The 2024 German Independence Award for Best Film at Oldenburg’s annual film fest went to the black-and-white eccentric Canadian comedy James, a movie about a man who discovers and salvages an abandoned bicycle. The film was directed and written by trailer-proclaimed “Vancouver weirdo” Max Train & co-written by the film’s star Dylan Beatch. The recognition comes after the premiere of James at Oldenberg, winning over audiences and scoring the big win on Sunday night.

The 31st Oldenburg International Film Festival concluded September 15th, 2024 in Oldenburg, Germany. The festival, first held in 1994, recognizes the best international independent films of each year and includes categories such as Best Actor/Actress, Best Short Film, and a Spirit of Cinema award. This year’s event saw a major spike in attendance, up roughly 20 percent from last year, coming in at 12,000 attendees.

Oldenburg’s founder Torsten Neumann has professed the importance of keeping independent cinema alive and highlighting its efforts in hopes to close the gap between indie low-budget passion projects and the more marketable films in the mainstream.  When he spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, Neumann named James as one of many undiscovered independent films that has the means to reach and relate to a wide audience.

“Maybe James is one of these cases,” Neumann mentions to THR. ” It’s black and white and super low budget but a real crowd pleaser. The hope is that there are places like Oldenburg where these films can be seen and maybe help them find a way. I always swing between hopelessness and the renewed energy I get when I see an amazing indie movie.”

Continue reading for an extended list of the prize winners at this year’s indie festival.

Best Film – James, dir. Max Train (Canada)

Best Actor – Tim Blake Nelson, Bang Bang (USA)

Best Actress – Aki Kigoshi, A Wasted Night (Japan)

Spirit of Cinema – A History of Love and War, dir. Santiago Mohar (Mexico)

Best Debut Feature – Baby Brother, dir. Michael J. Long (UK)

Best Short Film – Nostalgia of a (Still) Alive Heart, dir. Diego Gaxiola (Mexico)