Sun Valley Film Festival Announces Award Winners
Today the 2022 Sun Valley Film Festival announced its award winners which include We Feed People, Linoleum, Mama Bears, Karmalink and Sirens.
2022 SUN VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS
● We Feed People is Audience Award Winner
● Linoleum and Mama Bears win Best Narrative & Documentary Feature Film
● Karmalink and Sirens score One in A Million Awards
Sun Valley, ID (April 4, 2022) - The 2022 Sun Valley Film Festival (SVFF), announced this year’s juried film award winners during the annual Awards Bash, presented by SVFF and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The Awards Bash was hosted by Bobby Farelley and Hayes MacArthur with a performance by The Nude Party. SVFF took place from March 30-April 3, 2022.
SVFF Film Awards
Audience Award Winner – Awarded to the film which received the most votes from audience attendees.
WINNER: We Feed People, directed by Ron Howard
“We Feed People” spotlights renowned chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s incredible mission and evolution over 12 years from being a scrappy group of grassroots volunteers to becoming one of the most highly regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector. As the world’s most prominent food-focused first responders, Andrés and the World Central Kitchen team have snapped into action, combating hunger in the wake of crisis by serving over 60 million meals to date. Featuring exclusive access to World Central Kitchen’s initiatives and archives, the documentary follows Andrés and his team around the globe as they address the increasing environmental and humanitarian crises that devastate our world the best way they know how: through food.
Best Narrative Feature Film - Awarded to the best narrative feature film in the festival.
WINNER: Linoleum, directed by Colin West
When a satellite falls from orbit and crashes into the suburban home of a dysfunctional family in Ohio, the father seizes the opportunity to fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut by re-building it into his own rocket ship. While his wife and daughter believe he's experiencing a midlife crisis, surreal events begin to unfold around him, forcing him to reconsider how interconnected their lives truly are...
SPECIAL MENTION: Holy Emy directed by Araceli Lemos
Jury members were Jo Addy (Global Film and Entertainment Director, Soho House), Eric Bress (award-winning writer, director and producer), Mariama Diallo (director, Master).
Best Documentary Feature Film - Awarded to the best documentary feature film in the festival.
WINNER: Mama Bears, directed by Daresha Kyi
MAMA BEARS is an exploration of the journeys taken by Sara Cunningham and Kimberly Shappley, two “mama bears”—conservative, Christian mothers whose profound love for their LGBTQ+ children has turned them into fierce advocates for the entire queer community—and Tammi Terrell Morris, a young African American lesbian whose struggle for self-acceptance perfectly exemplifies why the mama bears are so vitally important. MAMA BEARS is the story of women who have allowed nearly every aspect of their lives to be completely reshaped by love. Although they may have grown up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians, mama bears are willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to keep their children safe—even if it challenges their belief systems and rips their worlds apart.
Jury members were Julie Parker Benello (Founder of Secret Sauce Media and co-founder of Chicken & Egg Pictures), Trevor Groth (film financier at 30WEST) and Heather Rae (producer).
One in a Million Awards - The One in a Million Awards honor feature length stories made for under one million dollars. One narrative and one documentary film are each awarded.
NARRATIVE WINNER: Karmalink, directed by Jake Wachtel
DOCUMENTARY WINNER: Sirens, directed by Rita Baghdadi
The SVShorty Award - The best short film across all categories. All shorts are eligible for this award.
WINNER: Last Days of August, directed by Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck and Robert Machoian
SPECIAL MENTION: Starfuckers, directed by Antonio Marziale
Jury members were Kimberley Browning (Founder and festival director of Hollywood Shorts Film Festival), Lindsay Calleran (writer, director and co-producer) and Steven Snyder (Innisfree Pictures).
The Gem State Award - The best short film made in Idaho. The films in the Idaho Shorts program are eligible for this award.
WINNER: Meridian, directed by Aidan Brezonick
SVFF Film & Screenwriting Competition Winners
High Scribe Award - The High Scribe honors an emerging voice in screenwriting with Jared Stern, Zach Baylin and Trevor Groth, serving as judge and mentor of the contest. Three finalists were selected which include:
WINNER: Shooting at BAllerinas, written by Hank Isaac
Future Filmmaker Forum - Showcases student-made films and encourages students in their craft, storytelling and self-expression.
HOT SHOT WINNER: The First 280 Honest Words of My Life, directed by Ella Janes
2nd PLACE: Pho, directed by Ethan CHu
3rd PLACE: The Hole, directed by Piotr Kazmierczak
The festival saw attendance rise this year with the sold-out opening night screening of the Hemingway drama Across the River and Into the Trees, standing room only Coffee Talks, and two of the four passes selling out before the festival began. Festival highlights included, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler receiving the Vision Award, Danny Strong receiving the Pioneer Award presented by Variety, Dr. Nathalie Dougé as recipient of National Geographic’s Further Award, and Rising Star Award honorees, the cast of Outer Banks: Madelyn Cline, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Austin North, Drew Starkey and Carlacia Grant. SVFF is grateful to have the continued support of longtime festival partners and patrons including National Geographic, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Our Gorongosa, Variety and the community of generous arts supporters.
Beginning this summer, the Sun Valley Film Festival will expand into year-round storytelling through a monthly series of events including Cocktail Talks, Dinner & A Movie, The Score, World premieres, Works-In-Progress and more. The festival will work with patrons, community leaders and industry friends to help curate and develop programming for this initiative. Commenting on the program said SVFF Executive Director Teddy Grennan and Festival Director Candice Pate, “This growth has been under development for more than two years and because of a patron's initiative and our relationship with the Argyros Performing Arts Center, we're able to launch this incredible opportunity and make it a staple of the Valley. We are excited to create additional programming outside of the Sun Valley Film Festival.”