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(July 3, 2006) 2006 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
LOS ANGELES (July 3, 2006) – Film Independent announced the winners for the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival at its Closing Night ceremonies on Sunday, July 2. The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Robert Cary's Ira & Abby. The film was written by and stars Jennifer Westfeldt, who co-wrote and starred in Kissing Jessica Stein, which won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2001 Los Angeles Film Festival. Kissing Jessica Stein also took Film Independent's 2003 Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Jeff Werner and Susan Koch for their deeply moving documentary Mario's Story. Tomer Heymann's Paper Dolls won the Audience Award for Best International Feature.
The award for Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition went to the ensemble cast of Mike Akel's Chalk, which includes principal cast members Troy Schremmer, Janelle Schremmer, Shannon Haragan, and Chris Mass. Given to an actor or actors from an official selection in the Narrative Competition, this is the third year the award has been given out at the Festival.
The award for Best Narrative Short Film went to Gustavo Taretto's Side Walls. The award for Best Documentary Short Film went to Cedar Sherbert's Gesture Down (I Don't Sing). Adam Parrish King's The Wraith of Cobble Hill won the award for Best Animated/Experimental Short Film. The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to Diego Quemada-Diez's I Want To Be A Pilot.
As previously announced at the Festival's Spirit of Independence event on Wednesday, June 28, the Target Filmmaker Award (for Best Narrative Feature) went to Steve Collins for Gretchen. The winner of the Target Documentary Award (for Best Documentary Feature) went to Amy Berg for Deliver Us From Evil. Each award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 funded by Target.
The Narrative Feature Competition jury was comprised of Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan (director, Torino Film Festival), David Gordon Green (director, George Washington), and Danielle Renfrew (producer, Groove, November). The Documentary Competition jury was comprised of Marie-Therese Guirgis (acquisitions consultant) and AJ Schnack (director, Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns).
This year the Festival received more than 4,300 submissions from filmmakers around the world with the final selections representing several World, North American, and U.S. premieres. This represents an increase of 600 submitted films from the 2005 Festival. More than 265 films and music videos in 16 different sections screened at this year's Festival.
"This has been a breakthrough year with the growth and diversity of our films, events, audience awareness, and attendance," said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson. "More than ever, we feel like what we have accomplished with this year's festival truly reflects Film Independent's overall mission to put the spotlight on the diversity of films that are accessible to audiences."
"With more than 80,000 attendees at this year's Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival has become the most largely attended festival in Los Angeles," said Festival Director Richard Raddon. "It has been a wonderful experience to see audiences discovering and enjoying the work of all of the filmmakers at the Festival," said Programming Director Rachel Rosen. "This year's award winners represent a group of highly talented, diverse filmmakers, whose unique visions captured the hearts and imaginations of festival-goers."
The Festival kicked off on Thursday, June 22 with the Opening Night Gala selection, The Devil Wears Prada, directed by David Frankel. Sony Pictures Classics' Quinceañera, written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, screened as this year's Centerpiece Premiere selection. The Closing Night film selection was Fox Searchlight's Little Miss Sunshine, directed by Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris.
In addition to the Festival's Coffee Talks, Poolside Chats, Family Day, and other special events, this year the Festival celebrated Green Day on Broxton Avenue. Hosted by Electric Entertainment, the event was free to the public and offered attendees the opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of electric automobiles, as well as a variety of eco-friendly organizations and products.
George Lucas served as the Guest Director for the Festival. In this role, Lucas hosted the Filmmaker Retreat and programmed a sidebar of films that inspired his work. Danger Mouse served as this year's Artist in Residence. As Artist in Residence, Danger Mouse selected three films which screened at the Festival, and participated in a pre-festival conversation on Monday, June 12, with KCRW's Jason Bentley, in cooperation with the Hammer Museum.
Honorary Chairs were Christina Applegate, Harrison Ford, Allison Janney, and Virginia Madsen. As Honorary Chairs, Allison Janney hosted the Opening Night festivities, Harrison Ford hosted the Filmmaker Reception, Christina Applegate hosted the Closing Night festivities as well as participated in the Festival's Actors Coffee Talk, and Virginia Madsen presented the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Spirit of Independence event. Actor Jimmy Smits was also in attendance at the Spirit of Independence event to present the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature. Charlize Theron was this year's Spirit of Independence Award recipient. Woody Harrelson presented Theron with this prestigious award.
