2011 SLIFF AWARDS

New Filmmakers Forum Award

“96 Minutes” directed by Aimee Lagos
$500 cash prize

St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards

Best Documentary Feature
“Eco-Pirate” by Trish Dolman
Best Narrative Feature
“The Fairy” by Domenique Abel, Fiona Gordon,
and Bruno Romy

Interfaith Awards

Best Documentary Feature
“The Welcome” by Kim Shelton
Best Narrative Feature
“The White Meadows” by Mohammed Rasoulof

Midrash Awards

Best Documentary Feature
“The Pruitt Igoe Myth” by Chad Friedrichs
$300 cash prize
Best Narrative Feature
“Joint Body” by Brian Jun
$500 cash prize

Short Film Awards

Best Documentary Short
“Wyckoff Place” by Lauri Faggioni
Best Local Short
“My Best Wand” by Forrest Hughes & Mike Rohlfing
Best “Short” Short
“My Best Wand” by Forrest Hughes & Mike Rohlfing
Best International Short
“Yuri Lennon’s Landing on Alpha 46” by Anthony Vouardoux
Best Animated Short
“Paths of Hate” by Damian Nenow
Best Live Action
“Animal Love” by Mollie Jones
Best of Fest
“Baby” by Daniel Mulloy

Best of Fest Audience Choice Awards

Best Documentary Feature
“Carol Channing: Larger Than Life”
by Dori Berinstein
Best Foreign Narrative Feature
“The Artist” by Michael Hazanavicius
Best Narrative Feature
“In Darkness” by Agnieszka Holland

MAJOR FILMMAKER AWARDS

Contemporary Cinema Award

Jay and Mark Duplass: After a series of micro-budget Sundance shorts in 2003 and 2004, writer/directors Jay and Mark Duplass premiered their first feature, “The Puffy Chair,” at Sundance in 2005. The film was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, won the Emerging Vision Award at the SXSW Film Festival, and was jointly distributed by Roadside Attractions and Netflix. The brothers’ second effort, “Baghead,” played at the 2008 Sundance and Tribeca film festivals, and was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics in July of the same year. In 2010, Fox Searchlight released the Duplass Brothers’ critically acclaimed “Cyrus,” starring John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei. Their next film, “The Do-Deca Pentathlon,” was recently acquired by a major studio and is set to be released in 2012. In development right now is “Pitchfork,” starring Susan Sarandon and Jonah Hill. In addition to the brothers’ writing scripts for several studios, Jay also works as a documentary filmmaker and Mark as an actor (FX’s “The League,” “Humpday,” Noah Baumbach's “Greenberg,” and Lynn Shelton'’s latest, “Your Sister's Sister”). The brothers have two works featured at SLIFF: Jay’s documentary debut, “Kevin,” about singer/songwriter Kevin Gant (who will perform after the film); and the Paramount comedy “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” which stars Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon, and Ed Helms. Mark’s acting commitments prevent him from attending the fest, but Jay will accompany both films and also conduct a filmmaking workshop. Previous winners of the Contemporary Cinema Award, which honors filmmakers in mid-career doing challenging, innovative work, include Terry Zwigoff, Alex Gibney, and Jason Reitman.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Bill Plympton: An influential icon in the world of animation and film – known for both his twisted humor and astonishing productivity – Bill Plympton has been creating his unique movies for more than 25 years. Before becoming an animator, Plympton had an equally successful career from the late 1960s through the early ’80s as an illustrator and cartoonist. He designed the magazines Cineaste, Filmmakers Newsletter, and Film Society Review, and his illustrations and cartoons appeared in such diverse publications as the New York Times, Vogue, Village Voice, Screw, Vanity Fair, Penthouse, Rolling Stone, National Lampoon, and Glamour. He also drew a political cartoon strip, “Plympton,” that was syndicated in more than 20 papers by Universal Press Syndicate. In 1983, he animated his first film, “Boomtown,” and since then he’s created dozens of shorts and features. Twice nominated for an Academy Award® – for his shorts “Your Face” and “Guard Dog” – Plympton has also single-handedly animated such full-length cartoons as “The Tune,” “Hair High,” “I Married a Strange Person,” “Mutant Aliens,” and the recent “Idiots and Angels.” He’s even managed to squeeze in a pair of live-action features, “J. Lyle” and “Guns on the Clackamas.” SLIFF will pay tribute to Plympton in two programs: “An Evening With Bill Plympton,” which features the filmmaker introducing and discussing a generous sampling of his work (including new cartoons), and the documentary “Adventures in Plymptoons!” The indefatigable Plympton also gives a master class. Directors who have previously been honored with a SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award include Paul Schrader, John Sayles, and Rob Nilsson.

