26th Indie Memphis Film Festival Winners -'Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project' and Mountains Win Top Jury Awards

The 26th Indie Memphis Film Festival, announced this year’s award winners with top Jury Awards including Best Narrative Feature for Mountains (Dir. Monica Sorelle $1K cash prize), Best Documentary Feature to Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (Dirs. Joe Brewster & Michèle Stephenson, $1K cash prize), Best Hometowner Feature to The Spirit of Memphis (Dir. Alicia Ester, $1K cash prize), Best Departures Feature to La Bonga (Dirs. Sebastián Pinzón Silva & Canela Reyes, $500 cash prize), and Best Sounds Feature to Even Hell Has Its Heroes (Dir. Clyde Petersen, $500 cash prize), among others.

The festival also awarded two yet-to-be-produced short films with Indie Grant prizes: 55 South by Alicia Ester and Friend Shaped by Lo Norman.

The Festival Awards, decided by Indie Memphis Festival staff, include the Ron Tibbett ‘Soul of Southern Film’ award for Mississippi River Styx (Dirs. Andy McMillan, Tim Grant) and the Craig Brewer ‘Emerging Filmmaker’ award for Donna and Ally (Dir. Connor Mahony), among others.

2023 Indie Memphis Film Festival Award-Winners

Winners by category

Jury Awards

Narrative Features

Best Narrative Feature, MOUNTAINS (Dir. Monica Sorelle) – $1K Cash Prize
Duncan Williams Best Screenplay Award, THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED (Dir. Joanna Arnow) – $1K Cash Prize, sponsored by Duncan Williams, Inc.

Documentary Feature

Best Documentary Feature, GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT (Dirs. Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson) – $1K Cash Prize
Special Jury Mention, MISSISSIPPI RIVER STYX (Dirs. Andy McMillan, Tim Grant)

Hometowner

Best Hometowner Feature, SPIRIT OF MEMPHIS (Dir. Alicia Ester) – $1K Cash Prize
Best Hometowner Narrative Short, ETTO (Dir. Zaire Love) – $500 Cash Prize
Best Hometowner Documentary Short, SLICE (Dir. Zaire Love) – $500 Cash Prize

Departures

Best Departures Feature, LA BONGA (Dirs. Sebastián Pinzón Silva, Canela Reyes) – $500 Cash Prize
Best Departures Short, AMMA KI KATHA (Dir. Nehal Vyas)
Special Jury Mention, REJEITO (Dir. Pedro de Filippis)

Sounds

Best Sounds Feature, EVEN HELL HAS ITS HEROES (Dir. Clyde Petersen) – $500 Cash Prize
Best National Music Video, “SLUT” by POLLYANNA (Dir. Jasia Ka)
Best Hometowner Music Video, “IF YOU FEEL ALONE AT PARTIES” BY BLVCK HIPPIE (Dir. Lawrence Shaw)

Shorts

Best Narrative Short, BENEDICTION (Dir. Zandashé Brown) – $500 Cash Prize
Best Documentary Short, THIS IS NOT A SPORTS FILM (Dir. Lily Ahree Siegel) – $500 Cash Prize

IndieGrants

55 SOUTH by Alicia Ester- $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K in-kind filmmaking services)
FRIEND SHAPED by Lo Norman – $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K in-kind filmmaking services)