“The Two Popes,” “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life,” Trey Edward Shults, “A White, White Day,” And Honored At Hamptons International Film Festival

Following another successful iteration, HamptonsFilm has announced the 27th Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) award winners.

Fernando Meirelles’ The Two Popes was honored with the Audience Award for Narrative Feature, while Ric Burns’ Oliver Sacks: His Own Life won Audience Award for Documentary Feature and Drea Cooper & Zackary Canepari’s Fire in Paradise was awarded the Audience Award for Best Short Film.

“We are thrilled to announce this year’s audience award winners. Filmgoers were captivated by the dynamic performances and historic moments in religious history of The Two Popes, the exploration of extraordinary neurologist and storyteller Oliver Sacks in Oliver Sacks: His Own Life, and the gripping recount of the terrifying wildfires in Butte County, California in Fire in Paradise,” HamptonsFilm Artistic Director David Nugent relayed.

Trey Edward Shults, writer and director of HIFF’s Closing Night Film Waves, was surprised with the inaugural Zicherman Family Foundation Screenwriting Award at the screening. The $10,000 award was established to commemorate an early-career screenwriter that has “demonstrated singular vision and dedication to their craft.”

Hlynur Pálmason’s A White, White Day was selected as Best Narrative Feature, sponsored by Warby Parker. Sung-a Yoon’s Overseas received the award for Best Documentary Feature, sponsored by Investigation Discovery. Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers’ Just Me and You took home the award for Best Narrative Short Film, while Bassam Tariq’s Ghosts of Sugar Land was fêted with Best Documentary Short Film, qualifying both Short Films for Academy® awards consideration.

“We are proud to have screened all the films in this year’s program for our audiences out East and share such a strong slate of cinema,” Nugent noted.

Miguel Ioann Littin Menz was honored with a Special Cinematography Award for his work on The Vast of Night. Anke Blondé earned a Breakthrough Achievement in Filmmaking Award for The Best of Dorien B.

Alla Kovgan’s Cunningham received a Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision, while Suhaib Gasmelbari’s Talking About Trees was honored with a Special Jury Prize for Indomitable Spirit of Storytelling, Lasse Linder’s All Cats Are Grey In The Dark earned a Special Jury Prize for Originality, and Alexander A. Mora’s The Nightcrawlers received a Special Jury Prize for Creative Filmmaking.

Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ For Sama was selected as the 2019 Brizzolara Family Foundation Award to Films of Conflict and Resolution honoree.

“As we close out the 27th edition of the festival, we are thrilled to announce this year’s awardees. We are in awe of these films and the talented filmmakers behind each of them,” said Nugent. “This year brought an abundance of captivating films with wide ranging topics and engaging conversations.”

Tom Dolby’s The Artist’s Wife, which was filmed throughout the East End, was awarded the Suffolk County Next Exposure Grant.

Lesley Chilcott’s Watson was honored with the Zelda Penzel Giving Voice to the Voiceless Award. The Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice was awarded to Treva Wurmfeld’s Conscience Point, which also focuses on the East End.

“We are proud of all the incredible premieres, screenings and events over the past five days for the 27th Hamptons International Film Festival,” added Anne Chaisson, HamptonsFilm Executive Director. “We are thankful to all of the filmmakers for sharing their extraordinary films and talents with our audience, and also wish to extend sincere gratitude to our staff, sponsors and film loving community, without whom the festival would not be possible.”