The 44th Humboldt Film Festival would like to thank all of this years participants, and acknowledge the winners in the following categories.
Best of the Fest, and Best Animated Film
Swing
Directed by: Yen-Ting Kuo, SWING is about how living people influence the perspectives of people on the brink of death. If there was choice for unconscious patients to live or die, how would their surroundings influence that impossible choice?
Best Documentary Film
Bye Bye Now!
Directed by: Aideen O’Sullivan. An amusing, poignant documentary about the fate of the Irish phone booth, which has gone from the centre of society to the verge of extinction.
Best Narrative Film
Fading Away (Zwischen Licht Und Schatten)
Directed by: Fabian Giessler. Martha und Herbert are an old married couple. Recently Martha has been behaving strangely. Herbert is desperate. Is she just forgetful or is it more than that…?
Best Experimental Film
I Give You Life
Directed by Latham Zearfoss. Mutated voices and deleted words try to find their way back home while a father tries to find solace and justice in the wake of his son’s brutal, highly publicized murder in this penetrating censorial journey through cinematic mediation, collective memory and mourning.
People’s Choice Award
Lest We Forget
Directed by: Chris Godfrey. Two mates –Vietnam Veterans – have settled into a good life in a small country town. They become aware of a dark undercurrent of domestic abuse and take decisive, if surprising, action.
Ledo Matteoli Award for best immigration story
The Stitches Speak
Directed by: Nina Sabnani. Tanko Bole Chhe (The Stitches Speak) is an animated documentary which celebrates the art and passion of the Kutch artisans associated with Kala Raksha. The film traces multiple journeys made by the participants towards defining their identities and towards forming the Kala Raksha Trust and the School for Design.
Jim Demulling Speak Out Award
The Work of 1000
Directed by: Susan Edwards. An unlikely activist, Marion Stoddart took on big business, politicians, and public skepticism to save one of America’s most polluted rivers, transforming herself into an environmental leader and citizen hero honored by the United Nations.
Most Revolutionary Film
Bye Bye Now!
Directed by: Aideen O’Sullivan. An amusing, poignant documentary about the fate of the Irish phone booth, which has gone from the center of society to the verge of extinction.
Eagle Eye Award (Best Cinematography)
Last Seen on Dolores Street
Directed by: Devi Snively. In a hard-boiled town, a heartbroken woman must say goodbye to an old pet and hello to a new nightmare. Sometimes life’s a real bitch.
Honorable Mention
Stan Vs. Squirrel
Directed by: Lilly Ann Boruszkowski. 2010 What is a man to do when he wants to feed the birds but the squirrels keep stealing their food? Watch as Stan engineers a variety of devices to foil his furry opponents. Who will prevail in the battle of man versus squirrel?