2011 Tribeca Film Festival Announces Awards

2011 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARDS
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SHE MONKEYS, JOURNALS OF MUSAN, BOMBAY BEACH AND LIKE WATER

WIN TOP AWARDS IN JURIED WORLD COMPETITIONS

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FESTIVAL AWARDS MORE THAN $185,000 IN CASH PRIZES

[April 28, 2011 – New York, NY] – The 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival, co-founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, and presented by founding sponsor American Express, announced the winners of its competition categories tonight at a ceremony hosted at the W Union Square in New York City. The Festival runs through May 1, 2011.

The world competition winners for narrative and documentary films were chosen from 12 narrative and 12 documentary features from 21 countries. Best New Director prizes were awarded for both narrative and documentary films, selected from all feature films by a first-time director throughout the program.  Awards were also given for the best narrative short, best documentary short and student visionary films in the short film competitions. This year’s Festival included 93 features and 60 short films from 40 countries.

This year the Festival introduced new annual awards in the narrative competition for Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay, and in the documentary competition for Best Editing. Also announced at the awards were the Tribeca (Online) Film Festival feature and short film winners selected by the online audience. The winner of the Heineken Audience Award, determined by audience votes throughout the Festival, will be announced on April 30.

“It’s wonderful to have reached our 10^th edition and to be able to celebrate with all of these gifted filmmakers. We’ve been fortunate that as we have grown we have remained a place that welcomes a diverse range of stories told by compelling and exciting filmmakers,” said Jane Rosenthal.  “We are truly honored that the community has supported the Festival all these years – the community of New York and the international film community.” 

“We are truly pleased to have had such a great group of filmmakers at Tribeca,” said Nancy Schafer, Executive Director of the Festival. “Audiences and juries have responded so positively to the films and on behalf of the programming team I thank all our filmmakers for sharing their work with us and our audience.”

Screenings of all winning films will take place throughout the final day of the Festival, May 1, at various venues. Specific times and ticketing information are available on the Festival website, www.tribecafilm.com.

In addition to cash awards and in-kind services provided by sponsors including American Express, AKA Hotel Residences, Accenture, Persol, Apple, Company 3 and Kodak, the Festival presented the winners with original pieces of art created by seven acclaimed artists, including Robert De Niro Sr. and Nate Lowman.

Following are the jurors, the winners and their awards:

WORLD NARRATIVE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition were Souleymane Cissé, Scott Glenn, David Gordon Green, Rula Jebreal, Art Linson, Jason Sudeikis and Dianne Wiest.

·         The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – She Monkeys (Apflickorna), directed by Lisa Aschan, written by Josefine Adolfsson and Lisa Aschan (Sweden). Winner receives $25,000 and the art award “Anna Christie Entering the Bar, 1965-1967” by Robert De Niro Sr. Sponsored by AKA Hotel Residences. The award was given by Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro and Larry Korman from AKA Residences.

Jury Comments:  “Haunting, resonant, but never posed. Conventional shots become dangerous. With balanced storytelling that moves between danger and innocence, this film speaks of sex, adolescence, power, and ambition. It is original and authentic.”

• Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Ramadhan “Shami” Bizimana as Yvan in Grey Matter (Matière Grise),directed and written by Kivu Ruhorahoza (Rwanda, Australia). Winner receives $2,500. The award was given by Rula Jebreal.

Jury Comments: “In a world shattered by genocide, this performance was so pure.”

• Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Carice van Houten as Ingrid Jonker in Black Butterflies, directed by Paula van der Oest, written by Greg Latter (Germany, Netherlands, South Africa). Winner receives $2,500. The award was given by Rula Jebreal.

Jury Comments: “There are a million colors in this complicated performance. We award this honor for bravery and fragility, and for showing tremendous range and strength throughout.”

• Best Cinematography in a Narrative Feature Film – Luisa Tillinger, Artificial Paradises (Paraisos Artificiales) (Mexico).  Winner receives $5,000 and $50,000 in post production services provided by Company 3. The award was given by Rula Jebreal.

Jury Comments: “A beautiful portrait of landscape and emotion.”

• Best Screenplay for a Narrative Feature Film – Jannicke Systad Jabobsen, Turn Me On, Goddammit (Få meg på, for faen) (Norway). Winner receives $5,000. The award was given by Rula Jebreal.

