The Genie Awards 2008 ceremony, held last night in Toronto, was dominated by Sarah Polley’s remarkably accomplished directorial debut, Away from Her, which won a total of 7 awards.
The story of a man coming to terms with the fact that his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife has fallen in love with another patient at her mental hospital won Genies for best film, best director, best adapted screenplay (Polley, from Alice Munro’s short story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain”), best actor (Gordon Pinsent, who has been unfairly ignored south of the border), best actress (Julie Christie), best supporting actress (Kristen Thomson), and the Claude Jutra Award for best first film. (Away from Her lost only the best editing award.)
As quoted in the Toronto Globe and Mail, Julie Christie, via satellite feed, thanked Polley for her tenacity. “I would like to give an award to Canada for producing Sarah Polley. Not only is she a wonderful actor, a wonderful director, and a wonderful screenplay writer, she is also the most persistent person I have ever met. And I am so grateful to her. That she persisted in persuading me to make Away from Her one of the happiest, if not happiest, film experiences of my life.”
Two other Best Actress nominations would follow: McCabe & Mrs. Miller, 1971; and Afterglow, 1997. Among Christie’s other film credits are David Lean’s Doctor Zhivago (1965), François Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between (1971), Warren Beatty and Buck Henry’s Heaven Can Wait (1978), and, more recently, Marc Forster’s Finding Neverland (2004) and Alfonso Cuarón’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
David Cronenberg’s violent, London-set drama Eastern Promises also won 7 trophies: best supporting actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl), best original screenplay (Steve Knight), best cinematography (Peter Suschitzky), best editing (Ronald Sanders), best original score (Howard Shore), best overall sound, and best sound editing.
Roger Spottiswoode’s Shake Hands with the Devil, a real-life inspired drama set in Rwanda during the genocide, and starring Roy Dupuis as General Roméo Dallaire, went into the ceremony with 12 nominations but received only one award, for best original song (“Kaya” by Valanga Khoza and David Hirschfelder).
Bruce McDonald’s The Tracey Fragments, starring Ellen Page as a(nother) troubled teenager, failed to win in any of its six nominated categories.
On the political front, the evening’s host, Sandra Oh, took a swipe at Bill C-10, which members of Canada’s current right-wing government, eager to impose censorship on Canadian film and television productions, want to have passed.
“I feel I can’t go on without bringing up Bill C-10,” Oh remarked. “[If passed], a very small group of government bureaucrats [will have the] the power to censor Canadian film and television artists by threatening to take away vital government funding. So in other words, censorship has had a little work done, and is trying to make a comeback. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound Canadian to me.”
For his part, Eastern Promises’ executive producer Robert Lantos, upon accepting the Genie for best original screenplay, remarked that “this screenplay is chock full of powerful, frank, honest, original scenes. Just the kind that, if some barbarians have their way, are no longer going to be permissible in Canadian cinema.”
(In February, David Cronenberg told CBC News, “It sounds like something they do in Beijing.” Or, whenever they can, in Washington. See the Federal Communications Commission’s sexual-and-excretory-organ freaks’ ruling on a bare butt shown on NYPD Blue.)
As for the perceived snub of Jason Reitman’s box office hit Juno, Sara Morton, head of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, said in a statement that “regrettably, the filmmakers decided not to enter the film into the Genie Awards. Ultimately, it’s up to the filmmaker to decide whether to seek Canadian certification. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate about the reasons for a filmmaker’s decision or why they may or may not qualify.”
Before the Oscars, Reitman had complained that his film had been unfairly deemed ineligible by the Canadian Academy: “It’s a Canadian director, Canadian stars, Canadian cast, Canadian crew, shot in Canada – how are we not eligible for a Genie when David Cronenberg’s film about Russians living in London shot in England with a British crew and British cast is eligible? I’m sorry, but somebody is going to have to explain that to me; I don’t get it.”
