HIFF 2018 announced the awards on October 8 at the Awards Brunch, held at Serafina in East Hampton. Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you to all the filmmakers who shared their work with our audiences this year.
ALL GOOD “ALLES IST GUT”, directed by Eva Trobisch, won the Award for Best Narrative Feature, sponsored by Netflix. The film was presented with support from German Films. Director Eva Trobisch receives a $3,000 cash prize and a film production package of in-kind goods and services, with a total value of $92,500.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES, directed by Alexis Bloom, received the Award for Best Documentary Feature, also sponsored by Netflix. Alexis Bloom receives a $3,000 cash prize and a film production package of in-kind good and services, with a total value of over $25,000.
FENCE “GARDHI”, directed by Lendita Zeqiraj, received the Award for Best Narrative Short Film. GUAXUMA, directed by Nara Normande, received the award for Best Documentary Short Film. Each director wins a $500 cash prize, and both short films will qualify for Academy Award® consideration in their respective categories.
BORDER “GRÄNS”, directed by Ali Abbasi, received a Special Jury Prize for acting for the two lead actors, Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff. The film was selected as Sweden’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
“We offer our sincere praise to this year’s winners and are thankful to all the films that participated in this year’s groundbreaking competition slate,” said David Nugent, HIFF Artistic Director. “In a year in which all of our Screenwriters Lab participants were women, and our competition section was evenly split with 50/50 gender representation, it is great to see that the jury selected four films by female filmmakers.”
The Audience Awards, sponsored by Out East, are as follows:
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: THE HATE U GIVE, directed by George Tillman Jr. and starring Breakthrough Artist Amandla Stenberg.
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM, directed by John Chester.
Audience Award for Best Short Film: ONE SMALL STEP, directed by Bobby Pontillas and Andrew Chesworth.
AND BREATHE NORMALLY, directed by Ísold Uggadóttir (HIFF Screenwriters Lab 2015 Alumni), was awarded the 2018 Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a Film of Conflict and Resolution, which is accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize.
CROSS MY HEART, directed by Sontenish Myers, was awarded the Vimeo Staff Pick Award, which provides a $3,000 cash prize. CROSS MY HEART also becomes a Vimeo Staff Pick.
ONLY THE WIND IS LISTENING, directed by Emily Anderson, was awarded the Suffolk County Film Commission Next Exposure Grant. This program supports the completion of high quality, original, director-driven, low-budget independent films from both emerging and established filmmakers who have completed 50% of principal photography within Suffolk County. The film was awarded a $3,000 grant.
THE CAT RESCUERS, directed by Rob Fruchtman and Steven Lawrence, was awarded the Zelda Penzel Giving Voice to the Voiceless Award. This award is presented to a film that raises public awareness about contemporary social issues, including the moral and ethical treatment and the rights of animals as well as environmental protection. The film was awarded a $2,500 grant.
THE SILENCE OF OTHERS was presented with the Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice. The film is directed by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar. The annual award is handed to a film that exemplifies the values of peace, equality, global justice and civil liberties, and is named after iconic civil rights lawyer Victor Rabinowitz and his wife Joanne Grant, an author, filmmaker and journalist. The award, which is accompanied by a cash prize of $1,500, is named in honor of two people who spent their entire lives fighting for those values. This film was presented in partnership with OLA of Eastern Long Island.
Terry Lawler, the outgoing longtime Executive Director of NYWIFT, was presented with the inaugural Industry Advocate for Women Award from HIFF Executive Director Anne Chaisson.
As previously announced, Alan Alda was honored with the the Dick Cavett Artistic Champion Award, presented by Alec Baldwin at the festival. 2018 Breakthrough Artists included Kayli Carter (PRIVATE LIFE), Cory Michael Smith (1985, FIRST MAN) & Amandla Stenberg (THE HATE U GIVE).
“The festival is very fortunate to have an astounding and dynamic team of hard-working staff and volunteers that keep the festival strong,”said Anne Chaisson, HIFF Executive Director. “We are also very appreciative to all the donors, sponsors, film industry, and attendees, including filmmakers and talent that could join us this year to celebrate the latest and greatest of cinema.”
