• 50 Films Including Opening Night Film Darling Companion to screen at 2012 Boulder International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2074" align="alignnone"]Darling Companion[/caption]

    The 8th Annual Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) takes place in Boulder, Colo., Feb. 16-19, and kicks off Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. with an Opening Night Red Carpet Gala and screening of Darling Companion, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics, directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Darling Companion tells the story of the bond between a woman and her dog, who she loves more than her husband. Kasdan and producer Anthony Bregman will be in attendance for a Q&A session after the screening.

    BIFF will also feature “A Conversation with William H. Macy” on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:15 p.m. and the Closing Night Film and Awards Ceremony featuring the Colorado premiere of acclaimed new film Chasing Ice on Sunday, Feb. 19. Special guest Martin Sheen, critically acclaimed actor, will be honored with the “Master of Cinema Award” on the afternoon of Saturday, February 18.

    Film highlights from the festival include:

    “Chasing Ice”

    [caption id="attachment_2337" align="alignnone"]Chasing Ice[/caption]

    Produced in Boulder by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jerry Aronson and producer Paula DuPré Pesmen, this breathtakingly beautiful film follows famed National Geographic photographer James Balog as he deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras throughout the Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers.

    “5 Broken Cameras”.

    Soldiers fire into his video cameras and explode them with grenades, but it doesn’t stop Emad Burnat from documenting the courageous and chilling story of the Palestinian village of Bil’in—which famously chose nonviolent resistance against an often-brutal Israeli oppression.

    “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”

    [caption id="attachment_2118" align="alignnone"]Salmon Fishing in the Yemen[/caption]

    From Lasse Hallström, the director of Chocolat and the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire comes this inspirational comedy of a visionary sheik with a big dream—to bring salmon fishing to the desert. Starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas.

    Read more

  • Indie Film Below Zero To Close 2012 Derby City Film Festival

    The indie film “Below Zero,” will close the 2012 Derby City Film Festival.  The film is also a festival finalist for awards in the BEST FEATURE, BEST ACTOR (Edward Furlong), and BEST ACTRESS (Kristin Booth) categories.

    International indie sensation “Below Zero,” (www.belowzeromovie.com) starring Edward Furlong (Terminator 2, American History X, The Green Hornet), Michael Berryman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Hills Have Eyes, Scooby Doo, Weird Science), and Kristin Booth (Young People F*cking, Defendor, The Kennedys) is bringing its world festival tour to Louisville. The perplexing and disarming thriller will close the festival, playing in the Clifton Center’s luxurious Eifler Theater (2117 Payne Street, Louisville, 40206).  The film is a finalist for the DCFF awards in the BEST FEATURE, BEST ACTOR (Edward Furlong), and BEST ACTRESS (Kristin Booth) categories. A ‘Question & Answer’ session with the filmmakers will follow the screening.

    Inspired by true events, “Below Zero” is the story of Jack the Hack (Furlong), a desperate screenwriter with writer’s block, who arranges to have himself locked in the freezer of a slaughterhouse owned by Penny (Booth) in order to meet a deadline. While confined, he imagines the story of an emotionally disturbed butcher (Berryman) and his young son (played by newcomer Sadie Madu) who use the slaughterhouse to dispose of victims.  As the temperature drops, the lines between reality and fiction blur, and Jack’s script comes dangerously to life as he struggles to meet his deadline.

    “I call this film an autobiographical horror,” says writer/producer, Signe Olynyk, who struggled with her own case of writer’s block.  “You’ve heard of method acting?  You could say I’m a ‘method writer’.”  In order to complete the script, Olynyk arranged to have herself physically locked in the meat freezer of an abandoned slaughterhouse.  After camping out for five days, she emerged with the script for “Below Zero.”

    “The film is extremely suspenseful.  More of a thriller, than a horror,” adds producing partner, Bob Schultz.  “As producers, we wanted to create a film that would appeal to horror fans, but also capture a mainstream audience.”  Filmed entirely at the same location as where the script was written, Schultz credits Olynyk for creating “…a cool, twisty story within a story, within a real-life story.

    The producing team will also be featured on various panels on Sunday, February 19 to discuss screenwriting, independent production, and the screenwriting conference they run, The Great American PitchFest (www.pitchfest.com).  To learn how to make a successful independent film, raise financing, pitch, and write a great script, visit www.derbycityfilmfest.com for details on this panel and others.

    {youtube}TWnNEsR7pOE{/youtube}

    Read more

  • Actor Lance Henriksen to be Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at 2012 Derby City Film Festival

    ,

    Legendary actor Lance Henriksen will be the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2012 Derby City Film Festival in February. Henriksen, who’s career spans 4+ decades and includes credits in nearly 200 films, television shows and video games, will be attending the festival in support of his role in the film “It’s in the Blood”.

