LOS ANGELES,
June 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- Today the LA Film Festival, produced by Film Independent,
announced the winners of the 2017 Festival at the Awards Reception
presided over by Festival Director Jennifer
Cochis and Film Independent President Josh Welsh. The Festival's juried awards include
the U.S. Fiction Award, U.S. Fiction Cinematography Award presented
by Aputure, World Fiction Award, Documentary Award, LA Muse
Awards, and Nightfall Award, as well as the Short Fiction Award and
the Short Documentary Award. Audience awards are presented for
Fiction Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film, Short Film and Web
Series. Festival Guest Director Miguel
Arteta (Chuck & Buck, The Good Girl,
Beatriz at Dinner) was awarded the Spirit of Independence
Award at the event for his work advancing the cause of independent
film and championing creative freedom. Film Independent
President Josh Welsh also took the
opportunity to thank the more than 60 generous sponsors, funders
and media partners without whom the Festival would not be
possible.
"This year the LA Film Festival stretched all across our
city, from downtown to the beach," said Festival Director
Jennifer Cochis. "We're so grateful
to the film lovers who packed our theaters in support of our
storytellers. Today we celebrate the winners of the LA Film
Festival Awards!"
"Producing the LA Film Festival is a huge undertaking,
with filmmakers from all across the globe, venues all across the
city, and hundreds of volunteers helping us pull it off," said Film
Independent President Josh Welsh.
"We truly could not do it without the extremely generous support of
our many sponsors."
The U.S. Fiction Award went to Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and Daniel Powell for
Becks, which made its World Premiere at the
Festival. The U.S. Fiction Cinematography Award presented by
Aputure went to cinematographers Christian Sorensen Hansen and Pete Ohs for Everything Beautiful is Far
Away, which made its World Premiere at the
Festival. Jury Members: Duncan
Birmingham, Riley Stearns and
Emily Ting.
The World Fiction Award went to Diego Ros for The Night Guard (El
Vigilante), which made its North American Premiere at
the Festival. Jury Members: Caroline
Graham, Lincoln Jones and
Javier Fuentes-León.
The Documentary Award went to Amanda Kopp and Aaron
Kopp for Liyana, which made its World
Premiere at the Festival. Jury Members: Katherine Fairfax-Wright, Paul Federbush and Matt
Holzman.
The LA Muse Awards were given to two films, one
fiction and one documentary. The LA Muse Documentary Award
went to Mark Hayes for
Skid Row Marathon, which made its World Premiere
at the Festival. The LA Muse Fiction Award went to
Savannah Bloch for And
Then There Was Eve, which made its World Premiere at
the Festival. Jury Members: Susan
Burke, Juan Iglesias and
Kimrie Lewis-Davis.
The Nightfall Award went to Amanda Evans for
Serpent, which made its World Premiere at the
Festival. Jury Members: Jimmy Tsai,
Clarke Wolfe and Andrew Curry.
The Award for Short Fiction went to A Funeral
for Lightning, directed by Emily
Kai Bock. The Award for Short
Documentary went to Black America Again, directed
by Bradford Young. Jury
Members: Kim Adelman, Jonni Cheatwood and Naomi Ladizinsky.
The Audience Award for Documentary Feature
Film was given to Skid Row Marathon, directed by
Mark Hayes.
The Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film
went to The Keeping Hours, directed by
Karen Moncrieff.
The Audience Award for Short Film went to
Swim directed by Mari
Walker. The Audience Award for Web
Series went to High & Mighty, directed by
Carlos Lopez
Estrada.
Announced earlier were the winners of The Danny Elfman
Project: Rabbit and Rogue competition:
13, Justine Quinones
The
Bridge, Matt
Eckholm
Dandelion,
Catherine
Fauteux
A Day for
Manuel, JB Minerva
Gamelan, Cornelia
Nicolăeasa
A Glory
Sewn, Travis
Dixon
Lakesong, Douglas
Gibbens & Konstantina
Mantelos
Natural
Promotion, Sean
Oliver
Urge, Pieter
Coudyzer
Elfman offered free licenses of his Rabbit and
Rogue album to filmmakers on indi.com as the catalyst and
soundtracks to their short films. The winning films screened
at the Festival. The jury was comprised of Gus Van Sant, McG, Rob
Minkoff, Sam Taylor-Johnson,
Paul Haggis and Suzanne Todd.
