November 19, 2007
AWARDS
THAT'S A WRAP
The 16th annual AT&T St. Louis International Film Festival is now over.
I'll do a few more wrap up blog entries with funny stories or whatever, but here's the stuff everyone wants to know... what won.
Audience Choice Awards
Best Feature: Juno directed by Jason Reitman
Best International Feature: Children of Glory directed by Krisztina Goda
Best Documentary: A Walk to Beautiful directed by Mary Olive Smith
Interfaith Awards
Best Documentary: A Walk to Beautiful directed by Mary Olive Smith
Best Feature: Getting Home directed by Yang Zhang
New Filmmakers Forum Award
Lovely by Surprise directed by Kirt Gunn
Short Subjects
Best Local Short: "Actors" by Joe Leonard
(additional awards will be announced next week)
Gateway Film Critics Association Award
Best Feature: Diving Bell and the Butterfly directed by Julian Schnabel
Vital Voice LGBT AwardThe Gymnast directed by Ned Farr
STATS
The Festival attendance was up by about 15% which is awesome. It looks like the early figures show that about 16,000 or 16,500 people attended the Festival. I counted them all!
There were more volunteers this year and people seemed less fatigued as time went on. This is terrific!
The overall mood of the festival was upbeat, frenetic and fast paced. It was relentless!
THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
I only saw one film yesterday. It was this one. I was glad to have it screen at the tivoli becuase it's the best screen in town for films. Julian Schnaebel's film is coming out soon so do not miss it. It has some really dark parts in it, but overall it is a good film. it's really dark and dreary at times but also amaingly powerful and full of life at the same time.