2017 SXSW Award Winners

As the 2017 South by Southwest film festival continues, Tuesday night saw the announcement of the award winners from the fest. The presentation took place at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas. Ana Asensio’s Most Beautiful Island won top honors, nabbing the Grand Jury Prize for the Narrative Feature Competition. The film, described as a thriller, centers of the plight of undocumented female immigrants and their attempt to start a new life in New York City. Asensio, a Spanish actress and filmmaker who currently resides in New York, first translated the project into a one-woman show ahead of her directorial debut feature; Asensio penned the screenplay and stars in the film, which was shot in super 16 mm.

Take a look at the full list of winners below:

Feature Film Grand Jury Awards

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Most Beautiful Island – directed by Ana Asensio

Special Jury Recognition for Breakthrough Performance: James Freedson-Jackson, The Strange Ones

Special Jury Recognition for Best Ensemble: A Bad Idea Gone Wrong
Cast: Matt Jones, Eleanore Pienta, Will Rogers, Jonny Mars, Sam Eidson, Jennymarie Jemison

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
The Work – directed by Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous

Special Jury Recognition for Excellence in Observational Cinema: Maineland – directed by Miao Wang

Special Jury Recognition for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling: I Am Another You – directed by Nanfu Wang

Short Film Grand Jury Awards

NARRATIVE SHORTS
Forever Now – directed by Kristian Håskjold

Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Tarra Riggs, DeKalb Elementary

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Little Potato – directed by Wes Hurley & Nathan M. Miller

MIDNIGHT SHORTS
The Suplex Duplex Complex – directed by Todd Rohal

ANIMATED SHORTS
Wednesday with Goddard – directed by Nicolas Menard

Special Jury Recognition: Pussy – directed by Renata Gasiorowska

MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner: Leon Bridges, “RIVER” – directed by Miles Jay

Special Jury Recognition: Tame Impala, “The Less I Know The Better”

TEXAS SHORTS
The Rabbit Hunt – directed by Patrick Bresnan

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS
Better Late Than Never – directed by Atheena Frizzell

Special Jury Recognition: Darcy’s Quinceañera – directed by Sam Cooper

SXSW Film Design Awards

EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN
Fry Day – designed by Caspar Newbolt

Special Jury Recognition: Like Me – designed by Jeremy Enecio

EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN
Into The Current – directed by Chris R. Moberg and Jared Young

SXSW LUNA® Gamechanger Award: Narrative
INFLAME – directed by Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik

SXSW LUNA® Chicken & Egg Award: Documentary
I Am Another You – directed by Nanfu Wang

SXSW Louis Black “Lone Star” Award
(To honor SXSW co-founder/director Louis Black, a jury prize was created in 2011 called the Louis Black “Lone Star” Award, to be awarded to a Texas film in content, filmmaker residency, or primary shooting location.)

Mr. Roosevelt – directed by Noël Wells

SXSW Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award
Assholes –  directed by Peter Vack

SXSW Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship Presentation
(The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship is a year-long experience that encourages and champions the talent of an emerging documentary editor. Awarded annually, the fellowship was created to honor the memory of gifted editor Karen Schmeer.)

Leigh Johnson

James Tisch: Managing Editor, mxdwn Movies || Writer. Procrastinator. Film Lover. Sparked by the power of the movies (the films of Alfred Hitchcock served as a pivotal gateway drug during childhood), James began ruminating and essaying the cinema at a young age and forged forward as a young blogger, contributor and eventual editor for mxdwn Movies. Outside of mxdwn, James served as a film programmer for one of the busiest theaters in the greater Los Angeles area and frequently works on the local film festival circuit. He resides in Los Angeles. james@mxdwn.com
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