2021 JURY + AWARDS
ESTEEMED JURY MEMBERS
2021 AWARD WINNERS
JURY AWARDS
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE | 7 Days (USA)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Bangla Surf Girls (Bangladesh)
BEST SHORT | Documentary – Zaida (USA)
Narrative – Turned (Denmark)
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMS | Best Short – The Bathtub (Barcelona)
Best Feature – ATLAS (Italy)
JURY CASH AWARDS
DR. GEORGE M. SANGER STUDENT FILM AWARDS
GRAND PRIZE | AMAL (USA)
Advanced Student Award | SCAR (USA)
High School or Younger | IN THE WEEDS (Canada)
THE DALE ST. DENIS FEMALE FILMMAKER AWARDS
MARY PICKFORD AWARD | Far East Deep South – Larissa Lam
FEARLESS FEMALE FILMMAKER | Bangla Surf Girls – Lalita Krishna
FEARLESS FEMALE FILMMAKER | RAW – Joanna Koss
EMERALD AWARD
*This year we had a tie for the Emerald Award!
Plant Heist | Chelsi de Cuba
Sounds of the Sidewalk: A Journey Goodbye | Ray Velasquez and Michele Zousme
COMPETITION AWARDS
Awards may include, but are not limited to, the following categories:
Best Narrative Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best International Film
Best Short Film
JURIED CASH AWARDS
Advocating for strong independent voices in film, CIFF offers numerous cash awards to support emerging and independent filmmakers.
DALE ST. DENIS FEMALE FILMMAKER AWARD
TERRY CURTIN, HEAD JUROR
KRISTIE KERSHAW
A $5000.00 Award Donated in memory of Dale St. Denis, Coronado architect, artist, and staunch supporter of the women who brought CIFF to life, by his wife Doug St. Denis.
Three cash prizes will be awarded for excellent achievement by one or more female filmmakers in any category:
$2,000 – The Mary Pickford Award for outstanding achievement in filmmaking. Named for the industry pioneer whose vision, persistence and independent spirit took her from ingénue to major celebrity to producer of her own films, to co-founding United Artists studio.
$3,000 – The Fearless Female Filmmaker Award for outstanding achievement by a female filmmaker who started with an idea, ran with it, and brought it to the screen for the rest of us to discuss, debate, and perhaps even shift our perception.
EMERALD AWARD
NANCY MCRAE, HEAD JUROR
PETER MCRAE
Sponsored by Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr – Any category
A $5000.00 Award Awarded to the film or films that best portray the following: A person (or persons) who identifies a need or wrong, takes a risk, and works selflessly to promote peace, education, freedom from oppression, well-being, and/or protection of the planet and all that live upon it. A film that reminds viewers that each of us can be a force for good in the world.
In the event of more than one winner in this category, the cash prize will be distributed among the winners at the judges’ discretion.
THE DR. GEORGE M. SANGER STUDENT FILM AWARD
MITCHELL BLOCK, HEAD JUROR
KIM MAGNUSSON
VANESSA BLOCK
A $5000.00 Established in memory of the beloved Coronado physician who “always loved encouraging young people,” by his wife Blossom, and underwritten by daughter Wendy McGuire, and son in law Dev Purkayastha
We are honored to present this award on behalf of the Sanger family. The jury will select one grand prize film that will be awarded $2,000 and the remainder of the prize funds will be divided at the discretion of our jury members regardless of category, representing the best of young, fresh, emerging film talent.
In the event of more than one grand prize winner (jury tie), the cash prize will be distributed among the winners in an amount determined by the jury.
2020 AUDIENCE WINNERS
AUDIENCE AWARD | NOMADLAND
Documentary Feature | Runner (tie) (USA)
Documentary Feature | Fish & Men (tie) (USA)
Narrative Short | Alina (USA)
Documentary Short | The Other Fab Four (UK)
Comedy Short | Ms. Rossi (Italy)
Dramatic/Horror Short | Over the Edge (Australia)
STUDENT SHORTS
Narrative Short | Brother’s Keeper (USA)
Documentary Short | A Little Patch of Earth (USA)
2020 JURY AWARD-WINNING FILMS
THE LEONARD MALTIN TRIBUTE AWARD
JURY AWARDS
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE | Two Ways Home
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | The Prison Within
SPECIAL RECOGNITION DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | Fish & Men
BEST SHORT | Alina
DR. GEORGE M. SANGER STUDENT FILM AWARDS
GRAND PRIZE | My War
JURY CASH AWARD RECIPIENTS
Estranged
Anna & Sloane Go to the Beach
Dia de las Carpas
Special Recognition | The Humanity Test
THE DALE ST. DENIS FEMALE FILMMAKER AWARDS
MARY PICKFORD AWARD | Two Ways Home
FEARLESS FEMALE FILMMAKER | Double Exposure
FRANCES MARION AWARD | Alina
EMERALD AWARD
Kiss The Ground
THE JURY AWARDS HAVE BEEN GRACIOUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY
The Emerald Award(s) Sponsored by Ken Fitzgerald and Ruby Carr
Dr. George M. Sanger Student Film Award(s) – Wendy McGuire AND Dev Purkayastha
The Dale St. Denis Female Filmmaker Award(s) – Doug St. Denis
SHOW PRODUCER | Jim Koytk, Voice and Video