The LA Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday, June 14 with the World Premiere of
Colin Trevorrow's The Book of
Henry and will close later
today with the LA Premiere of Matt
Spicer's Ingrid Goes
West. Special Screenings included Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled,
Ric Roman Waugh's Shot
Caller, Dave McCary's Brigsby
Bear and featured conversations with Fred Armisen and Carrie
Brownstein of Portlandia, Ava DuVernay, Amanda
Marsalis, DeMane Davis, Kat Candler and Cheryl Dunye of
Queen Sugar to list but a few
of the events this year. The Festival also celebrated producer
Nina Yang Bongiovi (Roxanne Roxanne, Songs My Brothers Taught Me,
Fruitvale Station, Dope) at the Women Who Lead
Luncheon.
The Festival's five competitions featured 37 World
Premieres, 2 International Premieres and 9 North American
Premieres. Across the competition categories 42% of the films are
directed by women and 40% are directed by people of
color.
Awards were given out in the following
categories:
U.S. Fiction Award
Winner:
Becks, directed by Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and Daniel
Powell
Screenwriter: Elizabeth
Rohrbaugh, Daniel Powell,
Rebecca
Drysdale
Producer:
Alex Bach, Elizabeth Rohrbaugh, Daniel
Powell
Cast: Lena Hall, Mena
Suvari, Christine Lahti,
Dan Fogler, Rebecca Drysdale, Hayley
Kiyoko, Michael
Zegen
Film Description:
After a crushing breakup, an aimless singer-songwriter moves
in with her ultra-Catholic mother and strikes up an unexpected
friendship with the wife of an old nemesis. World
Premiere
U.S. Fiction Cinematography Award presented by
Aputure
Winner: Everything Beautiful is
Far Away, cinematography
by Christian Sorensen Hansen and
Pete Ohs
Directors: Pete Ohs and
Andrea
Sisson
Country:
USA
Screenwriter:
Pete
Ohs
Producer:
Saul Germaine, Andrea Sisson, Pete
Ohs
Cast: Julia Garner,
Joseph Cross, C.S. Lee
Film
Description: This arthouse science fiction fable
is set on an isolated desert planet, where a man who is looking for
parts to repair his robotic companion teams up with a young woman
who is searching for an imaginary lake. World
Premiere
Aputure is a company that believes creators should never
have to compromise their vision because of a budget. Offering
professional-grade equipment affordable to filmmakers everywhere,
Aputure sells in over 100 countries offering filmmakers and
photographers LED lights, monitors, microphones and lens adapters.
In partnering with the LA Film Festival to present the Aputure
Cinematography Award, they are awarding $4,000 in lighting equipment to the winning
film's director of photography.
The U.S. Fiction Jury awarded the following special
mentions:
Special Mention for Breakout Performance:
Auden Thornton of
Beauty Mark
Country:
USA
Director:
Harris
Doran
Screenwriter:
Harris
Doran
Producer:
Harris Doran, Penny Edmiston, Gill
Holland, Kiley Lane Parker,
Bridget Berger, Corey Moosa
Cast:
Auden Thornton, Catherine Curtin, Laura
Bell Bundy, Jeff Kober,
Madison Iseman, Deirdre Lovejoy
Film
Description: Inspired by true events, when a
poverty-stricken young mother and her three-year-old son are
evicted, she turns to the only person she knows with any money –
the man who abused her as a child. World Premiere
Special Mention for Directing: Bruce
Thierry Cheung of Don't Come Back from the
Moon
Country:
USA
Screenwriter:
Bruce Thierry Cheung,
Dean
Bakopoulos
Producer:
Jay Davis, Lauren
Hoekstra
Cast:
Jeffrey Wahlberg, Zackary Arthur, Alyssa
Elle Steinacker, Cheyenne
Haynes, James Franco,
Rashida
Jones
Film Description:
The men of a small town on the edge of nowhere mysteriously
disappear, one by one, leaving women and children behind to fend
for themselves in a desolate and dreamlike world. World
Premiere
World Fiction Award
Winner:
The Night Guard (El Vigilante), directed by
Diego Ros
Country: Mexico
Screenwriter:
Diego
Ros
Producer:
Diego Ros
Cast: Leonardo Alonso,
Ari Gallegos, Lilia Mendoza, Héctor
Holten
Film Description: A
security guard at a construction site learns about a crime that
took place the night before and becomes entangled in a series of
mysterious events that unravel over the course of a single night.
