There Is No Evil, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, was awarded the top Fiction Feature Prize at 2020 Montclair Film Festival. Winner of the 2020 Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear for Best Feature, Mohammad Rasoulof’s There Is No Evil is a series of four interrelated short stories set against the backdrop of contemporary Iran.
US Kids, directed by Kim A. Snyder, took home the festival’s top Documentary Competition prize, the Bruce Sinofsky Award, in the festival’s Documentary Feature competition. In US Kids, Peabody Award-winning director Kim A. Snyder (Newtown) follows teenage activists as they fight for gun control and compel the political system into action.
The Audience Award for Fiction Feature was awarded to Nomadland, directed by Chloé Zhao and the Audience Award for Non-Fiction Feature went to Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself, directed by Frank Oz.
Winners of 2020 Montclair Film Festival Awards
Feature Film Jury Awards
THERE IS NO EVIL, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, was awarded the festival’s Fiction Feature Prize, with Pierre de Villers receiving a Special Jury Prize for Cinematography for Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, IT’S A RESURRECTION, and Paula Beer receiving a Special Jury Prize for Acting for her performance in Christian Petzold’s UNDINE.
US KIDS, directed by Kim A. Snyder, took home the festival’s top Documentary Competition prize, the Bruce Sinofsky Award, in the festival’s Documentary Feature competition. This award was established in memory of filmmaker and longtime Montclair resident Bruce Sinofsky. A Special Jury Prize for The Pursuit of Justice was awarded to COLLECTIVE, directed by Alexander Nanau.
FREELAND, directed by Mario Furloni and Kate McLean, was awarded with the Mark Urman Award For Fiction Filmmaking in the festival’s Future/Now competition, featuring a $5000 cash prize, and over $42,000 in in-kind filmmaking services, honoring emerging low-budget American independent filmmaking. This award was established in 2019 in memory of the film distribution executive Mark Urman, a longtime Montclair resident, and funded through Montclair Film’s Mark Urman Award Fund.
THE ANTIDOTE, directed by Kahane Cooperman and John Hoffman, took home the New Jersey Films Competition prize, with TWO GODS directed Zeshawn Ali awarded a Special Jury Prize for Cinematography. This category honors a select group of non-fiction films made by New Jersey artists.
A THOUSAND CUTS, directed by Ramona Diaz, took home the 6th Annual David Carr Award for Truth in Non-Fiction Filmmaking, which honors a filmmaker, selected by the festival, who utilizes journalistic techniques to explore important contemporary subjects and is presented in honor of Mr. Carr’s commitment to reporting on the media.
The Junior Jury, made up of thirteen area High School students representing twelve area schools, awarded their top prize to THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM, directed by Daniel Gordon, with a Special Jury Prize to Johan Johnsson For Excellence in Sound Design to I AM GRETA, directed by Nathan Grossman
Short Film Jury Awards
ANNA, directed by Dekel Berenson, won the festival’s inaugural Fiction Short Film Competition, with EXAM, directed by Sonia K. Hadad, awarded a Special Jury Prize for Narrative Excellence.
FEED THE BEARS, directed by Jessie Auritt, won the festival’s inaugural Documentary Short Film Competition.
GRAMERCY, directed by Jamil McGinnis and Pat Heywood, won the festival’s Inaugural New Jersey Shorts competition for Fiction, with the Non-Fiction Award given to VIRTUALLY FREE, directed by André Robert Lee. The Competition featured films in the fiction and non-fiction categories from New Jersey.
Audience Awards
The Audience Award for Fiction Feature was awarded to NOMADLAND, directed by Chloé Zhao
The Audience Award for Non-Fiction Feature was awarded to DEREK DELGAUDIO’S IN & OF ITSELF, directed by Frank Oz
The Audience Award for World Cinema was awarded to TWO OF US, directed by Filippo Meneghetti
The Audience Award for Short Film was awarded to LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE: THE SAMMY GLADDEN STORY, directed by Mackenzie Robertson