The 2015 Los Cabos International Film Festival presented its award prizes to the winning films of the two Official Selection competitions –México Primero and Competencia Los Cabos– and the ones participating in the Industry platforms –Cabos in Progress and Cabos Discovery. In addition, The Protagonist Award: Excellence in Acting was given to Ewan McGregor.
PARALLEL PRIZES
The Cabos Discovery CTT EXP & Rentals Award was presented to Paulina del Paso for her film A flor de piel (Skin Deep).
The Cabos in Progress Chemistry Award was presented by Chemistry Director Andrés Martínez to Sebastián Hiriart for Carroña (Carrion)
The Cabos in Progress FOX+ Award was presented to the film La habitación (The bedroom) directed by Carlos Carrera, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Carlos Bolado, Ernesto Contreras, Alfonso Pineda Ulloa, Alejandro Valle, Iván Ávila Dueñas and Natalia Beristáin.
In addition, the Producers Network Badge Award was given to Mayra Espinosa, producer of the film Calla (Keep Quiet), presented in the Cabos Discovery platform.
Among the parallel prizes awarded to the Official Selection competing films, the México Primero Art Kingdom Award was presented to Jack Zagha for his film Almacenados (Warehoused).
The México Primero FOX+ Award was given to Alejandra Márquez’ Semana Santa.
INDUSTRY AWARDS
Jessica Sanders’ Picking Cotton received the Cabos Discovery Award.
Ricardo Silva’s El Fracaso received the Cabos in Progress Award.
OFFICIAL SELECTION AWARDS
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) presented its Best Mexican Film Award to Te prometo anarquía (I Promise You Anarchy), directed by Julio Hernández Cordón. (pictured above)
México Primero – Cinemex Award for the Best Film was presented to Julio Hernández Cordón for Te prometo anarquía (I Promise You Anarchy).
And the Competencia Los Cabos Cinemex Award winner was Lenny Abrahamson’s Room.
The Cinemex Audience Award was also given to Room, by Lenny Abrahamson.
THE 2015 PROTAGONIST AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ACTING
The 2015 Protagonist Award for Excellence in Acting was given to Ewan McGregor.Terry P.
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“I Promise You Anarchy,” “Room,” Ewan McGregor Among Award Winners of 2015 Los Cabos International Film Festival
The 2015 Los Cabos International Film Festival presented its award prizes to the winning films of the two Official Selection competitions –México Primero and Competencia Los Cabos– and the ones participating in the Industry platforms –Cabos in Progress and Cabos Discovery. In addition, The Protagonist Award: Excellence in Acting was given to Ewan McGregor.
PARALLEL PRIZES
The Cabos Discovery CTT EXP & Rentals Award was presented to Paulina del Paso for her film A flor de piel (Skin Deep).
The Cabos in Progress Chemistry Award was presented by Chemistry Director Andrés Martínez to Sebastián Hiriart for Carroña (Carrion)
The Cabos in Progress FOX+ Award was presented to the film La habitación (The bedroom) directed by Carlos Carrera, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Carlos Bolado, Ernesto Contreras, Alfonso Pineda Ulloa, Alejandro Valle, Iván Ávila Dueñas and Natalia Beristáin.
In addition, the Producers Network Badge Award was given to Mayra Espinosa, producer of the film Calla (Keep Quiet), presented in the Cabos Discovery platform.
Among the parallel prizes awarded to the Official Selection competing films, the México Primero Art Kingdom Award was presented to Jack Zagha for his film Almacenados (Warehoused).
The México Primero FOX+ Award was given to Alejandra Márquez’ Semana Santa.
INDUSTRY AWARDS
Jessica Sanders’ Picking Cotton received the Cabos Discovery Award.
Ricardo Silva’s El Fracaso received the Cabos in Progress Award.
OFFICIAL SELECTION AWARDS
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) presented its Best Mexican Film Award to Te prometo anarquía (I Promise You Anarchy), directed by Julio Hernández Cordón. (pictured above)
México Primero – Cinemex Award for the Best Film was presented to Julio Hernández Cordón for Te prometo anarquía (I Promise You Anarchy).
