The Anchorage International Film Festival just wrapped its 10th edition and awarded its 2010 Golden Oosikar Awards to the top films, with “The Wild Hunt,” by Alexandre Franchi taking the top prize for Best Film.
A modern medieval saga, The Wild Hunt tells the story of Erik Magnusson, a young man who decides to follow his estranged girlfriend Evelyn into a medieval re-enactment game when he discovers that she has been seduced by one of the players. As the down-to-earth Erik treks deeper into the game in search of his love, he inadvertently disrupts the delicate balance of the make believe fantasy-land. Passions are unleashed. Rules are broken. Reality and fantasy collide. The good-hearted game turns into a tragedy of mythic proportion… Capturing the culture of costume play and the potentially dangerous intersection of real and made-up worlds, The Wild Hunt is a timely and potent comment on the consuming nature of adopting another identity, even within a game, and the modern yearning for ritual.
2010 Golden Oosikar Awards
Super Short
Winner Nuit Blanche Arev Manoukian (Canada 2009)
Runner-Up The Foal Josh Tanner (Australia 2010)
Honorable Mention Salut Jerry Rapp (USA 2009)
Short Film
Winner Caron Pierre Zandrowicz (France 2010)
Runner-Up The Noble Savage Wesley Wingo (USA 2009)
Honorable Mention European Son Tyler Zelinsky (USA 2010)
Animation
Winner Ode to a Post-it Note Jeff Chiba Stearns (Canada 2010)
Runner-Up Not Over Easy Jordan Canning (Canada 2010)
Honorable Mention Millhaven Bartek Kulas (Poland 2010)
Documentary
Winner Stolen Violeta Ayala and Daniel Fallshaw (Australia/USA 2009)
Runner-Up The Anatomy of Vince Guaraldi Andrew Thomas (USA 2010)
Honorable Mention Full Disclosure Brian Palmer (USA 2009)
Snowdance
Winner Native Time Sean Morris (USA/AK 2009)
Runner-Up The Beekeepers Bryant Mainord (USA/AK 2010)
Honorable Mention Portrait of Nikolai The Youth of Nikolai (USA/AK 2010)
Feature
Winner The Wild Hunt Alexandre Franchi (Canada 2009)
Runner-Up The Drummond Will Alan Butterworth (UK 2010)
Honorable Mention Bai Yin Di Guo (Empire of Silver) Christina Shu-hwa Yao (China/Hong Kong/Taiwan 2009)
Quick Freeze
Winner Dear Self In Ten Years John Norris (USA/AK 2010)
Runner-Up The Clapper Kelly Gwynn (USA/AK 2010)
Audience Choice Awards / Best of Fest
Documentary
Winner The Anatomy of Vince Guaraldi Andrew Thomas (USA 2010)
Runner-Up Exporting Raymond Philip Rosenthal (USA 2010)
Honorable Mention Full Disclosure Brian Palmer (USA 2009)
Feature
Winner Bai Yin Di Guo (Empire of Silver) Christina Shu-hwa Yao (China/Hong Kong/Taiwan 2009)
Runner-Up Son Istasyon (Last Station) Ogulcan Kirca (Turkey 2010)
Honorable Mention The Drummond Will Alan Butterworth (UK 2010)
Snowdance
Winner Statehood! Laurence Goldin (USA/AK 2010)
Runner-Up The Beekeepers Bryant Mainord (USA/AK 2010)
Honorable Mention Journey on the Wild Coast Greg Chaney (USA/AK 2010)