by: Alana Brown-Davis
This week, The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced the winners of its 2nd Annual Gotham Week Honors.
Four main awards were given including ‘U.S. Features in Development’, ‘U.S. Shorts to Features’, ‘Documentaries’, and ‘Global Producer of The Year’.
‘The Third Kind’ written and directed by Alex Lora and executive produced by Erin McIntyre, won the ‘U.S. Shorts to Features’ honor. According to The Gotham, this film follows a disabled caretaker who bonds with a nonverbal child with otherworldly abilities. ‘Seoul Switch’ written and directed by Liann Kaye and produced by Margaret Cho and Bobbi Luther earned a special mention.
‘Little Phnom Penh’ written and directed by Chheangkea, produced by Karen Madar, and executive produced by Ian Bricke won ‘U.S. Features in Development’. ‘Homestalker’, written and directed by Olivia Jampol, produced by Russ Posternak and Chadd Harbold won a special mention.
‘Untitled Doctor Project’ written and produced by Poh Si Teng, produced by Kirsten Barfad and Reem Haddad took the ‘Documentaries’ honor. The documentary explored three American doctors-Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian who enter Gaza to save lives. ‘Kinfolk’ directed by Nicole Craine and prodcued by Darcy McKinnon received a special mention.
Menaic Raoul, producer of ‘The Other’ earned the ‘Global Producer of the Year’ award. ‘The Other’ follows a writer grappling with a horrible cancer surgery who shares a hospital room with a wounded criminal. Unbenownst to him, the criminal is planning his demise. Sally Oh, producer of ‘Paper Skin’ received a special mention.
The Gotham Honors has several other awards in addition to its core four. The ‘Alumni of Distinction Award’ went to filmmakers Derek Cianfrance and Laura Poitras. CEO of Kickstarter Everette Taylor received the ‘Gotham Week Honors Cultural Impact Award’ in recognition of Kickstarter’s support of the independent filmmaking community.
‘Move Ya Body: The Birth of House’ a documentary directed by Elegance Bratton, prodcued by Chester Algernal Gordon, received the ‘Best Film Not Playing at a Theater near You Award’. The film traces house music to its earliest days and tells the story of Balck Chicago teenager Vince Lawrence who was the target of racist violence at the infamous “Disco Demolition Night” in 1979. ‘Move Ya Body’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.