Tapawingo is the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Overall Feature Film of the Year along with Best Director for Dylan Narang, at the 13th Richmond International Film Festival which ran September 24-29, 2024. The film starring Jon Heder and Billy Zane also won Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature, Best Ensemble Cast: U.S, Best Casting and Best Editing.
This year, the festival included 175 Official Selection films from 29 countries plus 30 live music performances throughout the week.
2024 Richmond International Film Festival Award Winners
2024 OVERALL GRAND JURY AWARDS FOR FILM
2024 GRAND JURY PRIZE
BEST OVERALL FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
presented to TAPAWINGO by Dylan Narang
2024 GRAND JURY PRIZE
BEST OVERALL SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR
presented to KEEPERS by Paul Emile
2024 Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature: A Bridge to Life by Chris Farina
2024 Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature: Tapawingo by Dylan Narang
2024 Audience Choice Award for Best Short: There and Back Again by Will Allen-DuPraw
2024 Audience Choice Award for Best Music Artist: Kyle Davis
2024 Best of Festival Film Awards
2024 Best of Festival For Narrative Feature
Best Drama: Cold Sigh directed by Nahid Sedigh (Iran)
Best Sci-fi: Saturn directed by Eric Esau (U.S.)
Best Comedy: Bonjour Switzerland directed by Peter Luisi (Switzerland)
2024 Best of Festival Documentary Feature
(U.S.)
The Cigarette Surfboard directed by Ben Judkins
(INTERNATIONAL)|
Last Stop Before Chocolate Mountain directed by Susanna Della Sala (Italy)
2024 Best of Festival Narrative Short
(U.S.)
Best Drama: Stalking the Bogeyman directed by Markus Potter, Jack Dorfman
Best Horror: The Unquiet Dead directed by John Gray
Best Thriller: Leaving Yellowstone directed by Kayla Arend
Best Comedy: Seeking Stepdad directed by Keenan O’Reilly
(INTERNATIONAL)
I’m Not a Robot directed by Victoria Warmerdam (Netherlands)
2024 Best of Festival Animated Short
Tako Tsubo directed by Fanny Sorgo, Eva Pedroza
2024 Best of Festival Documentary Short
Ultimate Citizens directed by Francine Strickwerda
2024 Best of Festival Experimental Short
Resonancia directed by James Choi
2024 Best of Festival Music Video
Who to Love directed by Giorgio Testi
2024 Best of Festival Episodic
Cyberfarm directed by Sergey Vasiliev
2024 SCREENWRITING FEATURE GENRE WINNERS
2024 GRAND JURY PRIZE BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
presented to LARK by Matilda Corley Schulman
2024 GRAND JURY PRIZE BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY
presented to SUPERMAN DOESN’T STEAL by Tamika Lamison
2024 GRAND JURY PRIZE BEST TELEPLAY
presented to THE AGE OF THE EMPATH by Steve Brown
Best Original Drama Screenplay: VIVIAN written by David J. Woll
Best Original Sci-fi Screenplay: SANDSTORM written by Terry Podnar
Best Original Comedy Screenplay: SUPERLAME written by Darren Moran
2024 LEGACY AWARD
Chris Farina & William Washington for A Bridge to Life for
Excellence in Film & Community Leadership.
2024 FOUNDERS AWARD
Pat Collins
Excellence in Film & Industry Leadership
2024 PIONEER AWARD
Ben Judkins for The Cigarette Surfboard
Special Tribute Awards:
Caroline Aaron, 4th Dementia (U.S.) directed by Ian Wexler
Judit Pogány, Coda (International) directed by Joshua Elias Palmer
2024 OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL MERIT AWARDS
Best Director:
(US) Tapawingo directed by Sanjiv Narang
(International) Cold Sigh directed by Nahid Sedigh
Best Actor in Lead Role (For a Feature): Barry Ward, That They May Face the Rising Sun
For Short: Ellen Parren, I Am Not a Robot
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Feature: Vincent Kucholl, Bonjour Switzerland
Short: Marie Bunel, Our Futures
Best Ensemble Cast: U.S. & INTERNATIONAL –
(U.S.)
Jon Heder, Jay Pichardo, Pat Metheny, Kim Matula, Amanda Bearse, John Ratzenberger, Gina Gershon, Billy Zane, Chris Gethard, Luke Barnett, Mike Beaver for Tapawingo
(International)
Barry Ward, Anna Bederke, Ruth McCabe, Lalor Roddy, Sean McGinley, Phillip Dolan, John Oloha & Brendan Conroy, for That They May Face the Rising Sun
Best Original Screenplay: Peter Luisi & Beat Schlatter, Bonjour Switzerland
Best Cinematography:
(US) Matt Lowe for Saturn
(International) Masoud Amini Tirani for Cold Sigh
Best Score/Music: Ben Bell & Jemima Orme for Between the Lights
Best Trio Performance: Amanda Malmberg, Isak Bruno & Elisabeth Ehde Torbjörnsdotter for Sugar Experiment
Breakthru Actor: Elijah Maximus for Saturn
Breakthru Ensemble: Chloe Sutterfield, Alexander Jesus Burgos, Ariana Caldwell & Havon Baraka for Pulling Threads
Breakthrough Director: Sadie Bones for If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing
Best Production Design: Anna Esau & Ali Dulavin for Saturn
Best Casting (US): Allen Hooper for Tapawingo
Best Casting (International): Bonjour Switzerland
Best Editing: Rex Teese, Tapawingo
FOR SHORT FILMS: INDIVIDUAL MERIT AWARDS
Best Director: Keepers directed by Paul Emile
Best Editing: Michiel Boesveldt for I’m Not a Robot
Best Cinematography: Eric Stumpf and Marcus Goldbas for Keepers directed by Paul Emile
Best Ensemble or Duo: Khary Payton & Jackson Abram for Hoteling directed by Ryan Buffa
Best Production Design: Kat Easto for Chairs directed by Jean-Pascal Beintus
Best Original Score: Jean-Pascal Beintus for Chairs directed by James Hughes
Best Screenplay:
The Masterpiece (International) written by Lluis Quilez
The Uniform (U.S.) written and directed by Dylan Gary
Outstanding Merit for Film & Innovative Health: I Feel Fine directed by Hailey Spicer & Austin Spicer
Outstanding Merit for Civic Action: Our Movement Starts Here directed by John Rash & Melanie Dang Ho
Indie Spirit Award: Him directed by Rebecca Wahls
Latin Heritage Makers Award: A Family Drama directed by Nadia Zoe
Legacy Heritage Makers Award: I Wanted to be a Man with a Gun directed by William Farley
Asian American Heritage Award: She Marches in Chinatown directed by Della Chen
Best Virginia Film:
Short: Free Beer directed by Eric Vinyard
Feature: A Time to Yell: More Than a Statue directed by Eric Newman & Dan Levin
Reel South PBS Award
SPACE COAST by Justin Barber
Outstanding ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM & MUSIC:
THE SMOOCH MOB (Mark Ingraham and Jimmy Budd)
BEST OF FEST MUSIC AWARDS
2024 SINGER SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Kyle Davis
2024 BEST ROCK BAND
The J.O.B.
2024 BEST FOLK POP
Mary Moore
2024 BEST R & B and RAP
Alexander Mack
2024 BEST ALTERNATIVE BAND
Kim Logan and the Silhouettes
2024 CRITICS CHOICE AWARD
Excellence in Music & Performance
Ruben Bertrands
2024 ICON ARTIST AWARD
Rodney Stith & The Soul Foundation
2024 BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Honey Ironic
2024 EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Holly Danae