Maysles Brothers Lifetime Achievement Award in Documentary

Steve James: Steve James is perhaps best known as the director, producer, and co-editor of “Hoop Dreams,” which won not only every major critics’ award but also the Peabody, Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and Directors Guild of America Award. “Hoop Dreams” was selected for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, signifying the film’s enduring importance to American film history, and it’s been hailed by critic Roger Ebert as “the great American documentary.” James’ next documentary, “Stevie,” won awards at several major festivals and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. James served an executive producer, story director, and co-editor of the PBS series “The New Americans,” and in 2005 he completed the documentary “Reel Paradise,” his fourth film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2008, he co-produced and co-directed with Peter Gilbert the acclaimed “At the Death House Door”; it was James’ fourth film to be officially short-listed for the Academy Award. James’ “No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson” aired as part of ESPN Films’ 2010 International Documentary Association award-winning series “30 for 30.” Most recently, James directed one of 2011’s most widely hailed documentaries, “The Interrupters.” James has also directed several narrative works, including the theatrical feature “Prefontaine,” which premiered at Sundance, and the cable movies “Passing Glory” and “Joe and Max.” SLIFF will feature James at two programs: a screening of “The Interrupters” at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Ill., and a free tribute program at Washington U. that includes “Stevie” and a career interview conducted by documentarian AJ Schnack. Filmmakers who have previously been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Documentary include Albert Maysles, Ken Burns, Les Blank, and Michael Apted.

Women in Film Award

Pamela Yates: Documentarian Pamela Yates is a co-founder (with Peter Kinoy) of Skylight Pictures, a company dedicated to creating films and digital-media tools that advance awareness of human rights and the quest for justice by implementing multiyear outreach campaigns designed to engage, educate, and activate social change. Four of Yates’ films – “When the Mountains Tremble,” “Poverty Outlaw,” “Takeover,” and “The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court” – were nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, with “When the Mountains Tremble” winning the Special Jury Award in 1984. Her film “State of Fear: The Truth about Terrorism” has been translated into 47 languages and broadcast in 154 countries. The ambitious “The Reckoning” – filmed across four continents in six languages over four years – serves as an important record of the first six tumultuous years of the International Criminal Court. Yates was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in support of her most recent film, “Granito,” and she developed a related trans-media project, “Granito: Every Memory Matters,” that uses mobile applications to restore the collective memory of the Guatemalan genocide. SLIFF will screen “Granito” and honor Yates as part of our free Human Rights Sidebar at Washington U. Previous Women in Film Award winners include Yvonne Welbon, Barbara Hammer, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Marsha Hunt, and Ry Russo-Young.

Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award

SLIFF Founders: SLIFF presents its annual Cinema St. Louis Award to a group of remarkable women who helped establish the festival’s reputation during its first decade and who continue to contribute significantly to the organization today:

Diane Carson, a member of the consortium of organizations that created SLIFF, serves on multiple Cinema St. Louis juries every year.

Delcia Corlew, once the fest’s managing director, serves as the current board secretary and member of the Interfaith committee.

Kathy Corley, the longest continuously serving member of the current Cinema St. Louis board, regularly participates in the fest as a filmmaker and jury member.

Janet Herrmann, former board member, curated SLIFF’s shorts in the past and now serves as a juror for the Interfaith competition.

Carrie Houk spearheaded our Oscar® event for many years and remains an active member of the CSL board.

Pat Scallet, former board member, helped program the fest in past years and now serves as an Interfaith juror.

Roberta Lautenschlager served on the board for more than a decade and continues to play essential roles in the New Filmmakers Forum and CinemaSpoke competition.

Barbara Smythe-Jones served as the fest’s first managing director and remains a trusted advisor.

Mary Strauss, past board president, programmed several major components of SLIFF and serves as the annual sponsor of our Documentary Sidebar.

Without the contributions of these extraordinary women, the festival would not have survived to celebrate its 20th anniversary. SLIFF will honor them for their sustained commitment and service at our Closing-Night Awards Party. Previous winners of the Cinema St. Louis Award – which honors St. Louisans making significant contributions to the art of film – include Bob Gale, George Hickenlooper, Ken Kwapis, Cedric the Entertainer, James Gunn, Jenna Fischer, the Charles Guggenheim family, Jeremy Lasky, and Michael Beugg.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Audience voting determines the winner of three awards from among the films in competition:

Best Film Award
Best International Film Award
Leon Award for Best Documentary (named in memory of the late civic leader Leon Strauss)

JURIED COMPETITION AWARDS

Interfaith Documentary and Feature Awards

A jury gives Interfaith Awards to both a documentary and a feature, choosing from among 10 competition films (five in each category), which were selected for their artistic merit; contribution to the understanding of the human condition; and recognition of ethical, social, and spiritual values.

The 2011 Interfaith Sidebar selection committee was David Gast (chair), retired board chairman of the Carl F. Gast Co.; Delcia Corlew, member of the Cinema St. Louis board; Janet Herrmann, former Cinema St. Louis board member; Paul Marsh, retired architect; Pier Marton, former lecturer in Washington University’s Film and Media Studies program; Emre Sarbak, fourth-year student majoring in International and Area Studies at Washington University; Pat Scallet, filmmaker and editor; Tom Stockdale, retired minister; Adrienne Wartts, film-appreciation instructor; Betty White, retired professor of English; and Frank Xu, sophomore studying film and psychology at Washington University.

