General News
SLIFF 2017 – “And The Winners Are….”
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The Urban Chestnut Beer poured freely (because it was free) at the Urban Chestnut Microbrewery in the Grove neighborhood inSt. Louis last night. It was the closing-night party for the 26th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival where the slate of audience-choice and juried-competition winners were announced to an attentive crowd.
Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award to Dan Mirvish; Women in Film Award to Pam Grier; Lifetime Achievement Awards to Sam Pollard; and the Contemporary Cinema Award to Marco Williams.
Tribeca Film Institute’s IF/Then Short Documentary Pitch Competition
Tribeca Film Institute, in partnership with SLIFF, sought short documentary projects by filmmakers living and working in the Midwest for its new IF/Then Short Documentary Program, made possible with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Five projects were invited to enter the IF/Then pitch competition earlier this afternoon. A jury then met to determine the winner of up to $20,000 to finish their film and a one-year distribution initiative managed by Tribeca Film Institute.
If/Then Pitch Competition Winner: “Bridges” directed by Sohib Boundaoui and produced by Assia Boundaoui
If/Then Honorable Mention (and $1,000 cash prize): “On the Bit” directed by Ashley S. Brandon and produced by Nevo I. Shinaar
Interfaith Awards
Juries gives Interfaith Awards to both a documentary and a narrative, choosing from among 10 competition films (five in each category), which were selected for their artistic merit; contribution to the understanding of the human condition; and recognition of ethical, social, and spiritual values.
The 2017 winners:
Best Documentary Feature: “Voices Beyond the Wall: Twelve Love Poems from the Murder Capital of the World”by Bradley Coley
Best Narrative Feature: “Mawlana” by Magdi Ahmed Ali
Midrash Award
Midrash St. Louis engages myriad aspects of American culture – hot topics, deep subjects, music, arts, and film – and seeks to give and receive commentary on the subjects and issues that matter to people in St. Louis and that form and shape our views and lives. The Midrash St. Louis Film Award celebrates St. Louis-related films of honesty and artistry that portray the need or the hope for reconciliation or redemption. These are among the most powerful and worthy themes that films should explore. Eligible work for the Midrash St. Louis Film Award includes feature and short films largely shot in St. Louis or directed by filmmakers with strong local ties. The award comes with a cash prize of $500.
The 2017 winner: “For Ahkeem” directed by Jeremy Levine & Landon Van Soest
Shorts Awards
Juries choose the winners of seven awards from among the shorts in competition. The SLIFF shorts competition is officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, making the winners in the Best of Fest, Best Animated, Best Live Action, and Best Documentary categories eligible to submit for Oscar®consideration.
The 2017 winners:
Best Documentary Short: “Crown Candy” by Kamau Bilal & David Wilson
Best Local Short: “Sanctuary” by Ashley Seering & Cory Byers
Best Short Short: “The Shadow” by Isaac Switzer
Best International Short: “Wicked Girl” by Ayce Kartal
Best Animated Short: “Cerulia” by Sofía Carrillo
Best Live-Action Short: “Flip the Record” by Marie Jamora
Best of Fest: “Yes, God, Yes” by Karen Maine
St. Louis Film Critics Association Joe Pollack and Joe Williams Awards
In conjunction with the St. Louis Film Critics organization, SLIFF holds juried competitions for documentary and narrative features. The awards are named in honor of the late St. Louis Post-Dispatch critics Joe Pollack (narrative) and Joe Williams (documentary). The winners are picked by two juries composed of St. Louis film critics. SLIFF chose eight films to compete in each category.
The 2017 winners:
Best Documentary Feature: “When I Was 6, I Killed a Dragon” directed by Bruno Romy
Best Narrative Feature: “Black Cop” by Cory Bowles
New Filmmakers Forum Emerging Director Award (The Bobbie)
The New Filmmakers Forum (NFF) annually presents the Emerging Director Award. Since its inception, NFF was co-curated by Bobbie Lautenschlager. Bobbie died in the summer of 2012, and SLIFF honors her memory by nicknaming the NFF Emerging Director Award as the Bobbie. Five works by first-time feature filmmakers competed for the prize, which includes a $500 cash award.
The 2017 winners:
Special Award for Outstanding Performance: Olajuwon Davis, “Palacios”
Emerging Director Award (“The Bobbie”): “Becks” by Liz Rohrbaugh and Dan Powell
Best of Fest Audience Choice Awards
Audience voting determines the winner of three awards from among the films in competition.
The 2017 winners:
Leon Award for Best Documentary Film: “Gabe” by Luke Terrell
TV5MONDE Award for Best International Film: A sensual, transcendent tale of first love – adapted by James Ivory from the acclaimed novel by André Aciman, this highly regarded film debuted at 2017 Sundance Film Festival. “Call Me By Your Name“ by Luca Guadagnino
Best Film: Based on the memoirs of Fanny Ben-Ami, this inspiring film is an incredible tale of bravery, strength, and survival – the story of a daring young girl who will stop at nothing and fear no one. “Fanny’s Journey” by Lola Doillon
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