Rita Rose
From The Heartland International Film Festival, here are this year’s filmmaker award winners announced for the festival’s 28th edition during an awards brunch Oct. 19:
The Grand Prize for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $15,000) went to Bora Kim’s “House of Hummingbird.” Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ “For Sama” took home two awards, including the $15,000 Grand Prize for Best Documentary Feature, as well as the Richard D. Propes Social Impact Documentary Award and the $2,000 that came with that award. Each of the finalists in the Narrative and Documentary competition categories received a $1,000 cash prize.
Among the other awards, Brett Fallentine’s documentary about the horse riding community in South Central LA, “Fire on the Hill,” received the film festival’s Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award and $5,000. Matt Ratner was the festival’s other two-time winner, as his film, “Standing Up, Falling Down,” received the festival’s Humor and Humanity Award and $1,000. He also received the FIPRESCI nod for Best Directorial Debut for USA Narrative Film.
“From South Central LA cowboys to South Korea, our award winners truly demonstrated the international scope of Heartland,” said Craig Prater, Heartland Film President.
“This was a banner year for us programming-wise, as we were able to screen so many of our top choices from the film festival circuit, films that are in major consideration for the Oscars® and top critics awards right now,” added Greg Sorvig, Heartland Film Artistic Director.
The 2019 Heartland International Film Festival award winners are:
Grand Prize for Best Narrative Feature - $15,000
HOUSE OF THE HUMMINGBIRD
Director: Bora Kim
Grand Prize for Best Documentary Feature - $15,000
FOR SAMA
Directors: Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award Narrative Feature - $2,000
THE GARDEN LEFT BEHIND
Director: Flavio Alves
Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award Documentary Feature - $2,000
FOR SAMA
Directors: Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
The Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award Winner - $5,000
FIRE ON THE HILL
Director: Brett Fallentine
Indiana Spotlight Award - $2,000
THE MISEDUCATION OF BINDU
Director: Prarthana Mohan
Humor and Humanity Award - $1,000
STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN
Director: Matt Ratner
Best Premiere Award Documentary - $2,000
BAREFOOT: THE MARK BAUMER STORY
Director: Julie Sokolow
Best Premiere Award Narrative - $2,000
SYSTEMSPRENGER (SYSTEM CRASHER)
Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Best International Feature Film Oscar® Contender – $2,000
PAIN AND GLORY (DOLOR Y GLORIA)
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
FIPRESCI Best Directorial Debut for USA Narrative Film
STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN
Director: Matt Ratner
Overall Audience Choice Award
JUST MERCY
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Warner Bros. Pictures
Audience Choice Award – Special Presentation
JUST MERCY
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Warner Bros. Pictures
Audience Choice Award – Narrative Feature - $1,000
FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES
Director: Robert Tinnell
Audience Choice Award – Documentary Feature - $1,000
JUMP SHOT
Director: Jacob Hamilton
Audience Choice Award – Indiana Spotlight - $1,000
WE SHALL NOT DIE NOW
Director: Ashton Gleckman
Audience Choice Award – Awards Season Spotlight
MAIDEN
Director: Alex Holmes
Sony Pictures Classics
Audience Choice Award – Best International Feature Film Oscar® Contender
WHEN TOMATOES MET WAGNER, Official Greek Entry
Director: Marianna Economou
Audience Choice Award – Cultural Journey: Germany
BALLOON
Director: Michael Herbig