Screenings and special events were held in Westwood at the following locations: James Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall on the UCLA campus; Freud Playhouse and Little Theatre in Mcgowan Hall on the UCLA campus; the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse; Mann Village Theatre; Landmark Regent Theatre; Italian Cultural Institute; Mann Festival Theatre; Hammer Museum; AMC Avco Center 4; the Majestic Crest Theatre; and the Wadsworth Theatre. Additional offsite event screenings took place at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, the California Plaza/Grand Performances, and Laemmle Sunset 5.
The Los Angeles Times Media Center and the Target Red Room (filmmaker and press lounge) were located in Westwood Village, along with the Intel Tech Pavilion & Box Office.
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Awards were given out in the following categories:
Target Filmmaker Award (for Best Narrative Feature)
Winner: Gretchen, written/directed by Steve Collins
Credits: Producers Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Anish Savjani
Cast: Courtney Davis, John Merriman, Steve Root, Becky Ann Baker
Film Description: Gretchen has bigger problems than abysmal fashion sense: She's 17, painfully awkward and stuck in the most unforgiving place on earth — high school. When her obsession with school bad boy Ricky gets out of hand, her mother sends her to an emotional treatment center to recover. She has to travel elsewhere, however, to truly begin to understand why she fixates on the wrong kind of guy. Starring Courtney Davis as the perpetually uncomfortable Gretchen, Steve Collins' first feature is a humorously deadpan yet poignant reminder of how the smallest moments can lead to extreme adolescent drama.
The Narrative Competition stated that they chose the film for its "distinctive vision and truthfulness to
its characters, which makes us really want to see what the director will do next."
The Target Filmmaker Award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 funded by Target, offering the financial means for filmmakers to transfer their vision to the screen. The award recognizes the finest American narrative film in competition. The award is given to the winning director of the Narrative Feature Competition. A special jury selects the winner. All narrative feature-length films screening in the Narrative Competition section were eligible.
The jury consisted of Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan (director, Torino Film Festival), David Gordon Green (director, George Washington), and Danielle Renfrew (producer, Groove, November).
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Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition
Winner: The ensemble cast of Mike Akel's Chalk, actors Troy Schremmer, Janelle Schremmer, Shannon Haragan, and Chris Mass
Film Description: Take a peek inside the teachers' lounge in this hilarious glimpse into the awkward lives of high school teachers. Drawing from the mock-reality show style of The Office or Arrested Development, writer/director Mike Akel and writer/co-star Chris Mass, both actual teachers, mix comedy with a bittersweet commentary on the obstacles facing our public school teachers. Surrounded by wonderfully deadpan, real life students, the cast delivers ingeniously subtle performances as teachers struggling to win "Teacher of the Year," decipher school policy, or just make it until the bell rings.
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Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Winner: Ira & Abby, directed by Robert Cary, written by Jennifer Westfeldt
Credits: Produced by Brad Zions
Cast: Chris Messina, Jennifer Westfeldt, Frances Conroy, Judith Light, Jason Alexander, Robert Klein, Fred Willard
Film Description: The perpetually indecisive Ira can't choose what to order for breakfast much less commit to his on-again, off-again girlfriend. But somehow, magically, after only knowing her for six hours, he finds himself engaged to the disarming Abby. If only the rest of their lives could be so perfect. Starting off where most romantic comedies fade to black, Ira & Abby takes an original and highly entertaining look at how quickly the ties that bind—to spouses, family and attendant therapists—can get into an awful tangle.
This award is given to the narrative feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Narrative feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Narrative Competition, International Showcase, Summer Previews, Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre, Dark Wave, and Special Screenings.
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Target Documentary Award (for Best Documentary Feature)
Winner: Deliver Us From Evil, written/directed by Amy Berg
Credits: Producers Amy Berg, Hermas Lassalle, Frank Donner
Subjects: Ann Jyono, Bob Jyono, Marie Jyono, Nancy Sloan, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, Oliver O'Grady, Monsignor Cain, Tom Doyle
Film Description: Moving from one parish to another in Northern California during the 1970s, Father Oliver O'Grady quickly won each congregation’s trust and respect. Unbeknownst to them, O'Grady was a dangerously active pedophile that Church hierarchy, aware of his predilection, had harbored for over 20 years, allowing him to abuse countless children. Juxtaposing an extended, deeply unsettling interview with O'Grady himself with the tragic stories of his victims, filmmaker Amy Berg bravely exposes the deep corruption of the Catholic Church and the troubled mind of the man they sheltered.
The Documentary Competition Jury stated that they selected the film for "the filmmaker's ability to balance the exploration of indefensible evil – both in one man and in those who would seek to conceal the truth – and the battle to hold on to one's faith in the face of the worst possible betrayal."
