“Room,” “Brooklyn” and “Too Late” Win Top Awards at 2015 Twin Cities Film Fest
ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA — Concluding a star-studded showcase that featured more than 100 films over 11 nights, the largest-ever Twin Cities Film Fest unveiled its 2015 award winners Saturday night at a ceremony held in downtown St. Louis Park.
Top awards went to the critically-acclaimed mother-son drama “Room,” which just last month earned standing ovations at the Toronto International Film Festival, “Brooklyn,” the sweeping, much buzzed-about period immigrant drama starring Saoirse Ronan, and “Too Late,” the daring independent noir thriller starring Minnesota native John Hawkes who appeared in person to receive the festival’s Northstar Award.
“You look at daring stories like ‘Room’ and these are the kinds of journeys and characters that stick with you for a lifetime,” said Twin Cities Film Fest Executive Director Jatin Setia. “Leaps of faith like that are why film festivals are so essential – the chance to discover great films before the rest of the world sees them, the chance to champion independent projects that deserve extra attention and the chance to talk about the art and the craft with the very artists who are making the next great movie.”
Awards were handed out in nine categories Saturday night. Each category also officially recognized three standout honorable mentions. “Room,” directed by Lenny Abrahamson, took home the trophy for best feature film; “Thank You For Playing,” the festival’s official closing night documentary directed by David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, won best documentary; and “Skunk,” a short film by Annie Silverstein, won the 2015 award for best short.
Minnesota audiences who attended the festival were invited to cast ballots for the 2015 audience award. John Crowley’s “Brooklyn” took home the feature film trophy (honorable mentions included : “The Dust Storm,” directed by Ryan Lacen & Anthony Baldino; “The Polar Bear Club,” directed by Brett Wayne Price; and “Shut In,” directed by Adam Schindler). Sarah Smith’s “D.Asian” took the top audience prize for short films (honorable mentions included Adam Burke’s “Boardroom,” Matthew G. Anderson’s “The Caper” and Bruce Southerland’s “The Last Vanish”)
“This year’s ballots were noteworthy, because they recognized projects both big and small, and celebrated such a wide and eclectic range of tones and topics,” said Steve Snyder, the festival’s artistic director. “I think the diversity of the voting this year reflected the wider diversity of the Twin Cities filmgoing —and filmmaking — communities. And maybe in that regard it shouldn’t be surprising at all. Year in and year out, we hear from filmmakers and studios alike that it’s the sophistication of Minnesota movie audiences that make them want to debut and premiere here. We know good movies when we see them, we know how to celebrate art that deserves recognition, and I think filmmakers across the country know that.”
As always, the festival culminated with two “Indie Vision” awards, recognizing standout independent productions released over the last year that broke new creative ground. The 2015 Indie Vision Breakthrough Film Award went to the Dennis Hauck thriller “Too Late,” in recognition of its immersive storytelling techniques. (The film was composed of five unbroken and carefully choreographed 20-minute “acts”) The 2015 Indie Vision Breakthrough Performance Award went to Rosa Salazar, actress in the notable Charles Hood romance “Night Owls,” in recognition of a raw, brilliant and pitch-perfect character arc and a performance that required hitting notes across the emotional spectrum.
Here’s the full slate of 2015 award winners, as well as honorable mentions:
Best Feature Film
Winner: “Room,” directed by Lenny Abrahamson.
Honorable Mentions: “It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong,” directed by Emily Ting; “Brooklyn,” directed by John Crowley; and “The Quiet Hour,” directed by Stephanie Joalland.
Best Documentary
Winner: “Thank You For Playing,” directed by David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall.
Honorable Mentions: “Man Vs. Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler, directed by Tim Kinzy and Andrew Seklir; “A New High,” directed by Samuel Miron and Stephen Scott Scarpulla; and “Out in the Cold,” directed by J.D. O’Brien.
Best Short Film
Winner: “Skunk,” directed by Annie Silverstein.
Honorable Mentions: “D.Asian,” directed by Sarah Smith; “Even the Walls,” directed by Sarah Kuck and Saman Maydani; and “Myrna the Monster,” directed by Ian Samuels.
Audience Award, Feature Film
Winner: “Brooklyn,” directed by John Crowley.
Honorable Mentions: “Dust Storm,” directed by Ryan Lacen & Anthony Baldino; “The Polar Bear Club,” directed by Brett Wayne Price; “Shut In,” directed by Adam Schindler.
Audience Award, Short Film
Winner: “D.Asian,” directed by Sarah Smith.
Honorable Mentions: “Boardroom,” directed by Adam Burke; “The Caper,” directed by Matthew G. Anderson; and “The Last Vanish,” directed by Bruce Southerland
Indie Vision, Breakthrough Film
Winner: “Too Late,” directed by Dennis Hauck.
Honorable Mentions: “Anomalisa,” directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman; “Thugs: The Musical,” directed by Greg Bro; and “Out in the Cold,” directed by J.D. O’Brien
Indie Vision, Breakthrough Performance
Winner: Rosa Salazar, “Night Owls.”
Honorable Mentions: Brie Larson, “Room;” Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn;” Nathan Tymoshuk, “Snail Mail” and “The Writer.”
2015 Changemaker Award: Dr. Heather Huseby, executive director of YouthLink.
2015 Northstar Award for Excellence: John Hawkes.