    Henriksen is probably best known for his role as Bishop in the “Aliens” and “Aliens vs. Predator” films and video games, but he has also appeared in the classic films “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “The Right Stuff” and “Terminator” among others.  In the late 90’s he played  Frank Black in the television series “Millennium”. and more recently he has lent his voice talents to video games like “Transformers”, “Call of Duty”  and “Mass Effect”.

    “It’s in the Blood” is a feature film from Louisville natives and Ballard High School graduates Scooter Downey & Sean Elliot and is up for three awards including Best Feature Film and two Best Actor Nominations for stars Henriksen & Sean Elliot. “Blood”  tells the tale of a father (Henriksen) and son (Elliot) who become stranded in the wild and must confront the horrors of their past to escape with their lives.  However, this wilderness is not what it seems, and as they deteriorate, so to does their concept of reality: horrifying creatures, ghostly apparitions, is it all in their heads, or could the truth be far more terrible? “It’s in the Blood” screens at 8:00 PM on February 18th with the short film “Endless”. There will be a Q&A with the films stars and production team follow the screening.

    Henriksen will be taking part in some of the festival’s activities including panels and the awards presentation & symposium. He will also be promoting his new biography, “Lance Henriksen – Not Bad for a Human” which was released in 2011. An autograph session has been scheduled for Saturday afternoon from 3:00 – 4:00. Henriksen will be available to sign memorabilia or copies of his biography. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. The autograph session is only available to DCFF attendees and you will be required to show your ticket or pass to take part. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Henriksen prior to the screening of “It’s in the Blood” on Saturday in the . Henriksen will be available for interviews with the media during the weekend of the festival beginning Friday the 17th. Please contact DCFF for details.

    Mr. Henriksen’s DCFF appearance schedule:

    Saturday Feb 18th – 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
    Acting Panel in the Frankfort Room
    (Only those with a Saturday or Festival Pass will be admitted)
    Seating is Limited!

    Saturday February 18th – 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
    Autograph Session in The Lounge
    (You must have a film ticket (any Saturday film), Saturday Pass, or Festival Pass)
    There will be photos and copies of his biography for sale which he will sign or
    There is a $20 charge to have him sign other memorabilia.
    Photo: $20
    2 for 1 – Book & Photo: $35!
    (cash only, no credit cards)

    Saturday February 18th – 5:30PM – 7:00PM
    Symposium & Awards Presentation
    at Clifton’s Pizza
    (Only those with Festival Passes will be admitted)
    Seating is EXTREAMLY Limited!
    All other awards besides the Liftime Achievement Award presented.

    Saturday Feburary 18th – 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
    Screening of “It’s in the Blood”
    (tickets $7.00)
    Eifler Theater at the Clifton Center
    Q&A w/ Cast & Crew to Follow

    The 2012 Derby City Film Festival runs February 17th – 19th at the Clifton Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

    Read more

  • GENERATOR, BIG IN VIETNAM, SPRINGTIME awarded Tiger Awards for Short Films at 2012 International Film Festival Rotterdam

    [caption id="attachment_2414" align="alignnone"]SPRINGTIME [/caption]

    Makino Takashi’s GENERATOR (Japan), Mati Diop’s BIG IN VIETNAM (France) and Jeroen Eijsinga’s SPRINGTIME (Netherlands) were awarded the three equal Tiger Awards for Short Films 2012. The jury gave a Special Jury Mention to Charlotte Lim Lay Kuen for her short film I’M LISA (Malaysia).

    The International Film Festival Rotterdam short film nominee for the European Film Awards 2012 is IM FREIEN (IN THE OPEN) by Albert Sackl (Austria).

    Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films
    The eighth Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films comprises twenty-one films, ranging in length from five to fifty-six minutes. For its Jury the IFFR welcomed Rania Stephan from Lebanon who’s first feature-length documentary film THE THREE DISAPPEARANCES OF SOAD HOSNI screens in the festival; film curator and writer Andréa Picard from Canada, who worked for the Cinematheque Ontario and curated the Wavelengths section of the Toronto International Film Festival; and film critic and screenwriter Dana Linssen from The Netherlands, editor-in-chief of de Filmkrant and contributor to NRC Handelsblad. The Jury handed out the three equal Tiger Awards for Short Film (3,000 Euros) to the winning filmmakers at IFFR venue WORM on Monday evening 30 January 2012.

    The three winners and the jury statements are:

    GENERATOR by Makino Takashi, Japan, 2011
    With its impressive soundtrack and hybrid layering, GENERATOR creates an explosive, pulsating experience of an environment on the brink of disaster.

    MAKINO Takashi belongs to the new generation of Japanese experimental filmmakers. While studying at the Nippon University he made several Super-8 films. In 2001 Makino apprenticed with the Quay Brothers. He had his international breakthrough in 2007 with NO IS E. Since then, IFFR has shown several of his movies. In 2008, IFFR honored Makino with a Short Profile.

