Anders Østergaard's BURMA VJ, which began its festival life as a back-to-back jury prize winner at CPH:DOX and IDFA, this afternoon won three awards - including the Grand Jury Prize - at this Full Frame Film Festival. It's success was just the tip of the iceberg Sunday as juries in Durham gave a great number of their prizes to a host of international films, with Danish films and filmmakers leading the way. If one was needed, it was yet another sign that Denmark's governmental support of nonfiction assures that nation's place at the forefront of European documentary production. (Two years ago, Pernille Rose Gronkjær's THE MONASTERY - MR. VIG AND THE NUN also won here.)
As we noted Thursday, the Grand Jury winner at Full Frame has gone on to be Oscar or Spirit Award nominated in each of the past four years.
BURMA VJ also received two other prizes - the Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award as well as the Working Films Award, which will assist in BURMA VJ's outreach efforts. The film will be distributed by Oscilloscope prior to an HBO broadcast later this year.
Nati Baratz' UNMISTAKEN CHILD - another film mentioned often at Sunday's awards BBQ - received a Special Jury mention. CHILD was presented the Full Frame Inspiration Award and was named an Honorable Mention for the Guggenheim Emerging Artist Prize. CHILD is from Isreal.
The winner of this year's Guggenheim Prize was Oded Adomi Leshem for VOICES FROM EL-SAYED (Isreal). Sarah and Emily Kuntsler's film about their father, WILLIAM KUNSTLER: DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE (USA), was - with UNMISTAKEN CHILD - named an Honorable Mention in the category.
The new HBO Emerging Filmmaker Award went to Janus Metz, for his much admired Danish film LOVE ON DELIVERY. Bill Ross and Turner Ross' 45365 (USA), grand jury winner at SXSW was, with Lee Anne Schmitt's CALIFORNIA COMPANY TOWN (USA), named Honorable Mentions.
Aron Gaudet's THE WAY WE GET BY (USA), a special jury prize winner at SXSW, picked up the Audience Award in Durham. The Short Film winner was the Danish film 12 NOTES DOWN, directed by Andreas Koefoed. Honorable Mentions amongst shorts included FLYING SHEPHERD (Romania), directed by Catalin Musat, and LA CHIROLA (Bolivia), directed by Diego Mondaca.
Finland's OIL BLUE, a short film directed by Elli Rintala, received the Full Frame President's Award, while the Kathleen Bryant Edwards Award for Human Rights went to Liz Garbus' SHOUTING FIRE: STORIES FROM THE EDGE OF FREE SPEECH (USA).
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