The documentary jury is Kanak Gautam, associate professor of healthcare management at St. Louis University; Janet Herrmann; and Pat Scallet. The feature jury is Sandra Olmsted, adjunct faculty member in English at St. Louis University, Fontbonne University, and Southwestern Illinois College; Joya Uraizee, associate professor of English at St. Louis University; and Betty White, retired professor of English.

Midrash St. Louis Film Award

“Midrash” is a Hebrew word that roughly means “commentary,” and the goal of Midrash St. Louis (www.midrashstl.com) is commentary on culture. The organization engages various aspects of our culture – music, theater, arts, film – and seeks to give and receive commentary on the subjects and issues that matter to people in St. Louis and that form and shape our views and lives. The Midrash St. Louis Film Award seeks to celebrate St. Louis-related films of honesty and artistry that portray the need or the hope for reconciliation or redemption. Eligible work includes features and shorts directed by St. Louis-area natives or those with strong local ties and films largely shot in St. Louis. The award comes with a cash prize of $600.

The award jury is Michael Leary, co-founder of Filmwell.org and adjunct professor at Fontbonne University and Missouri Baptist University; Brea McAnally, professional photographer and co-director of the Luminary Center for the Arts; Bob Oesch, attorney at law, leader of Midrash St. Louis and host of film and cultural events; and Michele Oesch, film afficionado and nonprofit fundraiser.

NFF Emerging Director Award

The New Filmmakers Forum (NFF) – co-curated by Bobbie Lautenschlager – annually presents the Emerging Director Award. Five works by first-time feature filmmakers compete for the prize, which includes a $500 cash award.

This year’s NFF jury is Mark Stolaroff (chair), independent producer, co-founder of Antic Pictures, and former principal at Next Wave Films; Bill Appleton, assistant director for public programs and education at the Saint Louis Art Museum; Harper Barnes, author of “Never Been a Time: The 1917 Race Riot That Sparked the Civil Rights Movement” and freelance film critic for the St. Louis Beacon; Diane Carson, professor emeritus of film at St. Louis Community College at Meramec; and Joe Williams, film critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Shorts Awards

Two juries choose the winners of seven awards from among the shorts in competition:

Best of Fest
Best Animated Short
Best Documentary Short
Best International Short
Best Live Action Short
Best Local Short
Best Short Short (less than 5 minutes)

The SLIFF shorts competition is officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, making the winners in the Best of Fest, Best Animated, and Best Live Action categories eligible to submit for Oscar® consideration.

The narrative-shorts jury is Adam Hackbarth, producer, screenwriter, and recent contributor to Nicktoons’ “Voltron Force!”; Brent Hoff, filmmaker for and editor of McSweeney’s “Wholphin” DVD journal and former writer for “The Daily Show”; Matt Kindt, award-winning writer and artist of the graphic novels “Revolver,” “3 Story,” “Super Spy,” “2 Sisters,” and “Pistolwhip”; Roberta Monroe, filmmaker, former shorts curator for the Sundance Film Festival, and author of “How NOT to Make a Short Film: Secrets From a Sundance Programmer”; Ben Scholle, documentarian and assistant professor of communication at Lindenwood University; and Rob Tygett, audiovisual supervisor at the St. Louis Public Library. The documentary-shorts jury is James Harrison, coordinator of the Webster University Film Series; Frank Popper, director of “Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?”; and Doug Whyte, executive director of the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Ore.

St. Louis Film Critics Under-the-Radar and Festival Awards

A jury from the St. Louis Film Critics selects the annual Under-the-Radar Award winners, honoring acclaimed international and documentary films that deserve more audience attention. The organization also gives a St. Louis Film Critics Festival Award to the film its members judge the best of the fest. For the Under-the-Radar Award, SLIFF initially identified 15 eligible films in each category, and a selection committee of the St. Louis Film Critics narrowed the choices to five narratives and five documentaries. A jury of the critics will choose the winners from the following films:
Narratives: The Athlete, Belvedere, The Fairy, Gainsbourg, The White Meadows
Documentaries: Carol Channing, Eco-Pirate, Granito, Hell and Back Again, The Man Nobody Knew

The documentary nominating committee was Dawn Dixon, KTRS-AM’s “Frank O. Pinion Show”; Cate Marquis, St. Louis Jewish Light and MarqueeByMarquis.com; Rob Levy, KDHX-FM and NeedCoffee.com; and James Thomas, KPLR-TV’s “FirstLook.” The narrative nominating committee was Karl Sides, TheFlickFanatic.com; Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat; Blake Fehl, ReviewStL.com; Diane Carson, KDHX-FM; Jess Horsley, MovieManiacs.net; and Pete Timmerman, PLAYBACK:stl.

The narrative jury is Mark Glass, KDHX-FM and Blacktie-StLouis.com; Rob Levy; Cate Marquis; Sandy Olmsted, CinematicSkinny.com; and James Thomas. The documentary jury is Joe Pollack, StLouisEats.com; Pete Timmerman; and Lynn Venhaus.