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“GIMME THE LOOT,” “BEWARE OF MR. BAKER” WIN TOP PRIZES AT SXSW
Gimme the Loot (pictured), Adam Leon’s entirely winning story of two young graffiti artists discovering their own relationship as they seek to tag Shea Stadium (er… Citi Field), picked up the top Narrative Jury Prize at tonight’s SXSW awards ceremony. The Documentary Jury prize went to Beware of Mr. Baker, Jay Bulger’s portrait of famed rock drummer Ginger Baker.
The jury gave Special Recognitions for three outstanding performances in dramatic features: Jamie Chung’s starring role in Eden; Nico Stone’s in Booster; and Besedka Johnson’s debut in Starlet. The 85-year-old Johnson, who plays a bitter widower forming an unlikely friendship with a sweet porn actress (Dree Hemingway), was discovered at a gym by one of the film’s producers and asked to audition.
Audience Awards went in the Documentary category to Annie Eastman’s Bay of All Saints and in the Narrative category to Megan Griffiths’ Eden. Griffiths also won the Chicken and Egg Emerging Narrative Woman Director Award, shared with Sun Don’t Shine‘s Amy Seimetz.
Josh and Benny Safdie’s rollicking NYC tale The Black Balloon picked up the SXSW Wholphin Award.
I thought this was a great year at SXSW with a number of striking features, including Baker’s Starlet, Drew Goddard’s Cabin in the Woods, Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine and Leon’s Gimme the Loot, which left a huge smile on my face as its final credits ran. I’ll have more SXSW commentary in the coming days and a fully digested account in our Spring print edition. A complete list of winners is below.
Feature Film Jury Awards
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
?Grand Jury Winner: Beware of Mr. Baker
Director: Jay BulgerNARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
?Grand Jury Winner: Gimme The Loot
Director: Adam LeonSpecial Jury Recognition for Performance:
Jamie Chung – Eden
Besedka Johnson – Starlet
Nico Stone – Booster
Feature Film Audience Awards
?DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner: Bay of All Saints
Director: Annie EastmanNARRATIVE FEATURE
Winner: Eden
Director: Megan GriffithsShort Film Jury Awards
NARRATIVE SHORTS
Winner: The Chair
Director: Grainger DavidDOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Winner: CatCam
Director: Seth KealMIDNIGHT SHORTS
Winner: Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
Directors: Rebecca Sloan & Joseph PellingSXGLOBAL SHORTS
Winner: The Perfect Fit
Director: Tali YankelevichANIMATED SHORTS
Winner: (notes on) biology
Director: Danny Madden
?MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner: Battles, “My Machines”
Director: DANIELSTEXAS SHORTS
Winner: Spark?Director: Annie SilversteinTEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS
Winner: Boom
Director: Daniel Matyas & Brian BroderSXSW Film Design Awards presented by iStockphoto
?EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN
Winner: Man & Gun
Designer: Justin CoxSpecial Jury Recognition: Pitch Black Heist
Designer: Andrew CranstonAudience Award Winner: The Maker
Designer: Christopher KezelosEXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN
Winner: Les Bleus de Ramville
Designer: Jay Bond, Oily Film Company Inc.Special Jury Recognition: X-Men: First Class
Designer: Simon Clowes, Prologue FilmsAudience Award Winner: Bunraku
Designer: Guilherme Marcondes, Hornet Inc.SXSW Special Awards
SXSW WHOLPHIN AWARD
Winner: The Black Balloon
Director: Benny Safdie & Josh SafdieSXSW CHICKEN & EGG EMERGENT NARRATIVE WOMAN DIRECTOR AWARD
Winners: Megan Griffiths for Eden and Amy Seimetz for Sun Don’t ShineLOUIS BLACK “LONE STAR” AWARD
Winner: Bernie
Director: Richard LinklaterSpecial Jury Recognition: Trash Dance
Director: Andrew GarrisonKAREN SCHMEER FILM EDITING FELLOWSHIP
Presented to: Lindsay Utz
