The Indie Memphis Film Festival announced the winners of its festival awards for 2021 in an online ceremony broadcast from Black Lodge last night. The 24th annual festival wrapped on Monday, October 25th, with screenings of Spencer and the films chosen for the Hometowner Narrative Shorts Competition.
Four films pulled off the rare feat of winning both the jury and audience awards. Queen of Glory by director Nana Mensah unified the Narrative Feature category. Larry Flynt for President was chosen as Best Documentary Feature by both audience and jury. Reel Rock: Black Ice took home both of the Hometowner Feature awards, while “The Devil Will Run” by Noah Glenn did the same in the Hometowner Narrative Shorts.
Memphis filmmaker Jordan Danelz shared two Audience Awards for his work with other directors: one for Hometowner Music Video “Buzzsaw Kick” by Idi X Teco, which Danelz co-directed with Sharrika Evans; and the other for the documentary short “Firebird Rising,” which he co-directed with David Roseberry.
The Hometowner Music Video Jury Award went to Don Lifted’s “Brain Fluid”, directed by Nubia Yasin and Joshua Canon. Director Aaron Baggett’s “Nuestra” won the Hometowner Documentary Short jury award. Former University of Memphis film professor Angelo Madsen Minax won the Departures Audience Award for his experimental documentary North by Current.
Two film proposals, both documentaries, were awarded IndieGrants worth $15,000 in cash and in-kind filmmaking services: “I Am” by Jessica Chaney and “Soil and Clay” by Emmanuel Amido.
While the audience awards are determined by popular ballot, and the jury prizes are awarded by panels of filmmakers and industry experts, the festival prizes are voted on by the staff and board of Indie Memphis. The Vision Award, honoring the service of longtime indie film supporters, went to Mark Jones, the filmmaker and philanthropist who originated the IndieGrant program. Jones used the occasion of his acceptance speech to announce a new grant program for LGBTQ+ filmmakers, which will begin next year. The Indie Award, which goes to crew members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, went to cinematographer Jason Thibodeaux. The Craig Brewer Emerging Filmmaker Award went to Andrew Infante for Ferny & Luca. The Ron Tibbett Excellence In Filmmaking Award went to Yasmine Mathurin for One of Ours.
Winning features Ste. Anne, One of Ours, Larry Flynt for President, The Pill, and Queen of Glory, as well as a retrospective of the work of late Memphis actor/director Don Meyers, are currently available for encore screenings on Eventive, Indie Memphis’ partner for streaming content, and a Memphis-based company.
Here’s the full list of awards from Indie Memphis 2021:
Jury Awards:
Narrative Features
- Best Narrative Feature, Queen of Glory (Dir. Nana Mensah) – $1000 Cash Prize
- Duncan Williams Best Screenplay Award, The Pill (Dir. Franco Clarke) – $1000 Cash Prize
- Special Jury Mention to Narrative Feature, Actors Anna Cobb (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) + Lauren Kelisha Muller (Ferny & Luka)
Documentary Features
- Best Documentary Feature, Larry Flynt for President (Dir. Nadia Szold) – $1,000 Cash Prize Presented by Classic American Hardwoods
Hometowner
- Best Hometowner Feature, Reel Rock: Black Ice (Dir. Zachary Barr, Peter Mortimer) – $1,000 Cash Prize
- Best Hometowner Narrative Short, “The Devil Will Run” (Dir. Noah Glenn) – $500 Cash Prize
- Best Hometowner Documentary Short, “Nuestra” (Dir. Aaron Baggett) – $500 Cash Prize
- Special Jury Mention, Hometowner Narrative Short, “Main Street” (Dir. Joshua Woodcock)
- Special Jury Mention, Hometowner Documentary Short, “Letter to My Son” (Dirs. Brittany Butler + Joshua Woodcock)
Departures
- Best Departures Feature, Ste. Anne (Dir. Rhayne Vermette) – $500 Cash Prize
- Best Departures Short, “A Few Things I’m Beginning to Understand” by Xenia Matthews
Sounds
- Best Sounds Feature, Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché (Dirs. Celeste Bell + Paul Sng) – $500 Cash Prize
- Best National Music Video, “Hideaway” by Nîm (Dir. Etienne Fu-Le Saulnier)
- Best Hometowner Music Video, “Brain Fluid” by Don Lifted (Dirs. Nubia Yasin + Joshua Cannon)
Shorts
- Best Documentary Short, “You Can’t Stop Spirit” (Dir. Vashni Korin) – $500 Cash Prize
- Best Narrative Short, “Cousins,” (Dir. Mandy Marcus) – $500 Cash Prize
- Special Jury Mention, Documentary Short “Rebyrth” (Dir. Cydney Tucker)
- Special Jury Mention for Actor Felix Alexis in “Last Summer on Bainbridge St”
- Special Jury Mention for the Main Participant, Brandi, in “A Fine Girl” (Dir. Darcy McKinnon, BIliana Grozdanova)
IndieGrants
- “I Am” (Dir. Jessica Chaney) – $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K In-Kind Filmmaking Services)
- “Soil and Clay” (Dir. Emmanuel Amido) – $15K Grant ($7.5K cash, $7.5K In-Kind Filmmaking Services)
Poster Design
- Jury Award for Best Poster Design, Juju Stories (Dirs. Michael Omonua, Abba Makama, + C.J. Obasi)
Festival Awards:
Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking
- One Of Ours (Dir. Yasmine Mathurin)
Craig Brewer Emerging Filmmaker
- Ferny & Luca (Dir. Andrew Infante)
Vision Award
- Mark Jones
Indie Award
- Jason Thibodeaux
Best After Dark Short
- “I’m So Sorry” by Chester Toye – $500 Cash Prize
Audience Awards:
Narrative Feature
Queen of Glory (Dir. Nana Mensah)
Documentary Feature
Larry Flynt for President (Dir. Nadia Szold)
Sounds Feature
Elder’s Corner (Dir. Siji Awoyinka)
Departures
North by Current (Dir. Angelo Madsen Minax)
Hometowner Feature
Reel Rock: Black Ice (Dirs. Zachary Barr + Peter Mortimer)
National Narrative Short
“Desperate LA” (Dir. Jeanetta Rich)
National Doc Short
“You Can’t Stop Spirit” (Dir. Vashni Korin)
Departures Short
“A Few Things I’m Beginning to Understand” (Dir. Xenia Matthews)
Hometowner Narrative Short
“The Devil Will Run” (Dir. Noah Glenn)
Hometowner Documentary Short
“Firebird Rising” (Dirs. David Roseberry + Jordan Danelz)
Hometowner Music Video
“Buzzsaw Kick” by Idi X Teco (Dirs: Jordan Danelz + Sharrika Evans)
National Music Video
“Fire” by Fimone (Dir. Fimone)