35th Festival Awards
Audience Award - Best Feature Film
Winner - Mascarpone
Audience Award - Best Documentary
Winner - Invisible
Runner Up - Mama Bears
Audience Award - Best Short
Winner -Bonhomme
Runner Up: Static Space
Honorable Mention: Gay Spirit Radio: Not Afraid To Be Different - The Keith Brown Story
Jury Award - Feature Film
Winner - Finlandia
The jury selected FINLANDIA for its gorgeous visuals and its powerful and unflinching portrait of an often overlooked population, the Muxes of Mexico.
Special Mention - Great Freedom
The jury recognized GREAT FREEDOM for the excellence of its acting and its creative and unconventional storytelling format.
Jury Award - Best Documentary
Winner - Prognosis - Notes on Living
The jury selected PROGNOSIS for its brave and masterful storytelling and its incredible emotional impact.
Special Mention - Gemmel & Tim
The jury recognized GEMMEL & TIM for shining a light on an important and shocking story that needed to be told in more depth than the sensationalized headlines of a newspaper, which is one of the prime purposes and obligations of documentary filmmaking.
Jury Award - Best Short Film
Winner - My Mother's Girlfriend
The jury selected MY MOTHER'S GIRLFRIEND for the power and beauty of its story about the love between two older women and their desire to live their lives honestly and with integrity.
Runner Up - Warsha
The jury recognized WARSHA for the originality and creativity of its story and its stunning visuals.
Special Mention - Overthinker
The jury recognized OVERTHINKER (PENSADERO) for its creativity, charm, originality and humor.
Silvia Brunelli (Blessed Boys)
The Rising Star Award, in memory of festival volunteer and supporter Pam Connelly, highlights and rewards new talent in the independent film industry. Silvia Brunelli is recognized as this year's Rising Star Award winner due to the exceptional job she did in writing and directing her first feature film BLESSED BOYS within the span of 11 months, creating an original and compelling story of family, friendship and self-discovery.
Bretten Hannam (Wildhood)
The Director's Award goes to Bretten Hannam, writer and director of Wildhood. In a time when representation is so important, they created a nuanced and touching film about the journey of self-discovery and reconnecting with one's roots - making a profound impact on our audience and standing out as one of the most original films in this year's festival.
