‘Bob Trevino Likes It,’ ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig,’ and More Win Denver Film Festival 2024 Awards

The Denver Film Festival has announced the winners of its annual Audience Awards and Festival Juried Awards, with films like “Bob Trevino Likes It” and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” taking top prizes.

Following the conclusion of the 47th edition of the festival, which ran from November 1 to November 10, Denver Film Festival artistic director Matthew Campbell said via statement, “This year’s Denver Film Festival brought us fantastic films, phenomenal guests, and unforgettable experiences. The films recognized this year tell strong stories through powerful perspectives, providing viewers with the chance to see themselves on the screen while also seeing something completely new. We are honored to recognize so many voices, both new and familiar, and to bring those stories to audiences right here in Denver.”

It is worth noting that, outside of the audience favorite short film “Jellyfish and Lobster,” the audience award winners were not eligible for juried prizes. The Denver Film Festival also handed out previously announced individual awards throughout the festival run, including the John Cassavetes Award to “Lilly” actress Patricia Clarkson, the Career Achievement Award to “Dìdi” star Joan Chen, and the Excellence in Acting Award to both “Hard Truths” lead Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and “September 5” actor Ben Chaplin.

See the full list of Denver Film Festival winners below.

Audience Awards

The following films were recognized as the People’s Choice Award winners for the 47th Denver Film Festival by a tally of ballots cast by screening attendees.

Narrative Feature: “Bob Trevino Likes It”
Director: Tracie Laymon
Country: United States

Documentary Feature: “Champions of the Golden Valley”
Director: Ben Sturgulewski
Country: United States

Short Film: “Jellyfish and Lobster”
Director: Yasmin Afifi
Country: United Kingdom

Juried Awards

Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film
The Krzysztof Kieslowski Award is the Festival’s longest-running juried award and is awarded for best feature film.

Best Feature Film: “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Country: Iran, Germany, France

Best Feature Film Jury Statement:
“A portrait of a family disintegrating, ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ is both compelling, enraging, and an act of great courage by director Mohammad Rasoulof. Combining deeply felt performances with real footage of contemporary protests in Iran, the winner of the Krzysztof Kieślowski award is a stunning look at resilience in the face of overwhelming political and personal turmoil.”

Special Mention Feature Film: “All We Imagine as Light”
Director: Payal Kapadia
Country: France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg

Special Mention Feature Jury Statement
“Desire, love, religion, class, gender, and social structures all come under director Payal Kapadia’s close and sensitive gaze. The ensemble’s tender and unadorned performances also deserve Special Mention.”

Jurors:
Daniel D’Addario, Chief Correspondent, Variety
Briana Rodriguez, Editor-in-Chief, Backstage Magazine

Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary
Al Maysles was a long-time supporter and contributor to the Denver Film Festival. The annual award for Best Documentary is presented in his name.

Best Documentary: “Mistress Dispeller”
Director: Elizabeth Lo
Country: China, United States

Best Documentary Jury Statement:
“We the jury have chosen to give the Maysles Brothers’ Award for documentary to the film ‘Mistress Dispeller’ for its insight into a fascinating subculture, and emphasis on the importance of community.”

Jurors:
Marcus Jones, Awards Editor, IndieWire
Amy Schneider, Writer, Public Speaker, “Jeopardy” Tournament of Champions Winner
Abbey White, Associate Editor, The Hollywood Reporter

American Independent Award

American Independent Award Winner: Color Book
Director: David Fortune
Country: United States

American Independent Award Jury Statement:
“All of these films are beautiful, personal and truly impressive feats of production. We are so grateful that you’ve put this work out into the collective conscience. But for its gorgeous direction, stellar cinematography, out of this world performances, and a narrative that is beautifully crafted and full of heart, the jury awards the 2024 American Independent Award to ‘Color Book’.”

Jurors:
Joanna Calo, Showrunner, “The Bear”
Taylor John Smith, Actor, “Where the Crawdads Sing”
Carl Ogawa, Producer, Berlanti Productions

Short Film Awards

Grand Jury Award: “Tennis, Oranges”
Director: Sean Pecknold
Country: United States

Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film Jury Statement:
“Sean Pecknold has created an inventive and enormously brave look at the universality of loneliness. In this imaginative stop animation, we experience the lack of purpose in life from a vacuum cleaner robot’s point of view who meets an old rabbit. Lonely and dreaming of his younger days, the rabbit with the help of the robot, rediscovers his body, and dances for a last time. Deeply poignant, this story helps us to discover what is unknown about our existence, and most importantly, to realize that connecting to someone is what makes life worth living. The Grand Jury Prize for Best Short goes to ‘Tennis, Oranges’.”

Best Student Live Action Short: “Bye Bye, Bowser”
Director: Jasmin Baumgartner
Country: Austria

Best Student Live Action Short Jury Statement:
“For its endearing ambition and vivid portrait of this generation’s youth, the jury awards ‘Bye Bye, Bowser’ as the Live Action Student Short Winner.”