The Target Documentary Award carries an unrestricted cash prize of $50,000 funded by Target, offering the financial means for filmmakers to transfer their vision to the screen. The award recognizes the finest American documentary film in competition. The award is given to the winning director of the Documentary Feature Competition. A special jury selects the winner. All documentary feature-length films screening in the Documentary Competition section were eligible.
The jury was comprised of Marie-Therese Guirgis (acquisitions consultant) and AJ Schnack (director, Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns).
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Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
Winner: Mario's Story, directed by Jeff Werner and Susan Koch
Film Description: As a teenager in East Los Angeles, Mario Rocha was sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit. Undaunted, Mario, his family and a dedicated team of advocates have spent more than 10 years navigating the justice system fighting for his freedom even though they have a less than 1% chance of overturning his conviction. Like a procedural crime drama in reverse, in that all the evidence is trying to get someone out of jail, Mario's Story is a deeply moving film and also a nail-biting thriller.
This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system. Documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature; Documentary Competition, International Showcase, Summer Previews, Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre, Dark Wave, and Special Screenings.
The winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature receives a full tape to film blow-up donated by Technicolor.
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Audience Award for Best International Feature
Winner: Paper Dolls, written/directed by Tomer Heymann
Credits: Produced by Claudia Levin, Stanley Buchthal, Tomer Heymann
Country: Israel
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Film Description: In one of Tel Aviv's most conservative neighborhoods, a small group of gay Filipino immigrants working as caregivers devote themselves to their elderly Jewish charges — around the clock — except on the nights they perform in drag as the Paper Dolls. Director Tomer Heymann spent nearly five years exploring the Dolls' seemingly incongruous, often tender relationships with their employers, as well as their struggles with immigration authorities and the local gay community. The resulting film is a sensitive, complex portrait of men who are perpetual outsiders, at home and abroad.
This award is given to the international feature audiences liked most as voted on by a tabulated rating system. All international feature-length films, both narrative and documentary, in the International Showcase, Summer Previews, Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre, Dark Wave, and Special Screenings sections are eligible for the Audience Award for Best International Feature.
This year the festival included films from countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Korea, Mauritania, Netherlands, Senegal, Switzerland, and Turkey.
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Best Narrative Short Film
Winner: Side Walls by Gustavo Taretto
Description: Within the high-rises of Buenos Aires, an evocative story of loneliness, alienation and serendipity unravels.
"Set against a landscape of Latin American high rises, U.S. pop culture references, and our dependence on the internet over human connection, this film is a moving, contemporary love story layered with strong performances, innovative storytelling, and a great how-did-they-pull-that-off moment. A local movie that can't help feeling global at every moment," said the Shorts Competition Jury.
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Best Documentary Short Film
Winner: Gesture Down (I Don’t Sing) by Cedar Sherbert
Description: Going back to his roots, a Native American man reclaims his heritage.
"A rare treat of a film that skillfully sneaks up behind you, reaches through your back, and grabs your heart. Playful and full of empathy, the film pushes the boundaries of the documentary medium while presenting an insightful look at a Native American man's reclaiming of his heritage. The closing shot of the passing of the torch is as evocative an image as we've seen at the Festival," said the Shorts Competition Jury.
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Best Animated/Experimental Short Film
Winner: The Wraith of Cobble Hill by Adam Parrish King
Description: When a neighborhood store owner asks Felix for a favor, the teen must decide to rise to the occasion.
"A truly original work of animation that inserts humanity and a sense of hope into a gray, urban reality. A compelling film about a young man breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect in which the claymation feels so lifelike and spontaneous that we are constantly aware of the character's thoughts. This is the delicate and balanced work of an artist who not only understands the art of animation but the subtleness of human behavior," said the Shorts Competition Jury.
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Audience Award for Best Short Film
Winner: I Want To Be A Pilot by Diego Quemada-Diez
Credits: Produced by Diego Quemada-Diez
Description: Deep in the slums of East Africa, a 12-year-old boy has only one dream.
Awarded to the short film audiences have liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Short Programs or before Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, or International Showcase feature-length screenings are eligible for the Audience Award for Best Short Film.
The Short Competition Jury consisted of Yareli Arizmendi (Like Water For Chocolate), Jason Reitman (director of Thank You For Smoking), and Mora Stephens (director, Conventioneers).
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ABOUT THE JURORS
Actress-Writer-Producer Yareli Arizmendi is best known for her role as ‘Rosaura’ in Like Water For Chocolate and ‘Lila Rodriguez’ in A Day Without a Mexican, which she co-wrote with her director/musician husband Sergio Arau.
Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan is a correspondent for the Italian daily Il Manifesto, has written books on filmmakers such as John Carpenter, George Romero, William Friedkin, John Landis and Walter Hill, and is the director of the Torino Film Festival.
David Gordon Green is a writer and director who was born in Arkansas and raised in Texas. He went to college at the North Carolina School of the Arts. His films include George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Undertow. He is currently in post-production on Snow Angels.
Marie-Therese Guirgis headed acquisitions and distribution at Wellspring, a leading independent distributor of arthouse films such as Jonathan Caouette's Tarnation, Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My Heart Skipped, and Todd Solondz's Palindromes.
Jason Reitman is the award-winning writer-director of Thank You For Smoking and the short films Consent, Gulp, and In God We Trust, which won Best Narrative Short Film at the 2000 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Danielle Renfrew is an accomplished independent producer with credits ranging from grassroots documentaries to major motion pictures. Her films include Groove, which was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, November starring Courteney Cox, Daltry Calhoun starring Johnny Knoxville and Juliette Lewis, and the documentary Double Dare featuring interviews with Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Lucy Lawless, and Lynda Carter.
A.J. Schnack is a filmmaker and writer whose latest film, a nonfiction feature about Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, is in post-production. His first feature was Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns), about the veteran New York alt-pop band They Might Be Giants.
Writer-Director Mora Stephens is an alumna of the Graduate Film Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is a co-founder of Hyphenate Films. Her debut feature film Conventioneers recently won the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards' John Cassavetes Award.
ABOUT THE 2006 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL
Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival is presented by the Los Angeles Times and is supported by Premier Sponsors In Style, Target, Pop Secret®, and Intel, and by Principal Sponsors Eastman Kodak Company, Axium, and Adobe. Special support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner and WireImage is the Official Photography Agency of Film Independent.
Westwood Village is the new home of Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival, which ran from Thursday, June 22 – Sunday, July 2. In the expanded location, festival-goers experienced the best of American and international cinema, enjoying over 250 feature films and shorts, as well as Coffee Talks, Poolside Chats, and other special star-studded events. Westwood Village showcased films and events among various venues, all within walking distance of each other, with ample, convenient parking and easy access to shopping and dining, setting the stage for the biggest festival yet. Over the course of 10 days and 11 nights, the public was invited to take advantage of world premieres including both independent films and major studio releases, as well as tribute screenings, outdoor movies, celebrity-filled red carpets, and more. Screenings and special events were held in Westwood at the following locations: James Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall on the UCLA campus; Freud Playhouse and Little Theatre in Mcgowan Hall on the UCLA campus; the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse; Mann Village Theatre; Landmark Regent Theatre; Italian Cultural Institute; Mann Festival Theatre; Hammer Museum; AMC Avco Center 4; the Majestic Crest Theatre; and the Wadsworth Theatre. Additional offsite event screenings took place at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, the California Plaza/Grand Performances, and Laemmle Sunset 5.
For the first time ever, the Los Angeles Film Festival collected and recycled old cell phones to raise funds for its educational programs and to reduce the risk that the hazardous materials in these phones end up in our landfills. With the donation of an old cell phone, festival-goers received $1 off admission to any film or event. The donated cell phones will be refurbished for use as emergency phones and given to battered women's shelters or responsibly recycled.
Extensive coverage of the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival aired on FesTV, 24 hours a day on cable channel 75 in Santa Monica and 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. nightly on cable channel LA36 in Los Angeles.
To view film trailers and exclusive coverage of this year's festival visit www.lafilmfest.com or www.latimes.com/filmfest.
ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent, a non-profit membership organization for independent filmmakers, cultivates the careers of independent filmmakers, builds the audience for independent films, and increases diversity in the film industry. Film Independent provides its members with more than 250 annual events and screenings, along with professional advice, educational programs, affordable camera and equipment rentals, and discounts to hundreds of industry-related businesses.
Film Independent also offers Filmmaker Labs, giving filmmakers the opportunity to develop their projects, and Project:Involve, a mentorship and job placement program that pairs filmmakers from culturally diverse communities with film industry professionals. Film Independent produces the Independent Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival, celebrating the best of American and international cinema. For more information, visit FilmIndependent.org.
FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAM
The 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival screened more than 265 films and music videos in 16 different sections. This year the Festival received more than 4,300 submissions from filmmakers around the world with the final selections representing several World, North American, and U.S. premieres. This represents an increase of 600 submitted films from the 2005 Festival.
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