The 32nd Raindance Film Festival (June 19-28) has revealed its jury award winners, reflecting a renewed focus on emerging filmmakers.
Korean thriller “Sleep,” directed by Jason Yu and starring Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, took home the Discovery Award for best debut feature. The film marks Lee’s final role before his passing.
Brandt Anderson’s “The Strangers’ Case,” a multi-perspective drama about Syrian refugees, won best international feature. The documentary category saw “Searching for Amani” emerge victorious. Directed by Debra Aroko and Nicole Gormley, the Kenya/U.S. co-production follows a 13-year-old boy investigating his father’s murder within a Kenyan wildlife conservancy.
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Luke Gilford secured best debut director for “National Anthem,” a coming-of-age tale set in the world of queer rodeo. Paula Grimaldo claimed best performance in a debut feature for her turn in “The Quiet Maid,” portraying a young Colombian woman working for a wealthy Spanish family who seeks revenge.
The Spirit of Raindance Award went to “Dog War,” Andrew Abrahams’ documentary about veterans rescuing dogs from South Korean meat farms.
Raindance’s new Innovation in Storytelling award spotlights indie game-changers. The first recipient is Jay Alvarez’s relationship drama “Something’s More Than One Thing.”
In the shorts categories, “The Masterpiece” (Spain) won best live action, while “A Body Called Life” (U.S./Switzerland/Poland) took best documentary. “74” (Cyprus) claimed best animation, and “Housewarming” (U.K) was named best U.K. short.
The festival’s jury boasted an array of talent from both sides of the camera. Actors Alice Englert, Claes Bang, Diego Luna, Jared Harris, John McCrea and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett were joined by industry professionals including producer Al Morrow, Mubi’s Daniel Green, Protagonist’s Emilie Szemraj, producer Ivana MacKinnon, Cornerstone’s Joanne Michael and Festival Formula founder Katie Bignell. The panel also included Dogwoof’s Nafi Gordon-Sy, director Paul Sng, actor-writer-producer Adam Morris, Allied Global Marketing’s Denise Parkinson, and Eleanor’s executive producer Jack Howard.
Raindance introduced the Rainmaker Award this year, honoring allies of independent film outside the industry. The inaugural recipient is Thompson Dean, chair and co-head of Avista’s investment committee.
The festival’s script competition awarded Darryl Wimberley’s “A Seeping Wound” as best unproduced screenplay.
As an Oscar-qualifying festival, Raindance’s short film winners are now eligible for Academy Award consideration in their respective categories.
