On Sunday, April 30, 2017, the USA Film Festival announced the winners of the 39th Annual International Short Film & Video Competition. The awards program took place on Closing Night of the 47th Annual USA Film Festival in Dallas.
Chosen from more than 600 international entries, the First Place Winning Films included:
FIRST PLACE / NARRATIVE
Minh Tâm, Vincent Maury, director
FIRST PLACE / ANIMATION
The History of Magic: Ensueno, Jose Luis Gonzalez & Dano Johnson, co-directors
FIRST PLACE / NON-FICTION
Little Potato, Wes Hurley & Nathan M. Miller, co-directors
FIRST PLACE / EXPERIMENTAL
Gibberish, Nathalie Biancheri, director
STUDENT AWARD
Promise, Tian Xie, director
TEXAS AWARD
Owen, Kelly Pike, director
The 2017 National Jury included writer/director/producer John Putch, writer/director/actor Christina Beck, actor/producer and teacher Diane Baker, actor DeVaughn Nixon, artist and short filmmaker Rosson Crow and animator/writer/producer and voice actor Jorge Gutierrez.
This year marks the 47th Anniversary of the Festival, which has awarded prizes to dozens of now established filmmakers early in their careers including Mark Osborne (More), Don Hertzfeldt (Lilly and Jim), Danny Leiner (Time Expired), Chel White (Choreography for Copy Machine), Bill Plympton (Your Face), Michael Almereyda (Another Girl, Another Planet), Jessica Yu (Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien), Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket), Marlon Riggs (Tongues Untied), Todd Haynes (Superstar), Alexander Payne (The Passion of Martin), George Hickenlooper (Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade), Alan Taylor (That Burning Question) and John Lasseter (Tin Toy).
In addition to the National Jury awards, Festival Awarded Prizes also went to the following Official Selection and other short works:
Jury Prize - Minor Turbulence, Jared Houseman, director
Performance Award - Sharon Lawrence in Home, Russell Simpson, director
Honorable Mention, Student Film -- Ambience, Ji Hyun Kim, director
Honorable Mention, Narrative - The Whole World, Julián Quintanilla, director
Honorable Mention, Narrative - The Language of Ball, Ramon Rodriguez, director
Honorable Mention, Narrative - Zaar, Ibrahim Nada, director
Newcomer Award - Jackson Smith in A Tree. A Rock. A Cloud., Karen Allen, director
OFFICIAL SPONSORS -- Sponsors of the 47th Annual USA Film Festival include Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Whole Foods Market, Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Trust, Headington Company, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, Mary Fox and Laura Fox Williamson, Suddenlink Communications, Dallas Film Commission, cashstore.com, Sidley Austin LLP, Jackson Walker LLP, Texas Film Commission, Texas Association of Motion Media Professionals, Wolfgang Puck Catering, SAG-AFTRA, Downtown Dallas News, Dallas Producers Association, Alford Media Services, Angelika Film Center and Ticketmaster.
ABOUT THE USA FILM FESTIVAL -- A year-round film festival featuring 50 days of programs
The USA Film Festival is a 47-year-old Dallas-based 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the recognition and promotion of excellence in the film and video arts. Year-round events include the annual KidFilm® Festival, a 39-year-old International Short Film Competition; monthly screenings; special programs and premieres; and the USA Film Festival, held each Spring. Throughout the year, the Festival presents a variety of membership, exhibition, educational, and cultural programs designed to bring together audiences and filmmakers for a "live cinema" experience.