Jury Comments: “This jury was unanimous. Hands-down this is the best screenplay.”

BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR:

The jurors for the 2011 Best New Narrative Director Competition were Paul Dano, Atom Egoyan, Zoe Kazan, Anna Kendrick, Rainn Wilson.

·         Best New Narrative Director – Park Jungbum, writer and director of Journals of Musan (Musan Il-gi) (South Korea). Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by American Express; $50,000 in post production services provided by Company 3; and the art award “Double Happiness” by Nate Lowman. The award was given by Zoe Kazan and Jessica Igoe from American Express.

Jury Comments: “This film is an extraordinary study of an outcast, one that examines a complex journey with compassion and grace. The jury was unanimous in honoring this rare film, which is both emotionally arresting and an important social document. We are proud to commend this auspicious debut from an extremely talented filmmaker.”

o   Special Jury Mention – Kivu Ruhorahoza, writer and director of Grey Matter (Matière  Grise). The announcement was made by Anna Kendrick.

 

Jury Comments: “For its audacious and experimental approach, this film speaks of recent horrors and genocide with great originality. We wanted to give a special commendation to this filmmaker for his courage and vision.”

WORLD DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The jurors for the 2011 World Documentary Competition were Amir Bar-Lev, Michael Cera, RJ Cutler, Abigail Disney, Whoopi Goldberg, Louie Psihoyos and Peter Scarlet.

·         Best Documentary Feature – Bombay Beach, directed by Alma Har’el (USA, Israel). Winner receives $25,000 and the art award “Nathans” by Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao. The award was given by Louie Psihoyos.

Jury Comments: “Our unanimous award for the film’s beauty, lyricism, empathy and invention.”

·         Best Editing in a Documentary Feature – Purcell Carson, Semper Fi: Always Faithful (USA). Winner receives $5,000. The award was given by Amir Bar-Lev.

Jury Comments: “The film skillfully weaves journalistic investigation with emotional personal narrative.”

BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION:

The jurors for the 2011 World Documentary Competition were Margaret Bodde, Jared Cohen, J.D. Heyman, Lauren Hutton, Annie Sundberg.

·         Best New Documentary Director – Pablo Croce for Like Water, (USA). Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by American Express; and the art award “Path to the Stage” by Inka Essenhigh. The award was given by Lauren Hutton and Jessica Igoe from American Express.

Jury Comments: “The film opens up a violent world in an unexpected way through its sensitive and seamless portrayal of its complex hero, ultimate fighter Anderson Silva.”

o   Special Jury Mention – Michael Collins, director of Give Up Tomorrow (UK, USA). The announcement was made by Lauren Hutton.

Jury Comments: “A powerful work of investigative journalism. We honor the filmmakers six years of hard work in illustrating how a society can clash with justice, and the impact on an individual life. Everyone should see this film.”

SHORT FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The 2011 Best Narrative Short Competition jurors were Nora Ephron, Ceci Kurzman, Denis Leary, Fran Lebowitz, David O. Russell, Paul Schneider and Jimmy Wales.

·         Best Narrative Short – Man and Boy, directed by David Leon and Marcus McSweeney, written by David Leon and Rashid Rasaq (UK). Winner receives $5,000, sponsored by Persol; 5,000 feet of film stock donated by Kodak; and the art award “Gold Dust (Undeclared) by Taryn Simon. The award was given by Denis Leary and Victor Melendez from Persol.

Jury Comments: “The jury liked this film’s marriage of brilliant acting, superb technical prowess, and provocative subject matter, and it’s a movie memorable for upending expectations.”

Special Jury Mention – The Terms, written and directed by Jason LaMotte (UK)

Jury Comments: “Dark, original and beautifully written.”

The 2011 Best Documentary and Student Short Competition jurors were Ahmed Ahmed, Agnes Gund, Zoe Kravitz, Nicole Lapin, Lisa Shields, Christine Vachon and Patrick Wilson.

• Best Documentary Short – Incident in New Baghdad, written and directed by James Spione (US). Winner receives $5,000, sponsored by Persol; 5,000 feet of film stock donated Kodak; and the art award “Big Penny” by Tom Otterness. The award was given by Nicole Lapin and Victor Melendez from Persol.

