Indie Memphis Film Festival 2021 announce the award-winners with top Jury Award prizes – Best Narrative Feature for Nana Mensah’s Queen of Glory (winner of $1K cash prize), Best Documentary Feature for Nadia Szold’s Larry Flynt for President (winner of $1K cash prize) and Best Hometowner Feature for Zachary Barr and Peter Mortimer’s Reel Rock: Black Ice (winner of $1K cash prize).

The Audience Awards also went to Queen of Glory (Dir. Nana Mensah) for Narrative Feature, Larry Flynt for President (Dir. Nadia Szold) for Documentary Feature, Elder’s Corner (Dir. Siji Awoyinka) for Sounds Feature, North by Current (Dir. Angelo Madsen Minax) for Departures, and Reel Rock, Black Ice (Dirs. Zachary Barr + Peter Mortimer) for Hometowner Feature, among others.

The Festival Awards, decided by Indie Memphis Festival staff, went to the Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking Award for One of Ours (Dir. Yasmine Mathurin) and the Craig Brewer Emerging Filmmaker Award for Ferny & Luca (Dir. Andrew Infante), among others.

The festival also awarded two yet-to-be-produced short films with Indie Grant prizes: “I Am” (Dir. Jessica Chaney) and “Soil and Clay” (Dir. Emmanuel Amido). These films were chosen by a jury and were each awarded with a $15K total grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K in-kind filmmaking services).

2021 Indie Memphis Film Festival Award-Winners

Jury Awards

Narrative Features

Best Narrative Feature, QUEEN OF GLORY (Dir. Nana Mensah) – $1000 Cash Prize

Duncan Williams Best Screenplay Award, THE PILL (Dir. Franco Clarke) – $1000 Cash Prize

Special Jury Mention to Narrative Feature, Actors Anna Cobb (WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR) + Lauren Kelisha Muller (FERNY & LUCA)

Documentary Features

Best Documentary Feature, LARRY FLYNT FOR PRESIDENT (Dir. Nadia Szold) – $1,000 Cash Prize Presented by Classic American Hardwoods

Hometowner

Best Hometowner Feature, REEL ROCK: BLACK ICE (Dir. Zachary Barr, Peter Mortimer) – $1000 Cash Prize

Best Hometowner Narrative Short, “The Devil Will Run” (Dir. Noah Glenn) – $500 Cash Prize

Best Hometowner Documentary Short, “Nuestra” (Dir. Aaron Baggett) – $500 Cash Prize

Special Jury Mention, Hometowner Narrative Short, “Main Street” (Dir. Joshua Woodcock)

Special Jury Mention, Hometowner Documentary Short, “Letter to My Son” (Dirs. Brittany Butler + Joshua Woodcock)

Departures

Best Departures Feature, STE. ANNE (Dir. Rhayne Vermette) – $500 Cash Prize

Best Departures Short, “A Few Things I’m Beginning to Understand” by Xenia Matthews

Sounds

Best Sounds Feature, POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE (Dirs. Celeste Bell + Paul Sng) – $500 Cash Prize

Best National Music Video, “Hideaway” by Nîm (Dir. Etienne Fu-Le Saulnier)

Best Hometowner Music Video, “Brain Fluid” by Don Lifted (Dirs. Nubia Yasin + Joshua Cannon)

Shorts

Best Documentary Short, “You Can’t Stop Spirit” (Dir. Vashni Korin) – $500 Cash Prize

Best Narrative Short, “Cousins,” (Dir. Mandy Marcus) – $500 Cash Prize

Special Jury Mention, Documentary Short “Rebyrth” (Dir. Cydney Tucker)

Special Jury Mention for Actor Felix Alexis in “Last Summer on Bainbridge St”

Special Jury Mention for the Main Participant, Brandi, in “A Fine Girl” (Dir. Darcy McKinnon, BIliana Grozdanova)

IndieGrants

“I Am” (Dir. Jessica Chaney) – $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K In-Kind Filmmaking Services)

“Soil and Clay” (Dir. Emmanuel Amido) – $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K In-Kind Filmmaking Services)

Poster Design

Jury Award for Best Poster Design, JUJU STORIES (Dirs. Michael Omonua, Abba Makama, + C.J. Obasi)

Festival Awards

Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking

ONE OF OURS (Dir. Yasmine Mathurin)

Craig Brewer Emerging Filmmaker

FERNY & LUCA (Dir. Andrew Infante)

Vision Award

Mark Jones

Indie Award

Jason Thibodeaux

Best After Dark Short

“I’m So Sorry” by Chester Toye – $500 Cash Prize

Audience Awards

Narrative Feature
QUEEN OF GLORY (Dir. Nana Mensah)

Documentary Feature
LARRY FLYNT FOR PRESIDENT (Dir. Nadia Szold)

Sounds Feature
ELDER’S CORNER (Dir. Siji Awoyinka)

Departures
NORTH BY CURRENT (Dir. Angelo Madsen Minax)

Hometowner Feature
REEL ROCK: BLACK ICE (Dirs. Zachary Barr + Peter Mortimer)

National Narrative Short
“Desperate LA” (Dir. Jeanetta Rich)

National Doc Short
“You Can’t Stop Spirit” (Dir. Vashni Korin)

Departures Short
“A Few Things I’m Beginning to Understand” (Dir. Xenia Matthews)

Hometowner Narrative Short
“The Devil Will Run” (Dir. Noah Glenn)

Hometowner Documentary Short
“Firebird Rising” (Dirs. David Roseberry + Jordan Danelz)

Hometowner Music Video
“Buzzsaw Kick” by Idi X Teco (Dirs: Jordan Danelz + Sharrika Evans)

National Music Video
“Fire” by Fimone (Dir. Fimone)