New Orleans Film Festival Closing Night; Jury Award Winners Announced

The 27th Annual New Orleans Film Festival wrapped up on Wednesday, October 20th with a special 25th anniversary screening of the digitally restored Daughters of the Dust, a 1991 film from July Dash that elevated the struggle on race and sex alike.  Julie Dash received an award honoring her career achievements at the screening.  When the film was first released in 1991, she was the first African-American director to lead a general theatrical release.  Daughters of the Dust will be re-released on November 18 in New York with a later release in New Orleans. This year's festival showcased an array of offerings - only fitting for a city that is equally as diverse and accepting of those that flow against the norm. The Jury Awards are awarded to films based upon a panel of jurors delineated for each categorical film.  The New Orleans Film Festival was granted Oscars-eligibility last year within the Documentary Shorts Category, opening up a channel for Academy consideration of its winning film without a standard theatrical release. The following films were selected as the Jury Award winners from the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival: JURY AWARDS NARRATIVE FEATURES Jury Winner: Narrative Feature - "The Other Kids" (directed by Chris Brown) Prize: $10,000 camera package sponsored by Panavision + Final Draft 9 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES Jury Winner: Documentary Feature - "Jackson" (directed by Maisie Crow) Prize: $500 from the New Orleans Film Society + iTunes distribution package from Quiver Special Jury Mention: Louisiana Feature - "Shelter" (directed by Brent Renaud and Craig Renaud) NARRATIVE SHORTS Special Jury Award: Narrative Short - “Black Head Cow” (directed by Elizabeth Nichols) Special Jury Award: Narrative Short - “Semele” (directed by Myrsini Aristidou) Jury Winner: Narrative Short - “The Wait” (directed by Juan Pablo González) Prize: $2,500 in film stock from Kodak + one week color grading and sweetening package at Ansgar Media Village Studios, with round-trip airfare and accommodations ($40,000) + Final Draft 9 + Vimeo Pro account DOCUMENTARY SHORTS Jury Winner: Documentary Short - “Irregulars” (directed by Fabio Palmieri) Prize: $500 from the New Orleans Film Society + Vimeo Pro account ANIMATION Special Jury Award: Animation - “Scent of Geranium” (directed Naghmeh Farzaneh) Helen Hill Jury Award for Animation - “Circles” (directed by Uri Lotoan and Yoav Shtibelman) Prize: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro (one year license), Toon Boom Harmony Premium (one year license) + Final Draft 9 EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS Jury Winner: Experimental Short - “This Is Yates” (directed by Joshua Yates Prize: $250 from the New Orleans Film Society and Vimeo Pro Account LOUISIANA SHORTS Special Jury Mention: Louisiana Narrative Short - “Jonah Stands Up” (directed by Hannah Engelson) Jury Winner: Louisiana Short - “These Wild Things” (directed by Samantha Smith) Prize: $10,000 Post-Production Package from Digital FX + Final Draft 9 LOUISIANA FEATURE Jury Winner: Louisiana Feature - Five Awake (directed by Donna Dees and Susan Willis) Prize: $10,000 Camera Package sponsored by Panavision + Final Draft 9 TECHNICAL AWARDS

Apex Post Award for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film - “Splitting Maul” (directed by Trenton Mynatt) Prize: $2500 in sound services from APEX Post

Apex Post Special Mention for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film - “Black Majick” (directed by Terrence Jones) Prize: $1000 in sound services from APEX Post

Cinematography Award: Louisiana Narrative Feature - A Quiet Storm (directed by Jason Affolder and DP Jake Springfield) Prize: $10,000 camera package from VER Camera New Orleans

Cinematography Award: Louisiana Narrative Short - “Hunter” (directed by Jane Geisler, DP Alex Payne) Prize: $10,000 camera package from CineVerse

[caption id="attachment_90167" align="aligncenter" width="561"] Director Chris Brown ("The Other Kids") receives his Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature (photo courtesy of New Orleans Film Festival)[/caption]   For further information on the New Orleans Film Festival, please visit the New Orleans Film Society.