And the Competencia Los Cabos Cinemex Award winner was Lenny Abrahamson’s Room.
The Cinemex Audience Award was also given to Room, by Lenny Abrahamson.
THE 2015 PROTAGONIST AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ACTING
The 2015 Protagonist Award for Excellence in Acting was given to Ewan McGregor.
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2015 Cork Film Festival Award Winners; TANGERINE Wins Best Film
Tangerine won the prize for best feature film, Gradam Spiorad na Féile / Spirit of the Festival Award at the 60th edition of the Cork Film Festival. Sean Baker’s feature is a twisted, high-energy Christmas tale, which casts an unflinching and comical eye on LA’s sex industry and trans community.
UK / Ukranian documentary The Russian Woodpecker was selected as the winner of the inaugural Gradam na Féile do Scannáin Faisnéise / Award for Cinematic Documentary. Described as an original and terrifying look at the legacy of the Soviet Union, it was directed by Chad Gracia. This new award, which carries a €1,000 prize, was chosen by a jury chaired by Claire Aguilar, Sheffield DocFest’s Director of Programming and Industry Engagement.
Irish short film Love is a Sting is in with a chance of Oscars® glory, after being selected as the Grand Prix Irish short film winner. Vincent Gallagher’s film will go forward to the Academy Awards® longlist in the Live Action Short Film / Animated Short Film category. The Cork Film Festival achieved the status of Academy Award® Qualifying Festival last year.
The film follows struggling writer Harold Finch, played by Séan T. Ó Meallaigh, who has an unexpected house guest in the form of Anabel – a hyper-intelligent mosquito who has literally been the fly on the wall throughout history. She is determined to communicate to Harold even if it kills her.
The Finland/Denmark-made short film Listen, was chosen as the winner of the Grand Prix International and will also go forward to the Oscars ®longlist. Listen takes place in a Copenhagen police station where a woman wearing a burqa is filing a complaint for domestic violence but her translator is unwilling to report her story.
Jonas Carpignano’s acclaimed Mediterranea – a gripping and humanizing film about the refugee crisis – was chosen as the Cork nomination to the European Parliament’s LUX Film Prize.
Romanian feature film Aferim! – Radu Jude’s Berlin Film Festival’s Silver Bear winner – won the Youth Jury Award. Naomi Kawase’s drama An – about a 75 year old Japanese woman who starts work as an assistant in a pastry kiosk – was selected as the winner of the Audience Award.
Complete list of 2015 Cork Film Festival Award Winners
Grand Prix Irish
Love is a Sting (Ireland)
Grand Prix International
Listen (Finland/Denmark)
Cork Short Award
The Great Wide Open (Cork)
Gradam Spiorad na Féile/Spirit of the Festival Award
Tangerine (US)
Gradam na Féile do Scannáin Faisnéise/Award for Cinematic Documentary
The Russian Woodpecker (UK/Ukraine)
European Parliament LUX Film Prize
Mediterranea (US)
Youth Jury Award
Aferim! ( Romania)
Cork Film Festival Nomination for the 2016 European Film Academy
90 Degrees North (Germany)
Audience Award
An – Red Bean Paste (Japan/France/Germany)
Irish Music Video Award
Bob Gallagher for Girl Band’s Paul
International Music Video Award
Eric Teidt for Simon Fagan’s Lost to the Deep
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Actors Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Carlyle to be Honored at 2015 Whistler Film Festival
Actors Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Carlyle will be honored at the upcoming 15th anniversary 2015 Whistler Film Festival taking place December 2 to 6, 2015.
British-born Canadian actor, film producer, and film director Kiefer Sutherland will be honored with the WFF 2015 Trailblazer in Acting Award presented to an actor who “has carved a unique and inspiring path for themselves in film and who continues to engage audiences with meaningful and impactful work,” followed by the Western Canadian Premiere of his latest film FORSAKEN. Sutherland joins forces with ‘24’ director Jon Cassar on FORSAKEN starring opposite his father Donald Sutherland and Demi Moore, receiving its Western Canadian premiere at the fest and set to release in February 2016.
