NewFest Announces Winners of 35th Anniversary Fest

NewFest, the LGBTQ+ film festival, has announced the winners for the festival’s 35th anniversary.

Grand Jury Awards included Erica Tremblay Fancy dancing for the narrative film: Goran Stolevskis Household for beginners for the international film Daniel Goncalves Accessibility for documentaries and Nyala Moon’s Expand for maximum results for New York Short.

The announcement, which also included several additional winners and honorees, was made today at the festival’s awards ceremony in Brooklyn by NewFest Executive Director David Hatkoff, Program Director Nick McCarthy and Programmer and Jury Coordinator Murtada Elfadl.

“This year’s 35th edition of the New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival showed that queer cinema is stronger than ever,” said Hatkoff and McCarthy. “The award winners demonstrate the breadth of stories in our community and films at the highest level. We thank our esteemed juries and sponsors of these awards for their dedication and expert insights and congratulate the award winners and all our filmmakers at NewFest35.”

As part of NewFest’s Black Filmmakers Initiative, the festival awards the Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Grant to three juried filmmakers who have each programmed short films with black LGTBQ+ protagonists at the festival.

This jury prize goes to filmmakers who demonstrate excellence in capturing the Black LGBTQ+ experience with authenticity, insightful expression, innovation and promising mastery of the language of film. The three filmmakers who received the $1,500 Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award were directors Tramaine Raphael Gray for “Becoming”, Clementine Narcisse for “Girl Blunt” and Miranda Haymon for “Sis”.

In addition to the jury awards, NewFest also announced the winners of the NewFest + NYWIFT Emerging Filmmaker Award and the NewFest + Vimeo First-Time Filmmaker Award. The recipient of the 2023 NewFest + NYWIFT Emerging Filmmaker Award was Daisy Friedman, director of The way you are. The NewFest + Vimeo Award for First Time Filmmakers goes to Brielle Leblanc, director of Rock all year round.

Earlier this week, NewFest awarded Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Todd Haynes this year’s Queer Visionary Award for his legacy and outstanding contributions to cinema. Haynes received the award at a special panel before the screening of May December on Thursday, October 19.

The audience awards for the festival, including Best Documentary, Best Narrative, Best Documentary Short and Best Narrative Short, will be announced after the festival on Tuesday 24 October.

Full winners and prizes:

American Jury Awards for Narrative Feature Films

The NewFest 2023 US Narrative Features judges were Tribeca programmer Casey Baron, filmmaker/actor Pooya Mohseni and publicist Curtis Russell.

Grand Jury Prize Winners: fancy dance, director: Erica Tremblay

Jury Statement: “Fancy dancing explores issues of family and heritage in the Seneca-Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma without tokenization or exoticization. Based on the precise performances of Lily Gladstone and Isabel Deroy-Olson and packed with a sense of place and culture, director Erica Tremblay’s domestic thriller unfolds in a tender and powerful catharsis that rewrites the rules of the genre. At the same time an indictment of broken systems and a tribute to the creation of strange worlds. Fancy dancing is a fierce whisper that speaks volumes.”

Special mention: Cor Bora

Jury Statement: “Cor Bora maintains a brilliant balance between cheesy comedy and pathos thanks to the light touch of skilled craftsmen on both sides of the camera. Director Hannah Pearl Utt guides a game ensemble through the chaos left behind by Megan Stalter’s injured Cora, while Senda Bonnet’s humanistic cinematography and Kent Kincannon’s razor-sharp editing heighten the laughs in RhianonJones’ sharp script. The awkward pansexual orgy at the horse farm is the icing on the cake.”

International Jury Prizes for Narrative Feature Films

The NewFest 2023 International Narrative Features jurors served with them as editors-in-chief. Sarah Burke, Cleveland + Trinidad & Tobago programmer Ivonne Cotorruelo and New York Times writer/critic Juan A. Ramirez.

Grand Jury Prize Winners: household for beginners, Directed by Goran Stolevski

Jury statement: “His third film in two years, that of Goran Stolevski Household for beginnerss – which the Macedonian filmmaker wrote, directed and edited – radiates a tender embrace even as it keeps the characters close together. This ode to strange kinship introduces us frenetically to the biological, chosen and idiosyncratic members of a family gathered in the night capital of North Macedonia against the backdrop of settler colonialism, “temporary”, unfriendly health care and the universal clash of personalities. “The superb ensemble brings to life Stolevski’s vibrant sense of atmosphere, tone and tempo, creating a group portrait that is equal, cacophonous, compassionate and contemporary.”

Special mention: Carmen Madonia, lead artist in Something you said last night

Jury statement: “Carmen Madonia’s leading role in the moving road trip film, Something you said last nightis the kind of breakthrough that actors and their audiences dream of, let alone their film debut. Madonia creates a character whose witty demeanor we desperately want to relate to, with a depth that evokes deep feelings and ushers in a powerful new talent.

