20,000 Species of Bees directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren won the Outstanding First Feature award at the 47th Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival. In the film, an eight-year-old child struggles with the fact that people keep addressing her in confusing ways. Frameline presents the annual juried Outstanding First Feature Award to a notable narrative feature from an emerging voice in LGBTQ+ cinema.
The Outstanding Documentary Feature prize went to Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project directed by Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster. The jury said, “This visually poetic portrait of an enigmatic literary icon masterfully weaves archival materials with observational footage to celebrate Nikki Giovanni and her importance to black artistic expression and American culture today.”
In selecting the film, the jury commented, “Working in naturalistic, richly human tones, director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren movingly depicts female and childhood identity quests and the importance of acceptance among family, combining warmth and character in this quietly powerful debut set in Spain’s Basque country.”
Voted on by Frameline47 audience members, the Audience Awards for Narrative Feature went to The Origin of Evil directed by Sébastien Marnier; and Documentary Feature went to Who I Am Not directed by Tünde Skovrán
Following the annual Award Ceremony, the festival formally wrapped with a screening of Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, directed by Oscar-winning duo Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Celluloid Closet).
“No matter the metric, Frameline47 was a resounding success,” says James Woolley, Executive Director of Frameline. “We are proud to be California’s largest film festival, and the achievement means all the more because we are a celebration of queer cinema. Despite the changing moviegoing landscape, Frameline embodies the resilience of the larger LGBTQ+ community. We’ve not only adapted, but grown. Seeing that realized in numerous sold-out Castro Theatre showings was truly remarkable.”
Filmmaker Awards
This resolve can also be seen in Frameline47’s dedication to supporting young filmmakers; the recently announced 2023 Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Grants have provided a staggering $45,000 in funding to three talented filmmakers: Daisy Friedman (As You Are), Karina Dandashi (Cousins), and Emilio Subía (Ñaños). These grants are generously underwritten by the Colin Higgins Foundation, which is named after the late Colin Higgins, the acclaimed screenwriter and director responsible for such classic films as Harold and Maude, 9 to 5, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Frameline is also committed to supporting queer and trans filmmakers at other stages of their careers. Presented during the Festival, the Out in the Silence Award, which provides $5,000 to the selected filmmaker, honors an outstanding film project that highlights brave acts of visibility, especially in places where such acts are rare and unexpected. This year, Frameline honored Babatunde Apalowo, the director of the Nigerian gay romance All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White.
Frameline47 Juried Awards
Outstanding First Feature Award
Outstanding First Feature ($2,500): 20,000 Species of Bees directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Honorable Mention for First Feature: Big Boys, directed by Corey Sherman
Additional Juried Awards
Outstanding Documentary Feature ($2,500): Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project directed by Michèle Stephenson & Joe Brewster
Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature: Every Body directed by Julie Cohen
Outstanding Narrative Short ($750): The Cutest and Funniest Animals in the World directed by Renato Sircilli
Outstanding Documentary Short ($750): Ob Scene directed by Paloma Orlandini Castro
Frameline47 Audience Awards
Narrative Feature ($1,500): The Origin of Evil directed by Sébastien Marnier
Documentary Feature ($1,500): Who I Am Not directed by Tünde Skovrán