Festival honors its top films
‘Shepherds and Butchers’ gets two awards at Woodstock Film Festival ceremony
KINGSTON >> The film “Shepherds and Butchers” was the big winner at the Woodstock Film Festival’s Maverick Awards ceremony that was to feature presenters like director Alejandro González Iñárritu and actor Ben Foster at Backstage Studio Productions on Wall Street on Saturday night.
“Shepherds And Butchers,” directed by Oliver Schmitz won the Best Feature Narrative Award and Best Cinematography at the Saturday ceremony.
Also honored was David Linde, executive producer on Iñárritu’s Oscar-winning film, “Biutiful.” Linde received the Trailblazer Award.
An Academy-Award winning director, Iñárritu (“The Revenant,” “Birdman”), was to present Linde with the award for his leadership as CEO of Participant Media, which aims to showcase films of social change, according to the festival.
Linde is credited with nurturing film and filmmakers, including Iñárritu, Ang Lee, Roman Polanski, Zhang Yimou, and Alfonso and Jonás Cuarón. According to the festival, Linde has played a part in “Heavenly Creatures,” “Bullets Over Broadway”, “Pulp Fiction,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Constant Gardener” and “The Pianist.”
Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Oren Moverman received this year’s Fiercely Independent Award. The award was to be presented by Foster, who starred in Moverman’s 2009 Academy-Award nominated film “The Messenger.” That film opened the film festival in 2009, and also starred Woody Harrelson and Steve Buscemi, both past festival honorees.
Moverman, a writer, director and producer, went on to direct “Rampart” (also starring Foster), “Time out of Mind” and the upcoming film starring R ichard Gere, “The Dinner.” Foster is currently starring “Hell or High Water” and is known from
his roles in movies like “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “3:10 to Yuma” and television shows like “Freaks & Geeks” and HBO’s “Six Feet Under.”
He will appear along Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones in Ron Howard’s upcoming “Inferno.”
Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and Woodstock resident Leon Gast received
the Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor was to be presented by filmmaker and director Barbara Kopple. Gast’s newest film, “Woodstock: A Love Poem,” will be the closing night film at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Woodstock Playhouse. His 1996 documentary, “When We Were Kings” won the Academy Award for Documentary Feature.
The films honored at Saturday’s cereomny were:
• “Shepherds and Butchers,” directed by Oliver Schmitz won the Best Feature Narrative Award.
• “Stronger Than Bullets,” directed by Matthew Millan, won Best Feature Documentary Award. “Real Boy,” directed by Shaleece Haas, received Honorable Mention.
• “Slow Wave,” directed by Andy Kennedy, won Best Animation.
• “Graffiti,” directed by Llius Quilez, won Best Short Narrative.
• “La Laguna,” directed by Aaron Schoc, won Best Short Documentary.
• Best Cinematography went to “Shepherds and Butchers,” with cinematography by Leah Striker.
• “Paint It Black,” edited by Paul Frank, won the Editing Award for Narrative Feature. Honorable Mention went to “My Feral Heart,” edited by Benjamin Gerstein.
• “Real Boy,” edited by Andrew Gersh, won the Editing Award for Documentary Feature. Honorable Mention was presented to “Kivalina,” directed by Gina Abatemarco.
• “Halfway,” directed by Ben Caird, won the Ultra Indie Award. Honorable
Mention was presented to “My First Kiss And The People Involved,” directed by Luigi Campi.
• “Neruda,” directed by Pablo Larrain, won the World Cinema Award. Honorable Mention went to “Clean Hands” for a performance by Thekla Reuten.
• Best Female Feature Director was presented to Maria Govan, of “Play The Devil.”
• Carpe Diem Andretta Award For Best Film, for living life to its fullest, in honor of Vincent Jay Andretta
III, was presented by Lauri and Jimmy Andretta to “A Year By The Sea,” directed by Alexander Janko.
The Maverick Award trophies are handcrafted by Steve Heller of Fabulous Furniture in Boiceville.
The 17th annual festival, which began on Thursday and features screenings in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Rosendale and Saugerties, ends on Sunday.
Visit http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/ for listings.