The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) announced the winners of the two Audience Awards, sponsored by AT&T, at its wrap party sponsored by Vice in New York City. Two awards – one for narrative and one for documentary – were given to the audience choices for the best films. King Jack, directed by Felix Thompson, was chosen to receive the Narrative award and TransFatty Lives,directed by Patrick O’Brien, was chosen for the Documentary award. Each award comes with a cash prize of $25,000. The runners-up were Song of Lahore, directed by Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, for the documentary audience award and Sleeping With Other People, directed by Leslye Headland, for the narrative audience award. (Throughout the Festival, which kicked off on April 15, audiences were able to vote by completing nomination ballots upon exiting screenings of TFF films. Films in the World Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, and Midnight sections were eligible.)
King Jack: Jack (Charlie Plummer) escapes on his bike in the early morning. Photographer: Brandon Roots
King Jack, directed and written by Felix Thompson. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Growing up in a rural town filled with violent delinquents, Jack has learned to do what it takes to survive, despite having an oblivious mother and no father. After his aunt falls ill and a younger cousin comes to stay with him, the hardened 15-year-old discovers the importance of friendship, family, and looking for happiness even in the most desolate of circumstances.
TransFatty Lives: TRANSFATTY LIVES director and star Patrick Sean O’Brien in a photograph taken by Timothy Saccenti.
TransFatty Lives, directed by Patrick O’Brien, co-written by Patrick O’Brien, Scott Crowningshield, Lasse Jarvi, Doug Pray. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Director Patrick O’Brien is TransFatty, the onetime NYC deejay and Internet meme-making superstar. TRANSFATTY LIVES is a brazen and illustrative account of what it is like to live when you find out you are going to die. In 2005, O’Brien began to document his life after being diagnosed with ALS and given only two to five years to live. A decade in the making, this unconventional documentary is Patrick’s personal reflection on the transformative effect of this disease, not only for himself but also for those around him.
Official Poster for TransFatty Lives
As Patrick’s physical abilities diminish, his wit, humor, and ability to engage with others remains dutifully intact. He falls in love and even fulfills his dream of having a son. This “art project of his existence” is stylishly woven together. In particular, the sequences mixing footage and sound are built in such a way, as if to portray a life flashing before your eyes. Truly, a revealing journey into the depths of a cruel illness, and a stirring observation on the decision to remain alive.
Song of Lahore: Character: Asad Ali Photographer: Mobeen Ansari
Song of Lahore, directed by Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. (USA, Pakistan) – World Premiere, Documentary. Until the late 1970s, the Pakistani city of Lahore was world-renowned for its music. Following the Islamization of Pakistan, many artists struggled to continue their life’s work. Song of Lahore turns the spotlight on a group of stalwart musicians that kept playing and ultimately attracted listeners from around the world. In English, Punjabi, and Urdu with subtitles.
Sleeping With Other People: Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) in Leslye Hedlund’s film SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. Courtesy of Linda Källérus. An IFC Films Release.
Sleeping With Other People, directed and written by Leslye Headland. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie star as two romantic failures whose years of serial infidelity and self-sabotage have led them to swear that their relationship will remain strictly platonic. But can love still bloom while you’re sleeping with other people? Writer/director Leslye Headland’s (Bachelorette) sexy romantic comedy co-stars Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, and Natasha Lyonne. An IFC Films Release
Additionally as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program, King Jack receives “Rockets Over the Delta” (Mass MoCA #218) courtesy of Stephen Hannock and TransFatty Lives receives ”Taliban Relief Painting” courtesy of Piers Secunda.
“The awards go to two powerful and charming stories of young men facing their deepest fears and overcoming their own challenges,” said Genna Terranova, Festival Director, Tribeca Film Festival. “These fiction and non-fiction stories of triumph and resilience clearly resonated with audiences this year.”
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