Conclave, Magpie, For The Living, and Nickel Boys lead this year’s class of
honorees; 15 th annual visual arts celebration continues to screen and stream through Saturday
St. Louis Park, Minn. (October 25, 2024) – The Twin Cities Film Fest, presented by Stearns Bank, unveiled
more than 20 finalists for its top awards today, many of which are still set to stream during the event’s final
weekend. Among the contenders for the 2024 Best Feature Film Award are the acclaimed new Edward Berger
drama Conclave; Sam Yates’ feature debut, produced by and starring actress Daisy Ridley, Magpie; Steve
McQueens’ WWII drama Blitz starring Saoirse Ronan; A Real Pain directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring
Kieran Culkin; Ash Avildsen directed Queen of the Ring; and Nickel Boys based on the Pulitzer Prize winning
novel by Colson Whitehead, chronicling the powerful friendship between two young African American men
navigating the harrowing trials of a reform school together in 1960s Florida, directed by RaMell Ross.
TCFF honored actress Daisy Ridley and writer Tom Bateman from the film Magpie with the festival’s Indie
Vision Awards in Acting and Screenwriting, respectively, at a sold-out screening on Oct 21.
Another notable honoree this year included actor Josh Duhamel who received the 2024 Twin Cities Film Fest
NorthStar Award last night preceded by an in-person conversation about Duhamel’s career moderated by Jason
Matheson.
Actor Bill Murray is again serving as a special guest judge for this year’s Comedy Shorts Award. Murray will
be choosing his favorite comedic short from the three finalists listed below.
Focus Features’ thriller, “Conclave,” starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow and directed
by Edward Berger, opens the festival on Thursday, Oct. 17, telling the story of Cardinal Lawrence who is
tasked with selecting a new pope only to discover that he is at the center of a secretive conspiracy that
threatens to shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.
See the complete list of 2024 awards finalists below. For more information on the films and to purchase tickets
for the final streams and screenings, visit TwinCitiesFilmFest.org.
2024 TCFF FINALISTS
Best Feature Film Award: Conclave directed by Edward Berger; Blitz directed by Steve McQueen; Nickel
Boys directed by RaMell Ross; A Real Pain directed by Jesse Eisenberg; Magpie directed by Sam Yates; and
Queen of the Ring directed by Ash Avildsen.
The Robert Byrd Best Documentary Film Award: Basketball State – The Land of 10,000 Hoops directed by
Gabe Hostetler; All We Carry directed by Cady Voge; Luther: Never Too Much directed by Dawn Porter; Camp
Ricstar directed by Sam McConnell; For The Living directed by Marc Bennett and Tim Roper; and Scars
Unseen directed by Meredith Yinger.
The Bill Cooper Best Minnesota Feature Award: Fishing Hat Bandit directed by Mark R Brown; Antarctic
Voyage directed by Kevin Schreck; and Boundary Water, directed by Tessa Blake.
Best Short Film Award: Ante Mortem, directed by Jordan Lynn; The Bend directed by Sarah McCarron;
Bolour, directed by Helia Behrooz; Mermaid, Bitch, directed by Victoria Negri; and Tiny Horse directed by
Will Amato and George N Koulouris.
Fun Is Good Bill Murray Comedy Shorts Award: Room Tone directed by Michael Gabriele; Physical
Therapy directed by Cristi Rumpza; and Mermaid, Bitch directed by Victoria Negri.
2024 Indie Vision – Breakthrough Performance: Daisy Ridley, Magpie
2024 Indie Vision – Breakthrough Achievement, Screenwriting: Tom Bateman, Magpie
2024 NorthStar Award: Josh Duhamel
2024 Audience Best Feature and Documentary & Short Award: To Be Announced at the Closing Night
Ceremony on Saturday.
ABOUT TWIN CITIES FILM FEST
Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF) is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization founded by Executive
Director, Jatin Setia. We change perspectives, transform lives, and strengthen our communities by supporting and
spurring on the art of filmmaking. TCFF’s vision is to cultivate immersive experiences that amplify communities of
creation, celebration, and change. To learn more about TCFF, events, film submissions or to donate, visit
twincitiesfilmfest.org.
ABOUT STEARNS BANK
Minnesota-based Stearns Bank National Association is a $3.1 billion, independently-owned financial institution with
locations in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, and over 35,000 small business customers nationwide. Stearns Bank
specializes in nationwide commercial construction lending, USDA and SBA lending, and small business and
equipment financing.
ABOUT MARCUS THEATRES®
Marcus Theatres®, is the fourth largest theatre circuit in the U.S. and currently owns or operates 995 screens at 79
locations in 17 states under the Marcus Theatres, Movie Tavern® by Marcus, and BistroPlex® brands. Marcus
Theatres’ facilities offering the latest amenities and technology in stadium seating, digital sound, innovative food
and beverage concepts and 72-feet-wide UltraScreen DLXs®.
ABOUT THE SHOPS AT WEST END
The Shops at West End is an exciting mixed-use development located in the highly affluent suburb of St. Louis
Park, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis. Located at the intersection of I-394 & 100, The Shops at West End
features restaurants such as CRAVE and THE LOCAL, and various retailers. For a complete list of West End
tenants, please visit TheShopsAtWestEnd.com.
____________________________________________
CONTACT: Chad Olson, Nemer Fieger, colson@nemerfieger.com , 952-240-4982