Scottish born Robert Carlyle will be honored with the WFF 2015 Maverick Award. WFF will celebrate the “exciting and versatile actor whose bold choices have led to the creation of some of the most dynamic, memorable, and beloved characters of our time.” The Whistler Film Festival will screen his feature film directorial debut THE LEGEND OF BARNEY THOMSON, which is receiving its North American premiere at the festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG1i5T1XU-Q
Other notable talent confirmed with films premiering at the fest include: actor Rossif Sutherland (RIVER), actors Bruce Greenwood and David Cubitt (REHEARSAL), actors Katharine Isabelle, Tommie-Amber Pirie and Ennis Esmer (HOW TO PLAN AN ORGY IN A SMALL TOWN), director/writer Sandy Wilson and producer Peter O’Brian (MY AMERICAN COUSIN), actors Aleks Paunovic, Stefanie von Pfetten, Marie Avgeropoulos, and Colin Cunningham (NUMB), actor Fred Ewanuick (PATTERSON’S WAGER), actor Sage Brocklebank (SUSPENSION), actors Gabrielle Rose and Camille Sullivan (THE BIRDWATCHER), actors Enrico Colantoni and Krista Bridges (THE COLOSSAL FAILURE OF THE MODERN RELATIONSHIP), actor Paul Savoie (THE DIARY OF AN OLD MAN), director and founder of the Toronto Film Critics Association Brian D. Johnson (AL PURDY WAS HERE), and award-winning directors Philippe Lesage (THE DEMONS) and Ricardo Trogi (THE MIRAGE).
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LAND AND SHADE, JAMES WHITE, MA, MUSTANG Among Winning Films at AFI FEST 2015
AFI FEST 2015 revealed the feature and short films receiving the Jury and Audience Awards. The New Auteurs Grand Jury Award was presented to LAND AND SHADE (pictured above), while DISORDER received a Special Jury Mention for Direction, and DESDE ALLÁ received a Special Jury Mention for Screenplay. This year’s Audience Award recipients in the New Auteurs, World Cinema and Breakthrough sections included MUSTANG, JAMES WHITE and MA.
The complete list of award winners of AFI FEST 2015
NEW AUTEURS AWARDS
New Auteurs Grand Jury Award: LAND AND SHADE (DIR César Augusto Acevedo)
Jury Statement: “For its visual eloquence, formal rigor and emotional power, the New Auteurs Grand Jury Award goes to LAND AND SHADE. Its observations of economic exploitation and environmental degradation are as incisive as its characters are fully realized. Writer/director César Augusto Acevedo’s debut feature is an indelible portrait of a family in rural Colombia, told with unwavering compassion and Bressonian grace.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG3citOqODI
Special Jury Mention for Direction: DISORDER (DIR Alice Winocour)
Jury Statement: “For the taut and muscular direction of her viscerally entertaining thriller DISORDER, the jury recognizes writer/director Alice Winocour with a Special Jury Mention. Through precise execution of her material, Winocour subverts expectations commonly associated with genre films to deliver a bracing experience that stuns and surprises.”
Special Jury Mention for Screenplay: DESDE ALLÁ (DIR/SCR Lorenzo Vigas)
Jury Statement: “A tense, sensitive and unpredictable exploration of an improbable but emotionally believable relationship, the screenplay for DESDE ALLÁ merits a Special Jury Mention for its heartbreaking characters and its keen insights into the prejudices, alienation, social divides and desperate need for control that allow love to both bloom and wither.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGxY3tu9mDg
GRAND JURY AWARDS, LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED SHORT
Grand Jury winners in the Shorts categories are eligible for Academy Award® consideration.
Grand Jury Award for Live Action Short: BOYS (DIR Isabella Carbonell)
Jury Statement: “This film tackles the abominable with courage, confidence and dignity. It shows us humanity in the places where we would least expect to find it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woFhYCviwBw
Grand Jury Award for Animated Short: WORLD OF TOMORROW (DIR Don Hertzfeldt)
Jury Statement: “Funny. Scary. Heartbreaking. Original. And beautiful. This film hit us all hard.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdV1uFwtCpo
Live Action Short Special Mention for Innovative Storytelling: RATE ME (DIR Fyzal Boulifa)
Jury Statement: “This film pushes the boundaries not only of filmmaking technique but also social convention.”
Live Action Short Special Mention for Nonfiction Filmmaking: The Reagan Shorts — RONALD REAGAN LIGHTS THE LIGHTS, RONALD REAGAN PARDONS A TURKEY, MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION INTERVIEWS THE REAGANS (DIR Pacho Velez)
Jury Statement: “By selecting and editing these gems from years worth of archival footage, these shorts shine a light on the marriage of politics and performance.”
Animated Short Special Jury Mention for Screenwriting: TEETH (DIRS Tom Brown, Daniel Gray)
Jury Statement: “This film has many merits, but we were struck most by its sharp wit, character and spirit.”
Animated Short Special Jury Mention for Creative Vision: MANOMAN (DIR Simon Cartwright)
Jury Statement: “This film creates a world unlike any we’ve seen before. It was a privilege to have been invited in.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTcRhCejC-4
AUDIENCE AWARDS
World Cinema Audience Award: LANDFILL HARMONIC (DIRS Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley, Juliana Penaranda-Loftus)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCjbd21fYV8
New Auteurs Audience Award: MUSTANG (DIR Deniz Gamze Ergüven)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU9JAN8LtIk
American Independents Audience Award: JAMES WHITE (DIR Josh Mond)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1aVC6LJ3uc
Breakthrough Audience Award: MA (DIR Celia Rowlson-Hall)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl6DrZCxid4
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CENSORED VOICES Wins Inaugural Bob Simon Award at the Other Israel Film Festival
Censored Voices is the winner of the inaugural Bob Simon Award at the 9th Annual Other Israel Film Festival. The award honors the legendary journalist’s intrepid reporting on Israel and the Middle East, and presented to the film that best captures Simon’s courageous spirit.
Already a winner of the Ophir Award, Israel’s equivalent of the Academy Awards, for Best Documentary, Censored Voices presents, for the first time ever, the uncensored recordings of intimate conversations between Israeli soldiers and renowned author Amos Oz immediately following the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel captured Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. The film will be released theatrically via Music Box Films on November 20.
Journalist Bob Simon was a long-time friend and supporter of the Festival. The award was created to honor his spirit and legacy of ethical reporting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oB8EFlf4-M
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SOUND OF REDEMPTION: THE FRANK MORGAN STORY About Sax Player Frank Morgan Sets December Release Date | TRAILER
SOUND OF REDEMPTION: THE FRANK MORGAN STORY, a feature documentary about gifted alto sax player and Charlie Parker’s protégé, Frank Morgan, will open in New York at The IFC Center on December 2nd, and in Los Angeles at Laemmle on December 18th.
Directed by N.C. Heikin, SOUND OF REDEMPTION: THE FRANK MORGAN STORY is packed with music.
Morgan fell hard into heroin and got to be almost as good a conman and thief as he was a musician in order to feed his habit. The habit cost him 30 years of his life in and out of prison, most of it at San Quentin, where he performed in a big band with fellow junkie jazz musicians that grew famous in the Bay Area. To bring the past into present, director NC Heikin and writer Michael Connelly (THE LINCOLN LAWYER) brought an all-star band together into the “Q” for a concert. This hyper-emotional event forms the backbone of this riveting film.
Filmmaker NC Heikin began her career at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in New York and went on to work on and off Broadway as an actress, singer and director. She has written screenplays for Disney and Paramount as well as French TV networks. In 2004, she made her directing debut with her prize-winning short, mañana. Her first documentary, Kimjongilia, about North Korean refugees, premiered at Sundance, won the One World Brussels Best Film 2010, and has been seen all over the world. Heikin’s stage play, LATE, is in casting for a premiere in Paris next season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRRITxoJtQk
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BOUNCE: HOW THE BALL TAUGHT THE WORLD TO PLAY, Documentary Exploring Origins of Sport, to NY Premiere at DOC NYC | TRAILER
BOUNCE: HOW THE BALL TAUGHT THE WORLD TO PLAY, a new feature documentary by filmmaker Jerome Thélia exploring the nature and origins of sport, will have its New York Premiere at DOC NYC on Monday at 7:30 pm.
Inspired by the book, The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game by John Fox
From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, BOUNCE: HOW THE BALL TAUGHT THE WORLD TO PLAY explores the little-known origins of our favorite sports. The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, BOUNCE: HOW THE BALL TAUGHT THE WORLD TO PLAY removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8UyRUrb6KM
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SXSW Hit NIGHT OWLS Starring Adam Pally to Be Released December 4
The South By Southwest hit NIGHT OWLS will be released theatrically in select markets on December 4, 2015 by FilmBuff and Orion Releasing. The Charles Hood directed romantic comedy stars Adam Pally (Happy Endings, The Mindy Project, Iron Man 3) and Rosa Salazar (Parenthood, The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials) with additional performances by Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep), Rob Huebel (Transparent, The Descendants) and Peter Krause (Six Feet Under, Parenthood).
NIGHT OWLS centers around workaholic Kevin (Adam Pally) who goes home with the beautiful train-wreck Madeline (Rosa Salazar) for a drunken one night stand, and is then horrified to discover she’s actually his boss’ jilted ex-mistress. After Madeline takes a bottle of sleeping pills, Kevin is forced to keep her awake all night. As Madeline and Kevin banter through the night, they begin to fall for each other.
“I am so proud of this film and excited to have the opportunity to share it with a larger audience”, said director Charles Hood. “We feel that Orion and FilmBuff are the perfect fit for releasing NIGHT OWLS and we’re looking forward to the road ahead.”
NIGHT OWLS is written by Seth Goldsmith and Charles Hood and produced by Toby Louie. Jordana Mollick, Brendan Bragg, Jesse Hara, Mauricio Betancur and Kevin Mann of Haven Entertainment serve as Executive producers on the project. NIGHT OWLS will open in select theaters on December 4, 2015, and will be available on all major On Demand platforms the day after, including Amazon Instant Video, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Google Play, iTunes, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS, Vudu, and Xbox.
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Horror Crime Thriller THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS, Produced by Wes Craven, to Get a Spring 2016 Release
Nick Simon’s horror crime thriller THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS which had its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival will be released in the US via Vertical Entertainment. THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS stars Kal Penn, Claudia Lee, Kenny Wormald, Toby Hemingway, Luke Baines, Miranda Rae Mayo, Katharine Isabelle, and Mitch Pileggi, and was executive produced by Nawaf Alghanim and horror legend Wes Craven as his last credit before he passed this summer.
Vertical plans on a Spring 2016 theatrical release.
In THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS, big-city glamour clashes with small-town values when a celebrity photographer and his entourage descend upon a sleepy community to investigate the bloody doings of a serial killer.
“This film drew inspiration from my deep love of horror films in my childhood, and I wanted to make a horror film that I would want to see as a fan of the genre. We got down to one of the most important elements of a classic horror film: the thrill of being scared and not knowing what is around the corner or, worse yet, knowing exactly what is around the corner,” said filmmaker Nick Simon. “I am excited to work with Vertical Entertainment on the release campaign, and I am beyond grateful to everyone who had a hand in getting this film made, especially my mentor, Wes Craven. This film is dedicated to his memory; it was an absolute dream come true to have collaborated with Wes and also renowned cinematographer Dean Cundey. I have been humbled by their kindness and passion for telling this story with me.”
And in a 2014 statement from Wes Craven attributed to him during the development stage for the film: “Sometimes you read a script and you just know. From first draft to final cut, Nick has told a unique story that will leave you wondering: Is it always good to be noticed? It has been a pleasure to work with Nick from his days in my WGA mentor group to picture lock. You’ll be hearing from him again.”
THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS was directed by Nick Simon; written by Osgood Perkins, Robert Morast, and Nick Simon; executive produced by Wes Craven and Nawaf Alghanim; and produced by Thomas Mahoney and Andrea Chung, with cinematography by Dean Cundey, editing by Michael Griffin, production design by Eric Fraser, and music by Nima Fakhrara. The film was made by Alghanim Entertainment.