Now, it should be noted that Juno was financed by an American company. Part of the financing for Eastern Promises came from Canadian sources. I’m not sure if that means that Juno would have been deemed ineligible even if Reitman had submitted it for certification.
And the last word goes to Sarah Polley:
“[Away from Her] would never have been made without public support through organizations like Telefilm Canada and the Ontario Media Development Corp.
“I feel extremely lucky to have had the rare experience, as a first-time filmmaker, of being able to find my own voice without constant pandering to a profit motive or to committees. I think that is what is special about making a film with public money. And I’m very grateful for it. We can never, ever stop fighting for it.”
Sandra Oh’s, Robert Lantos’, and Sarah Polley’s quotes: Toronto Globe and Mail
Sara Morton’s and Jason Reitman’s quotes: CBC
DO NO WATCH this clip found on YouTube. It shows a woman’s bare buttocks (more specifically, Charlotte Ross’), a sight that has been proven to cause wars, famine, pestilence, assorted natural disasters, and governmental authoritarianism.
2008 Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Genie Award nominations: January 28, 2008
2008 Genie Award winners: Metro Toronto Convention Centre on March 3, 2008
2008 Genie Award Nominations
BEST FILM / MEILLEUR FILM
L’Âge des ténèbres / Days of Darkness – Denise Robert, Daniel Louis
* Away from Her – Daniel Iron, Simone Urdl, Jennifer Weiss
Continental, un film sans fusil / Continental, a Film Without Guns – Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Eastern Promises – Robert Lantos, Paul Webster
Shake Hands With the Devil – Laszlo Barna, Michael Donovan
BEST DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR DOCUMENTAIRE
Panache / Antlers – André-Line Beauparlant, Danielle Leblanc
* Radiant City – Gary Burns, Jim Brown, Bonnie Thompson, Shirley Vercruysse
Sharkwater – Robert Stewart
BEST DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
DENYS ARCAND – Days of Darkness
* SARAH POLLEY – Away from Her
DAVID CRONENBERG – Eastern Promises
ROGER SPOTTISWOODE – Shake Hands With the Devil
BRUCE MCDONALD – The Tracey Fragments
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
ROY DUPUIS – Shake Hands With the Devil
MARC LABRÈCHE – Days of Darkness
CLAUDE LEGAULT – The 3 Little Pigs
VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises
* GORDON PINSENT – Away from Her
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
ANNE-MARIE CADIEUX – Toi / You
* JULIE CHRISTIE – Away from Her
ELLEN PAGE – The Tracey Fragments
MOLLY PARKER – Who Loves the Sun
BÉATRICE PICARD – Ma tante Aline / My Aunt Aline
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
DANNY GLOVER – Poor Boy’s Game
GUILLAUME LEMAY-THIVIERGE – The 3 Little Pigs
* ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL – Eastern Promises
MICHEL ANGE NZOJIBWAMI – Shake Hands With the Devil
GILBERT SICOTTE – Continental, a Film Without Guns
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
MARIE-GINETTE GUAY – Continental, a Film Without Guns
VÉRONIQUE LE FLAGUAIS – Surviving My Mother / Comment survivre à sa mère
LAURENCE LEBOEUF – Ma fille mon ange / My Daughter My Angel
FANNY MALLETTE – Continental, a Film Without Guns
* KRISTEN THOMPSON – Away from Her
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PIERRE LAMOTHE, CLAUDE LALONDE – The 3 Little Pigs
DENYS ARCAND – Days of Darkness
MARC-ANDRÉ LAVOIE, SIMON OLIVIER FECTEAU, DAVID GAUTHIER – Bluff
* STEVE KNIGHT – Eastern Promises
