Grand Jury Prize

DOS ESTACIONES Directed by Juan Pablo González

Jury Statement: DOS ESTACIONES straddles two cinematic worlds as it blurs the line between documentary and narrative techniques to connect us to the struggles of a tequila distillery owner and others in her community. The main character of Maria, played with quiet intensity by Teresa Sánchez, also inhabits two worlds, blurring the line between her personal and professional life while navigating the natural, economic, and cultural pressures of running a local business with global competitors. Sánchez’s performance, reinforced by cinematography that shows what can’t—or shouldn’t—be said, combine to present the knife’s edge upon which her character, her industry, and her way of life, perch in precarious balance.

Special Jury Prize

A LOVE SONG Directed by Max Walker-Silverman

Jury Statement: The truth that small gestures and expressions can convey nearly volcanic emotion is on full display thanks to Dale Dickey and Wes Studi in A LOVE SONG. This intimate, humane portrait of an aging widow yearning for connection finds as much beauty in the landscape of a weathered face as it does in a mountain plain, and tenderly shows us that peace and acceptance must come from within before it can be shared with others. It makes the case that the rituals and anchors we use for stability can sometimes become shackles, and that unmooring ourselves might be the best way to move forward.

Audience Award

HOW TO ROB Directed by Peter Horgan

Grand Jury Prize

FIRE OF LOVE Directed by Sara Dosa

Jury Statement: FIRE OF LOVE at its heart is about two weirdos who miraculously found each other and shared the same passion: studying volcanos. The filmmakers beautifully integrate archival still photographs and film footage shot by Katia Krafft and Maurice Krafft, along with the latter’s frequent media appearances. But even more than the sheer savage beauty of eruptions, FIRE OF LOVE reveals why they turned to chasing the most dangerous volcanos and how two unlikely people saved thousands of lives while losing their own.

Special Jury Prize

THE PEZ OUTLAW Directed by Amy Bandlien Storkel & Bryan Storkel

Jury Statement: What can we say about THE PEZ OUTLAW? It is the perfect moniker for Steve Glew, a small town machinist turned black market toy tycoon! Glew recounts the hilarious and thrilling story of his adventures trafficking European Pez dispensers into the U.S.: hijinks ensue. And all culminates when he decides to take on Big Pez, and let the chips fall where they may. The documentary turns familiar genre conventions, like reenactments, upside down while showing Glew’s marriage to the ever-patient Kathy as the steady center of his Pez mania.

Karen Schmeer Excellence in Film Editing Award

A DECENT HOME Edited by Victoria Chalk

Jury Statement: Incredibly moving and relatable, A DECENT HOME tells the human stories of folks who live in mobile homes around America. Filmmaker Sara Terry expertly weaves the past, present, and possible future of mobile home ownership in the country, and does so while also depicting the various sides of the story. With a title borrowed from the 1949 Fair Housing Act, Terry invokes the promise of the American dream as she directly confronts landlords and others who prioritize development over mobile home owning community needs. Terry follows many owners from communities across the country and does an excellent job bringing the audience inside the houses that these families call home.

Audience Award

GIRL TALK Directed by Lucia Small

Grand Jury Prize

PLUM TOWN Directed by Kelly Yu

Special Jury Prize

SILT Directed by Emilie Upczak

Jury Statement: The two narrative award winning films, PLUM TOWN and SILT, prove the adage that the language of cinema is truly universal. Each film tells a compelling story that revolves around family and tradition. In PLUM TOWN, we were drawn by the tender relationship between the protagonist and his father and in SLIT, the expressionistic depiction of the native practices were evocative and poignant.

Audience Award

THE F-WORD Directed by Alex Cannon & Paul Cannon

Grand Jury Prize

SHUT UP AND PAINT Directed by Titus Kaphar & Alex Mallis

Special Jury Prize

PONY BOYS Directed by Eric Stange

Jury Statement: These two short documentary films represent the wide spectrum of the documentary form, films that challenge the mind and films that satisfy the heart.

With SHUT UP AND PAINT, we see the burning drive of the subject struggling to make sense of the alchemy of being a professional artist. With PONY BOYS, we see a time capsule, lovingly telling a small story with a big heart.

In the case of both films, the jury found a high level of artistic integrity, technical excellence, and a specific point of view. These two films are representative of all that is great with the medium.

Audience Award

WECKUWAPOK (THE APPROACHING DAWN) Directed by Ben Severance, Jacob Bearchum, Taylor Hensel, Adam Mazo, Chris Newell, Roger Paul, Kavita Pillay, Tracy Rector & Lauren Stevens