    BIG IN VIETNAM by Mati Diop, France, 2012
    Raw, defiant and elliptical, BIG IN VIETNAM is suffused with an unusual mood and disarming intimacy.

    Mati Diop lives and works in Paris. While attending the Tokyo National Studio of Contemporary Arts and having an artist in residency of Palais de Tokyo in Paris, she directed her first four short films. In IFFR 2010, her short film ATLANTIQUES won a Tiger Award for Short Films.

    SPRINGTIME by Jeroen Eisinga, Netherlands, 2012
    A monumental and transfixing cinematic portrait created out of a fearless performance etched in buzzing bees and 35mm grain.

    Jeroen Eisinga is a visual artist and was educated at the art academy in Arnhem, the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam and in scriptwriting at the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles. He lives and works in Rotterdam. He has made several short and experimental films. In his work, Eisinga has been inspired by artists like Bas Jan Ader and Chris Burden.


    Special Mention:

    I’M LISA by Charlotte Lim Lay Kuen, Malaysia, 2010
    An elegantly composed miniature revealing the mystery within the gestures of the everyday.

    Charlotte LIM Lay Kuen made several TV commercials after completing her studies in broadcasting. She has assisted in direction and production for Malaysian new wave pioneers like James Lee and Ho Yuhang and directed some short films. MY DAUGHTER (2009), Lim’s feature film debut, was also screened at IFFR.


    IFFR 2012 Short Film Nominee for the European Awards 2012

    Chosen by the Jury of the Tiger Awards Competition for Short Film 2012, the International Film Festival Rotterdam short film nominee for the European Film Awards 2012 is:

    IM FREIEN (IN THE OPEN) by Albert Sackl, Austria, 2011
    For its rigor and its original marshaling of Modernist traditions and structural cinema.

    Read more

  • Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist and Ames Marsh for Project Nim Win Directors Guild Of America Awards

    [caption id="attachment_2260" align="alignnone"]The Artist[/caption]

    The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2011, and the recipients of the Guild’s 2012 Career Achievement Awards were announced on Saturday night during the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Michel Hazanavicius won the DGA’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Artist.

    The DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally served as a near-perfect barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director. Only six times since the DGA Award’s inception in 1948 has the winner not gone on to receive the Academy Award for Best Director.

    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
    MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS
    The Artist
    (The Weinstein Company)

    Mr. Hazanavicius’ Directorial Team:

    Unit Production Manager:  Antoine De Cazotte
    Production Manager (FR): Ségoléne Fleury
    First Assistant Director (FR): James Canal
    First Assistant Director (US):  David Cluck
    Second Assistant Directo (US):  Dave Paige
    Second Second Assistant Directors: Karla Strum, Ricky Robinson 

    [caption id="attachment_2344" align="alignnone"]Project Nim[/caption]

    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
    AMES MARSH
    Project Nim
    Red Box Films, Passion Pictures, HBO Documentary Films, Roadside Attractions, BBC Films, UK Film Council

    This was Mr. Marsh’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for Man on Wire in 2008.

    The DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally been one of the industry’s most accurate barometers for who will win the Best Director Academy Award.

    Only six times since the DGA Awards began in 1948 has the Feature Film winner not gone on to win the corresponding Academy Award.

    The six exceptions are as follows:

    1968: Anthony Harvey won the DGA Award for The Lion in Winter while Carol Reed took home the Oscar® for Oliver!
    1972: Francis Ford Coppola received the DGA’s nod for The Godfather while the Academy selected Bob Fosse for Cabaret.
    1985: Steven Spielberg received his first DGA Award for The Color Purple while the Oscar® went to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
    1995: Ron Howard was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Apollo 13 while Academy voters selected Mel Gibson for Braveheart.
    2000: Ang Lee won the DGA Award for his direction of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for Traffic.
    2002: Rob Marshall won the DGA Award for Chicago while Roman Polanski received the Academy Award for The Pianist.






    Read more

  • Beasts of the Southern Wild and The House I Live In Win Top Awards at 2012 Sundance Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2323" align="alignnone"]The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary – The House I Live In [/caption]

    The Jury, Audience, NEXT and other special awards of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival were presented at the Festival’s Awards Ceremony, hosted by Parker Posey in Park City, Utah.

    The 2012 Sundance Film Festival Awards presented last night were:

    The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Charles Ferguson to:
    The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world’s largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing?

    The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Justin Lin to:

    [caption id="attachment_2324" align="alignnone"]Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic – Beasts of the Southern Wild[/caption]

    Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

    The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Nick Fraser to:

    [caption id="attachment_2325" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary – The Law in These Parts [/caption]

    The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz) — Israel’s 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system’s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population.