DOUGLAS COUPLAND – Everything’s Gone Green
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
* SARAH POLLEY – Away from Her
MICHAEL DONOVAN – Shake Hands With the Devil
MAUREEN MEDVED – The Tracey Fragments
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
MIROSLAW BASZAK – Shake Hands With the Devil
BRUCE CHUN – Nitro
ALAIN DOSTIE – Silk
VIC SARIN – Partition
* PETER SUSCHITZKY – Eastern Promises
BEST EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
JEAN-FRANÇOIS BERGERON – Les 3 P’tits Cochons / The 3 Little Pigs
SUSAN MAGGI – Poor Boy’s Game
JEREMIAH MUNCE, GARETH C. SCALES – The Tracey Fragments
* RONALD SANDERS – Eastern Promises
DAVID WHARNSBY – Away from Her
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
DAVID HIRSCHFELDER – Shake Hands With the Devil
STEVE LONDON – That Beautiful Somewhere
DON MACDONALD – Fido
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO – Silk
* HOWARD SHORE – Eastern Promises
BEST ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE
ALAN DOYLE – Young Triffie’s Been Made Away With – Young Triffie’s Been Made Away With
* VALANGA KHOZA, DAVID HIRSCHFELDER – Shake Hands With the Devil – Kaya
BYRON WONG, LUKE NICHOLSON – Poor Boy’s Game – Breathe
BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ANDRÉ-LINE BEAUPARLANT – Continental, a Film Without Guns
LINDSEY HERMER-BELL, JUSTIN S.B. CRAIG – Shake Hands With the Devil
* ROB GRAY, JAMES WILLCOCK – Fido
FRANÇOIS SÉGUIN – Silk
CAROL SPIER – Eastern Promises
BEST COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
DOLLY AHLUWALLIA – Partition
DENISE CRONENBERG – Eastern Promises
* CARLO POGGIOLI, KAZUKO KUROSAWA – Silk
MARY E. MCLEOD – Fido
JOYCE SCHURE – Shake Hands With the Devil
BEST OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D’ENSEMBLE
CLAUDE LA HAYE, OLIVIER CALVERT, HANS PETER STROBL, BERNARD GARIÉPY STROBL – Silk
ERIC FITZ, JO CARON, GAVIN FERNANDES, BENOÎT LEDUC – Shake Hands With the Devil
JOHN J. THOMSON, STEPHAN CARRIER, MARTIN LEE – Citizen Duane
JOHN HAZEN, MATT CHAN, BRAD DAWE – The Tracey Fragments
* STUART WILSON, CHRISTIAN COOKE, OREST SUSHKO, MARK ZSIFKOVITS – Eastern Promises
BEST SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
MARTIN PINSONNAULT, PIERRE-JULES AUDET, MICHELLE CLOUTIER, SIMON MEILLEUR, LOUIS MOLINAS – Nitro
* WAYNE GRIFFIN, ROBERT BERTOLA, TONY CURRIE, ANDY MALCOLM, MICHAEL O’FARRELL – Eastern Promises
MARIE-CLAUDE GAGNÉ, DIANE BOUCHER, GUY FRANCOEUR, CLAIRE POCHON, JEAN-PHILIPPE SAVARD – Roméo et Juliette
MARCEL POTHIER, GUY FRANCOEUR, ANTOINE MORIN, GUY PELLETIER, FRANÇOIS SENNEVILLE – Shake Hands With the Devil
STEVEN MUNRO, JOHN SIEVERT, DAVID DRAINIE TAYLOR – The Tracey Fragments
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE
* APRÈS TOUT – Alexis Fortier Gauthier, Élaine Hébert
FAIRE CHALUIM MHIC LEÒID / THE WAKE OF CALUM MACLEOD – Marc Almon, Nona MacDermid
REGARDING SARAH – Michelle Porter, Amy Belling
SCREENING – Anthony Green, Philip Svoboda
THE TRAGIC STORY OF NLING – Jeffrey St. Jules, Larissa Giroux
BEST ANIMATED SHORT / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D’ANIMATION
HERE AND THERE – Diane Obomsawin, Marc Bertrand
JEU – Georges Schwizgebel, Michèle Bélanger, Marcel Jean
* MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI – Maciek Szczerbowski, Chris Lavis, Marcy Page
CLAUDE JUTRA AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FILM: Away from Her
GOLDEN REEL AWARD FOR MOST SUCCESSFUL FILM: The 3 Little Pigs
SPECIAL AWARD: Harry Gulkin
SPECIAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP DESIGN: Stephan Dupuis, Eastern Promises