Jury Comments: “The winner is a film that bravely explores the residual effects of experiencing trauma in war in a truthful and fearless manner. Using a mixture of archival and current material, this timely film is the story of one man’s struggle to reconcile war, his place in it, and the legacy he will pass on to his children.”

o   Special Jury Mention – Guru, written and directed by Jonathan VanBallenberghe (USA).

Jury Comments: “Congratulations to a film that started in one direction and ended up going in another. This unexpected journey was well crafted and followed a unique character for whom we were rooting.”

• Student Visionary Award – Rooms, written and directed by Joanna Jurewicz (USA). Winner receives MacPro Desktop with Final Cut Pro and a 24-inch monitor provided by Apple; and the art award “Study: Northern City Renaissance (Mass MoCA #79N)” by Stephen Hannock. This award was also given by Ahmed Ahmed.

Jury Comments: “A simply told story with great depth that examines an average day in the life of an ordinary person living through other people. We applaud this director for her focus, attention to detail, and nuanced acting.”

o   Special Jury Mention: Eva – Working Title, written and directed by Dor Fadlon (Israel)

Jury Comments: “Characterized by bold directorial choices, this film is a disturbing and intriguing story of an actor’s struggle, and examines the price paid for realizing one’s dreams. We congratulate this filmmaker for his ability to fully realize this story in a unique structure.”

TRIBECA (ONLINE) FILM FESTIVAL CATEGORIES:

The 2011 Tribeca (Online) Film Festival winners were voted on by visitors to tribecafilm.com.

·         Tribeca (Online) Film Festival Best Feature Film: Donor Unknown, directed and written by Jerry Rothwell (UK). Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by American Express, and the art award “Untitled” by Sarah Crowner. The award was given by Geoffrey Gilmore and Jessica Igoe from American Express.

• Tribeca (Online) Film Festival Best Short Film: Dungeon Master, directed by Shiloh & Rider Strong (UK). Winners receive $5,000, sponsored by Accenture. The award was given by Geoffrey Gilmore and Dr. Gavin Michael from Accenture.
  
  

FULL LIST OF ELIGIBLE 2011 TFF FILMS IN EACH CATEGORY OF COMPETITION:

World Narrative Feature Competition: 

·         Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature: 12 films

·         Best Actress in a Narrative Feature: 12 actresses

·         Best Actor in a Narrative Feature: 11 actors

·         Best Cinematography in a Narrative Feature:  12 films

·         Best Screenplay for a Narrative Feature:  12 films

World Documentary Feature Competition: 

·         Best Documentary Feature: 12 films

·         Best Editing in a Documentary Film:  12 filmmakers

All feature sections, first time directors with films making their North American, International, or World Premiere

·         Best New Narrative Director: directors selected from 17 films

·         Best New Documentary Director: directors selected from 17 films

Short Films in Competition:

·         Best Narrative Short: 35 films

·         Best Documentary Short: 14 films

·         Student Visionary Award: 10 films

For more information on all of the films in the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, please visit tribecafilm.com.

Tickets for 2011 Festival:

Tickets for the Festival will be $16.00 for evening and weekend screenings, and $8.00 for daytime weekday and late night screenings.

Single ticket and discounted ticket package sales begin for the general public on Monday, April 18, 2011. Single tickets can be purchased online at www.tribecafilm.com, or by telephone, toll free, at (866) 941-FEST (3378), or at one of the Ticket Outlets, with locations at Tribeca Cinemas at 54 Varick Street, Chelsea Clearview Cinemas at 260 West 23rd Street, and AMC Village VII at 66 3rd Avenue. The 2011 Festival will continue ticket discounts for evening and weekend screenings for students, seniors and select downtown Manhattan residents. Discounted tickets are available at Ticket Outlet locations only. Discounted ticket packages can only be purchased online and by phone. Additional information and further details on the Festival can be found at www.tribecafilm.com.

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Movie Reviews and News

Tribeca Film Institute - 2011 Award Winners

TRIBECA FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES 2011 AWARD WINNERS

AND GRANTEES FOR TRIBECA ALL ACCESS PROGRAM,

LATIN AMERICA MEDIA ARTS FUND AND THE TFI DOCUMENTARY FUND

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Overall TFI Funds for Filmmakers Reach $1,000,000

[New York, NY – April 28, 2011] – The Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) today announced several program award winners and grantees at the TFI Awards Luncheon at Riverpark NYC during the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. Two winners of the Tribeca All Access (TAA) Creative Promise Awards presented by Time Warner; seven new TAA alumni grants and fellowships; four winners of the Latin America Media Arts Fund; and four grantees supported by Insurgent Media for the inaugural TFI Documentary Fund were all presented today, totaling $125,000 in funds. 