    The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Julia Ormond to:

    [caption id="attachment_2326" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic – Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) [/caption]

    Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés Wood) — A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Farías.

    The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to:

    [caption id="attachment_2327" align="alignnone"]The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary – The Invisible War [/caption]

    The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) — An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it.

    The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to:

    [caption id="attachment_2328" align="alignnone"]The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic – The Surrogate[/caption]

    The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.
    The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented by Edward James Olmos to:

    [caption id="attachment_2288" align="alignnone"] The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary – SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN [/caption]

    SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away.

    The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented by Edward James Olmos to:

    [caption id="attachment_2329" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic – Valley of Saints[/caption]

    Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid.

    The Best of NEXT Audience Award, Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated, was presented by Tim Heidecker to:

    [caption id="attachment_1901" align="alignnone"]The Best of NEXT Audience Award – Sleepwalk With Me[/caption]

    Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Director: Mike Birbiglia, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti.

    The U.S. Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Fenton Bailey to:

    [caption id="attachment_2290" align="alignnone"]The U.S. Directing Award: Documentary – The Queen of Versailles [/caption]

    The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) — Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their timeshare empire falters due to the economic crisis. Their story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream.

    The U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Lynn Shelton to:

    [caption id="attachment_2330" align="alignnone"]The U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic – Middle Of Nowhere[/caption]

    Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava DuVernay) — When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissaint, Edwina Findley.

    The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to:

    [caption id="attachment_2331" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary – 5 Broken Cameras [/caption]

    5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) — A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world.

    The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to:

    [caption id="attachment_2332" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic – Teddy Bear [/caption]

    Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) — Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen.

    The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented by Anthony Mackie to:

    [caption id="attachment_2333" align="alignnone"]The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award – Safety Not Guaranteed [/caption]

    Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) — A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni.

    The World Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented by Richard Pena to:

    [caption id="attachment_2334" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Screenwriting Award – Young & Wild[/caption]

    Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastián Sepúlveda) — 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez, Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto.

    The U.S. Documentary Editing Award was presented by Kim Roberts to:

    [caption id="attachment_2335" align="alignnone"]The U.S. Documentary Editing Award – DETROPIA [/caption]

    DETROPIA / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.

    The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented by Clara Kim to:

    [caption id="attachment_2336" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award – Indie Game: The Movie [/caption]

    Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) — Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

    The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Tia Lessin to:

    [caption id="attachment_2337" align="alignnone" width="549"]The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary – Chasing Ice [/caption]

    Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change.

    The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Amy Vincent to:
    Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

    The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to:

    [caption id="attachment_1989" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary – Putin’s Kiss[/caption]

    Putin’s Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) — 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it.

    The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to:

    [caption id="attachment_2338" align="alignnone"]The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic – My Brother the Devil[/caption]

    My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) — A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed.

    A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change was presented by Heather Croall to:

    [caption id="attachment_2339" align="alignnone"]U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change – Love Free or Die[/caption]

    Love Free or Die / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) — One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or the man he loves.

    A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance was presented by Heather Croall to:
    Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) — Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.

    A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing was presented by Cliff Martinez to:
    Andrea Sperling and Jonathan Schwartz for Smashed and Nobody Walks

    [caption id="attachment_2340" align="alignnone"]U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing – Smashed [/caption]

    Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) — Kate and Charlie are a young married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and… drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally.

    [caption id="attachment_2341" align="alignnone"]U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing – Nobody Walks[/caption]

    Nobody Walks / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) — Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family’s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk.

    A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting was presented by Cliff Martinez to:

    [caption id="attachment_2328" align="alignnone"]U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting – The Surrogate[/caption]

    The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

    A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision was presented by Clara Kim to:

    [caption id="attachment_2342" align="alignnone" width="550"]World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision – Can[/caption]

    Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) — A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Uçer, Serdar Orçin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci.

    A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit was presented by Richard Pena to:
    SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away.

    The inaugural Short Film Audience Award, Presented by Yahoo!, based on online voting for nine short films that premiered at the Festival and are currently featured on Yahoo! Screen, was presented to:

    The Debutante Hunters (Director: Maria White) — In the Lowcountry of South Carolina a group of true Southern belles reveal their more rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild.

    The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:

    The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking was awarded to: FISHING WITHOUT NETS / U.S.A. (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey). The Jury Prize in Short Film, U.S. Fiction was presented to: The Black Balloon / U.S.A. (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie). The Jury Prize in Short Film, International Fiction was presented to: The Return (Kthimi) / Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj). The Jury Prize in Short Film, Non-Fiction was presented to: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker). The Jury Prize in Animated Short Film was presented to: A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom (Director: Grant Orchard). A Special Jury Award for Comedic Storytelling was presented to: The Arm / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis). A Special Jury Award for Animation Direction was presented to: Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares).

