Jonathan Sobol’s feature-length writing-directing debut ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Endings’ was the big winner at the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival winning multiple awards including the top prize Jury Award for Best Feature Film. The film follows the three eldest sons (Scott Caan, Paul Costanzo and Jason Jones) of a career gambler (Harvey Keitel) and how they each respond to his death.

Oren Kaplan’s “Hamill’ a true story based on the life of deaf UFC fighter Matt Hamill, continues to be ahuge audience favorite, snagging yet another Audience Award for Best Film.

2011 JURY AWARDS:

BEST FEATURE FILM: A Beginner’s Guide to Endings
BEST ACTOR: Vince Colosima (Face to Face)
BEST ACTRESS: Ra Chapman (Face to Face)
BEST DIRECTOR: Michael Rymer (Face to Face)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER: Samy Inayeh (A Beginner’s Guide to Endings)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Jonathan Sobol (A Beginner’s Guide to Endings)
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM: My So-Called Enemy (Director Lisa Gossels)
HONORABLE MENTION: We Were Here (Directors David Weissman and Bill Weber)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM: Warriors of Qiugang (Director Ruby Yang)
HONORABLE MENTION: Moth in Spring (Director Yu Gu)
BEST SHORT ANIMATED FILM: Fly (Director Alan Short)
HONORABLE MENTION: Bottle (Director Kirsten Lepore)
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM: Love Song of Iskra Prufrock (Director Lucy Gaffy)
HONORABLE MENTION: The Escape (Director James Connelly)

2011 AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Audience Award Winner Feature (US) – Hamill (Oren Kaplan)
Audience Award Winner Feature (Foreign) – My Afternoons With Margueritte (Jean Becker)
Audience Award Winner Documentary – Defining Beauty: Ms. Wheelchair America (Alexis Ostrander)
Audience Award Winner Action Sports Feature – Splinters (Adam Pesce)
Audience Award Winner Family Film – [no winner named]
Audience Award Winner Short Film – Moonfishing (David Michael Friend)
Audience Award Winner Art, Architecture + Design – [no winner named]
Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking  Acting- Jericho Rosales (Subject: I Love You)
Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking Directing – Matt Walsh (High Road)
Outstanding Achievement in Feature Filmmaking – Takeshi Koike (Redline)
Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking – André Øvredal (Trollhunter)
Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking – Drew Pierce, Brett Pierce (Deadheads)
Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking – Liz Garbus (Bobby Fisher Against The World)
Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking – Alana Morshead (Peach Plum Pear)
Outstanding Achievement in Documentary – James Marsh (Project Nim)
Outstanding Achievement in Documentary – David Dworsky, Victor Köhler (Press Pause Play)
Outstanding Achievement in Action Sports Filmmaking – Adam Pesce (Splinters)
Outstanding Achievement in Action Sports Filmmaking – Eric Iberg, Shane Nelson (Like A Lion)
Outstanding Achievement in Short Filmmaking Animation – Robert Kohn (The Lift)
Outstanding Achievement in Short Filmmaking Horror – Jerome Sable (The Legend of Beaver Dam)
Outstanding Achievement in Short Filmmaking Directing – Skot Bright (Ollie Klublershturf vs The Nazis)
Outstanding Achievement in Short Filmmaking – Antonio Piazza, Fabio Grassadonia (Rita)
Outstanding Achievement in Short Filmmaking – Vicky Mather (Stanley Pickle)
Outstanding Achievement in Short Filmmaking – David Yarovesky (Ghild)

2011 CHUCK JONES CENTER FOR CREATIVITY AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION:

The Chuck Jones Award for Direction, Story and Character Development – Le Cirque (Nicolas Brault)
Chuck Jones Special Recognition Award For Comic Timing – Fly
Chuck Jones Special Recognition Award For Art Direction – Thought For You
Chuck Jones Special Recognition Award For Character Development – Blind Date

2011 MACGILLVRAY FREEMAN FILMS AWARDS:

MacGillivray Freeman Films Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking (feature) – My So-Called Enemy
MacGillivray Freeman Films Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking (short) -The Dancer
MacGillivray Freeman Films Special Achievement Award in Environmental Filmmaking – This is Your Ocean: Sharks

[ via ocweekly ]