Films by women directors dominated the prizes at this year's South by Southwest (SXSW), the hip indie film festival and conference held in the Texan capital city of Austin.
Jamie Babbit's narrative feature Itty Bitty Titty Committee won the top dramatic jury prize taking Best Narrative Feature. Jennifer Venditti's Billy The Kid was named Best Documentary Feature.
Itty Bitty Titty Committee, which had its North American premiere in Austin this week, debuted last month in the Panorama section at the Berlin Film Festival.
Backed by POWER UP, the entertainment industry group for lesbians, the film was produced by Stacy Codikow and Andrea Sperling and written by Tina Mabry and Abigail Shafron. Babbit's third feature stars Melonie Diaz (Raising Victor Vargas) in the rock music-driven story of an L.A. Latina who is lured into a radical group of feminists fighting the objectification of women.
Billy The Kid, which was shot in just eight days, marked the filmmaking debut of casting director Jennifer Venditti and is an intimate portrait of a charismatic 15-year-old boy later diagnosed to have Asperger's Disorder, a functioning form of autism.
THE SXSW 2007 AWARD-WINNERS:
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Winner:
Itty Bitty Titty Committee (dir: Jamie Babbit)
Special Jury Awards:
Frownland (dir: Ronald Bronstein)
Orphans (dir: Ry Russo-Young)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Winner:
Billy The Kid (dir: Jennifer Venditti)
Special Jury Awards:
Cat Dancers (dir: Harris Fishman)
Audience of One (dir: Michael Jacobs)
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Narrative Feature:
Skills Like This (dir: Monty Miranda)
Documentary Feature:
Run Granny Run (dir: Marlo Poras)
Emerging Visions:
The Price Of Sugar (dir: Bill Haney)
REEL SHORTS
Winner:
Pop Foul (dir: Moon Molson)
Special Jury Award:
Clear Cut, Simple (dir: Vineet Dewan)
ANIMATED SHORTS
Winner:
Tragic Story With A Happy Ending (dir: Regina Pessoa)
Special Jury Award:
One Rat Short (dir: Alex Weil)
EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
Winner:
27,000 Days (dir: Naveen Singh)
Special Jury Award:
The Lonely Lights. The Color of Lemons (dir: Benjamin M. Piety)
MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner:
Thom Yorke, Harrowdown Hill (dir: Chel White)
Special Jury Award:
Constantines, Working Full-TIme (dir: Drew Lightfoot)
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION
Winner:
Murder For 9 Points (dir: Brandon Day)
Special Jury Award:
Daily Routine (dir: Adela Escobar)
Jamie Babbit's narrative feature Itty Bitty Titty Committee won the top dramatic jury prize taking Best Narrative Feature. Jennifer Venditti's Billy The Kid was named Best Documentary Feature.
Itty Bitty Titty Committee, which had its North American premiere in Austin this week, debuted last month in the Panorama section at the Berlin Film Festival.
Backed by POWER UP, the entertainment industry group for lesbians, the film was produced by Stacy Codikow and Andrea Sperling and written by Tina Mabry and Abigail Shafron. Babbit's third feature stars Melonie Diaz (Raising Victor Vargas) in the rock music-driven story of an L.A. Latina who is lured into a radical group of feminists fighting the objectification of women.
Billy The Kid, which was shot in just eight days, marked the filmmaking debut of casting director Jennifer Venditti and is an intimate portrait of a charismatic 15-year-old boy later diagnosed to have Asperger's Disorder, a functioning form of autism.
THE SXSW 2007 AWARD-WINNERS:
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Winner:
Itty Bitty Titty Committee (dir: Jamie Babbit)
Special Jury Awards:
Frownland (dir: Ronald Bronstein)
Orphans (dir: Ry Russo-Young)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Winner:
Billy The Kid (dir: Jennifer Venditti)
Special Jury Awards:
Cat Dancers (dir: Harris Fishman)
Audience of One (dir: Michael Jacobs)
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Narrative Feature:
Skills Like This (dir: Monty Miranda)
Documentary Feature:
Run Granny Run (dir: Marlo Poras)
Emerging Visions:
The Price Of Sugar (dir: Bill Haney)
REEL SHORTS
Winner:
Pop Foul (dir: Moon Molson)
Special Jury Award:
Clear Cut, Simple (dir: Vineet Dewan)
ANIMATED SHORTS
Winner:
Tragic Story With A Happy Ending (dir: Regina Pessoa)
Special Jury Award:
One Rat Short (dir: Alex Weil)
EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
Winner:
27,000 Days (dir: Naveen Singh)
Special Jury Award:
The Lonely Lights. The Color of Lemons (dir: Benjamin M. Piety)
MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner:
Thom Yorke, Harrowdown Hill (dir: Chel White)
Special Jury Award:
Constantines, Working Full-TIme (dir: Drew Lightfoot)
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION
Winner:
Murder For 9 Points (dir: Brandon Day)
Special Jury Award:
Daily Routine (dir: Adela Escobar)
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