    The winning directors and projects of the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world, are: Etienne Kallos / Vrystaat (Free State) (South Africa); Ariel Kleiman / Partisan (Australia); Dominga Sotomayor / Tarde Para Morir Joven (Late To Die Young) (Chile); and Shonali Bose / Margarita. With a Straw (India).

    The Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Award, honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers, was presented to Jens Assur, director of the upcoming film Close Far Away.

    The inaugural Hilton Worldwide LightStay Sustainability Award for a completed feature film was presented to The Island President, directed by Jon Shenk. The in-process feature film award was presented to Solar Mamas, directed by Jehane Noujaim and Mona Eldaief. Each project received $25,000.

    The inaugural Sundance Institute Indian Paintbrush Producer’s Award and $10,000 grant was presented to Dan Janvey and Josh Penn for Beasts of the Southern Wild.

    Read more

  • Robot & Frank and Valley of Saints Win Alfred P Sloan Feature Film Prize at 2012 Sundance Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_1952" align="alignnone"]Robot & Frank, directed by Jake Schreier[/caption]

    The winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, as well as the recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant and Lab Fellowship were announced at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

    Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prizes

    Robot & Frank, directed by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher Ford, and Valley of Saints, directed and written by Musa Syeed, have each been awarded the 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize and will split the $20,000 cash award by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Now in its tenth year, the Prize is selected by a jury of film and science professionals and presented to outstanding feature films focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character.

    In Robot & Frank, a curmudgeonly older dad’s grown kids install a robot as his caretaker. The film stars Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden and Liv Tyler. The jury presented the award to the film for its “humane and prescient portrait of the relationship between an aging father and his non-human caregiver, and for raising profound questions about the role of technology in our collective future.”


    [caption id="attachment_2321" align="alignnone"]Valley of Saints, directed and written by Musa Syeed[/caption]

    In Valley of Saints, Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future. The film stars Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi and Neelofar Hamid. The jury presented the award to the film for its “brave, poetic and visually arresting evocation of a beautiful but troubled region, and for it’s moving, nuanced and accurate depiction of the relationship between a local boatman and a young woman scientist whose research challenges the status quo and offers hope for a restored eco-system.”

    Previous Alfred P. Sloan Prize Winners include: Mike Cahill and Brit Marling, Another Earth (2011); Diane Bell, Obselidia (2010); Max Mayer, Adam (2009); Alex Rivera, Sleep Dealer (2008); Shi-Zheng Chen, Dark Matter (2007); Andrucha Waddington, The House of Sand (2006); Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man (2005), Shane Carruth, Primer (2004) and Marc Decena, Dopamine (2003). Several past winners have also been awarded Jury Awards at the Festival, including the Grand Jury Prize for Primer, the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for Sleep Dealer and the Excellence in Cinematography Award for Obselidia.

    Sundance Institute / Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant

    Flood (Writer/director: Katy Scoggin) — A daughter journeys to bring her creationist dad down to earth.

    Katy Scoggin looks for humor in life’s most mundane and humiliating corners. Though a New Yorker, she was raised by evangelicals in a smoggy valley east of LA. She studied sculpture and German on scholarship at Washington University in St. Louis and filmmaking as a Fulbright scholar in Berlin. While in film school at NYU, she held a graduate assistantship in cinematography. Later, she was an associate producer on Laura Poitras’s award-winning documentary The Oath (2010). She still works as a producer and cinematographer at Praxis Films.

    Sundance Institute / Alfred P. Sloan Lab Fellowship

    Operator (Co-writer/director: Logan Kibens; Co-writer: Sharon Greene) — In this existential comedy, when a programmer is hired to create the ideal personality for an automated call center, his attempts to quantify what it means to be human throws his life into chaos.

    Logan Kibens has written and directed over 50 short films. She was awarded the 2011 HBO/DGA Directing Fellowship and was selected as one of Film Independent’s 2011 Project:Involve fellows after completing her CalArts thesis film, Recessive. The short has screened nationally and internationally at film festivals including Outfest, Frameline, Reeling and Zinegoak, among others. Kibens worked as a commercial editor for eight years, and is an award-winning projections designer for theatre and dance.

    Sharon Greene is a Chicago playwright turned screenwriter. Her play, Fake Lake, was on the
    Best Plays of 2008 list of both Time Out Chicago and the Chicago Tribune, and was supported by a grant from the NEA. A recent graduate of USC’s Writing for Screen and Television program, her original television pilot, “Cherryland,” was nominated for the Student Humanitas Prize for Drama.

