Returning in person after two years of virtualization during the pandemic, the Austin-based SXSW Film Festival has announced its jury awards. As with previous editions, the awards show took place in the middle of the nine-day event, before SXSW music events drew much of the attention from film screenings.
First prize in the narrative feature competition went to ‘I Love My Dad’, written and directed by James Morosini, who also stars as a younger version of himself in this uncomfortable tale of how he was fished out by his father (played by Patton Oswalt).
“Morosini shows massive empathy as a filmmaker to enter the mind of the father by whom he feels betrayed, and also as an actor portraying the impact of that betrayal,” said the jury, which also presented Special Jury Prizes to the cast and crew of “It’s Inside Us All” and Elizaveta Yankovskaya, star of the Russian film “Nika.”
Best documentary feature honors went to director Rosa Ruth Boesten’s “Master of Light,” a portrayal of once-incarcerated painter George Anthony Morton’s stages in rebuilding his life after prison, who also impressed his jury for his empathy.
“With stunning intimacy, the film’s visuals artfully bridge two-dimensional and three-dimensional realms that are deeply rooted and utterly transcendent,” the jury explained. “Put this painting from a movie in a museum, next to a Rembrandt and a Morton.”
Voting for the SXSW People’s Choice Award will continue until Monday morning, March 21, and the popular winners will be announced that week.
See the full list of winners below:
Feature Film Jury Grand Prize
NARRATIVE FILM COMPETITION Presented by Panavision
Winner: “I love my father” directed by James Morosini
Special Jury Recognition for Extraordinary Cinematic Vision: Cast & Crew, “It’s In Us All”
Special Jury Recognition for Breakthrough Performance: Elizaveta Yankovskaya, “Nika”
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION Presented by IMAX
Winner: “Master of Light” directed by Rosa Ruth Boesten
Special Jury Recognition for Exceptional Intimacy in Storytelling: “Bad Axe” directed by David Siev
Special Jury Recognition for Acting in a Documentary: Steve Glew, “Pez Outlaw”
Short Film Grand Jury Awards presented by IMDbPro
NARRATIVE SHORTS
Winner: “All the Crows in the World” directed by Tang Yi
Special Jury Recognition for filmmaking and community cinema: “Glitter Ain’t Gold” directed by Christian Nolan Jones
Special Jury Recognition for Outstanding Performance: Aphrodite Armstrong, Kyle Riggs, “West by God”
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Winner: “Long Line of Ladies” directed by Rayka Zehtabchi, Shaandiin Tome
Special Jury Recognition for Visual Reflection: “Not Even for a Moment Things Never Stop” Directed by Jamie Meltzer
MIDNIGHT SHORTS
Winner: “Moshari” directed by Nuhash Humayun
Special Jury Recognition for Powerful “Short Trip”: “Omi” Directed by Kelly Fyffe-Marshall
ANIMATED SHORTS
Winner: “Bestia” directed by Hugo Covarrubias
Special mention from the jury for the unexpected emotion: “The Tears of the Seine”
directed by Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard
MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner: Désirée Dawson – “Meet Me at the Light” directed by Alexander Farah
Special recognition from the jury for how the hell did they do that? ! : Waze & Odyssey, George Michael, Mary J. Blige & Tommy Theo – “Always” – directed by Nelson de Castro
Special recognition from the jury for going the extra mile: Myd – “Let You Speak” performed by Dan Carr
TEXAS SHORTS
Winner: “Folk Frontera” directed by Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn
Special Jury Recognition for Vision: “Birds” directed by Katherine Propper
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS
Winner: “Bee” directed by Emilio Vazquez Reyes
Special Jury Recognition for Artistic Expression: “It’s Still Bad” directed by Sarah Reyes
Episodic Pilot Competition
Winner: “Something Undone” directed by Nicole Dorsey
Special recognition from the jury for a unique vision of writing and directing: “My Year of Dicks” by showrunner Pamela RibonBest
SXSW Film Design Awards presented by Adobe
POSTER DESIGN CONTEST
Winner: “More Than I Remember” designed by Yen Tan, Maya Edelman
Special Jury Recognition: “Michael Thompson’s Phrase” designed by Juan Miguel Marin
TITLE DESIGN CONTEST:
Winner: “Foundation Title Sequence” designed by Ronnie Koff
Special Jury Recognition: “The White Lotus Title Sequence” designed by Katrina Crawford, Mark Bashore
XR Experience Contest
Winner: “On the Morning You Wake (To the End of the World)” directed by Dr Jamaica Heolomeleikalani Osorio, Mike Brett, Steve Jamison, Pierre Zandrowicz, Arnaud Colinart
Special Jury Recognition for Immersive Storytelling: “(Hi)story of a painting: Light in the shadows” directed by Quentin Darras, Gaëlle Mourre
SXSW Special Prices
Fandor New Voices Awards: “What We Leave Behind” Directed by Iliana Sosa
Adam Yauch Hornblower Award: “Chee$e” directed by Damian Marcano
Adobe publishing price: “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” edited by Paul Rogers
Louis Black’s Lone Star Award: “What We Leave Behind” Directed by Iliana Sosa
ZEISS Photography Awards: Gio Park, “A Disappearing Fog”
Mailchimp Support the Shorts Reward: “The Voice Actor” directed by Anna J. Takayama