2008 Prix Jutra
2008 Jutra Award nominations: Feb. 6.
2008 Jutra Award winners: March 9.
Writer-director Stéphane Lafleur’s feature-film debut, the offbeat comedy Continental, a Film Without Guns, was the big winner at the 2008 Prix Jutra ceremony. Continental, which won Jutras for best film, best director, best screenplay, and best supporting actor (Real Bossé), follows four disparate individuals after one man disappears in the woods.
Directed by first-timer Patrick Huard and written by Claude Lalonde and Pierre Lamothe, Les 3 p’tits cochons / The Three Lil’ Pigs became last year’s biggest box office hit in Quebec. Inspired by the old fable, this comedy of sexual and social mores stars Paul Doucet, Claude Legault, and (the frequently semi-naked) Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge as three brothers who get together periodically by the bed of their comatose mother, while also finding themselves enmeshed in assorted sexual adventures online, at the office, and elsewhere. Unlike the fable, however, the film’s message, as per Sept7, is that “All guys are pigs (and many girls, too), but that’s ok.” In addition to its 13 Jutra nominations, The Three Lil’ Pigs garnered 4 Genie nods from the Canadian Academy (screenplay, editing, actor for Claude Legault, supporting actor for Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge). Addendum: Ultimately, The Three Lil’ Pigs failed to win a single competitive Jutra. Its only win was the Billet d’Or prize given to the most financially successful Quebecois film of the year.
Best Film / Meilleur film
* Continental, Un film sans fusil, Luc Dery, Kim McCraw
L’âge des ténèbres, Denise Robert, Daniel Louis
La brunante, Jean-Roch Marcotte, Normand McKay
Les 3 p’tits cochons, Pierre Gendron, Christian Larouche
Best Documentary / Meilleur documentaire
Americano, Carlos Ferrand (Les films du tricycle)
Au pays des colons, Denys Desjardins (Office national du film)
* Le Peuple invisible, Richard Desjardins, Robert Monderie (Office national du film)
Up the Yangtze, Yung Chang (Office national du film)
Best Direction / Meilleure Réalisation
Denys Arcand, L’âge des ténèbres
Fernand Dansereau, La brunante
Bernard Émond, Contre toute espérance
* Stéphane Lafleur, Continental, Un film sans fusil
Best Actress / Meilleure actrice
Sylvie Léonard, L’âge des ténèbres
Isabelle Richer, Les 3 p’tits cochons
* Guylaine Tremblay, Contre toute espérance
Karine Vanasse, Ma fille, mon ange
Best Actor / Meilleur acteur
* Roy Dupuis, Shake Hands with the Devil
Marc Labrèche, L’âge des ténèbres
Claude Legault, Les 3 p’tits cochons
Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Nitro
Best Supporting Actress / Meilleure actrice de soutien
Suzanne Clément, La brunante
* Laurence Leboeuf, Ma fille, mon ange
Véronique Le Flaguais, Surviving My Mother
Julie Perreault, Les 3 p’tits cochons