    Read more

  • Getting Up and Bindlestiffs Wins 2012 Slamdance Film Festival Audience Awards

    [caption id="attachment_2316" align="alignnone"]GETTING UP by Caskey Ebeling[/caption]

    The 18th Annual Slamdance Film Festival announced the feature film and short film recipients of this year’s awards in the Audience, Grand Jury, and Sponsored Award categories. The award winners were announced at the annual Closing Night Awards Ceremony at the Treasure Mountain Inn.

    AUDIENCE AWARDS

    Audience Award for Feature Documentary: GETTING UP by Caskey Ebeling

    [caption id="attachment_2317" align="alignnone"]BINDLESTIFFS by Andrew Edison[/caption]

    Audience Award for Feature Narrative: BINDLESTIFFS by Andrew Edison

    GRAND JURY AWARDS – NARRATIVE

    [caption id="attachment_2318" align="alignnone"]WELCOME TO PINE HILL by Keith Miller[/caption]

    Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Narrative: WELCOME TO PINE HILL by Keith Miller, “for its poetic and emotionally honest depiction of one man’s final journey in life, crafted from a true spirit of humanity and community.”

    Special Jury Award for Bold Originality: HEAVY GIRLS by Axel Ranisch, “for its joie de vivre, an incredibly life-affirming film that is presented with a unique vision and an amazing cast.”

    GRAND JURY AWARDS – DOCUMENTARY

    [caption id="attachment_2319" align="alignnone"]NO ASHES, NO PHOENIX by Jens Pfeifer[/caption]

    Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Documentary: NO ASHES, NO PHOENIX by Jens Pfeifer, “for its adeptly piercing and cinematic look at a basketball team’s impassioned struggle not for glory, but to just avoid losing.”

    Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Documentary: THE PROFESSIONAL by Skylar Neilsen, for “an honest and natural portrayal of work-as-life, and the slowly disappearing craft of an American working man.”

    GRAND JURY AWARDS – SHORT FILMS

    Grand Jury Sparky Award for Animation: VENUS by Tor Fruergaard, “for its creative use of claymation characters to explore sexual adventure and its lighthearted, touching and memorable story.”

    Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Film: I AM JOHN WAYNE by Christina Choe, “for its unique storytelling, cinematography and performances, including the brilliant use of a real horse in an urban environment.”

    Special Jury Prize for Experimental Short: SOLIPSIST by Andrew Huang, “for its unique blend of live action footage of the human body, puppetry and computer animation that creates a colorful and insightful fantasy world.”

    Honorable Mention for Best Ensemble: I’M COMING OVER by Sam Handel, “for its extraordinary ensemble which creates a world that extends beyond the film’s 25 minute length.”

    SPECIAL & SPONSORED AWARDS

    Spirit of Slamdance Sparky Award: HEAVY GIRLS (Dicke Mädchen) – Axel Ranisch, Heiko Pinkowski, Anne Baeker.

    The Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography: FAITH, LOVE AND WHISKEY by Kristina Nikolova, “for shooting every single frame of this picture in a way that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also strongly supportive to the story being told.”

    Panasonic AF100 Award for ‘The Five Flavors of Filmmaking’ Competition: JOSH GIBSON, director of the short film Kudzu Vine. Five filmmaking teams created one-minute films during the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival. The winning team exemplifies excellence in visual storytelling and receives a Panasonic AF100 Camera Package.

    Read more

  • 27 Films Qualify for Best First Feature Award at 2012 Berlinale

    Debut feature films from the sections Competition, Panorama, Forum, Generation and for the first time also debut films from the Perspektive Deutsches Kino will compete for the Best First Feature Award in 2012. The award is endowed with 50,000 Euros to be split between the producer and the director of the winning film.

    The winners will be announced at the official award ceremony in the Berlinale Palast on February 19.

    A three-person jury will decide on the Best First Feature:

    Moritz Rinke (Germany)
    The dramatist and novelist received the 1997 PEN Club Literature Award for his second play “The Man Who Never Yet Saw Woman’s Nakedness”. His new adaptation of “Die Nibelungen” became one of the most successful German theatre productions. In 2008 Franziska Stünkel filmed his award-winning work “The Vineta Republic”, and in 2010 his first novel “Der Mann, der durch das Jahrhundert fiel” became a bestseller.

    Hania Mroué (Lebanon)
    Hania Mroué is founder and director of the Metropolis Art Cinema, the first art-house cinema in Lebanon opened in 2006. Since 2001 she is the Managing Director of the Arab film festival “Cinema Days of Beirut”. For the release of Arab and international auteur films she started the MC Distribution company. At the Doha Film Institute she is in charge as Chief Arab programmer for the Doha Tribeca Film festival and DFI’s year round initiatives.

    Matthew Modine (USA)
    The performances of the award-winning American actor include Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, Robert Altman’s Short Cuts and Alan Parker’s Birdy. Matthew Modine made his screenplay/directorial feature debut with If…Dog…Rabbit. Jesus Was a Commie, his award winning short film, is currently playing at festivals around the globe. His recent roles include Girl in Progress, Family Weekend and The Dark Knight Rises.


