2015 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS April 23rd, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2015 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS
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VIRGIN MOUNTAIN, DEMOCRATS, MEN GO TO BATTLE, UNCERTAIN WIN TOP AWARDS IN JURIED WORLD COMPETITIONS; DOOR INTO THE DARK WINS THE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE STORYSCAPES AWARD
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SWORN VIRGIN WINS THIRD ANNUAL NORA EPHRON PRIZE
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FESTIVAL AWARDS $175,000 IN CASH PRIZES
NEW YORK, NY (April 23, 2015) The 14th annual Tribeca Film Festival, co-founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, and presented by AT&T, announced the winners of its competition categories tonight at a party hosted by Michael Rapaport at TFF's creative hub, Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studios. The Festival runs through to April 26, 2015.
The winners of the narrative and documentary competition were awarded from the World Narrative and World Documentary sections of the official Festival lineup, which consists of 12 narrative and 12 documentary films from 19 countries. Best New Director prizes were awarded to first-time directors in the narrative and documentary categories, from a pool of 26 feature films. It was also announced that, beginning this year, the new name of the Best New Documentary Director Award going forward will be called The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award, which was awarded tonight by Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles, the beloved filmmaker's children.
Awards were also given for the best narrative, best documentary, and student visionary films in the short film competition.
In addition, the Festival announced The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Storyscapes Award, created in collaboration with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin, and the Nora Ephron Prize, sponsored by Coach.
This year's Festival included 101 features, 60 short films, five immersive storytelling projects from 38 countries.
The winners of the Audience Awards, sponsored by AT&T, which are determined by audience votes throughout the Festival, will be announced on April 25.
We are proud to honor the winning filmmakers, artists, and creators tonight, said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder, Tribeca Film Festival. Their stories have inspired all of us and our audiences. We thank them for sharing their work at Tribeca.
Screenings of the award winning films will take place throughout the final day of the Festival: Sunday, April 26, at various venues. Specific times and ticketing information are available at www.tribecafilm.com/festival.
In addition to cash awards and in-kind services provided by sponsors including AKA, AT&T, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin, Citrin Cooperman, Coach, Inc., Company 3, CreativeFuture, The Walt Disney Studios, Freixenet, Paul Hastings LLP, Netflix, Shutterstock, and Soundtrack Film and Television New York. The Festival presented the winners with original pieces of art created by eight contemporary artists: Daniel Arsham, Robert Bordo, Elizabeth Colomba, Stephen Hannock, Prune Nourry, Jean Pagliuso, Clifford Ross, and Piers Secunda.
The winners, awards, and comments from the jury who selected the recipients are as follows:
WORLD NARRATIVE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
The jurors for the 2015 World Narrative Competition sponsored by AKA, were Paul Attanasio, Sophie Barthes, Whoopi Goldberg, Dylan McDermott, and Burr Steers.
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature Virgin Mountain, written and directed by Dagur K ri [Iceland, Denmark]. Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by AT&T, and the art award Ash Eroded Film Reel by Daniel Arsham. The award was given by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal joined by Marissa Shorenstein, President, AT&T New York
Jury Comment: With its mixture of humor and pathos, this film captured our hearts. Beyond the deceptively small frame of a mismatched love story, the film deals with the issues of bigotry, loneliness, bullying, mental illness, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit and the meaning of love.
Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film Gunnar J nsson as F si in Virgin Mountain (Iceland, Denmark). Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman. The award was given by Dylan McDermott and Arnie Hermann, lead partner, Entertainment Practice of the firmCitrin Cooperman.
Jury Comment: The film was aided in no small measure by a performer whose mixture of comedy and sadness evokes Chaplin and Keaton, with a complete lack of tricks, pretense, or condescension. This performer relies instead on subtlety, timing, and naked honesty, creating an indelible portrait of a man fighting to be seen in a world that judges him by his appearance.
Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film Hannah Murray as Sara in Bridgend (Denmark).Winner receives $2,500 sponsored by Citrin Cooperman. The award was given by Sophie Barthes and Diana Mahiques, Business Development Manager, Citrin Cooperman.
Jury Comment: An actress who captured the hopelessness of a lost generation. With bravery and guilelessness, this young actress led us in a descent into a world gone mad, as well as a journey into the protagonist's own inner darkness.
Best Cinematography Cinematography by Magnus J nck for Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Shutterstock, and $50,000 in post-production services provided by Company 3. The award was given by Sophie Barthes and Derick Rhodes, Footage Marketing, Shutterstock.
Jury Comment: Soulful and searing images, a daring use of composition and light, and an evocative sense of place."
Best Screenplay Virgin Mountain written by Dagur K ri (Iceland, Denmark). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Freixenet. The award was given by Dylan McDermott and Tom Burnet President, Freixenet USA.
Jury Comment: The writer of this film is also the director, and is credited as one of the editors, and also performed the music, and runs the director's program at the National Film School of Denmark, leadin