Best Supporting Actor / Meilleur acteur de soutien
Emmanuel Bilodeau, Bluff
* Real Bossé, Continental, Un film sans fusil
Paul Doucet, Les 3 p’tits cochons
Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Les 3 p’tits cochons
Best Screenplay / Meilleur scénario
Denys Arcand, L’âge des ténèbres
Bernard Émond, Contre toute espérance
* Stephane Lafleur, Continental, Un film sans fusil
Claude Lalonde, Pierre Lamothe, Les 3 p’tits cochons
Best Cinematography / Meilleure direction de la photographie
Bruce Chun, Nitro
Bernard Couture, Les 3 p’tits cochons
* Alain Dostie, Silk
Sara Mishara, Continental, Un film sans fusil
Best Editing / Meilleur montage
Michel Arcand, Louis Martin-Paradis, Shake Hands with the Devil
Louise Côté, Contre toute espérance
* Éric Drouin, Nitro
Sophie Leblond, Continental, Un film sans fusil
Best Score / Meilleure musique
Normand Corbeil, Ma fille, mon ange
Stéphane Dufour, Les 3 p’tits cochons
FM Le Sieur, Nitro
* Catherine Major, Le ring
Best Art Direction / Meilleure direction artistique
Gilles Aird, Les 3 p’tits cochons
André-Line Beauparlant, Continental, Un film sans fusil
David Pelletier, Le ring
* François Séguin, Silk
Best Costume Design / Meilleurs costumes
Brigitte Desroches, La brunante
Monic Ferland, Les 3 p’tits cochons
Ginette Magny, Surviving My Mother
* Carlo Poggioli, Kazuko Kurosawa, Silk
Best Sound / Meilleur son
Simon Poudrette, À vos marques… Party
Pierre Bertrand, Sylvain Bellemare, Bernard Gariépy-Strobl, Continental, Un film sans fusil
Patrick Rousseau, Marcel Pothier, Gavin Fernandes, Stéphane Bergeron, Ma fille, mon ange
* Claude La Haye, Claude Beaugrand, Hans-Peter Strobl, Bernard Gariepy Strobl, Silk
Best Make-Up / Meilleur maquillage
Kathryn Casault, Ma tante Aline
Johanne Gravel, Nitro
Marlène Rouleau, Les 3 p’tits cochons
* Diane Simard, L’âge des ténèbres
Best Hair Styling / Meilleure coiffure
* Réjean Forget, Ma tante Aline
Réjean Goderre, Ma fille, mon ange
Johanne Paiement, Les 3 p’tits cochons
Denis Parent, Nitro
Best Animation Film / Meilleur film d’animation
* Isabelle au bois dormant, Claude Cloutier (Office national du film)
Madame Tutli-Putli, Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski (Office national du film)
Révérence, Patrick Bouchard (Office national du film)
The Tourists, Malcom Sutherland (Malcom Sutherland)
Best Short/Medium Length Film / Meilleur court/moyen métrage
Can You Wave Bye Bye?, Sarah Galea-Davis (NúFilms)
The Colony, Jeff Barnaby (Eyesteelfilm)
Dust Bowl Ha! Ha!, Sébastien Pilote (Hahafilms)
* Notre prison est un royaume, Simon Galiero (F.W. Films)
Honorary Jutra / Prix Jutra Hommage: Cinematographer / director / editor Jean-Claude Labrecque
Billet d’or for the most popular film in Quebec: The Three Lil’ Pigs
Most Illustrious Film Outside Quebec: Bon cop, bad cop by Erik Canuel (Prod.: Park Ex Picture, Distribution: Alliance Vivafilm)