    The following 27 films have qualified for the Best First Feature Award:

    Panorama (6)

    Cherry by Stephen Elliot, USA
    Chocó (Choco) by Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza, Columbia
    HIGHWAY by Deepak Rauniyar, Nepal/USA
    Kuma by Umut Dag, Austria
    My Brother the Devil** by Sally El Hosaini, Great Britain
    Sharqiya by Ami Livne, Israel/France/Germany


    Forum (8)

    Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) by Marlon N. Rivera, the Philippines
    Francine by Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky, USA/Canada
    Hemel by Sacha Polak, Netherlands/Spain
    Kashi (Choked) by Joong-Hyun Kim, Republic of Korea
    Koi ni itaru yamai (The End of Puberty) by Kimura Shoko, Japan
    Príliš mladá noc (A Night Too Young) by Olmo Omerzu, Czech Republic/ Slovenia
    Salsipuedes by Mariano Luque, Argentina
    Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill) by Emin Alper Turkey/Greece


    Generation (10)

    Kplus

    ARCADIA by Olivia Silver, USA
    Kauwboy by Boudewijn Koole, Netherlands
    Kikoeteru, furi wo sita dake (Just Pretended to Hear) by Kaori Imaizumi, Japan
    Pacha by Héctor Ferreiro, Bolivia/Mexico


    14plus

    Comes A Bright Day by Simon Aboud, Great Britain
    Electrick Children by Rebecca Thomas, USA
    Joven & Alocada (Young & Wild)** by Marialy Rivas, Chile
    Nosilatiaj. La Belleza (Beauty) by Daniela Seggiaro, Argentina
    Un Mundo Secreto (A Secret World) by Gabriel Mariño, Mexico
    Una Noche by Lucy Mulloy, USA/Cuba/Great Britain

    Perspektive Deutsches Kino (3)

    DIE VERMISSTEN (REPORTED MISSING) by Jan Speckenbach, Germany
    Gegen Morgen (Before Tomorrow) by Joachim Schoenfeld, Germany
    Westerland by Tim Staffel, Germany


    ** The films denoted with ** are no longer qualified for candidacy if they win an award at the Sundance Film Festival.

    Read more

  • Special Screenings Added to 2012 Berlinale Forum Program

    [caption id="attachment_2313" align="alignnone"]Puos Keng Kang (The Snake Man) by Tea Lim Koun, Cambodia[/caption]

    With the addition of a series of Special Screenings to the titles already announced, the program of the Berlinale Forum is now complete.

    In the documentary Lawinen der Erinnerung, Dominik Graf, one of Germany’s most influential film and television directors, puts together a portrait of another leading television personality in the form of author, director and producer Oliver Storz. In the process, his film also contributes to German television history and German history in general.

    The documentary project in arbeit / en construction / w toku / lavori in corso (in the works) by Minze Tummescheit and Arne Hector is structured according to the principle of the chain interview, with the first interview partner leading the film team on to the second and so on. What all of their number have in common are the cooperative structures in which they work. Yet the most important question they debate is that of their own legitimacy: does it make sense or is it even possible to position oneself outside of industrial progress, the public arena of politics or the global market?

    Revivals and “unearthings” of seldom seen works also have a firm place in the Forum programme. Tom Kalin’s artful, provocative film Swoon, perhaps one of the best examples of the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s, can thus be seen a full 20 years after its original premiere at the 1992 Forum. Wynn Chamberlain’s 1968 media satire Brand X is a US underground classic long thought lost and now all the more ripe for discovery.

    We are also presenting restored prints of The Connection and Ornette: Made in America as an introduction to the oeuvre of legendary American director Shirley Clarke, with a discussion with film restoration expert Dennis Doros providing some additional context. Kawashima Yuzo is best known for Bakumatsu tayoden (The Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate). Two additional works, Suzaki Paradaisu: Akashingo (Suzaki Paradise: Red Light) and Kino to ashita no aida (Between Yesterday and Tomorrow), show a Japanese director capable of recording social change like few of the rest of his generation.

    The rediscovery of the Cambodian cinema of the 1960s and early 70s has been a true adventure. The documentary Le sommeil d’or by Davy Chou (showing in the main programme) is dedicated to this “Golden Age”, with the one-off screenings of three films by directors Ly Bun Yim [Puthisen Neang Kongrey (12 Sisters), 1968] and Tea Lim Koun (Peov Chouk Sor, 1967) and Puos Keng Kang (The Snake Man, 1970) rescued from Cambodia’s tragic history providing insight into a largely unfamiliar film nation’s past.


