NewFest 2009 Closing Night Awards

NewFest 2009
Closing Night Awards Ceremony
June 11, 2009
New York, NY

NewFest Acting Director Lesli Klainberg. Photo by Brian Geldin.

NewFest handed out its 2009 awards before the Closing Night presentation of David Barba’s and James Pellerito’s documentary on figure skating champion Johnny Weir, Pop Star on Ice. The Film Panel Notetaker team scored interviews with Pellerito, its fascinating star Weir, as well as his best friend Paris (named Best Supporting Actor in a Nonfiction Film 2009 by Michael Tully on Hammer to Nail).

Award presenters included Rose Troche, Basil Tsiokis, David Kwok, Heather Matarazzo and more. And the winners were:

NewDraft Screenplay Competition Award:
“The Most Famous Woman in the World,” screenplay by Kerthy Fix & Craig Harwood
“Hannah Henri,” screenplay by Akiva Penazola

Audience Awards:

Short Film: “Dish,” directed by Brian Harris Krinsky
Documentary: Florent: “Queen of the Meat Market” (Work in Progress) directed by David Sigal
Narrative: “Mississippi Damned,” directed by Tina Mabry

Jury Awards:

Special Jury Award: John Hurt (Quentin Crisp) - “An Englishman in New York”
Best Short Documentary: “Kaden Later,” directed by Harriet Storm
Best Short Narrative: “Countertransference,” directed by Madeleine Olnek
Best Feature Length Documentary: “Prodigal Sons,” directed by Kimberly Reed
Best Feature Length Narrative: “Light Gradient,” directed by Jan Kruger

Breakout Performance:

Mireille Perrier - “Out of the Blue”
Gustaf Skarsgard - “Patrik 1.5”