Best Exhibitor: Cinéma Galaxy, Victoriaville – Pascal Paquin, manager
Asian Film Awards
2008 Asian Film Award nominations: January 17.
2008 Asian Film Award winners: Grand Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, March 17.
Best Film
Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame (Iran)
I Just Didn’t Do It (Japan)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan / China / USA)
* Secret Sunshine (South Korea)
The Sun Also Rises (China / Hong Kong)
The Warlords (China / Hong Kong)
Best Director
Peter CHAN The Warlords (China / Hong Kong)
JIANG Wen The Sun Also Rises (China / Hong Kong)
Ang LEE Lust, Caution (Taiwan / China / USA)
* LEE Chang-Dong Secret Sunshine (South Korea)
SUO Masayuki I Just Didn’t Do It (Japan)
ZHANG Lu Desert Dream (South Korea / France)
Best Actor
Jack KAO God Man Dog (Taiwan)
KASE Ryo I Just Didn’t Do It (Japan)
* Tony LEUNG Lust, Caution (Taiwan / China / USA)
Jet LI The Warlords (China / Hong Kong)
Joe ODAGIRI Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (Japan)
SONG Kang-ho Secret Sunshine (South Korea)
Best Actress
Joan CHEN The Home Song Stories (Singapore / Australia)
* JEON Do-Yeon Secret Sunshine (South Korea)
KIKI Kirin Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (Japan)
KIM Yunjin Seven Days (South Korea)
Deepika PADUKONE Om Shanti Om (India)
TANG Wei Lust, Caution (Taiwan / China / USA)
Best Supporting Actor
CHUN Ho-jin Skeletons in the Closet (South Korea)
KOBAYASHI Kaoru Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (Japan)
Mario MAURER Love of Siam (Thailand)
* SUN Honglei Mongol (Mongolia / Kazakhstan / Germany / Russia)
TSUTSUMI Shin’ichi Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (Japan)
Best Supporting Actress
* Joan CHEN The Sun Also Rises (China / Hong Kong)
KONG Hyo-jin Happiness (South Korea)
KIM Hye-soo Skeletons in the Closet (South Korea)
Apinya SAKUJAROENSUK Ploy (Thailand)
YAKUSHIMARU Hiroko Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (Japan)
Best Screenwriter
* AU Kin Yee / WAI Ka-Fai The Mad Detective (Hong Kong)
IM Sang-soo The Old Garden (South Korea)
PENG Tao Little Moth (China)
James SCHAMUS / WANG Hui-Ling Lust, Caution (Taiwan / China / USA)
SUO Masayuki I Just Didn’t Do It (Japan)
Best Cinematographer
Hooman BEHMANESH Those Three (Iran)
Chankit CHAMNIVIKAIPONG Ploy (Thailand)
* LIAO Pen-jung Help Me Eros (Taiwan)
Shanker RAMAN Frozen (India)
Arthur WONG The Warlords (China / Hong Kong)
Best Editor
Charliebebs GOHETIA Slingshot (The Philippines)
HIRASAWA Shogo Maiko haaaan!!! (Japan)
LEE Eun-soo The Old Garden (South Korea)
Wenders LI The Warlords (China)
* David RICHARDSON Eye In the Sky (Hong Kong)
Best Composer
the August band / Flure / Witwisit HIRUNWONGKUL / Chukiate SAKVEERAKUL / Passakorn WIROONSUP Love of Siam (Thailand)
* Vishal DADLANI / Shekhar RAVJIANI / Pyarelal Ramprasad SHARMA Om Shanti Om (India)
Alexandre DESPLAT Lust, Caution (Taiwan / China / USA)
Xiao He Mid-Afternoon Barks (China)
SHIINA Ringo Sakuran (Japan)
Best Production Designer
* CAO Jiuping / ZHANG Jian Qun The Sun Also Rises (China / Hong Kong)
KIM Yu-Jeong / LEE Min-Bok Epitaph (Gidam) (South Korea)
IWAKI Namiko Sakuran (Japan)
Pisut PARIWATTANAKIT / Thanakorn PONGSUWAN Opaptika (Thailand)
TSAI Ming-liang Help Me Eros (Taiwan)
Best Visual Effects
HYUNG Rae Shim D-War (South Korea)
Thomas DUVAL The Sun Also Rises (China / Hong Kong)
* NG Yuen Fai The Warlords (China / Hong Kong)
SESHITA Hiroyuki Dainipponjin (Japan)
YAMAZAKI Takashi Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (Japan)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Yoji Yamada
The Edward Yang New Talent Award: Yuya Ishii
Jurors: Peggy Chiao, China, Golden Horse Film Festival / ARC Light Films; Peter Loehr, China / US, Creative Artists Agency China; Noah Cowan, Canada, Toronto International Film Festival Group; Marco Müeller, Italy, La Biennale di Venezia; Xie Fei, China, China Film Association; Ng See Yuen, Hong Kong, Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers; Roger Garcia, US, Red Fox Film Productions; Park Ki-yong, South Korea, KOFIC Korean Academy of Film Arts; Huang Jianxin, China, China Film Directors’ Guild; Tony Rayns, International, Film Critic / Programmer; Shozo Ichiyama, Japan, TOKYO FILMeX; Kong Rithdee, Thailand, Bangkok Post; Kenji Ishizaka, Japan, Tokyo International Film Festival; Meenakshi Shedde, India, Critic and curator; Christian Jeune, France, Festival De Cannes; Christoph Terhechte, Germany, Forum, Berlinale; Kim Ji Seok, Korea, Pusan International Fim Festival; Jacob Wong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Film Festival
