Cinema St. Louis Announces The SLIFF 2020 Award Winners

By Tom Stockman | November 23, 2020

The 29th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival concluded its epic 18 day run last night, culminating with their annual awards presentation.

And here are some of the winners:

Best Film Award: Asia, directed by Ruthy Pribar

TV5Monde Award for Best International Film: Beasts Clawing at Straws, directed by Kim Yong-Hoon (read Jim Batts‘ WAMG review HERE)

Leon Award for Best Documentary: God Save the Wings, directed by Adam Knapp & Kenneth Linn

Spotlight on Inspiration Award This juried competition awards a $5,000 prize to a feature documentary that focuses on people working to make the world a better place and that inspires audience members and leaves them with a sense of hope for the future. Sponsored by The Albrecht Family: The Road Up, directed by Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel 

NFF Emerging Director Award: The Bobbie
The New Filmmakers Forum (NFF) annually presents the Emerging Director Award. Five works by first-time feature filmmakers compete for the prize, which includes a $500 cash 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. New Filmmakers Forum sponsored by Barry & Jackie Albrecht and Pat Scallet: Small Time, directed by Niav Conty

Essy Awards for Best St. Louis Films: SLIFF inaugurates a new juried competition at this year’s festival: The Essy Award, which honors works either made in St. Louis or by a filmmaker with ties to the area. The award is accompanied by four $250 prizes — underwritten by the Chellappa-Vedavalli Foundation — for Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Documentary Short.

Best Narrative Short: Augustus, directed by Jon Alston

Best Documentary Short: I Want to Make a Film About Women, directed by Karen Pearlman

Best Narrative Feature: Test Pattern, directed by Shatara Michelle Ford 

Best Documentary Feature: Zappa, directed by Alex Winter