Winner by Category
Jury Awards
Narrative Features
Awarded by Jury Members Marlowe Granados, Doreen St. Félix
Best Narrative Feature, OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL (Dir. Ellie Foumbi) - $1000 Cash Prize
Duncan Williams Best Screenplay Award, ACTUAL PEOPLE (Dir. Kit Zauhar) - $1000 Cash Prize
Documentary Features
Awarded by Jury Members Brooke Marine, Tara Violet Niami, Tchaiko Omawale
(Sponsored by Classic American Hardwoods)
Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Feature, SAM NOW (Dir. Reed Harkness) - $1000 Cash Prize
Special Jury Mention for Revolutionary Cinema, SILENT BEAUTY (Dir. Jasmin Mara López)
Special Jury Mention for Transcendent Cinema, OUTTA THE MUCK (Dir. Ira McKinley, Bhawin Suchak)
Hometowner
Awarded by Jury Members Jessica Chriesman, Brandon Harris, Larry Karaszewski
(Sponsored by Tennessee Entertainment Commission)
Best Hometowner Feature, THE ‘VOUS (Dir. Jack Lofton) - $1000 Cash Prize
Best Hometowner Narrative Short, “Nordo” (Dir. Kyle Taubken) - $500 Cash Prize
Best Hometowner Documentary Short, “What We’ll Never Know” (Dir. Lauren Ready) - $500 Cash Prize
Departures
Awarded by Jury Members Blair McClendon, Ashley Clark, Yasmina Price
Best Departures Feature, THIS HOUSE (CETTE MAISON) (Dir. Miryam Charles) - $500 Cash Prize
Best Departures Mid-Length, “Civic” (Dir. Dwayne LeBlanc)
Best Departures Short, “Maya at 24” (Dir. Lynne Sachs)
Sounds
Awarded by Maya Cade, Rōgan Graham, Sydney Urbanek
Best Sounds Feature, KUMINA QUEEN (Dir. Nyasha Laing) - $500 Cash Prize
Best National Music Video, “Vacant Spaces” (Dir. Joe Baughman)
Best Hometowner Music Video, “Don’t Come Home” by Emily Rooker (Dirs. Emily Rooker, Mitchell Carter)
Shorts
Awarded by Jury Members Laure Bender, Faridah Gbadamosi, Kate Gondwe
Best Documentary Short, “The Body is a House of Familiar Rooms” (Dirs. Eloise Sherrid, Lauryn Welch) - $500 Cash Prize
Best Narrative Short, “Sugar Glass Bottle” (Dir. Neo Sora) - $500 Cash Prize
IndieGrants
Awarded by Jury Members Mandy Marcus, Soraya McDonald, Maria Santos
Sponsored by Mark Jones with Rentals and Donations Provided by Firefly Grip & Electric, LensRentals, Archer Recording Studio, and VIA.
“Bluff City Chinese” (Dir. Anna Cai) - $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K In-Kind Filmmaking Services)
“R.E.G.G.I.N." (Dir. A.D. Smith) - $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K In-Kind Filmmaking Services)
Poster Design
Awarded by Jury Members Brittney Boyd Bullock, Coe Lapossy, Mia Saine
Jury Award for Best Poster Design, THIS HOUSE (CETTE MAISON) (Dir. Miryam Charles)
Festival Awards
Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking
ME LITTLE ME (Dir. Elizabeth Ayiku)
Craig Brewer Emerging Filmmaker
VERY RARE (Dir. Eric Younger)
SOUL OF SOUTHERN FILM AWARD
OUTTA THE MUCK by (Dir. Ira McKinley, Bhawin Suchak)
Vision Award
Ryan Watt
Indie Award
Sallie Sabbatini
Best After Dark FILM
“Gussy” (Dir. Chris Osborn)
Audience Awards
Narrative Feature
OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL (Dir. Ellie Foumbi)
Documentary Feature
BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY (Dirs. Brett Whitcomb, Bradford Thomason)
Sounds Feature
KUMINA QUEEN (Dir. Nyasha Laing)
Departures
ELEPHANT (Dir. Maria Judice)
Hometowner Feature
SHOW BUSINESS IS MY LIFE - BUT I CAN'T PROVE IT (Dir. G.B. Shannon)
National Narrative Short
“F^¢K '€M R!GHT B@¢K” (Dir. Harris Doran)
National Documentary Short
“Call Me Anytime, I'm Not Leaving The House” (Dir. Sanjna Selva)
Departures Short
"Civic" (Dir. Dwayne LeBlanc)
Hometowner Narrative Short
“Homeboys Haunted 2” (Dir. Caleb Suggs)
Hometowner Documentary Short
“What We'll Never Know” (Dir. Lauren Ready)
Hometowner Music Video
“Imagine That” by Talibah Safiyah (Dir. Zaire Love)
National Music Video
"Stress Dreams" by Greensky Bluegrass (Dir. Grant Kolton)
Poster Design
SAM NOW (Dir. Reed Harkness)