14th annual Tribeca Film Festival

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
* * *
SWORN VIRGIN WINS THIRD ANNUAL NORA EPHRON PRIZE
* * *
FESTIVAL AWARDS $175,000 IN CASH PRIZES

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 at a party hosted by Michael Rapaport at TFF’s creative hub, Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studios. This year’s Festival included 101 features, 60 short films, five immersive storytelling projects from 38 countries.

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 at the ceremony 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. 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.

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 Kári [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.

Virgin Mountain

Director: Laura Bispuri Copyright: VIVO Film

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 Jónsson as Fúsi 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 firm Citrin 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 Jønck for Bridgend (Denmark). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Shutterstock. The award was given by Sophie Barthes and Derick Rhodes, Footage Marketing, Shutterstock.
Hannah Murray (Sara) & Josh O’Connor (Jamie) Photographer CREDIT: Magnus Jønck
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 Kári (Iceland, Denmark). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Freixenet. The award was given by Dylan McDermott and Tom Burnet President, Freixenet USA.
Virgin Mountain

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, leading us to wonder when he has time to go to the bathroom. His intricately designed, beautifully observed, and bravely conceived screenplay consistently defies expectations, avoids sentimentality, and never strikes a false note.

Best Narrative Editing – Bridgend edited by Oliver Bugge Coutté (Denmark). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Soundtrack Film and Television-New York, and $50,000 in post-production services provided by Company 3. The award was given by Sophie Barthes and Rob Cavicchio, owner Soundtrack NY.
Jury Comment: “Impeccable rhythms and expert balancing of many divergent narratives.”

WORLD DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The jurors for the 2015 World Documentary Competition sponsored by Santander Bank, N.A., were Diego Bunuel, Tine Fischer, David Gelb, Joshua Rothkopf, and Gloria Steinem.

Best Documentary Feature – Democrats, directed by Camilla Nielsson (Denmark), who received $25,000, sponsored by Netflix, and the art award “Immersion (From the Holy River Series)” by Prune Nourry. The award was given by Gloria Steinem.
Director: Camilla Nielsson

Mwonzora & Mangwana. Cinematographer: Henrik Bohn Ipsen

Jury Comments: “For its choice of an important, universal subject; for filming in conditions where simply to be present is a triumph; and for prioritizing dignity, courage, and our common struggle for humanity, we give this year’s Best Documentary Feature award to Camilla Nielsson for Democrats.”

Special Jury Mention: In Transit, directed by Albert Maysles, Nelson Walker, Lynn True, David Usui, and Ben Wu. (U.S.A)

Best Documentary Editing – Palio, edited by Valerio Bonelli (U.K., Italy). Winner receives $5,000. The award was given by Diego Bunuel.
Palio, 2013

Director: Cosima Spender (Palio) photo CREDIT is Valerio Bonelli.

Jury Comments: “This film viscerally transported us into an event and turned life into art. For subtly placing us behind the scenes; and for general technical excellence, this year’s award for Best Editing in a Documentary goes to editor Valerio Bonelli for Palio.”

BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION:

The jurors for the 2015 Best New Narrative Director Competition were Mark Boal, Minnie Driver, Don Hertzfeldt, Cobie Smulders, and Joana Vicente.

Best New Narrative Director – Zachary Treitz director of Men Go To Battle (U.S.A), who received $25,000 sponsored by The Walt Disney Studios, $50,000 in post-production services provided by Company 3, and the art award “Trees II” by Clifford Ross. The award was given by Don Hertzfeldt and Joana Vicente.
Henry Mellon (Tim Morton) Photographer: Brett Jutkiewicz

Director: Zachary Treitz Photographer: Christian Hansen

Jury Comments: “Zachary Treitz presented us with a combination of approaches not all that easy to put together: a unique and sincere vision, alongside off-beat humor, alongside historical and emotional authenticity.”

Special Jury Mention: Stephen Fingleton for The Survivalist (Northern Ireland, U.K.).

BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION:

The jurors for the 2015 Best New Documentary Director Competition were Rachel Boynton, Lola Kirke, Will Patton, Alison Pill, and Michael Rapaport.

Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award – Ewan McNicol and Anna Sandilands for Uncertain (U.S.A). Winner receives $25,000 sponsored by Netflix, and the art award “Athena” by Elizabeth Colomba. The award was given by Alison Pill along with Philip Maysles and Sara Maysles.

Ewan McNicol, photo by Anna Sandilands

Wayne Smith, photo by Ewan McNicol

Anna Sandilands, photo by Ewan McNicol

Jury Comment: “This year we recognize a beautiful character study that explores violent natures, redemption, and what it takes to tame the self. A perfect balance of simplicity and mystery, this American story examines humanity, and how it can unwittingly destroy not just landscapes but livelihoods.”

Special Jury Mention: Erik Shirai for The Birth of Saké (U.S.A).

SHORT FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The 2015 Best Narrative Short Competition jurors were Hank Azaria, Mamie Gummer, André Holland, Arian Moayed, Sheila Nevins, and Dan Silver.

Best Narrative Short – Listen, directed by Hamy Ramezan and Rungano Nyoni (Finland, Denmark). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Paul Hastings, LLP, and the art award “Caw (42)” by Robert Bordo. The award was given by Sharon Badal, Director of Short Film Programming and Initiatives Tribeca Enterprises, and Luke P. Iovine, III, Partner at Paul Hastings, LLP.

Director: Rungano Nyoni A Photographer: Carolin Koss

Here we see the four key characters in this story about cultural isolation and bureaucratic ignorance: the two police officers, the mother and the TRANSLATOR. Cinematographer Lar

Director: Hamy Ramezan Photographer: Carolin Koss
Jury Comments: “This year’s winner for Best Narrative Short was emotionally compelling and by far the most affecting of the pieces we screened, with the filmmakers displaying a clear emotional connection with the narrative. To say that we had a healthy debate is an understatement.”