Photo Credit: Slamdance
(PARK CITY, UT – January 26, 2017)– The 23rd Slamdance Film Festival tonight announced the feature and short film recipients of this year's Sparky awards in the Audience, Jury, and Sponsored Categories. The award winners were announced at the festival’s annual Awards Ceremony at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, UT.
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Established in 1995 by a wild bunch of filmmakers, Slamdance has proven, year after year, that when it comes to recognizing talent and launching careers, independent and grassroots communities can do it themselves. Previous Slamdance alumni include: Christopher Nolan (THE DARK KNIGHT; MEMENTO), and Claire Carre (EMBERS).
“Independent film is made beautiful not by those individual artists that form celebrity culture but by creative collaboration” said Slamdance Co-Founder and President, Peter Baxter. “At Slamdance this year we've experienced an entire program of beautiful independent film and the promise of great emerging artists continuing the legacy of what we set out to do. With our awards we honor several filmmakers yet we know and must acknowledge Slamdance has just been made stronger by everyone of them who has taken part.”
A jury of esteemed filmmakers and industry professionals determined the Slamdance Jury Awards for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and Short Film categories. The Audience Awards as well as the Spirit of Slamdance, an award given by the filmmakers of Slamdance 2017 to the filmmaker who best embodies the spirit of the Festival, were also bestowed. Additional sponsored awards were provided by NAB Show, Final Draft, and Pierce Law Group LLP. The feature competition films in the Documentary and Narrative Programs are limited to first-time filmmakers working with production budgets of less than $1 million.
This year’s Slamdance Narrative Jury Prizes were selected by: film critic Jason Coleman, Ania Trzebiatowska (Visit Films), and filmmaker Jerzy Rose (CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY). The Sparky Prize for Best Narrative Feature went to DIM THE FLUORESCENTS; directed by Daniel Warth, and written by Warth and Miles Barstead.
“It’s empathetic, weird and insanely funny.” said Slamdance jurors. “This film delivers its crazy script with guts & panache. It's a delight--beautifully executed and smart as a whip.”
This year’s Slamdance Documentary Jury Prizes were selected by: filmmaker Adrian Belic (GENGHIS BLUES; BEYOND THE CALL), filmmaker Mario DeAngelis, filmmaker/journalist Silvia Bizio. The Sparky Prize for Best Documentary Feature went to STRAD STYLE; directed by Stefan Avalos.
Jurors shared that they honor the film, “for capturing a journey of passion and commitment, honesty and the triumph of one vision against all odds.”
The same Jury also gave the Sparky Prize for Best Documentary Short to MORIOM, directed by Francesca Scalisi and Mark Olexa, highlighting “its arresting portrayal dramatically shot of human trauma and its consequence.”
This year’s Slamdance Narrative Shorts and Animated Shorts jury prizes were selected by: filmmaker Sonia Albert Sobrino, Jeffrey Bowers (VIMEO, Sr, Curator), and filmmaker Malik Vitthal (IMPERIAL DREAMS). The Sparky Prize for Best Narrative Short went to NO OTHER WAY TO SAY IT, directed by Tim Mason
Jurors celebrated the film and shared, “we recognize this brave new voice that found the magical combination to create this work.”
The Sparky Prize for Best Animated Short went to Hold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw), directed by Renee Zhan.
“This film is brilliant, and nuanced portrait of power and control and the pain that this artists creates,” said Jurors. “Its honest voice found a way to share a very private moment with a flawless combination of oppressed levity”
This year’s Experimental Shorts/Anarchy Shorts Prizes were selected by: filmmaker Miriam Albert Sobrino, filmmaker Mike Olenick (RED LUCK; THE CURE), and film programmer Bryan Wendorf (Chicago Underground Film Festival)
The Sparky Prize for Best Experimental Short went to UpCycles, directed by Ariana Gerstein. “We are impressed by the unusual and meticulous process involved in making UpCycles,” said Jurors. “We are even more affected that the process never overshadowed the pure visual delight of experiencing this experimental film.”
The Sparky Prize for Best Anarchy Short was given to APE SODOM, directed by Maxwell McCabe-Lokos.
“While we were impressed by the strange and fully realized world of this film,” Jurors said, “We were more impressed by seeing how many objects someone could shove up their ass at one time. Ape Sodom not only lived up to its name--it embodies the spirit of anarchy.”
Each jury also recognized additional films with Honorable Mentions;
Narrative Features Honorable Mention: KATE CAN’T SWIM, directed by Josh Helman
Documentary Feature Honorable Mention: THE MODERN JUNGLE, directed by Charles Fairbanks, Saul Kak
Documentary Short Honorable Mention: IRREGULARS, directed by Fabio Palmieri
Narrative Shorts Honorable Mention: OH WHAT A WONDERFUL FEELING, directed by Francois Jaros
Animated Shorts Honorable Mention: MY FATHER’S ROOM, directed by Nari Jang
Experimental Shorts Honorable Mention: BLUA, directed by Carolina Charry Quintero
Anarchy Shorts Honorable Mention: HORSESHOE THEORY, directed by Jonathan Daniel Brown
The Spirit Of Slamdance Award went to the film team of NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD DRIVE, directed by Jerzy Rose, and written by Rose, Halle Butler, and Mike Lopez
Awards were also given to festival favorites, voted on by the Slamdance audiences. The Narrative Feature Audience Award was given to DAVE MADE A MAZE, Bill Watterson, and written by Watterson and Steven Sears. The Documentary Feature Audience Award was given to STRAD STYLE. The Beyond Feature Audience Award was given to FUTURE ‘38, directed by Jamie Greenberg.
