AFI FEST 2013 presented by Audi today announced the features and short films receiving this year’s Audience and Jury Awards at a brunch sponsored by KIND. THE ROCKET, an Australian film; THE SELFISH GIANT, made in the UK; WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE, an American independent film directed by Zeke Hawkins (AFI Class of 2009) and Simon Hawkins; and B FOR BOY, a Nigerian film, received Audience Awards. Grand Jury Awards were presented to BUTTER LAMP, in the Live Action Short category, and THE PLACES WHERE WE LIVED, in the Animated Short category. Special Jury Award winners were BALCONY and SYNDROMEDA.
Select award-winning films will screen again today at the Chinese 6 Theatres. Admission is available to AFI FEST 2013 pass holders and the general public via the Rush Line, which begins forming one hour before each film’s scheduled screening start time. For screening times visit AFI.com/AFIFEST.
“Panavision is proud to be a sponsor of the AFI Fest and to present a $60,000 rental grant to the winner of the American Independence Section, Audience Award for WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE,” said Marketing Executive Mike Carter of Panavision Hollyood. “Panavision has always been dedicated in helping filmmakers get their story onto the screen and we hope that this grant helps the winner do just that.”
Festival Director Jacqueline Lyanga saluted the winning filmmakers. “This year, some extraordinary new artists have burst onto the scene, and we hope that these awards from the audience and the jury will enable their films to reach a wider audience. We hope that the enthusiasm and excitement that our audiences have had for all of the films that we’ve shown this past week – foreign, American, Independent, experimental, short and documentary – continues and spreads,” said Lyanga.
“At the end of an incredible eight days of hosting so many wonderful filmmakers from around the world, the Awards Ceremony is an opportunity to acknowledge the films that struck a chord with both our audiences and our jury,” added Lane Kneedler, Associate Director of Programming, AFI FEST. “We also congratulate all of our filmmakers for sharing their stories.”
GRAND JURY AWARDS, LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED SHORT
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST Grand Jury Award winners in the Live Action and Animated Shorts categories as qualifiers for the annual Academy Awards® Short Film category. The Shorts jury featured Alejandro De Leon (producer), Kitao Sakurai (filmmaker), Jordan Vogt-Roberts (filmmaker) and Heidi Zwicker (shorts programmer).
Live Action Short Film: BUTTER LAMP. JURY COMMENT: “The Grand Jury prize for Live Auction caught us by surprise with its spellbinding and poetic simplicity. Traversing hundreds of miles of geography and spanning generations of time without leaving one central location, this film functions as a profound mediation on the practice and effects of image making.”
Animated Short: THE PLACES WHERE WE LIVED. JURY COMMENT: “This was an exceptionally difficult choice to make. While many of the animations showcase incredible depth and artistry, one film shined – through its idiosyncratic use of multiple mediums and humor to provide insight into the filmmaker’s heart.”
NEW AUTEURS CRITIC’S AWARD
The New Auteurs section highlights first and second-time feature film directors from around the world. This year’s New Auteurs jury featured Peter Debruge (Variety), Karina Longworth (author and critic) and Amy Nicholson (LA Weekly). The Shorts jury features Alejandro De Leon (producer), Kitao Sakurai (filmmaker), Jordan Vogt-Roberts (filmmaker) and Heidi Zwicker (shorts programmer).
NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN. JURY COMMENT: “The true story of a homeless Christian teenager adopted by an abusive family who tests his ability to turn the other cheek. Many, many bad things happen. But the blessing is discovering first-time filmmaker Katrin Gebbe and her incredible ensemble who have braved their own tests – boos and walkouts, nothing too bloody – in order to bring us this powerful movie and faith and sacrifice.”
AUDIENCE AWARDS
World Cinema: THE ROCKET. DIR Kim Mourant. Australia.
New Auteurs: THE SELFISH GIANT. DIR Clio Barnard. UK.
American Independents: (award accompanied by a $60,000 grant from Panavision) WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE. DIR Zeke Hawkins, Simon Hawkins. USA.
Breakthrough: (award accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize) B FOR BOY. DIR Chika Anadu. Nigeria.
(The complete list of award-winners, including special awards, is attached at the end of this press release.)
The complete AFI FEST 2013 program included 120 films (84 features, 36 shorts), representing 43 countries. The Opening Night Gala was the North American Premiere of John Lee Hancock’s SAVING MR. BANKS. The Closing Night Gala is Ethan Coen and Joel Coen’s INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, which screens tonight at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.
The many highlights of the festival included the lively conversation with this year’s Guest Artistic Director Agnès Varda at the screening of CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (CLÉO DE 5 À 7); last year’s Guest Artistic Director Bernardo Bertolucci posing on the red carpet with many of the festival filmmakers as he arrived for the Gala screening of THE LAST EMPEROR (3D) at the TCL Chinese Theatre; a Q&A with Peter Berg, Mark Wahlberg, and retired Petty Officer 1st Class Marcus Luttrell following the World Premiere Gala Screening of LONE SURVIVOR; Quentin Tarantino’s animated introduction at the Tribute to Bruce Dern prior to the Gala Screening of NEBRASKA; handprint-footprint ceremonies at the historic TCL Theatre on both Opening Night and Closing Night for Emma Thompson of SAVING MR. BANKS and John Goodman of INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (respectively); a musical performance by Jose Gonzalez after the Gala screening of THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY; the Los Angeles Times’ Young Hollywood Panel featuring Dane DeHaan (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), Greta Gerwig (FRANCES HA), Michael B. Jordan (FRUITVALE STATION), Brie Larson (SHORT TERM 12) and Miles Teller (THE SPECTACULAR NOW); a sneak of Annette Bening’s new film THE FACE OF LOVE from director Arie Posin and producers Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn; the Steve McQueen conversation; a Tribute to David O. Russell where he showcased the first six minutes of AMERICAN HUSTLE and a conversation with Spike Jonze following a standing room only screening of HER.
Several international filmmakers were in attendance, including Amat Escalante, the director of HELI, Mexico’s official Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission; Hany Abu-Assad, the director of OMAR, Palestine’s official Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission; Cambodian director Rithy Panh with his Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard-winning THE MISSING PICTURE; Sebastian Lelio, director of Chile’s official Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission, GLORIA, along with Paulina Garcia who stars in the film; Kim Mordaunt, the director of THE ROCKET, Australia’s Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission; Samuel Kishi Leopo, the director of WE ARE MARI PEPA; Călin Peter Netzer, the director of CHILD’S POSE Romania’s official Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission; Emir Baigazin, the director of HARMONY LESSONS; Agustín Toscano and Ezequiel Radusky the directors of THE OWNERS; Ralph Fiennes the director and star of THE INVISIBLE WOMAN; Justin Chadwick, director of MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM with cast members Idris Elba, Naomie Harris; Biyi Bandele the director of HALF OF A YELLOW SUN with star Anika Noni Rose; Ashgar Farhadi the director of THE PAST; Steve Coogin of PHILOMENA and actresses Hadewych Minis from BORGMAN and Camille Rutherford from MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.
For the fifth consecutive year, AFI FEST offered free tickets to all screenings. Tickets for today’s screenings are available in-person at the AFI FEST AT&T Box Office at the Hollywood & Highland Center.
