Director Tor Mian took the No-Budget Feature Prize for his film THE MILKY WAY (pictured above) at the 12th London Independent Film Festival LIFF. The British dark comedy tells the story of a man whose life unravels just when everything seemed to finally be going his way. The comedy is Mian’s second feature and was shot for only £6000.
Actress Pearl Chanda won the festival’s Best Actor award for her feature film debut in THE FINAL HAUNTING, Flaminia Graziadei’s haunted house story.
The Best International Film prize went to Steven Savage for VERTICAL, the story of an all-female rock climbing team. Also, American filmmaker Sasha Krane won Best UK Feature for SOLITARY which follows a young woman facing her personal demons.
Director Russell England won Best Horror Film for his teen chiller UNHALLOWED GROUND, a paranormal mystery set in a British private school.
Jonathan Howells’ documentary ALFRED AND JAKOBINE — a love story set around the world-wide adventures of a London taxi — won the festival’s Best Feature Documentary. While James Kibbey won Best Micro-Budget Film for his THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN (pictured above), a comedy about two American brothers who inherit an English manor house.
Festival Director Erich Schultz said: “Another year of absolutely fantastic low-budget films from around the world. I’m certain we’ll be seeing many great things from these filmmakers in the very near future”
Hosted at annually at the Shortwave and Genesis cinemas, the 2015 London Independent Film Festival screened over 60 films. The festival highlights the best in low & micro-budget filmmaking every April.
A full list of LIFF winners:
No-Budget Feature — THE MILKY WAY by Tor Mian
UK Feature — SOLITARY by Sasha Krane
Best Actor – Pearl Chanda in THE FINAL HAUNTING
Best Director – Simon Blake for STILL
International Feature – VERTICAL by Steven Savage
Sci-Fi/ Horror — UNHALLOWED GROUND by Russell England
Micro-Budget Feature — THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN by James Kibbey
Documentary — ALFRED AND JAKOBINE by Jonathan Howells
Short Documentary — Jordanne by Zak Razvi
UK Short — BEVERLEY by Alexander Thomas
International Short — THE WHEEL OF TIME by Kagan Kerimoglu
Horror Short — THE HERD by Melanie Light
Sci-Fi Short — AIR by Emma E. Maclennan
LGBT Film — PLAYING THE GAME by Jeremy Timings
Experimental Short — PEEP DISH by Darragh Mortell
Short Short — KILLER ROAD by Marco Clay
Animated Short — MY STUFFED GRANNY by Effie Pappa
UK Music Video — ALL IN THE VALUE by Geej Ower
International Music Video — STEAMPUNK Girl by Joshua Westbury
Best UK Screenplay — THE COMPETITORS by Ruth Greenberg
Best International Screenplay — Shimmy by P.A Flanders
Best Short Screenplay — DREAMS OF TOMORROW by Cindy Walters
Best Screenplay Pitch — ZOG THE MAGNIFICENT by Prahib Sukoro