Best Student Animation Short: “Humanity”
Director: Tereza Kovandová
Country: Czech Republic

Best Student Animation Short Jury Statement:
“For its delightful search for the irreverent and its darkly humorous depiction of what can make anyone go over the edge, the jury would like to recognize ‘Humanity’ as the winner of the Student Animated Shorts category.”

Special Mention for Directing: “Sauna Day”
Director: Anna Hints, Tushar Prakash
Country: Estonia

Special Mention Jury Statement:
“For its refreshing portrayal of male intimacy the jury would like to give a directing special mention to ‘Sauna Day’.”

Special Mention for Promising New Filmmaker: “Crow Man”
Director: Yohann Abdelnour
Country: Lebanon

Special Mention for Achievement in Acting: “Jellyfish and Lobster”
Director: Yasmin Afifi
Country: United Kingdom

Special Mention for Boldness of Vision: “Make Me a Pizza”
Director: Talia Shea Levin
Country: United States

Special Mention Jury Statement:
“For its originality, audacity and truly no holds barred approach to outrageous subject matter, the special mention for Boldness of Vision goes to ‘Make Me A Pizza’.”

Special Mention for Social Impact: “Dragfox”
Director: Lisa Ott
Country: United Kingdom

Special Mention Jury Statement:
“For its sensitivity, accessibility, and timeliness, with a fantastic musical number to boot, the Special Mention for Social Impact goes to ‘Dragfox’.”

Special Mention for Generational Vision and Preservation of the Ecosystem: “Drago”
Director: Daniel Zvereff
Country: United States

Jurors:
Gabriela Ortega, Filmmaker, Huella
Jean-Louis Rodrigue, Acting Coach & Movement Director
Rachel Walker, Programmer, Palm Springs ShortFest

Music on Film – Film on Music Documentary Grant Awards (MOFFOM)
Now in its eighth year, the MOFFOM Grant provides up to $20,000 annually in finishing funds for documentary productions specifically for music licensing, scoring, and composition.

2024 MOFFOM Grant Recipients
“Los Lobos Native Sons”

Description:
“Los Lobos Native Sons,” is the ultimate, authorized chronicle of the band Los Lobos. From their early life experiences in East Los Angeles through their rise as an unlikely team of cultural heroes, this feature documentary boasts unprecedented, exclusive access to the band and their personal archives.

MOFFOM Jury Statement:
We the MOFFOM Jury hereby award the $20,000 prize to “Los Lobos Native Sons,” a film about a cultural institution, the pride of East Los Angeles, and, most importantly, kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll. Los Lobos, formed in 1973, are not only a pioneering force in the music world but also a deeply significant voice within Latinx culture. Their unique blend of Mexican folk, rock, and blues embodies the essence of the Chicano experience, bridging generations and communities through music that is both rooted in tradition and innovative in its expression. Over the decades, the band has become a symbol of cultural pride, breaking barriers and defying expectations while staying true to their East L.A. roots. Their contributions to Latinx representation in mainstream music, as well as their collaboration with artists like Linda Ronstadt and Tom Waits, underscore their lasting influence. We look forward to seeing the filmmakers bring this rich, multifaceted story to life.

Jurors:
Jonathan Palmer, Senior Vice President of Creative Sync, BMG Rights Management
Daniel Junge, Oscar and Emmy-winning filmmaker
Steve Knopper, Editor at Large, Billboard

The jury for the Denver Film Festival 2024 awards.Courtesy of Denver Film Festival

In-Person Award Winners and Honorees:

John Cassavetes Award
Patricia Clarkson, Actor, “Lilly”

Career Achievement Award
Joan Chen, Actor, “Dìdi”

Excellence in Acting Award
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Actor, “Hard Truths”
Ben Chaplin, Actor, “September 5″

5280 Award (Honoring exceptional cinematic work and film collaboration)
“Saturday Night”
Jason Reitman, Writer/Director
Gil Kenan, Writer
Eric Steelberg, Cinematographer
Gabriel LaBelle, Actor
Cory Michael Smith, Actor

CinemaQ LaBahn Ikon Film Award
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “All That We Love” and “It’s Okay”

Breakthrough Director Award
Nnamdi Asomugha, Director, “The Knife”

Excellence in Songwriting & Composing
Andrew Wyatt, Composer, “The Last Showgirl”
(unable to attend)

Rising Star Award
Ryan Destiny, Actor, “The Fire Inside”

Excellence in Directing Award
RaMell Ross, Director, “Nickel Boys”

Excellence in Writing Award
Virgil Williams, Writer, “The Piano Lesson”
Malcolm Washington, Writer, “The Piano Lesson”

Rare Pearl Award
“Emilia Pérez”
Director: Jacques Audiard
Country: USA

Stan Brakhage Vision Award
Cecelia Condit

Maria and Tomasso Maglione Italian Filmmaker Award
Cristiana Dell’Anna, Actor, “Cabrini”

Editors Note: IndieWire Awards Editor Marcus Jones was a member of the jury for the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary