The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival, awarded A River Changes Course, by Kalyanee Mam, the Golden Gate Award Documentary Feature at the 2013 festival. Among the many reasons, the festival jury said “This film stood out as an entity in terms of subject matter, beauty of filmmaking, elegance of expression, sensitivity, and representation of the people observed as they observe their own situation.” Recognizing local filmmakers, The Kill Team directed by Dan Krauss was the Bay Area Documentary Feature. The jury noted: “We chose this film due to the importance of its subject matter and its moral complexity.”

Other winners include:

Golden Gate Award Documentary Feature Winners
Documentary Feature: A River Changes Course, Kalyanee Mam (Cambodia/USA 2012)
  *  Winner receives $20,000 cash prize

Bay Area Documentary Feature: The Kill Team, Dan Krauss (USA 2012)
  *  Winner receives $15,000 cash prize

New Directors Prize: Present Tense, Belmin Sölyemez (Turkey  2012)
  *  Winner receives $15,000 cash prize 

Honorable Mention: La Sirga, William Vega (Colombia/France/Mexico 2012),The Cleaner, Adrián Saba (Peru 2012)

FIPRESCI Prize: Nights with Theodore, Sébastian Betbeder (France 2012)

Golden Gate Award Short Film Winners
Narrative Short: Ellen Is Leaving, Michelle Savill (New Zealand 2012)
  *  Winner receives $5,000 cash prize 

Documentary Short: Kings Point, Sari Gilman (USA 2012)
  *  Winner receives $5,000 cash prize
Special Jury Prize: Home, Thomas Gleeson (New Zealand 2012)

Animated Short: Kali the Little Vampire, Regina Pessoa (Canada/France 2012)
  *  Winner receives $2,000 cash prize

Bay Area Short, First Prize: 3020 Laguna St. In Exitum, Ashley Rodholm, Joe Picard (USA 2013)
  *  Winner receives $2,000 cash prize

Bay Area Short, Second Prize: More Real, Jonn Herschend (USA 2012)
  *  Winner receives $1,500 cash prize

New Visions: Salmon, Alfredo Covelli (Israel/Italy 2012)
  *  Winner receives $1,500 cash prize

Family Film: Luminaris, Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina 2012)
  *  Winner receives $1,500 cash prize

Family Film Honorable Mention: I’m Going to Mum’s, Lauren Jackson (New Zealand 2012), Jonah and the Crab, Laurel Cohen (USA 2012)

Youth Work: The Dogmatic, Lance Oppenheim (USA 2012)
  *  Winner receives $1,500 cash prize
Youth Work Honorable Mention: Last Stop Livermore, Nat Talbot (USA 2012)