Jury prizes for documentaries

The NewFest 2023 Documentary Features judges were Coordinator, Documentary Fund at Sundance Institute Evan Neff and writer/JEOPARDY! Champion Amy Schneider.

Grand Jury Prize Winners: flexibilityDirected by: Daniel Goncalves

Jury statement: “In this ode to the interface between sex life and disability, sensual and piquant testimonies are presented. The film holds its participants in a creepy awe as they expand the contours of strange desire and joy. Unconscious biases are exposed by inviting the viewer to embody the strange, wild and beautiful.”

Special mention: Má Sai Gòn (Mother Saigon), directed by Khoa Lê

The jury’s reasons: “A special mention is necessary Má Sai Gòn (Mother Saigon) for Khoa Lê’s lyrical direction that highlights the grace in vibrant queer lives and the constant care with which we nurture our communities.

New York Short Jury Awards

The judges for NewFest 2023 New York Shorts were filmmaker Frances Arpaia, INTO writer/critic Joshua Mackey and SNL writer Celeste Yim.

Grand Jury Prize Winner: “Dilation For Maximum Results,” directed by Nyala Moon

Jury statement: “Moon’s short film is a detailed comic portrayal of a trans woman’s challenges with real intimacy. The jury was very impressed by Moon’s unique form, which combines the rhythm of animation with the emotional reality of live action. This exciting and moving film also succeeds in a very difficult task: to make a situation funny for both the audience who have experienced it and those who have not. The judges unanimously agreed that Nyala Moon needs a TV show…Now!!!”

Special mention: The valleysdirected by Angalis Field

The jury’s reasons: “With its subtle dialogue and captivating scenery, Field’s short film is a beautiful coming-of-age story for a young trans man. This compelling short film conveys the weight of a small moment with intense empathy for its protagonist and a calming combination of lightness, desire and longing. (And directory display!).”

Scholarships for Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmakers (Part of NewFest’s Black Filmmakers Initiative)

The judges for the NewFest 2023 Black Filmmakers Initiative were filmmakers Elegance Bratton and Michael Rice and producer, model, actor and activist Jari Jones.

Price: $1,500 per movie + 1 year Vimeo subscription

WordDirector: Tramaine Raphael Gray

Jury Statement: “Word is a wonderfully engaging cinematic short that challenges traditional narrative conventions and takes audiences on an introspective journey of self-discovery with the main character, Shawn, a young black queer man struggling with toxic masculinity in his community, while also exploring his relationship with his brother navigated. explore Rashad maintains balance. Directed by Tremaine Rapheal Gray, this film combines themes of identity, brotherhood and the power of dreams with touches of magic and realism to create a thought-provoking story. “Becoming” is a deft blend of surrealism and grounded reality, designed to engage people inside and outside the LGBTQIA community in conversations about family dynamics, self-expression, homophobia, bullying, and a unifying theme of self-love in the face of adversity.

Girl bluntDirector: Clementine Narcisse

Jury Statement: “Girl blunt represents the emergence of a wonderfully idiosyncratic new voice in queer film. Clementine Narcisse’s film is promising. Due to the incredible sense of style, the strong performances of the two leads and the unexpected possibilities of visual storytelling, Girl Stump gave us the urges! The jury is delighted with the award and is excited to see what this filmmaker will create next.”

Sister, Directed by: Miranda Haymon

Jury statement: “Sus is a love letter to the familiar, queer moment of spontaneity and chance, the Black Queer “YOLO,” we’ve been waiting for. With its phenomenal lead performances, Sus strategically and with great complexity gives us a romantic story that subverts the straight, male, white rom-com standard we are used to and leaves this NewFest audience with a real hunger for what comes next. leave behind, not only the characters Michelle & Sadie, but also the director Miranda Haymon!!! This year’s jury was honored to not only award this scholarship, but also to see outstanding black queer films.”

NewFest + NYWIFT Emerging Filmmaker Awards

Presented in association with New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) to celebrate the work of an outstanding emerging female filmmaker at this year’s festival.

Prize: $1,000 and a one-year membership to NYWIFT

The way you areDirected by Daisy Friedman

NewFest + Vimeo Award for First Filmmaker

Presented in association with Vimeo to honor a debut short filmmaker.

Price: $1,000 and 1 year Vimeo subscription

The one year old rock, Directed by Brielle Leblanc

Strange Visionary Award

Awarded on October 19

Oscar and Emmy nominated filmmaker Todd Haynes (May December)

The NewFest LGBTQ+ Film Festival in New York will conclude its in-person screenings on October 22nd and will be virtually at home until October 24th. Screenings will be available nationwide to ticket holders through NewFest’s on-demand platform and in person at New York City theaters.