2015 NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL
INCLUDES PREMIERES AND OSCAR HOPEFULS STORY BY W. H. BOURNE PHOTOS BY TARA THIERRY
E
ach year, New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) screens some studio fare, many of which were shot in Louisiana. This year was no exception with films like Our Brand is Crisis and I Saw the Light making their Louisiana premieres. The festival’s opening night film, Born to Blue, was actually posted in Louisiana. For some the biggest premiere was the re-opening of the Orpheum Theater, a historic landmark that had been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina.
NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL 2015 AWARDS TECHNICAL AWARDS
Opening Night Gala at the historic Civic Theatre.
Other Oscar hopefuls such as Room, Carol and closing night film Brooklyn, while not shot or posted in Louisiana, got rave reviews from audiences. In fact Room won an Audience Spotlight Award. Of course this year marked the first time that a winning documentary short from NOFF would qualify for the Oscars. Invisible (Niewidzialne) by Zofia Pregowska took that honor. In general, it was a bumper crop for films this year. The pool of NOFF submissions numbered over 3,400 and represented 100 countries of origin, both records for the organization. The 172 films selected from submissions that screened this year represent 48 features and 124 shorts. All shorts competed for a jury award, and a small number of feature films competed for a jury award. New Orleans Film Festival, as usual, was complete with parties, panels, food, and music. At the Filmmakers Awards Ceremony and Brunch at Republic, hundreds of filmmakers, jurors and NOFF staff gathered to hear the announcement of the 2015 Jury Award Winners. After the festival, Audience Choice Winners were announced. These ten winners were selected from more than 190 films, which included 68 feature-length and 124 short films. Voting was conducted by completing ballots upon exiting film screenings. The closing night party was at the historic Latter Library. Many attendees were already caught up in the Oscar buzz speculating who might get nominated based on what they had seen. Filmmakers were still networking, but many party guests were tired from the nine days of festivities. It was a spectacular event with something for almost any cinephile. If you plan to travel to NOFF in 2016, you may want to add on a few days to your vacation so you can actually get some rest! LFV For more coverage on New Orleans Film Festival, be sure to see our articles in this issue on Our Brand is Crisis, I Saw the Light, Reversing the Mississippi, Little Hero,
Apex Post Award for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film Prize: $2500 in sound services from APEX Post The Mourning Hills Director: R. Todd Campbell Apex Post Special Mention for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film Prize: $1000 in sound services from APEX Post Us Against The World Director: Andrea Kühnel Cinematography Award: Louisiana Narrative Feature Prize: $10,000 camera package from CineVerse Winner: DJ McConduit Cinematography credits: Love Me True (feature); Copper Kingdom, The Lot and Tough Love (shorts) Cinematography Award: Louisiana Narrative Short Prize: $10,000 camera package from CineVerse Winner: Natalie Kingston, who shot five different films Cinematography credits: 2B or Not 2B, Atchafalaya, Dandelion, Rite and Si JURY AWARDS ANIMATION Jurors: Emily Hubley, Florian Perinelle, Leah Shore Special Jury Award: Animation Prize: Toon Boom Harmony Premium (one year license) We Can’t Live Without the Cosmos Director: Konstantin Bronzit Helen Hill Jury Award for Animation Prize: Toon Boom Storyboard Pro (one year license); Toon Boom Harmony Premium (one year license) The Sun Like a Big Dark Animal (El sol como un gran animal oscuro) Director: Christina Felisgrau and Ronnie Rivera EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS Jurors: Jane Cassidy, Joris Lindhout, Leslie Raymond
Louisiana Film & Video Magazine’s Party at NOFF, 7 Things I Learned From the Free Panels at NOFF, Love Me True and the #CreateLA Film Prize. ISSUE FIVE 2015
LOUISIANA FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE
43