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CARTEL LAND, MERU Leads Nominations for 9th Cinema Eye Honors awards for Nonfiction Filmmaking
Cartel Land, Matthew Heineman’s gripping account of violence and vigilantes on both sides of the US-Mexico border, led the nominations for 9th Cinema Eye Honors awards for Nonfiction Filmmaking, with five nominations, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature. It is joined in the top category by Asif Kapadia’s Amy, Camilla Neilsson’s Democrats, Stevan Riley’s Listen to Me Marlon, Crystal Moselle’s The Wolfpack and Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence. The latter, which received four nominations, and Cartel Land were the only films nominated for Outstanding Feature, Direction, Production and Cinematography.
Other films that received multiple nominations include the mountain climbing thriller Meru (4 nominations); Amy, Heart of a Dog, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and The Wolfpack (3 nominations); Best of Enemies, Democrats, Listen to Me Marlon, The Nightmare, Uncertain and Western (2 nominations).
Winners of the 9th Annual Cinema Eye Honors will be announced Wednesday, January 13, 2016 in New York at the Museum of the Moving Image.
The complete list of nominations for 9th Cinema Eye Honors
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
“Amy”
Directed by Asif Kapadia
Produced by James Gay-Rees
“Cartel Land”
Directed by Matthew Heineman
Produced by Tom Yellin
“Democrats”
Directed by Camilla Nielsson
Produced by Henrik Veileborg
“Listen to Me Marlon”
Directed by Stevan Riley
Produced by John Battsek, George Chignell and R.J. Cutler
“The Look of Silence”
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen
“The Wolfpack”
Directed by Crystal Moselle
Produced by Crystal Moselle and Izabella Tzenkova
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Matthew Heineman, “Cartel Land”
Kim Longinotto, “Dreamcatcher”
Laurie Anderson, “Heart of a Dog”
Frederick Wiseman, “In Jackson Heights”
Albert Maysles, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, David Usui & Ben Wu, “In Transit”
Joshua Oppenheimer, “The Look of Silence”
Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Chris King, “Amy”
Aaron Wickenden and Eileen Meyer, “Best of Enemies”
James Scott, “How to Change the World”Brett Morgen and Joe Neshenkovsky, “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”
Stevan Riley, “Listen to Me Marlon”
Outstanding Achievement in Production
Tom Yellin, “Cartel Land”
Henrik Veileborg, “Democrats”
Alex Gibney, Lawrence Wright and Kristen Vaurio, “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”Signe Byrge Sørensen, “The Look of Silence”
Jimmy Chin, Chai Vasarhelyi and Shannon Etheridge, “Meru”
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Matthew Heineman and Matt Porwoll, “Cartel Land”
Lars Skree, “The Look of Silence”
Renan Ozturk, “Meru”
Ewan McNicol, “Uncertain”
Bill Ross and Turner Ross, “Western”
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Films Made for Television
“Deep Web”
Directed by Alex Winter
Produced by Marc Schiller, Alex Winter and Glen Zipper
For EPIX: Executive Producers Jill Burkhart and Ross Bernard
“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”
Directed by Alex Gibney
Produced by Alex Gibney, Kristen Vaurio and Lawrence Wright
For HBO Documentary Films: Supervising Producer Sara Bernstein and Executive Producer Sheila Nevins
“Outbreak”
Directed by Dan Edge
Produced by Dan Edge and Sasha Joelle Achilli
For Frontline/PBS: Coordinating Producer Carla Borras and Executive Producers Raney Aronson-Rath and David Fanning
“Private Violence”
Directed and Produced by Cynthia Hill
For HBO Documentary Films: Senior Producer Nancy Abraham and Executive Producer Sheila Nevins
“Whitey: The United States of America vs. James J. Bulger”
Directed by Joe Berlinger
Produced by Joe Berlinger and Caroline Suh
For CNN Films: Supervising Producer Courtney Sexton and Executive Producers Vinnie Malhotra and Amy Entelis
Audience Choice Prize
“Amy”
Directed by Asif Kapadia
“Best of Enemies”
Directed by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon
“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”
Directed by Alex Gibney
“The Hunting Ground”
Directed by Kirby Dick
“Iris”
Directed by Albert Maysles
“Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”
Directed by Brett Morgen
“Meru”
Directed by Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi
“What Happened, Miss Simone?”
