WKSU News: 2008 Cleveland International Film Festival

Monday, March 03, 2008 2008 Cleveland International Film Festival by WKSU's MARK URYCKI	Senior Reporter Mark Urycki

The 32nd Cleveland International Film Festival begins Thursday evening, March 6th. John Sayles is in the Director Spotlight this year. We're back with our annual look at some of the 130 feature films from 60 countries. CIFF Artistic Director William Guentzler offers a few of his favorites.

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AWARD WINNERS FROM THE 32 ANNUAL CIFF: AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD WINNERS ROXANNE T. MUELLER AWARD The 2008 Cleveland Magazine Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film went to: One Bad Cat: The Reverend Albert Wagner Story Directed by Thomas G. Miller, USA Runners-Up to the Cleveland Magazine Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film this year were: Young@Heart Directed by Stephen Walker, United Kingdom and USA Bliss Directed by Abdullah Oguz, Turkey and Greece Iron Ladies of Liberia Directed by Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott Johnson, USA and Liberia Under the Same Moon Directed by Patricia Riggen, USA and Mexico She's A Boy I Knew Directed by Gwen Haworth, Canada GREG GUND MEMORIAL STANDING UP FILM COMPETITION The selections included in Standing Up are films with a conscience. Standing Up celebrates social justice and activism by presenting films with messages that cannot and should not be ignored. Thanks to the generosity of The George Gund Foundation and the establishment of an endowment in memory of Greg Gund, Standing Up and its $5,000 cash prize will remain a permanent part of the Cleveland International Film Festival. Determined by audience vote, the 2008 Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Film Competition Award went to: Iron Ladies of Liberia Directed by Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott Johnson, USA and Liberia AMERICAN INDEPENDENT AWARD The winner of the $2,500 cash prize for the 2008 American Independent Film Competition as determined by audience vote was: Under the Same Moon Directed by Patricia Riggen, USA and Mexico CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN FILM COMPETITION This competition is generously sponsored by George Gund and Iara Lee. The winner of the $10,000 cash prize for the Central and Eastern European Film Competition was: Travelling With Pets Directed by Vera Storozheva, Russia The three jurors this year were: Nancy Collet, founder of NCI Film Consulting whose clients include the Toronto International Film Festival, Netflix, the Middle East International Film Festival, the Malibu Celebration of Film, and Heartland Truly Moving Pictures; Howard Feinstein, film editor for the "Village Voice," and writer for such publications as the "Guardian," "Vanity Fair," "GQ," the "New York Post," "Filmmaker," "Indiewire," "Out," and "Detour;" and Gary McVey, a longtime executive at Filmex, the Los Angeles film festival, who then co-directed and directed its successor, the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival. NESNADNY + SCHWARTZ DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION This competition is generously sponsored by Nesnadny + Schwartz. The winner of the $5,000 cash prize for the 2008 Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Film Competition was: Out of Time Directed by Harald Friedl, Austria The three jurors were: Norman Aladjem, head of the international and independent film packaging and financing unit at Paradigm; Dean Otto, Film/Video Assistant Curator at the Walker Art Center; and Basil Tsiokos, Artistic Director for NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Film Festival. INDEPENDENT SHORTS JURY AWARDS PROGRAM The jurors were: Ivan Schwarz, Executive Director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission; Terrance Spivey, Artistic Director of Karamu House; and Jacquie F. Talbott, Executive Director of Community Shares. They awarded the following prizes: Best Animated Short Film Award Sponsored by Fusion Filmworks ($1,000) I Met the Walrus Directed by Josh Raskin, USA Best Documentary Short Film Award Sponsored by Jules and Fran Belkin ($1,000) The Tribe Directed by Tiffany Shlain, USA Best International Short Film Award Sponsored by Mike and Nicki Cancelliere ($1,000) Fair Trade " Winner Directed by Michael Dreher, Germany Soft " Honorable Mention Directed by Simon Ellis, United Kingdom Best LGBT Short Film: Given in Celebration of the Life of Nikki Babbit Sponsored by Jamie and Harold Babbit ($1,000) The Knockout Directed by Trevor White, USA Best Live Action Short Film Award Co-sponsored by Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris ($1,000) Bitch " Winner Directed by Lilah Vandenburgh, USA Hesitation " Honorable Mention Directed by Virginia Gilbert, France Best Student Short Film Award Sponsored by Mike and Nicki Cancelliere ($1,000) In the Name of the Son Directed by Harun Mehmedinovic, USA Best Women's Short Film Award Sponsored by Jinny and John Johnson ($1,000) Plus or Minus: A Few Things I Thought I Should Consider Directed by Amanda Sweikow, USA The Clover and Maggie Award: In Celebration of Life Sponsored by Barbara Hawley and David Goodman ($1,000) Tripe and Onions " Winner Directed by Marton Szirmai, Hungary The Job " Honorable Mention Directed by Jonathan Browning, USA Jesse Epstein Humanitarian Award Sponsored by Kodak Motion Picture Film ($1,000) Salim Baba Directed by Tim Stern, USA Kodak Best Ohio Short Film Award Sponsored by Kodak Motion Picture Film ($1,500 in Kodak film stock) Make A Wish Directed by Cherien Dabis, USA/PALESTINE Process Award for Visual Excellence Sponsored by Process Creative Studios ($1,000) God Only Knows Directed by Mark V. Reyes, USA The Spalding Award: In Celebration of Joy Sponsored by Marcie Goodman and John C. Williams ($1,000) The Substitute - Winner Directed by Andrea Jublin, Italy El Regalo (The Gift) - Honorable Mention Directed by Stuart Altman, USA The 2008 Cleveland State University Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film The $1,000 prize was awarded to: Conviction: The True Story of Clarence Elkins Directed by Mike West, USA Runners-up to the CSU Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film were: Tripe and Onions Directed by Marton Szirmai, Hungary The Mozart of Pickpockets Directed by Philippe Pollet-Villard, France Happy New Year Directed by K. Lorrell Manning, USA Deface Directed by John Arlotto, USA