“This year’s winners and grantees are true examples of the incredible strength of films and talent resulting from the support of the Tribeca Film Institute,” said Beth Janson, Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Institute. “Our main hope is that these films go on to completion and build strong relationships with audiences.”

During the TFI Awards Ceremony at Riverpark NYC in Manhattan, the following Tribeca All Access Creative Promise winners were announced:

·         TAA Creative Promise Award for Documentary

Gideon’s Army

Every day, more and more people are arrested, handcuffed, shoved into a

squad car, and booked. Weeks turn into months and their only line of defense is in the hands of a public defender. “Gideon’s Army” asks, are public defenders up to the fight?

Dawn Porter (Director)

·         TAA Creative Promise Award for Narrative

County Line

A Southern town's underbelly exposed when its sheriff tries to rid himself of a drug alliance with a family friend and investigate the deaths of his female informants. In the process, he must confront his son's addiction to the drugs he's allowed in his county.

Tina Mabry (Director, Producer)

Morgan R. Stiff (Producer, Screenwriter, Editor)

Lee V. Stiff, (Producer, Executive Producer)

The winners were selected from 12 projects based on the strength of their vision and filmmaking promise.  The 2011 TAA Creative Promise Awards, presented by Time Warner, comes with a total prize of $20,000: $10,000 for narrative and $10,000 for documentary, as well as an original piece of art from a contemporary artist. The 2011 Narrative jurors were Hiam Abbass, Ajay Naidu and F. Gary Gray. The 2011 Documentary jurors were Elvis Mitchell, Suroosh Alvi, and John Quinones. Now in its eighth year, TAA was created to help foster and nurture relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities.

TAA also extended its programming and support for alumni this year including $25,000 in grants and fellowships for past TAA projects in development or new works by program alumni. The following grants were announced today:

 

·         Tribeca All Access Ontrack Grant Narrative

When I Saw You

Jordan, 1960s. An eccentric and unbounded boy runs away from home knowing full well his young mother will follow in this search for freedom.

Annemarie Jacir (Director, Producer, Screenwriter)

·         Tribeca All Access Ontrack Grant Documentary

Untitled Gay Retiree Documentary

Set against the backdrop of various LGBTQ-friendly communities, Untitled Gay Retiree Documentary captures the experiences of several LGBTQ seniors as they navigate the adventures, challenges and surprises of their "golden years."

PJ Raval (Director, Producer)

Sara Giustini (Producer)             

Kyle Henry (Editor)

·         Tribeca All Access Trans Media Award Narrative

Chinafornia

America, 2018. Unable to pay the ten trillion dollars it owes to China, the U.S. comes up with a plan: it gives China the  state of California. ANIMATION

Ellie Lee (Director, Screenwriter)

Peter Dowd (Screenwriter)

·         Tribeca All Access Trans Media Award Documentary

Untitled Mu Xin Project (Working Title)

In the sweep of China's turbulent history, Mu Xin sacrificed everything for his art. Starting while he was illegally imprisoned, he transformed his experiences into a body of work merging East, West, classicism, modernism, terror and transcendence. 

He has avoided speaking of the horrors he has seen - until now.

Francisco Bello (Director, Producer, Director of Photography)

Tim Sternberg (Director, Producer, Editor)

·         The TAA Adrienne Shelly Foundation Filmmaker Grant

El Jardin

El Jardin is a portrait of a cemetery in the drug heartland of México. Since the war on drugs began in 2007 it has claimed over 35,000 lives. The cemetery has doubled in size and the mausoleums have doubled in height.

Natalia Almada (Director/Producer)

·         The Games for Change Fellowship for TAA Alumni

The Undocumented

The Undocumented is a feature length documentary which chronicles Arizona's deadly summer months, following Border Patrol agents who fight to prevent migrant deaths, medical investigators and the Mexican Consulate who work to identify migrants who die crossing the border, and Mexican families who struggle to accept the loss of loved ones.

