AFI Fest has unveiled the films that received this year’s Jury and Audience Awards. Included in the mix were director John Chester’s The Biggest Little Farm which won the Feature Audience Award, and director Katrelle Kindred’s War Paint which earned Grand Jury Award distinction as Best Live-Action Short. The latter is an AFI Directing Workshop for Women film.
Here’s a rundown of AFI Fest Jury and Audience Award winners:
Audience Award – Feature
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM (DIR John Chester)
In this poignant and charming documentary, filmmaker John Chester chronicles the eight-year effort of an ambitious, life-changing personal venture: moving out of Los Angeles with his wife, Molly, and building a diverse, sustainable farm.
Audience Award – Short
PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE. (DIR Rayka Zehtabchi)
In an effort to improve feminine hygiene, a machine that creates low-cost biodegradable sanitary pads is installed in a rural village in Northern India.
Grand Jury Award – Live-Action Short
WAR PAINT (DIR Katrelle Kindred)
Jury Statement: “We picked this film for its powerful intersectional narrative which focuses on the difficult aspects of one girl’s coming of age.”
In WAR PAINT, a young, South LA black girl experiences a series of events that intersect racism and sexism during the Fourth of July holiday. Katrelle Kindred (AFI Directing Workshop for Women, Class of 2018) directed WAR PAINT in 2017 as her AFI DWW short. The film world-premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
Grand Jury Award – Animated Short
EGG (DIR Martina Scarpelli)
Jury Statement: “We chose this film for its visceral portrayal of the relationship between a woman and her body.”
In this film, a woman is locked in her home with an egg. She eats the egg, then repents. She kills it. She lets the egg die of hunger.
Honorable Mention for Social Impact Short
MAGIC ALPS (DIR Andrea Brusa, Marco Scotuzzi)
In MAGIC ALPS, an Afghani refugee arrives in Italy with his goat and seeks political asylum for both of them.
Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Short
PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE. (DIR Rayka Zehtabchi)
Honorable Mention for Acting – Short
Vedrana Bozinovic, A SIEGE
In A SIEGE, a lonely woman in war-torn Sarajevo embarks on a journey to find water, and neither her neighbors nor sniper fire can stop her.
The Shorts jury was comprised of Alison Becker (actor on PARKS AND RECREATION, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM), Chinonye Chukwu (director/writer), Alicia Malone (host on Turner Classic Movies), Michael Mohan (co-creator of the Netflix original series EVERYTHING SUCKS!), Eliza Skinner (comedian and writer on THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN) and Sasheer Zamata (comedian, actress, writer and former SNL cast member).
Fest menu
The overall AFI Fest once again brought the best in global cinema to Los Angeles thanks to the support of Audi, now in its 15th consecutive year as presenting sponsor of the festival.
The complete AFI Fest program included 135 titles (84 features, four episodic, 47 shorts), representing 45 countries, including 65 films directed by women, 29 documentaries and nine animated films. This year’s program includes nine official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar® submissions, and 24 films featuring 52 AFI Conservatory alumni credits, throughout the sections. The breakdown by section is Galas (8), Special Screenings (13), World Cinema (28), New Auteurs (18), American Independents (11), Midnight (4), Cinema’s Legacy (6) and Shorts (47).
Angelina Jolie To Receive Gothams Performer Tribute For “Marie”
The Gotham Film & Media Institute has announced that Academy Award®-winner Angelina Jolie will receive the Performer Tribute for her performance as Maria Callas in Pablo Larrain’s upcoming film Maria, at the 34th edition of The Gothams, taking place on Monday, December 2, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The tribute will honor Jolie’s rendition of legendary opera singer Callas.
“Like the legendary figure she portrays, Angelina Jolie transcends mere performance to craft something extraordinary. Her interpretation captures both Maria Callas’ complexity as an artist and the cultural resonance that defines an icon,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham. “We are thrilled to celebrate what is truly one of Ms. Jolie’s career-defining performances in the final installment of Pablo Larrain’s magnificent trilogy.”
Maria follows Callas, one of the most iconic performers of the 20th century, as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. The film reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days as the diva reckons with her identity and life. Written by Steven Knight, with cinematography by Ed Lachman and costumes by Massimo Cantini Parrini, Maria has Jolie joined by a star-studded cast including Alba Rohrwacher (Hungry Hearts, Happy As Lazzaro), Pierfrancesco Favino (Padrenostro, Adagio), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog, Dolemite Is My Name), and Valeria Golino (For Your Love, The Beautiful Game). Marie premiered to critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival and Jolie’s performance continues to stun audiences at the New York Film Festival, London Film Festival and the AFI Fest. Maria will be in... Read More