    2012 Forum Special Screenings:

    Brand X by Wynn Chamberlain, USA

    in arbeit / en construction / w toku / lavori in corso (in the works) by Minze Tummescheit/Arne Hector, Germany – WP

    Lawinen der Erinnerung by Dominik Graf, Germany – WP

    Swoon by Tom Kalin, USA

    Bakumatsu taiyoden (The Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate) by Kawashima Yuzo, Japan

    Kino to ashita no aida (Between Yesterday and Tomorrow) by Kawashima Yuzo, Japan

    Suzaki Paradaisu Akashingo (Suzaki Paradise: Red Light) by Kawashima Yuzo, Japan

    The Connection by Shirley Clarke, USA

    Ornette: Made in America by Shirley Clarke, USA

    Peov Chouk Sor by Tea Lim Koun, Cambodia

    Puos Keng Kang (The Snake Man) by Tea Lim Koun, Cambodia

    Puthisen Neang Kongrey (12 Sisters) by Ly Bun Yim, Cambodia

    Read more

  • US Film Electrick Children to Open Generation 14plus competition at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2311" align="alignnone"]Electrick Children by Rebecca Thomas[/caption]

    The Generation 14plus competition at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival will open with the US directorial debut Electrick Children by Rebecca Thomas. The director and her leading actors Julia Garner (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Rory Culkin (Lymelife) and Billy Zane (Titanic) are expected on the red carpet for this world premiere on February 10. Garner plays a young Mormon who breaks out of her strict religious community and plunges herself into the nightlife of Las Vegas.

    The Swiss documentary Die Kinder vom Napf will kick off the competition of Generation Kplus also on February 10. Director Alice Schmid accompanies 50 mountain farm children through the four seasons in the “Wild West” of Lucerne Canton. For the international premiere, the filmmaker and the children from the mountain village of Romoos are coming to Berlin.

    Generation is also expecting a number of other well-known guests for the premieres of their films. For Kronjuvelerna (The Crown Jewels): Bill Skarsgård (Shooting Star 2012) and Alicia Vikander (Shooting Star 2011). For Comes A Bright Day: Craig Roberts (Submarine), Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later), Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy) and Timothy Spall (The King’s Speech). For Lal Gece (Night of Silence): Ilyas Salman (Abbas in Flower). For ARCADIA: Ryan Simpkins (A Single Man), John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone). The final list of guests will be released shortly before the festival begins.

    Read more

  • Fishing Without Nets Wins Top Short Films Prize at 2012 Sundance Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2309" align="alignnone"]FISHING WITHOUT NETS[/caption]

    The jury prizes and honorable mentions in short filmmaking at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival were presented at a ceremony in Park City, Utah.

    The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking was awarded to:
    FISHING WITHOUT NETS / U.S.A. (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey) — A story of pirates in Somalia, told from the perspective of the pirates themselves. Said the Short Film Jury of the film, “By approaching a story of epic scope with an intimate perspective, this visually stunning film creates a rare, inside point of view that humanizes a global story.”

    The Jury Prize in Short Film, U.S. Fiction was presented to:
    The Black Balloon / U.S.A. (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie) — The Black Balloon strays from the herd and experiences what life as an individual is like. He explores New York City in the deepest way, seeing all of its characters.

    The Jury Prize in Short Film, International Fiction was presented to:
    The Return (Kthimi) / Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj) — A man comes back from a Serb prison to his wife and son. Much has changed since he was declared missing and continuing where they left off four years ago may not be as easy as it seems.

    The Jury Prize in Short Film, Non-Fiction was presented to:
    The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker) — Survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan’s recent tsunami find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins. A visual haiku about the ephemeral nature of life and the healing power of Japan’s most beloved flower.

    The Jury Prize in Animated Short Film was presented to:
    A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom (Director: Grant Orchard) — When a New Yorker walks past a chicken on his morning stroll, we are left to wonder which one is the real city slicker.

    The Special Jury Award for Comedic Storytelling was presented to:
    The Arm / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis) — In an attempt to keep up with social pressure in a technologically advanced world, Chance starts a texting relationship with Genevieve, a girl he meets at a yogurt shop.

    The Special Jury Award for Animation Direction was presented to:
    Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares) — The trials and tribulations of young robots surviving at the sharp end of inner city life, living the predictable existence of a populous hemmed in by poverty, disillusionment and mass unemployment.

    This year’s Short Film program is comprised of 64 short films selected from a record 7,675 submissions.
    The Short Film jurors are Mike Judge, creator of Beavis and Butt-Head for MTV and King of the Hill for FOX TV; Dee Rees, Sundance Institute Directing Lab Fellow and writer/director of the award-winning short film Pariah, which later debuted as a narrative feature at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival; and Shane Smith, Director of Public Programmes at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

    The 2012 Sundance Film Festival runs through January 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

    Read more