Tribeca Film Festival 2017: Award Winners

The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival is once again come to an end, and has named its winners. This year’s festival curators reduced the size of the overall program by 20%, making this year’s festival the most selective festival yet.

In a statement following the announcement of the festival slate, Cara Cusumano, Director of Programming at Tribeca, said the following:

It’s uncertain and tumultuous times like these that we need artists and storytellers the most, and this year’s program is a testament to the unending capacity of film for impact, empathy, and even much needed escapism. Each in their own way, these 98 films fill me with optimism and inspiration at the unique power of our medium, and the eyes of a talented filmmaker to inspire, challenge, and maybe even change the world.

This was a big year for women filmmakers, with all five of this year’s feature film category winners were directed by female directors. This includes Keep the Change by Rachel Israel, Son of Sofia by Elina Psykou, and Bobbi Jene by Elvira Lind. Thirty-two women directors were represented in the 98 festival selections.

Keep the Change was one of the biggest winners at the festival, taking home the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature, Best New Narrative Director for director Rachel Israel, and Special Jury Mention for the Nora Ephron Prize. The romantic comedy follows a pair of lovers who meet in a support group for adults with autism.

In the narrative category, another film that did well was Swiss film The Divine Order. It won Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature Film for Marie Leuenberger, as well as the 2017 Nora Ephron Prize for writer/director Petra Volpe. The film takes place in 1971, and follows a young mother in a small town in Switzerland, who begins to campaign for the women’s right to vote, and changes her uneventful life.

One of the other big winners was the documentary film Bobbi Jene, which followed dancer Bobbi Jene Smith returning to the U.S. after starring for the famous Israeli dance company Batsheva. The title character faces the consequences of ambitious dreams, both one oneself and their relationships. The film took home the Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Cinematography, and Best Documentary Editing.

Here is a full list of winners for the 2017 Festival:

U.S. NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature
Keep The Change, written and directed by Rachel Israel

Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Alessandro Nivola in One Percent More Humid

Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Nadia Alexander in Blame

Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Chris Teague for Love After Love

Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film
Abundant Acreage Available, written by Angus MacLachlan

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Best International Narrative Feature
Son of Sofia, written and directed by Elina Psykou (Greece, Bulgaria, France)

Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature Film
Guillermo Pfening in Nobody’s Watching (Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, USA, Spain)

Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature Film
Marie Leuenberger in The Divine Order (Switzerland)

Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature Film
Mart Taniel for November (Estonia, Netherlands, Poland)

Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature Film
Ice Mother written by Bohdan Sláma (Slovakia, France)

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Best Documentary Feature
Bobbi Jene, directed by Elvira Lind (USA, Denmark, Israel)

Best Documentary Cinematography
Elvira Lind for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel)

Best Documentary Editing
Adam Nielson for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel)

Special Jury Mention
True Conviction, directed by Jamie Meltzer)

BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION

Best New Narrative Director
Rachel Israel, director of Keep the Change (U.S.)

BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION

Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award
Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra for A Suitable Girl (U.S./India)

Special Jury Mention
Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell

THE NORA EPHRON PRIZE

The 2017 Nora Ephron Prize
Petra Volpe, writer/director of The Divine Order (Switzerland).

Special Jury Mention

Keep the Change, written and directed by Rachel Israel

SHORT FILM COMPETITION

Best Narrative Short
Retouch, directed by Kaveh Mazaheri (Iran)

Best Animated Short
Odd is an Egg, directed by Kristin Ulseth (Norway).

Best Documentary Short
The Good Fight directed by Ben Holman (U.S., UK, Brazil)

Special Jury Mention
Resurface

Student Visionary Award
Fry Day, directed by Laura Moss (U.S.).

Special Jury Mention
Dive

STORYSCAPES AWARD

Storyscapes Award
Treehugger: Wawona, created by Barnaby Steel, Ersin Han Ersin and Robin McNicholas of Marshmallow Laser Feast

TRIBECA X AWARD

Tribeca X Award
Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving, by 72andSunny for Smirnoff Ice, directed by Zachary Heinzerling

TRIBECA SNAPCHAT SHORTS (previously announced)

Tribeca Snapchat Short Award
Magic Show, directed by Annie Hubbard