Directed by Liz Garbus
“Where to Invade Next”
Directed by Michael Moore
“The Wolfpack”
Directed by Crystal Moselle
Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film
“Kings of Nowhere”
Directed by Betzabé Garcia
“Peace Officer”
Directed by Brad Barber and Scott Christopherson
“Pervert Park”
Directed by Frida Barkfors and Lasse Barkfors
“The Russian Woodpecker”
Directed by Chad Gracia
“Uncertain”
Directed by Ewan McNicol and Anna Sandilands
“The Wolfpack”
Directed by Crystal Moselle
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score
Jackson Greenberg and Scott Salinas, “Cartel Land”
Laurie Anderson, “Heart of a Dog”
J. Ralph, “Meru”
Jonathan Snipes, “The Nightmare”
Casey McAllister, “Western”
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design or Animation
Nominees TBD, “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon”
Laurie Anderson, “Heart of a Dog”
Stefan Nadelman and Hisko Hulsin, “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”
Syd Garon, “The Nightmare”
Ryan Green and Josh Larson, “Thank You for Playing”
Spotlight Award
“Almost There”
Directed by Dan Rybicky and Aaron Wickenden
“Barge”
Directed by Ben Powell
“Field Niggas”
Directed by Khalik Allah
“Frame by Frame”
Directed by Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli
“(T)error”
Directed by Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe
“Toto and His Sisters”
Directed by Alexandre Nanău
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking
“The Breath”
Directed by Fabian Kaiser
“Buffalo Juggalos”
Directed by Scott Cummings
“Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah”
Directed by Adam Benzine
“The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul”
Directed by Kitty Green
“Hotel 22”
Directed by Elizabeth Lo
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Award Winning Ebola Documentary BODY TEAM 12 to Debut on HBO in February 2016
BODY TEAM 12, winner of the Tribeca Film Festival award for best documentary short has been acquired by HBO Documentary Films and will debut on HBO in February 2016. BODY TEAM 12, recently nominated for an International Documentary Association award for best short, is directed by journalist-filmmaker and RYOT Co-Founder David Darg, who put his life at risk by embedding with a team of heroic Liberian Red Cross workers tasked with collecting the dead during the height of the Ebola outbreak.
Executive produced by Paul G. Allen and actress Olivia Wilde, and produced by RYOT Co-Founder Bryn Mooser, BODY TEAM 12 lays bare the heartbreaking but lifesaving work of removing bodies from loved ones in order to halt the transmission of the disease. The filmmakers capture devasting and poignant images, shot on the ground in Monrovia, Liberia, that reveal the Ebola crisis through the story of Garmai Sumo, the sole female member of the body collection team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2eT2P1TfB8
Director David Darg states, “The bravery of these young Liberians was an astounding phenomenon to witness, as they risked their lives every day to save the lives of others, and to save their country from Ebola. BODY TEAM 12 is a tribute to those heroes, and it is our hope that a presentation on HBO will honor these body teams and lead to greater exposure of their determination and tireless efforts.”
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THE EXILE, MONSTERMAN, KEEP IN TOUCH, MULLY Win Top Awards at 2015 Austin Film Festival
The 2015 Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced its Jury and Hiscox Audience and Courage Award Winners in Film, as well as the Screenplay & Teleplay Competition winners. The jury awarded The Exile, by Arturo Ruiz Serrano (pictured above) as Best Narrative Feature and Monsterman, directed by Antti Haase as Best Documentary Feature. The Audience voted Keep In Touch, written by Sam Kretchmar and Michael Covino as winner of the Hiscox Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and Mully directed by Scott Haze as winner of Hiscox Audience Award for Best Documentary.