North American Premiere
The World Fiction Jury awarded the following special
mention:
Special Mention for Excellence in Storytelling: On
the Beach at Night Alone (Bamui Hae-Byun-Eoseo
Honja), directed by Hong
Sangsoo
Country: South
Korea
Screenwriter: Hong
Sangsoo
Producer: Hong
Sangsoo
Cast: Kim Minhee, Seo
Younghwa, Kwon Haehyo, Jung Jaeyoung, Song Seonmi, Moon Sungkeun,
Ahn Jaehong, Park Yeaju,
Karl Feder, Mark Peranson, Bettina
Steinbrügge
Film Description:
Younghee is an actress who is stressed by a relationship with
a married man in Korea. On the beach she wonders: Is he missing me,
like I miss him? North American Premiere
Documentary Award
Winner:
Liyana, directed by
Amanda Kopp and Aaron Kopp
Country: Swaziland /
USA / Qatar
Producer: Amanda Kopp, Aaron
Kopp, Sakheni Dlamini, Daniel
Junge, Davis Coombe
Featuring: Gcina
Mhlophe
Film Description:
The epic tale of a young Swazi girl on a dangerous quest to
save her twin brothers is brought to life with captivating
animation from the imaginations of five talented orphan children in
Swaziland. World
Premiere
LA Muse Fiction Award
Winner:
And Then There Was Eve,
directed by Savannah
Bloch
Screenwriter: Savannah
Bloch, Colette
Freedman
Producer: Jen
Prince, Jhennifer
Webberley
Cast: Tania
Nolan, Rachel Crowl,
Mary Holland, Karan Soni, Anne Gee
Byrd, John
Kassir
Film Description:
After the sudden disappearance of her husband, a woman
enlists the help of his coworker to fill in the missing pieces.
World Premiere
LA Muse Documentary Award
Winner: Skid Row
Marathon, directed by
Mark
Hayes
Screenwriter: Mark
Hayes
Producer: Gabriele
Hayes, Doug
Blush
Cast: Judge Craig Mitchell, Ben
Shirley, Rafael Cabrera,
Rebecca Hayes, David Askew
Film
Description: On LA's Skid Row, a criminal court
judge organizes a running club comprised of homeless, recovering
and paroled men and women who seek to rediscover their sense of
self-worth and dignity. World Premiere
The LA Muse Jury awarded the following special
mentions:
Special Mention for Acting:
John Carroll Lynch of
Anything
Country:
USA
Director:
Timothy
McNeil
Screenwriter:
Timothy
McNeil
Producer:
Louise Runge, Ofrit Peres, Micah
Hauptman
Cast:
John Carroll Lynch,
Matt Bomer, Maura Tierney, Margot
Bingham, Micah
Hauptman
Film Description:
After the death of his wife, a man moves from Mississippi to a run-down Hollywood apartment, where he meets someone
new. World Premiere
Special Mention for Excellence in Storytelling: The
Classic, directed by Billy
McMillin
Country:
USA
Screenwriter:
Billy
McMillin
Producer:
Christopher Leggett,
Rafael Marmor, Timm Oberwelland,
Billy
McMillin
Cast:
Mario Ramirez, Joseph Silva, Sammy
Hernandez, Stevie Williams,
Javier Cid, Lorenzo Hernandez, Alfred Robledo
Film
Description: Two predominantly Latino high schools
square off annually in one of the oldest and most heated football
rivalries in the country: the East LA Classic. It doesn't get more
American than this. World Premiere
Nightfall Award
Winner:
Serpent, directed by
Amanda
Evans
Screenwriter: Amanda
Evans
Producer: Greig
Buckle
Cast: Sarah
Dumont, Tom
Ainsley
Film
Description: When a young couple take a getaway
aimed at reviving their romance, they find themselves trapped in a
tent with a venomous snake and a backlog of secrets, and realize
that only one of them can make it out alive. World
Premiere
The Nightfall Jury awarded the following special
mention:
Special Mention for Acting:
Kate Nhung of The
Housemaid
Country:
USA/Vietnam
Director:
Derek
Nguyen
Screenwriter:
Derek
Nguyen
Producer:
Timothy Linh
Bui
Cast: Nhung Kate, Jean-Michel
Richaud, Kim Xuan,
Rosie Fellner, Phi Phung,
Kien An
Film
Description: After an orphaned Vietnamese girl is
hired to be a housemaid at a haunted rubber plantation in 1953
French Indochina, she unexpectedly falls in love with the French
landowner and awakens the vengeful ghost of his dead wife. North
American Premiere
Award for Short Film
Winner:
A Funeral for Lightning, directed by Emily Kai Bock. USA/Canada.
Film Description: Seven months pregnant and stuck in a
sleepy corner of Tennessee, a young woman begins to question the
promises made by her charismatic husband.