SXSW Film Festival Awards
2008 SXSW Film Festival: Austin, March 7–15.
Produced, directed, written, and edited by Jake Mahaffy, SXSW 2008 jury winner Wellness follows a salesman (Jeff Clark) whose yearning for financial and professional success gets him all tangled up in a scheme to sell an “embargoed” health product called “Wellness.” Tragedy and comedy ensue.
JURY AWARDS
NARRATIVE FEATURE
Grand Jury Award – Wellness Director: Jake Mahaffy
Special Jury Award for Cinematography – Explicit Ills Cinematographer: Patrice Cochet Director: Mark
Webber
Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast – Up With Me Director: Greg Takoudes Cast: Francisco Vicioso, Erika Rivera, Brandon Thorpe, Justin Coltrain, Destiny Waters, Bernice Velos, Matt Timms, Anthony Portillo, Reya Sehgal, Kabeer Parwani
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Special Jury Award – Full Battle Rattle Directors: Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss
Grand Jury Award – They Killed Sister Dorothy Director: Daniel Junge
REEL SHORTS
Winner – (Tie) Warlord Director: David Garrett & Small Apartment Director: Andrew T. Betzer
Special Jury Award – The Second Line Director: John Magary.
ANIMATED SHORTS
Winner – Madame Tulti-Putli Director: Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski
Special Jury Award – I hate you don’t touch me or Bat and Hat Director: Becky James
EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
Winner – Safari Director: Catherine Chalmers
Special Jury Award – Upwards March Director: Kaveh Nabatian
SXSW WHOLPHIN AWARD
Winner – Glory at Sea Director: Benjamin Zeitlin
MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner – TV on the Radio “Me-I,” Directors: Mixtape Club & Daniel Garcia
Special Jury Award – (TIE) Group Sounds, “Temporarily in Love,” Director: Randy Scott Slavin & Cornelius, “Fit Song,” Directors: Keigo Oyamada & Koichiro Tsujikawa
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION
Special Jury Award – Inflections Director: Matthew Campbell
Winner – Picnic Director: Wesley Bronez
ON NETWORKS GREENLIGHT AWARD
Best Original Production – The Guild Director: Jane Selle Morgan
Best Original Series Idea – Knock Off Written: Brandi-Ann Milbradt
AUDIENCE AWARDS
NARRATIVE FEATURE
Winner – Explicit Ills Director: Mark Webber
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner – They Killed Sister Dorothy Director: Daniel Junge
EMERGING VISIONS
Winner – In a Dream Director: Jeremiah Zagar
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Winner – Throw Down Your Heart, Director: Sascha Paladino
LONE STAR STATES
Winner – Cook County, Director: David Pomes
Graphic artist Alex Swart, head of SwartAd, poses with the fresh-off-the-presses poster he designed commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Academy Awards. The 80th anniversary poster features a spiraling gold ribbon containing the one-sheets for all the Best Picture winners, forming the shape of the Oscar statuette.
Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / © A.M.P.A.S.