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MSPIFF 2016 ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF JURIED COMPETITIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Jennifer Weismann
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MSPIFF 2016 ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF JURIED COMPETITIONS

As film festival draws to a close, Best of Fest screenings offer last chance to see new works

MINNEAPOLIS — APRIL 22, 2016 — Every year, MSPIFF recognizes participating filmmakers whose work stands out as extraordinary with prizes in its juried competitions. With judging completed, it’s now time to honor those artists who have made a special impression. Film lovers who missed these works during previous screenings will have one last chance to see what the excitement is about by checking out a “Best of Fest” screening.

Two final winners have yet to be announced—the Youth Jury winner will be announced Saturday evening, and the Audience Choice Awards winner’s name will be released Sunday night.

As another MSPIFF draws to a close, there are some films we can’t to say “goodbye” to— so be on the lookout for 2016 MSPIFF favorites returning to the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul’s St. Anthony Main Theatre for week-long theatrical runs, including:

Other MSPIFF films will return at dates yet to be announced including: ABOVE AND BELOW, WHAT WE BECOME, THE SEVENTH FIRE and A STRAY.

Finally, here are the award winners for MSPIFF 2016’s juried competitions:

Emerging Filmmaker Competition Winner:
A SIMPLE GOODBYE, Director Degena Yun, China
Best of Fest screening: Sun, Apr 24 at 5:15pm

Jurors:
PoChu AuYeung — Program Manager & Senior Programmer, Vancouver International Film Festival
Charles Coleman — Film Program Director, Facets Cinémathèque
Hebe Tabachnik — World Cinema Programmer, Seattle (SIFF) and Palm Springs (PSFF) International Film Festivals, Board member Dance Camera West (DCW)

Jury Statement: This award is intended to support an emerging filmmaker that the Award Jury expects will make a significant contribution to the art of film in the course of his/her filmmaking career. We have selected the film A SIMPLE GOODBYE, directed by Degena Yun, who also wrote the screenplay as well as acted in this extraordinary family drama. Her attention to detail about an aging father suffering from pain and terminally ill, facing the dire prospect of loneliness and mortality, is both heart-warming and heart-breaking. The remarkable subtlety by which we bear witness to the everyday family crises which are invariably engendered by generational conflict allows the audience to see the value of communication between members of a multigenerational family.

Emerging Filmmaker Competition Special Jury Mention:
RADIATOR, Director Tom Browne, United Kingdom
Best of Fest screening: Wed, Apr 27 9:20pm

Jury Statement: For Special Jury Mention, we chose the film RADIATOR, a chamber piece which in its stark review of repressed family dynamics, is characterized by its emphasis on emotions rather than actions, while taking place in a confined yet intimate setting. It has been described as a “compelling melodrama that floats between Michael Haneke’s ‘Amour’ and the plays of Samuel Beckett.” The jury can only concur with this assessment.

Documentary Feature Competition Winner:
VOICES FROM CHERNOBYL, Director Pol Cruchten, Luxembourg, Austria
Best of Fest screening: Sun, Apr 24 7:20pm

Jurors:
Viviana García Besné — Filmmaker & Founder Permanencia Voluntaria Film Archive
Gustav Hofer — Film Director, Screenwriter, Journalist and TV Host
Ken Jacobson — Director of Educational Programs and Strategic Partnerships at the International Documentary Association

Jury Statement: VOICES FROM CHERNOBYL is a deeply moving poetic journey which explores the relationship between tragedy and enduring love through the stories of those whose lives were profoundly changed by the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The film’s exceptional visual power and innovative experimental approach widens the creative freedom and potential of documentary filmmaking.

Documentary Feature Competition Special Jury Mention:
WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE, Directors Heidi Brandenburg, Mathew Orzel, Peru
Best of Fest screening: Tue, Apr 26 4:50pm

Jury Statement: For its unique access and for masterfully weaving together multiple threads that give the audience a unique perspective on an urgent and compelling story, WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE receives a Special Jury Mention.

MN Made Feature Documentary Competition Winner:
THE LEGEND OF SWEE’ PEA, Director Benjamin May, USA
Best of Fest screening: Wed, Apr 27 7:00pm

Jurors:
D.A. Bullock — Director, Producer
Jesse Roesler — Director, Credo Nonfiction
Dan Rybicky — Director, Associate Professor in Cinema Art + Science at Columbia College Chicago

MN Made Feature Documentary Competition Special Jury Mention:
ROBERT BLY: A THOUSAND YEARS OF JOY, Director Haydn Reiss, USA
Best of Fest screening: Mon, Apr 25 7:10pm

MN Made Feature Narrative Competition Winner:
A STRAY, Director Musa Syeed, USA

Jurors:
Nicole Brending — Director, Screenwriter
Christina Ham — Screenwriter
Rob Nilsson — Director

MN Made Feature Narrative Competition Special Jury Mention:
SABINA K, Director Cristóbal Krusen, USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Documentary Shorts Competition Winner:
ONCE UPON A KINGDOM, Directors Terence Chotard, Raphael J. Dostie, Canada
Best of Fest screening: Wed, Apr 27 9:15pm

Jurors:
Simon Edery — Producer, Edery Film, Inc
Selina Lewis Davidson — Producer
Kim Rogers — Producer

Jury Statement: For it’s cinematic sophistication and captivating, harmonious emotional and visual expression depicting the move of a century old building along the edge of the St. Lawrence river in Quebec, where 82 Catholic nuns have dedicated their spiritual existence, the Best Short Documentary for the MSPIFF 2016 goes to ONCE UPON A KINGDOM, by Terence Chotard and Raphael J. Dostie; (Canada).

Documentary Shorts Competition Special Jury Mention:
MOTHERS FOR JUSTICE, Director Erik Ljung, USA
Best of Fest screening: Wed, Apr 27 9:15pm

Narrative Shorts Competition Winner:
STARMAN, Director Josema Roig, USA
Best of Fest screening: Wed, Apr 27 9:15pm

Jurors:
Paul Aaron — Producer, Suntaur Entertainment
Alan Blomquist — Producer
Eric D. Howell — Director

Jury Statement: STARMAN by Josema Roig is a film take takes advantage of every-single-frame and delivers gripping performances in tandem with a nail-bighting story. It’s a film that achieves both technically and creatively, and offers a fulfilled catharsis while leaving one wanting more. A fantastic accomplishment.

Narrative Shorts Competition Special Jury Mentions:
MADAM BLACK, Director Ivan Barge, New Zealand
YOUTH, Director Brett Marty, USA
Best of Fest screening: Wed, Apr 27 9:15pm

Jury Statement: Our Special Jury Mentions MADAM BLACK and YOUTH are impeccable films that deserve high praise, and another viewing. Both are stories about the absurdity and beauty of love told in completely different voices. Both filmmakers clearly excel at their craft and have distinguished themselves with this work.

MSPIFF is supported by Legacy Amendment Funding through the Minnesota State Arts Board, Cedarwoods Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, The Star Tribune, US Bank Wealth Management, numerous international Consulates and generous members of the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, among many others. For details, visit mspfilm.org/festivals/mspiff.