The Shorts Jury awarded the following special
mentions:
Special Mention for Excellence in Storytelling:
Balloonfest, directed by Nathan Truesdell. USA
Film
Description: Cleveland attempts to overcome its nickname,
"The Mistake by the Lake," by launching a bunch of
balloons.
Award for Documentary Short
Winner: Black America Again,
directed by Bradford Young.
USA
Film Description: Inspired by Common's Black America Again,
this portrait is a celebration of the beauty, strength,
perseverance and spirit of the black community in these troubling
times.
Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film
Winner: The Keeping
Hours, directed by
Karen Moncrieff
Producers: Jason Blum,
John Miranda
Cast: Lee Pace, Carrie Coon, Sander
Thomas, Amy Smart,
Ana Ortiz, Ray Baker
Film
Description: Years after the death of their son
and their subsequent estrangement, a couple reunites under
supernatural circumstances. World Premiere.
This award is given to the fiction feature audiences liked
most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select fiction
feature-length films screening in the following sections were
eligible for the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature: U.S.
Fiction, World Fiction, LA Muse, Nightfall and
Premieres.
Audience Award for Documentary Feature
Film
Winner: Skid Row Marathon,
directed by Mark
Hayes
Producers: Gabriele
Hayes, Doug
Blush
Featuring: Judge
Craig Mitchell, Ben Shirley, Rafael
Cabrera, Rebecca Hayes,
David Askew
Film
Description: On LA's Skid Row, a criminal
court judge organizes a running club comprised of homeless,
recovering and paroled men and women who seek to rediscover their
sense of self-worth and dignity. World Premiere
This award is given to the documentary feature audiences
liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select
documentary feature-length films screening in the following
sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Documentary
Feature: Documentary LA Muse and Premieres.
Audience Award for Short Film
Winner: Swim, directed by Mari
Walker
Country:
USA
Film Description: As summer draws to a close, a young
trans girl finds freedom in a secret midnight swim.
This award is given to the short film audiences liked most
as voted by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the
Shorts Programs or before feature films in the Festival were
eligible for the Audience Award for Short Film.
Audience Award for Web-series
Winner: High & Mighty, directed by
Carlos Lopez
Estrada
Country:
USA
Description:
Perpetually stoned, drunk, and unemployed, Chelo Chavez is an unlikely
superhero.
This award is given to the web-series audiences liked most
as voted by a tabulated rating system.
In closing out the 2017 edition, the Festival also thanks
the many sponsors whose support makes the program possible
including Presenting Media Sponsor the Los
Angeles Times and Host Venue the ArcLight Cinemas. Platinum
Sponsors are Alfa Romeo, American Airlines, EFilm | Company 3, HBO
and Marker's Mark. Supporter Level Sponsors are Classic Party
Rentals, Directors Guild of America, Dolby, Focus Features, Kona
Productions, Showtime Documentary Films and Smartsource
Rentals.
Generous support has also been provided by Affiliate Level
Sponsors ATK Audiotek, designer8*, The Culver Studios, IFC,
Konsonant Music, Kraft-Engel Management, Ovation TV, SAGindie,
Snapsound and Twentieth Century Fox Film. Other sponsors include
BMI, ESPN Films, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Ketchum, Twin Cities Film
Fest, USA Network and
Writers Guild of America, West.
Additional support is provided by Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation, Time Warner Foundation, Lisa
Argyros/Argyros Family Foundation, Jason Delane Lee and Yvonne Huff Lee | Lagralane Group, UCLA Latin
American Institute, Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, Employees Community Fund of
Boeing California and the Members of Film Independent's annual
giving group, Arts Circle.
The Festival also thanks official industry resource
IMDbPro, official card Citi, official beer Golden Road Brewing and
official water, Essentia Water.
Alfa Romeo
Since its foundation in
Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo
continues to design and craft some of the most stunning and premium
vehicles in automotive history, all while building on a racing
heritage that includes some of the most talented and storied
drivers and victories.
www.alfaromeousa.com
American Airlines
American is committed
to the community in Los Angeles
through local partnerships and community projects and, as the
preferred airline of the entertainment industry, has formed an
advisory council of influencers from leading entertainment
corporations to shape future decisions. American offers up to 225
flights per day from LAX to 70 destinations worldwide.
EFILM | CO3
Post facilities EFilm |
Company 3, part of Deluxe's creative group of companies, are known
for creative color artistry, pioneering technology and global
reach. Recent features include blockbusters Beauty & the Beast
and Wonder Woman and indies such as The Bachelors, The Book of
Henry, A Crooked Somebody and Out
of State.
HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium
television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the
world's most successful pay TV service, providing the two
television services – HBO® and
Cinemax® – to approximately 134 million subscribers
worldwide. The services offer the popular subscription
video-on-demand products HBO On Demand® and Cinemax
On Demand®, as well as
HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds
and multiplex channels. HBO NOW®, the network's
internet-only premium streaming service, provides audiences with
instant access to HBO's acclaimed programming in the U.S.
Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the
subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO
GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO and Cinemax
programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.
Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark® is one of the
finest Kentucky Bourbons with a soft, smooth flavor stemming from
the use of red winter wheat. Today, Maker's Mark® makes its bourbon
the same way its founder, Bill Samuels,
Sr., did over 60 years ago, in small batches by craftsmen
who hand-dip each bottle.
Essentia Water
We're here to put a flag
in the ground and tell the world that a better you starts with a
better water. Supercharged ionized alkaline water, Essentia
delivers peak rehydration performance. It's about drinking up more
of life and doing all the things that make you extraordinary.
#EssentiaNation
Golden Road
Founded in 2011 by beer
enthusiast Meg Gill, Golden Road
Brewing has since become Los
Angeles' largest craft brewer and is available throughout
major markets in the US. Golden Road offers a wide variety of beers
created by combining old world brewing standards with California lifestyle inspired innovation and
ingredients.
Thank you to WireImage, the Official Photographer of the
LA Film Festival. Please visit wireimage.com, the official source
for photos.
Additional thanks to media partners Backstage, Deadline
Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, KCRW 89.9FM, KPFK 90.7FM, LA
Metro, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Confidential, Martin Outdoor Media,
MovieMaker Magazine, OUTFRONT Media, Time Out Los Angeles,
Univision/KLVE, Variety, Variety 411, WireImage and
TheWrap.
To download images and clips from the
winning films, please
visit filmindependent.org/press, then
click Press Materials.
Online & Social
Media:
www.lafilmfest.com Find us on Facebook
at facebook.com/LAFilmFest and Twitter @LAFilmFest. Official event
hashtag: #LAFilmFest.
ABOUT THE LA FILM
FESTIVAL
The LA Film Festival is a key
part of the exhibition arm of the nonprofit arts
organization Film Independent. Showcasing new American
and international cinema that embraces diversity,
innovation and unique perspectives, the Festival produces
one-of-a-kind events featuring critically acclaimed filmmakers,
industry professionals and award-winning talent from Los Angeles and around the world. The
Festival's signature programs include the Filmmaker Retreat, Women
Who Lead Luncheon, Spirit of Independence
Award, Coffee Talks and more. The Festival's Future
Filmmakers Showcase supports high school filmmakers with
screenings of their work and community based film education
opportunities. Presenting Media Sponsor is the Los Angeles Times. Host Venue is the ArcLight
Cinemas. Platinum Sponsors are Alfa Romeo, American Airlines, EFilm
| Company 3, HBO and Maker's Mark® Bourbon. WireImage is the
Official Photographer.
ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film
Independent is a nonprofit arts organization that champions
independent visual storytelling and supports a community of artists
who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film
Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience
for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film
Independent's Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff and
constituents is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals
across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual
orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a Member,
whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional or a film
lover.
In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film
Independent produces the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at
LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique
cinematic experiences for the Los
Angeles creative community and the general
public.
With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film
Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who
are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent's
Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers,
directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-
round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film
Independent's signature program dedicated to fostering the careers
of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally
underrepresented in the film industry. For more information or to
become a Member, visit
filmindependent.org.
ABOUT ARCLIGHT CINEMAS
ArcLight
Cinemas, created by Pacific Theatres, a privately owned,
Los Angeles based company with 60
years of theatrical exhibition history throughout California, Hawaii and Washington is a premiere moviegoing experience
with an unparalleled commitment to bringing a variety of rich
cinematic content to moviegoers in all markets. ArcLight Cinemas
operates seven theaters in California including Hollywood, Pasadena, Sherman
Oaks, El Segundo,
Santa Monica, Culver City and La
Jolla, as well as theaters in Bethesda, MD, Chicago and Glenview, IL, with a new location in
Boston for 2019. ArcLight also
owns and operates the historic Cinerama Dome and programs the TCL
Chinese Theatre and IMAX in Hollywood. Pacific Theatres currently operates
theaters in Los Angeles that
include The Grove and The Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA. Additional information about
ArcLight Cinemas is available at
www.arclightcinemas.com.
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