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Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Announces 2016 Award Winners
Durham, N.C. – April 10, 2016 – The 2016 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Award Winners were announced this afternoon at the festival’s annual Awards Barbecue.
One of the nation’s premier documentary film festivals, Full Frame is celebrating its 19thannual festival. Full Frame is a qualifying event for consideration for nominations for both the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject and The Producers Guild of America Awards. The 20th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will take place April 6-9, 2017.
2016 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Award Winners
The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award
Sponsored by The Reva and David Logan Foundation
The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award was presented to Starless Dreams, directed by Mehrdad Oskouei. With rawness and candor, young women in an Iranian juvenile detention center reflect on the crimes they have committed and the harsh circumstances that have shaped them.
The Jury, Rachel Boynton, Margaret Brown, and Ricki Stern stated, “We are presenting the Grand Jury Award to a film that took us into a world we are not normally privileged to see. Through this deceptively simple look inside a juvenile correctional facility for girls under the age of 18, we were given a window into modern Iranian society. Beautifully crafted with tenderness and enormous respect for the people in it, this film left us with a bracing emotional punch.”
In addition, a Special Jury Mention goes to Gleason, directed by Clay Tweel. Within weeks of being diagnosed with ALS, former NFL defensive back Steve Gleason finds out that he and his wife are expecting their first child. Gleason follows his decision to live, for his family and others fighting the disease. The Jury said, “We wanted to give a special mention to a film that was fearlessly intimate. It is both a beautiful story about fathers and sons, and a moving portrait of a man and his resilient partner who together courageously confront the challenges of living with ALS.”
Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short
Provided by Drs. Andrew and Barbra Rothschild
The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short was given to Clínica de Migrantes: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, directed by Maxim Pozdorovkin. This moving short focuses on the work of a volunteer-run clinic that provides medical services to the uninsured Latino community of South Philadelphia.
The Jury, Amy Foote, Davina Pardo, and Chad A. Stevens, stated, “With extraordinary access and moving vérité footage, Clínica de Migrantes tells the powerful story of what happens when undocumented immigrants are denied basic human rights. The film takes us on an emotional journey with the staff and patients at a volunteer-run clinic where undocumented immigrants receive medical care, and addresses a critical issue in a way that is so human and real that we unanimously agreed it must be awarded this year’s Best Short Award.”
Full Frame Audience Award – Feature
Sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
Life, Animated, directed by Roger Ross Williams, received the Full Frame Audience Award Feature. The family of an autistic boy discovered a way to communicate with him through his treasured Disney films, transforming lines of animated characters into a language of love.
Full Frame Audience Award – Short
Sponsored by the Asheville Field Office – Bob Allen Family Foundation
The Full Frame Audience Award Short was given to Pickle, directed by Amy Nicholson. At once hilarious and heartfelt, Pickle chronicles a series of pets with bizarre afflictions through the recollections of a couple who loved them regardless.
Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award
Provided by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award was presented to Sonita, directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami. As her family attempts to sell her as a bride, an Afghani refugee living in Iran fights to keep her dream of becoming a rap star alive. Representatives from the Center for Documentary Studies juried the prize: Kamal Badhey, Randy Benson, Wesley Hogan, Katie Hyde, Lynn McKnight, Dan Partridge, Elena Rue, and April Walton.
Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award
Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim Family
Call Me Marianna, directed by Karolina Bielawska, received the Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award. As she embarks on a quest to become herself, Polish transgender woman Marianna must summon inner strength and make immeasurable sacrifices. Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim family, this prize honors a first-time documentary feature director. Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, Melinda Shopsin, and David Teague participated on the Jury.
Full Frame Inspiration Award
Sponsored by the Hartley Film Foundation
The Full Frame Inspiration Award was awarded to Starless Dreams, directed by Mehrdad Oskouei. With rawness and candor, young women in an Iranian juvenile detention center reflect on the crimes they have committed and the harsh circumstances that have shaped them. Sarah Masters, Michael Palmieri, and Malika Zouhali-Worrall participated on the Jury. This award is presented to the film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality.
Full Frame President’s Award
Sponsored by Duke University
The Mute’s House, directed by Tamar Kay, received the Full Frame President’s Award. The film provides an intimate look into the lives of energetic eight-year-old Yousef and his deaf mother, Sahar, the last Palestinian residents of a deserted apartment building in Hebron. Representatives on behalf of the President’s Office of Duke University juried the prize, awarded to the best student film.
Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights
Sponsored by the Julian Price Family Foundation in memory of Melanie Taylor
The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights was awarded to Kiki, directed by Sara Jordenö. This entrance into the world of voguing contrasts the energy and pulse of ball culture with the intimate and emotional stories of a group of young LGBTQ people of color. Provided by the Julian Price Family Foundation, this award is presented to a film that addresses a significant human rights issue in the United States. Representatives from the Kathleen Bryan Edwards family juried the prize: Anne Arwood, Laura Edwards, Clay Farland, Margaret Griffin, and Pricey Harrison.