Jackson Free Press

The Crossroads Film Festival ended today with announcements of winning films, including a small handful done by Mississippi filmmakers. Here is a verbatim release with (M) following those by Mississippi filmmakers and a (J) for those based in Jackson:

After an amazing Sunday Awards Brunch on Sunday (special thanks to Iron Horse Grill - our amazing venue!), Crossroads Film Society is pleased to announce the winning films for the 2017 Crossroads Film Festival:

Award for Best Feature Narrative (sponsored by I.A.T.S.E. Local 478) - You Are Everything (Germany), Dir. Lena Geller, Prod. Matthias Becker

Award for Best Short Narrative - The Swelling (Germany), Dir. Tom Bewilogua, Prod. Chris Krüger

Award for Best Feature Documentary - Forgotten Bayou (USA), Dir. Victoria Greene, Prod. Victoria Greene, John Darling Haynes & Paul E. LeDoux

Award for Best Short Documentary - Inside These Walls (Canada), Dir. Lorraine Price & Juliet Lammers, Prod. John Christou & Aisling Chin-Yee

Award for Best Experimental Film - Other People's Heads (USA), Dir. & Prod. Stephen Winterhalter

Award for Best Animated Film - Chika, the Dog in the Ghetto (Germany), Dir. Sandra Schießl, Prod. Björn Magsig, Marion Heinßen, Katrin Pilz, Marcus Horn & Annick Hillger

Award for Best Student Film - The Happiest Place on Earth (USA), Dir. & Prod. Ceylan Carhoglu & Ryan King

Adam Ford Youth Filmmaking Award - A Little Love Goes a Long Clay (USA), Dir. & Prod. Juliet Buckholdt (M)

Award for Best Music Video - "Until We're All Free" by John Kilzer & Kirk Whalum (USA), Dir. Laura Jean Hocking, Prod. Wade Archer

Award for Most Transformative Film - The Parchman Ordeal: The Untold Story (USA), Dir. G. Mark LaFrancis, Prod. G. Mark LaFrancis, Darrell White, Robert Morgan (M)

Programmers' Choice Award - Shy Guys (USA), Dir. & Prod. Fredric Lehne

The Ruma Award for Most Promising Mississippi Filmmaker goes to Joe York for Shake 'Em On Down (USA), Dir. Joe York, Prod. Joe York & Scott Barretta (M)

Audience Choice Award - Eyes on Mississippi (USA), Prod. Ellen Ann Fentress, Edited Lida Gibson (M) (J)

Audience Choice Award (Music Video) - "My City" (by Adam Collier), Dir. Philip Scarborough, Prod. Tom Beck (M) (J)

"Lagniappe Awards" (Honorable Mention)

The programming team is pleased to offer these special "Lagniappe Awards" to films we particularly enjoyed. The "Lagniappe Award" is an "honorable mention" for filmmaking achievement, for content, and/or for sheer fun! The only criteria are that a programmer must nominate the film, and it must not have won in another category. "Lagniappe Award" winning films receive a certificate of merit and special Crossroads laurels. Winners of the 2017 "Lagniappe Awards" are:

The Five Wives and Lives of Melvyn Pfferberg (UK), Dir. & Prod. Damian Samuels

Hate Crime (USA), Dir. Steven Esteb, Prod. Alicia Allain

HB1523: Growing Up LGBT in Mississippi (USA), Dir. Eli Bettiga & Maggie Jefferis, Prod. Mississippi Youth Media Project (M) (J)

The Learning Alliance (Pakistan), Dir. Muhammad Umar Saeed, Prod. Muhammad Farrukh Saeed & Muhammad Umar Saeed

Moby (Switzerland), Dir. & Prod. Sebastian Henn

The News Today (USA), Dir. Lisa Donato, Prod. Emily Irion

Pink Velvet Valley (Belgium), Dir. & Prod. Sébastien Petretti

Pool (Piscina) (Brazil), Dir. Leandro Goddinho, Prod. Amina Jorge & Leandro Goddinho

Renewable (Renovable) (Spain), Dir. Jon Garaño & Jose Mari Goenaga, Prod. Xabier Berzosa & Javier Bonilla

Sharks (Spain), Dir. Gabriel Fernandez-Gil, Prod. Wicked Tongues

Valentin (Germany), Dir. & Prod. Ingrid Hübscher

The Wedding Patrol (Die Hochzeitspolizei) (Germany), Dir. Rogier Hardeman, Prod. Alexander Pfeuffer & Christian R. Timmann

Congratulations to all these films and their filmmakers!

Special thanks to our panel of judges:

Special thanks to Tom Acito, Clint Bowie, Dr. Wilma Mosley Clopton, Ellen Ann Fentress, Andreas Herzog, David Rae Morris, Margaret McMullan, Pat O'Connor, Alem Sapp, Kevin Slark, Demetrius Wren.