Immediately following closing night, Slamdance will present a special encore screening in Los Angeles of their opening night film, WHAT LIES UP STREAM. The documentary feature, directed by Cullen Hoback will launch the ArcLight Presents Slamdance Cinema Club 2017 season on Tuesday, January 31st at the ArcLight Hollywood.
Full list of winners:
Jury Awards | Narrative Features
Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize
Dim the Fluorescents
(Canada) World Premiere
Director: Daniel Warth; Screenwriter(s): Miles Barstead, Daniel Warth
Jury statement: “Empathetic, weird and insanely funny, this film delivers its crazy script with guts & panache. It's a delight--beautifully executed and smart as a whip. The jury is thrilled to present the grand jury prize for best narrative feature to DIM THE FLUORESCENTS.”
Narrative Features Honorable Mention
Kate Can’t Swim
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Josh Helman; Screenwriter(s): Jennifer Allcott, Josh Helman
Jury statement: “Flawless in its execution of portraying real relationships with believably nuanced characters, authentic on-screen chemistry and an engaging story that thrives on what isn’t said.”
Jury Awards | Documentary Features, Documentary Shorts
Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize
Strad Style
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Stefan Avalos
Jury statement: “For capturing a journey of passion and commitment, honesty and the triumph of one vision against all odds.’
Documentary Feature Honorable Mention
The Modern Jungle
(Mexico/USA)
Director(s) & Screenwriter(s): Charles Fairbanks, Saul Kak
Jury statement: “For its beautiful cinematography, for a compassionate journey into a dangerous and uncharted world.”
Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize
Moriom
(Switzerland)
Director(s): Francesca Scalisi, Mark Olexa
Jury statement: “For an arresting portrayal dramatically shot of human trauma and its consequence.”
Documentary Short Honorable Mention
Irregulars
(Italy)
Director: Fabio Palmieri
Jury statement: “For its visionary take on the dehumanized face of immigration.”
Jury Awards - Narrative Shorts/Animated Shorts
Narrative Shorts Grand Jury Prize
No Other Way To Say It
(USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Tim Mason
Jury statement: “Brave new voice, that found the magical combination to create the complete short film. "It's Good There's no other way to say it."
Narrative Shorts Honorable Mention
Oh What a Wonderful Feeling
(Canada)
Director and Screenwriter: François Jaros
Jury statement: “Powerful storytelling that found a way to lean away from the stereotypes and consider the humans within the context, with a technical savvy and social responsibility this film reminds us to witness everyone and to see their power.”
Animated Shorts Grand Jury Prize
Hold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw)
(USA)
Renee Zhan
Jury statement: “For its brilliant, and nuanced portrait of power and control and the pain that this artists creates. This honest voice found a way to share a very private moment with a flawless combination of oppressed levity”
Animated Shorts Honorable Mention
My Father’s Room
(South Korea) North American Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Nari Jang
Jury statement: “This heartbreaking portrait of a girl's broken relationship and the lifelong effects of growing up with an abusive father found a way to sear into its audience to look at the root of pain, asking us to reflect if we could ever escape its cloud. A complete and touching film.”
Jury Awards - Experimental Shorts/Anarchy Shorts
Experimental Shorts Grand Jury Prize
UpCycles
(USA)
Director: Ariana Gerstein
Jury statement: “We are impressed by the unusual and meticulous process involved in making UpCycles. We are even more affected that the process never overshadowed the pure visual delight of experiencing this experimental film.”
Experimental Shorts Honorable Mention
Blua
(Colombia)
Director and Screenwriter: Carolina Charry Quintero
Jury statement: “We were surprised by the unexpected shifts between the documentary, narrative, and experimental moments in Blua, and we look forward to seeing the path the filmmaker takes with her future work.”
Anarchy Shorts Grand Jury Prize
Ape Sodom
(Canada)
Director and Screenwriter: Maxwell McCabe-Lokos
Jury statement: “While we were impressed by the strange and fully realized world of this film, we were more impressed by seeing how many objects someone could shove up their ass at one time. Ape Sodom not only lived up to its name -- it embodies the spirit of anarchy.”
Anarchy Shorts Honorable Mention
Horseshoe Theory
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Jonathan Daniel Brown
Jury statement: “At a time when America is more divided than ever, this film gives us the hope that two opposing sides can set aside their differences, come together, work together, fall in love... and cum together.”
Spirit of Slamdance Award Winner:
Neighborhood Food Drive
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Jerzy Rose; Screenwriter(s): Halle Butler, Mike Lopez, Jerzy Rose
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Narrative Feature:
Dave Made a Maze
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Bill Watterson; Screenwriter(s): Steven Sears, Bill Watterson
Audience Award for Documentary Feature:
Strad Style
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Stefan Avalos
Audience Award for Beyond Feature:
Future ‘38
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Jamie Greenberg
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