C.A. Gabriel and Renée Felice Smith’s The Relationtrip took home the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize and Jonathan Olshefski’s Quest was awarded the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize at the Dallas International Film Festival. They were among the winners announced at the Dallas Film Society Honors Gala presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation held at The Highland Dallas on Friday (4/7). A Special Narrative Feature Jury Prize was awarded to Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson for directing the film Heartstone, and a Special Documentary Feature Jury Prize for Artistry was also awarded to Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen’s Spettacolo.
The Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation Audience Awards were presented to: Jameson Brooks’s Bomb City for Best Narrative Feature, Luke Korem’s Dealt for Best Documentary Feature, and Tim Mason’s No Other Way To Say It for Best Short Film. The Narrative and Documentary Features each won $2,000 prizes, and the Best Short took home a $1,000 cash prize as part of the award.
In addition to the presentation of the filmmaking awards, the evening also featured the presentation of the Dallas Shining Star Award to Zoey Deutch (Before I Fall), a posthumous presentation of the Dallas Star Award to Bill Paxton, and the presentation of the L.M. Kit Carson Maverick Filmmaker Award to David Gordon Green.
Other Jury Award winners
Noël Wells’s Mr. Roosevelt won the Texas Competition Grand Jury Prize (presented by Panavision), earning a camera rental package valued at $30,000, and Craig Elrod received a Texas Competition Special Jury Prize for directing Mustang Island. Matthew Heineman’s City of Ghosts won the Studio Movie Grill Silver Heart Award (presented by the Schultz Family) and the $5,000 cash prize bestowed on an individual or film for their dedication to fighting injustices and/or creating social change for the improvement of humanity.
Kristy Guevara-Flanagan’s What Happened To Her won the the Short Film Grand Jury Prize, with two films receiving Special Jury Prizes: Jessica Beshir’s Hairat, and Arin MacLaine for her Performance in Laurel Parmet’s Spring. The Animated Short Grand Jury Prize (Presented by Reel FX) was given to Rory Waudby-Tolley’s Mr. Madila.
THE 2017 DIFF JURY AWARD WINNERS
NARRATIVE FEATURE GRAND JURY PRIZE: THE RELATIONTRIP
DIRS: C.A. Gabriel and Renée Felice Smith
NARRATIVE FEATURE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (DIRECTING): HEARTSTONE
DIR: Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE GRAND JURY PRIZE: QUEST
DIR: Jonathan Olshefski
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (ARTISTRY): SPETTACOLO
DIRS: Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen
TEXAS COMPETITION GRAND JURY PRIZE (PRESENTED BY PANAVSION): MR. ROOSEVELT
DIR: Noël Wells
TEXAS COMPETITION SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (DIRECTING): MUSTANG ISLAND
DIR: Craig Elrod
STUDIO MOVIE GRILL SILVER HEART AWARD (PRESENTED BY THE SCHULTZ FAMILY): CITY OF GHOSTS
DIR: Matthew Heineman
SHORT FILM GRAND JURY PRIZE: WHAT HAPPENED TO HER
DIR: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan
SHORT FILM SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: HAIRAT
DIR: Jessica Beshir
SHORT FILM SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (PERFORMANCE): Arin MacLaine (SPRING)
DIR: Laurel Parmet
ANIMATED SHORT FILM GRAND JURY PRIZE (PRESENTED BY REEL FX): MR. MADILA
DIR: Rory Waudby-Tolley
THE 2017 DIFF AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS (PRESENTED BY THE ARTHUR E. BENJAMIN FOUNDATION)
NARRATIVE FEATURE: BOMB CITY
DIR: Jameson Brooks
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: DEALT
DIR: Luke Korem
SHORT FILM: NO OTHER WAY TO SAY IT
DIR: Tim Mason