AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi ANNOUNCES AUDIENCE AND JURY AWARD-WINNING FILMS

“It has been an exciting year for world cinema and emerging international filmmakers,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director of AFI FEST presented by Audi. “We’ve had incredibly enthusiastic audiences for all of the screenings at AFI FEST. It’s wonderful to discover the films that especially resonate with audiences and put a spotlight on filmmakers as part of awards season critical acclaim.”

“It has been eight fantastic days of screenings here in Los Angeles with over 150 filmmakers from around the world attending to present their works,” said Lane Kneedler, Associate Director of Programming for AFI FEST presented by Audi. “What a wonderful way to end AFI FEST’s 25th Edition by acknowledging the films our distinguished juries and esteemed audiences have bestowed on these talented filmmakers.”

Breakthrough Section (award accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize) WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT by Alexandra-Therese Keining

New Auteurs Section BULLHEAD by Michaël R. Roskam

World Cinema Section A tie: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI by David Gelb and KINYARWANDA by Alrick Brown

Young Americans Section WUSS by Clay Liford

As in previous years, a jury determines the AFI FEST 2011 Live Action and Animated Short Film Section Awards. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences recognizes each winner as a qualifier for the annual Academy Awards®. The Short Film Jury – comprised of filmmakers Barry Jenkins and Gerardo Naranjo (AFI Conservatory Class of 2001) and festival programmer Kim Yutani – announced the awards with their statements.

Live Action Short Film Section Grand Jury Prize: FROZEN STORIES from Grzegorz Jaroszuk “for its world of meta-reality suffused with enough context to rend a beautifully nuanced story for the most heightened elements.”

Honorable Mention: BABYLAND by Marc Fratello “for its assured direction, stunning lead performance and the ability to balance humor and pathos all the way up to its shocking conclusion.”

Animated Short Film Section Grand Jury Prize: THE EAGLEMAN STAG by Michael Please “for its ambitious and elegant storytelling, both narrative and aesthetically, in which the bigness of life and the concept of time are deftly unpacked in a moving nine minutes.”

Honorable Mention: THE VOYAGERS by Penny Lane “for its skillful juxtaposition of archival footage and personal narrative to tell a moving story of exploration, romance and space travel.”

This year AFI FEST debuts its New Auteurs Critic’s Prize selected by an esteemed panel of international critics: Justin Chang (Variety), Mike Goodridge (Screen International), Mark Olsen (The Los Angeles Times) and Jean Oppenheimer (American Cinematographer).

Grand Jury Prize: THE LONELIEST PLANET by Julia Loktev “for its bold exploration of societal structures and gender roles, set against a landscape that conveys both profound beauty and profound alienation.”

Special Jury Prize: ATTENBERG by Athina Rachel Tsangari “for its wit, distinct voice and playful sense of storytelling.”

Acting Award Prize: BULLHEAD’s Matthias Schoenaerts “for his nuanced and intensely physical embodiment of bruised masculinity.”

About the American Film Institute AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.  AFI provides leadership in film, television and digital media and is dedicated to initiatives that engage the past, the present and the future of the moving image arts. AFI programs include the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and Archive, the AFI Life 

Achievement Award, now in it’s 40th year, AFI Awards, honoring the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, AFI Fest presented by Audi, celebrating its 25th edition this fall, AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs, AFI Silver Theatre and the AFI Conservatory, which was named the # 1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter.  Additional information about AFI is available at AFI.com.

Celebrating its 25th year as a program of the American Film Institute, AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi takes place November 3 through 10 in the heart of Hollywood. Kicking off the awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community, while providing appreciative audiences with a festive atmosphere and the very best of global cinema, right in the center of the film capital of the world.  The American Film Market (AFM), November 2 through 9, 2011, is the market partner of AFI FEST. Together, AFI FEST and AFM provide the only concurrent festival- market event in North America. AFI FEST is the only FIAPF-accredited film festival in the United States. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the annual Academy Awards®.  Audi is the festival’s presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include American Airlines, the official airline of AFI; AT&T; Pepsi; Merrill Lynch Wealth Management; the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas; Levi’s; Stella Artois; Hollywood & Highland; Entertainment Weekly; Los Angeles Times; and American Film Market (AFM), among many others. Additional information about AFI FEST 2011 presented by Audi is available at AFI.com/AFIFEST. Connect with AFI FEST at facebook.com/AFIFEST, twitter.com/AFIFEST and youtube.com/AFIFEST.

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit audiusa.com or audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

The business of independent motion picture production and distribution reaches its peak every year at the AFM, when more than 8,000 industry leaders converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal- making, screenings, premieres, networking, parties and conferences. Participants come from more than 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA). More information is online at AmericanFilmMarket.com.