Festival.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell follows the role women played in ending civil war in the west African country through peaceful protests.

Swedish coming-of-age horror Let the Right One In picked up the award for best narrative feature.

The winner of the best film award will be announced on 3 May.

'Mesmerising'

Let the Right One In tells the tale of a 12-year-old boy who is the victim of bullying and dreams of revenge.

The Tribeca jury said it won "for its mesmerising exploration of loneliness and alienation through masterful re-examination of the vampire myth."

Both winning films beat 11 other finalists and each won $25,000 (£12,600).

Other award winners included Huseyin Karabey as best new narrative film-maker for My Marlon and Brando and Carlos Carcas who won best new documentary film-maker for Old Man Bebo for his portrait of Cuban musician Bebo Valdes.

While Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello shared the best actor award for British film Somers Town and Eileen Walsh won best actress in Irish film Eden.

Tribeca's artistic director, Peter Scarlet, said most of the prizes at the festival were "going to film-makers and performers who are all at an early stage of their careers."

Founded by actor Robert De Niro, the festival was started in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the US to help rejuvenate lower Manhattan.