The 2023 Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) announced its 2023 Awards winners with Jury Awards for Best Feature going to Monster directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, and Best Feature Documentary to The Michoacán File directed by Bernardo Arsuaga. Monster also won Jury Awards for Best Screenplay for Yûji Sakamoto and Best Actor for Eita Nagayama.
The 24th edition of the festival was held from October 12-19, 2023, showcasing over 300 films from around the world.
The Newport Beach Film Festival celebrated outstanding achievement in film with its slate of 2023 honorees including Patricia Clarkson (Artist of Distinction Award), Jack Huston (Breakout Director Award), Phil Lord (Maverick Award) and Chris Miller (Maverick Award). The Festival honored Mark Ronson with its Outstanding Achievement in Music Award Todd Haynes was honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award, Jesse Williams was honored with the Arts Champion Award and Eugenio Derbez (Icon Award) and William Shatner (Legend Award) were both honored. Glenn Howerton (Artist of Distinction Award) was honored at the Festival’s Closing Night.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Best International Feature: “Radical”
Best U.S. Feature: “The Holdovers” & “Brave the Dark” (tie)
Best Action Sports Film: “One Way Ticket – The Story of Greg Lutzka”
Culinary Audience Award: “Food & Design”
Best Environmental Feature: “Green City Life”
Best Art, Architecture, & Design Feature: “Copyright Infringement”
Best Overall Documentary: “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” and “Remembering Gene Wilder” (tie)
Best Short Narrative: “Two for the Road”
Best Short Documentary: “Sincero”
Best Short Animation: “Aikane” and “Worry World” (tie)
Best Art, Architecture, & Design Short: “Barbara Rachko: True Grit”
Best Action Sports Short: “#MoCrazyStrong”
Best Irish Film: “Verdigris”
JURY AWARDS
Best Feature Documentary: “The Michoacán File”
Best Feature: “Monster”
Best Screenplay: Yûji Sakamoto (“Monster”)
Best Director: Guy Édoin (“Frontiers” / “Frontières”)
Best Cinematography: Narayan Van Maele (“Double Blind”)
Best Actor: Eita Nagayama (“Monster”)
Best Actress: Pascale Bussières (“Frontiers” / “Frontières”)
Best Short Narrative: “Dig Deeper”
Best Short Documentary: “Danceable”
Best Short Animation: “Inglorious Liaisons”
FESTIVAL HONORS
Outstanding Performance: Annette Bening (“Nyad”)
Outstanding Performance: Colman Domingo (“Rustin”)
Outstanding Feature Narrative: “American Fiction” – Cord Jefferson
Outstanding Screenplay: “American Fiction” – Cord Jefferson
Outstanding Documentary: “Immediate Family”
Outstanding Documentary: “Williams & Mansell: Red 5”
Outstanding International Documentary: “I Dream in Photos”
Outstanding Editing Feature: “American Fiction” – Hilda Rasula
Outstanding Editing Short: “Numan” – Salem Salavati
Outstanding Short Narrative: “A Wedding Day”
Outstanding Short Documentary: “Eat Flowers”
Outstanding Youth Short: “Ovaryacting”