36th Festival Awards
Audience Award - Best Feature Film
Audience Award - Best Documentary
Winner - 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture
Runner Up - Esther Newton Made Me Gay
Audience Award - Best Short
Jury Award - Feature Film
The jury selected MUTT for its original concept, exceptional storytelling, and superb acting, all of which coalesce to create a powerful cinematic experience.
Honorable Mention (Tie) - Fireworks
Honorable Mention (Tie) - All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White
The jury recognized Fireworks for the powerful recollection of an event that shook Italian LGBTQ+ community in 1982; and All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White for a touching portrait of love between two men in a country that strictly forbids this kind of love.
Jury Award - Best Documentary
Winner - 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture
The jury selected 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture for shedding a bright light on a crucial yet largely overlooked twist of history, that for decades has been used to wreak havoc on the lives of untold millions of queer people.
Jury Award - Best Short Film
Winner - Masaru å
The jury selected Masaru å for delicately portraying what can happen when a parentās expectations collide with their childās need to be seen for who they are.
Honorable Mention - Boyfriend
The jury recognized Boyfriend for the beautiful depiction of a day in a life of two strangers.
Zeno Graton (The Lost Boys)
The Rising Star Award, in memory of festival volunteer and supporter Pam Connelly, highlights and rewards new talent in the independent film industry. Zeno Graton is recognized as this year's Rising Star Award winner due to the exceptional job he did in writing and directing his first feature film THE LOST BOYS. This well crafted and acted film highlights an intense and passionate relationship between two young men in a hostile environment.
Sarah Kambe Holland (Egghead & Twinkie)
The Director's Award goes to Sarah Kambe Holland, writer and director of Egghead & Twinkie. Festival Co-Director Marina Yurieva stated, "Egghead & Twinkie is an outstanding coming-of-age road trip film that explores a spectrum of emotions: it's fun and quirky, dramatic and cute, all at the same time. Sarah raised money for her debut film via crowdfunding, which is phenomenal. Egghead & Twinkie and Sarah made a significant contribution as the movie kicked off the festival. The filmmakers participated in a post-film audience Q&A and interacted with the audience at the Opening Night festivities. Our audience embraced the filmmakers and their charming film. It was a real highlight of our festival."