Marco Williams (Director)

·         Audience Activation Grant

The Ipo Boys (aka They Are All My Brothers)

Several boys at a home for abandoned youth in Mexico rebuild their lives while contributing to the social enterprise that sustains them: world-renowned French artisan goat cheese. DOCUMENTARY

Nicole Opper (Director, Producer)

“I’m incredibly proud of the Creative Promise Award winners but also can’t wait to see just how far this week’s meetings and networking will take each of the 12 filmmakers,” said Tamir Muhammad, Director of Feature Programming, TFI. “It’s also very exciting to see alumni come back and receive additional support through our newer grants – I’m looking forward to the successes of everyone here today.”

The Latin America Media Arts Fund also announced four winners to support innovative film and video artists who are living or working in Mexico, Central and South America. The awards announced today included:

• The Battle for Land (Columbia), Directed by Juan Mejia-- The Battle for Land delves deep into the complexities of mass displacement pushing us past prevailing ideas where displacement is seen as an aberration of war, and progressively revealing a more intricate and terrifying picture. It is above all a journey deep into the heart of uprooting and the dark side of progress.

• Cocaine Prison  (Bolivia), Directed by Violeta Ayala-- Trying to establish a cocaine business inside Bolivia's craziest prison an unlikely friendship develops, between two 'little fish', a young ambitious trafficker and a middle-aged cocaine worker fighting for release, personifying the country's love affair with cocaine.

• Toys (Mexico), Directed by Alba Mora-Roca-- Toys explores how a family's peculiar love for toys helps children overcome the effects of violence in Mexico. It follows a Mexican-Japanese family who, having gathered the largest toy collection in Latin America, travels north to do workshops with victims of the violence generated by fighting drug cartels.

• When Two Worlds Collide (Peru), Directed by Taira Akbar and Heidi Brandenburg-- An indigenous leader forced into exile and facing 20 years in prison for resisting the environmental ruin of Amazonian lands by big business. Refusing to surrender he continues his quest, shedding light on conflicting visions shaping the fate of the Amazon and the climate future of our world.

The four selected films will each receive $10,000 in grants and guidance by TFI and were selected by a jury consisting of Benicio Del Toro, Paola Mendoza and Mónica Lozano.

Four additional grantees of the TFI Documentary Fund were also announced through the backing of NY-based Insurgent Media.Insurgent Media was founded by Andrew Karsch, Erik Gordon and Fisher Stevens and is a central innovator in the production and distribution of thought-provoking filmed content. The recipients announced today include:

• Teenage, Directed by Matt Wolf and written by Jon Savage– Teenage is an unconventional historical film about youth culture based on an acclaimed book by the punk author Jon Savage. The film examines the invention of modern teenagers in wartime America with profiles of extraordinary adolescents.

• Of Monsters and Men, Directed by Morgan Matthews– Of Monsters and Men is a fascinating and touching portrait of men who are obsessed with monsters and their adventures to find them.

• Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers, Directed by Havana Marking and Producer by Mike Lerner– Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers, in their own words, the most successful jewel thieves of all time take you into their world: the post-Milosovic Balkans, the modern diamond trade and a 21st Century crime gang.

• Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, Directed by Ramona Diaz – Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey follows the real life rock-n-roll fairy tale story of Filipino Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from You Tube to become the front man for iconic American rock band, Journey, thereby becoming the latest performer to go from the Internet to real life celebrity. 

The TFI Documentary Fund grantees will receive $10,000 each in grants as well as guidance and consultation from TFI on the film’s production. Benefits include: festival and distribution planning and strategizing sessions; fundraising; and industry and/or crew match-making and introductions. The Fund was created to further the development of character-driven documentaries.

“We are supporting nearly 30 documentary projects in 2011 representing a broad spectrum of ideas from around the globe and offering a good mix of artists’ experience,” said Ryan Harrington, TFI’s Director of Documentary Programming. “TFI is excited and proud to continue to grow and strengthen the resources that we provide to our filmmakers.”

Grants which were previously announced were also recognized at the annual awards ceremony including: TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund grantees, provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the TFI Documentary Fund HBO Fellowships.

During this year’s Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1), TFI filmmakers from programs including Tribeca All Access and the TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund, participated in one-on-one industry meetings on Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27 to network with film industry executives, potential investors, development executives, producers and agents.

Tribeca All Access is made possible by Bloomberg, with major support from Time Warner and additional support from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Academy Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts and the NYS Department Cultural Affairs. The TFI Latin America Media Arts Fund is made possible by Movie City, Canacine and Heineken.

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