The following Jury award winners were selected by category:
Narrative Feature: The Exile, written by Arturo Ruiz Serrano
Documentary Feature: Monsterman, directed by Antti Haase
Comedy Vanguard Feature: Baby, Baby, Baby, written by Brian Klugman
Dark Matters Feature: Sunny Side Up, written by Willem Bosch
Dark Matters Feature Honorable Mention: The Lion’s Path, written by Sophie-Anne Beaudry
Narrative Short: Vainilla, written by Susana López Rubio
Narrative Student Short: Kimi Kabuki, written by Yoko Okumura
Documentary Short: Chau, Beyond the Lines, directed by Courtney Marsh
Animated Short: The Meek, written by Joe Brumm
Scripted Digital Series: School Nurse, created by Tom Beach, Laura Boersma, and John Stewart Muller
After each Festival screening, audiences voted for the Hiscox Audience Awards, recognizing film favorites among the 2015 slate.
The following Hiscox Audience Award winners were selected by category:
Narrative Feature: Keep In Touch, written by Sam Kretchmar and Michael Covino
Documentary Feature: Mully directed by Scott Haze
Documentary Feature Honorable Mention: Of Dogs and Men directed by Michael Ozias
Dark Matters Feature: Reparation written by Kyle Ham and Steve Timm
Comedy Vanguard Feature: Baby, Baby, Baby written by Brian Klugman
Narrative Short: Best Wishes from Millwood written by Max Baker
Documentary Short: The Trials of Constance Baker Motley directed by Rick Rodgers
Animated Short: The Present written by Fabio Cavalcanti and Jacob Frey
Narrative Student Short: Amateur Dictator written by Zach Carver
Scripted Digital Series: Master Class created by Justin Wright Neufeld
Heart of Film: A Single Frame directed by Brandon Dickerson
Stories From Abroad: El Jeremías written by Ana Sofía Clerici
Texas Independent: Jack’s Apocalypse written by Will Moore
Marquee Feature: Until 20 directed by Jamila Paksima and written by Geraldine Moriba
One film was selected to receive the inaugural Hiscox Courage Award. Voted on by the audience, the Hiscox Courage Award is presented to the film that best embodies the virtue of courage and to the filmmaker who best embraced the risk to share the story. The first ever Courage Award went to Jamila Paksima’s and Geraldine Moriba’s Until 20, the story of Texan James Ragan’s quest to live a full and meaningful life despite his terminal battle with osteosarcoma.
“Hiscox was honored to support Austin Film Festival and all of the inspirational films, filmmakers and subjects that made the week so special,” said Ben Walter, CEO of Hiscox USA. “We’re grateful to give the first Hiscox Courage Award to Until 20 and hope more people will be able to share the courageous life and story of James Ragan depicted in this film.”
In continuation of AFF’s mission to find and support independent filmmakers, three films were already picked up for distribution at this year’s Festival including Comedy Vanguard 3rd Street Blackout, The Teller and the Truth picked up by FilmBuff, and James Franco’s Memoria which was acquired by Monterey Media.
“Austin Film Festival is an exceptional source for a true audience reaction for independent films,” said Jere Rae-Mansfield, CFO & Managing Partner of Monterey Media. “We are so pleased to join them in our acquisition news.”
The following Screenplay Competition winners were selected by category:
Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East: Detroit by Robert Rue
Comedy Screenplay Award: Maxwell 2.0 by Paul Sanford
Enderby Entertainment Award: The Great Debate by David Hoffman
Darkwoods Productions Sci-Fi Award: The Innkeeper by Michael Catinari
Horror Award: 77 Minutes by Shani Grewal
AMC One-Hour Teleplay Pilot Award: Friend of the Devil by Michael Ouellette
Sitcom Teleplay Pilot Award: Newsperson by Michael Drake
Short Screenplay Award: The New World by Brian Rawlins
Scripted Digital Series Award: Creepypasta by Will Zech & Alex Cope
One-Hour Teleplay Spec Award: The Americans: Custody by Larry Caldwell
Sitcom Teleplay Spec Award: Workaholics: Bring Your Kid To Work Day by Greg Brainos