The Coronado Island Film Festival wrapped with its signature event, the Leonard Maltin Industry Awards Gala, and winners of this year’s filmmaker awards included Tom Huang’s Dealing with Dad taking the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Film, and Chris Haigh’s Song for Hope – The Ryan Anthony Story winning the Jury Prize for Best Documentary, as well as the film festival’s coveted Emerald Award, which included a cash prize of $5000.
The Audience Awards were topped by Maria Schrader’s She Said (Best Narrative Feature) and Denny Tedesco’s Immediate Family (Best Documentary Feature). The list of honorees included Geena Davis, Jacqueline Bisset, Ron Shelton, Elegance Bratton, Charles Fox, and Vanessa Roth.
Coronado Island Film Festival Executive Director Merridee Book, said, “We took another step this year in our growth as a prime destination film festival where filmmakers, especially independent filmmakers, have an opportunity to have their work seen by veteran producers, executives, and top film industry influencers, alongside our film loving audiences. Our award-winning films and our honorees have their work and careers celebrated against the backdrop of Hollywood’s beautiful home away from home a bridge ride across the bay from San Diego. Each year, we become less and less of a ‘best kept secret’ and more and more of the fest you don’t want to miss in November.”
The Dale St. Denis Female Filmmaker Awards were presented by Coronado Island Film Festival’s Founder and Board Chair Doug St. Denis, and they were capped by the announcement of Vanessa Roth, Laura Morton’s documentary Anxious Nation, as the winner of the Fearless Female Filmmaker Award. The award also came with a cash prize of $2000).
2022 Coronado Island Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
FEATURE FILM JURY AWARDS
BEST NARRATIVE
Dealing with Dad
Director: Tom Huang
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Song For Hope – The Ryan Anthony Story
Director: Chris Haigh
SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM
Bus Girl
Director: Jessica Henwick
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Nice To Meet You All
Director: Guen Murroni
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
When I Get Grown-Reflections of a Freedom Rider
Director: Chris Preitauer
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
Into Dust
Director: Orlando von Einsiedel
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
Sandstorm (Mulaqat)
Director: Seemab Gul
JURY CASH AWARDS
DR. GEORGE M. SANGER STUDENT FILM AWARDS
BEST ANIMATION SHORT
Louis I. King of the Sheep (Louis 1er Roi des Moutons)
Director: Markus Wulf
The Night of the Living Dread
Director: Ida Melum
STUDENT GRAND PRIZE AWARD
El Carrito
Director: Zahida Pirani
BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Pete the Pond
Director: Will Clothier
BEST ANIMATED STUDENT SHORT FILM
The Most Boring Granny in the World
Director: Damaris Zielke
BEST HIGH SCHOOL FILM
The Oubliette
Director: Max Hendrickson
HIGH SCHOOL AWARD
Miyeok-Guk
Directors: Yezy Suh, Meia Voss, Alexis Applebaum, Michael Gutierrez
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 min
DALE ST. DENIS FEMALE FILMMAKER AWARDS
FEARLESS FEMALE FILMMAKER AWARD
Anxious Nation
Directors: Vanessa Roth, Laura Morton
MARY PICKFORD AWARD
Bus Girl
Director: Jessica Henwick
FRANCIS MARION AWARD
Sandstorm (Mulaqat)
Director: Seemab Gul
EMERALD AWARD
Song For Hope – The Ryan Anthony Story
Director: Chris Haigh
HONORABLE MENTION
Flying Fur
Directors: Alicia Wszelaki, Matthew Nothelfer
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
She Said
Director: Maria Schrader
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Immediate Family
Director: Denny Tedesco
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Yellow Wallpaper
Director: Ricky Rhodes
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
When I Get Grown-Reflections of a Freedom Rider
Director: Chris Preitauer
BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT
Table for 3 (Mesa para 3)
Directors: Ålvaro G. Company, Meka Ribera
BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Freedom Swimmer
Director: Olivia Martin-McGuire
BEST LOCAL FILM
Sole Trail
Directors: Daniel M. Dyer, Petey Dyer
BEST ANIMATION
A Cartoon of a Cat Sleeping
Director: Randall Christopher
BEST EMERGING FILMMAKER – TIE
Little White Shadows
Director: Ayannah Love
The Pomegranate Tree
Director: Kanika Vora