SDFF 2022 JURY AWARDS BY CATEGORY
JURY AWARDS - FEATURES
BEST FILM
COWS ON THE ROOF
Director: Aldo Gugolz
Fabiano is haunted by nightmares. They are a reflection of his life as the heir of his father’s small-scale agricultural business. Nothing is going the way it should… he is in debt, the alpine hut that he rents for the summer is dilapidated, and the goats cheese business is no longer profitable. Fabiano is not exactly in a good place to start a family, but will be a father soon. His girlfriend Eva is expecting – and is hoping to fulfill her dreams of a simple life surrounded by nature and animals. But how can they build a life together in such difficult circumstances?
Jury Notes
“The jury selected Cows on the Roof as the winner of this year’s competition for its unique point of view, beautiful cinematography and unflinching portrait of its’ hardscrabble subjects.”
SPECIAL MENTION
THE ART OF UN-WAR
Director: Maria Niro
Artist Krzysztof Wodiczko uses art, design, and technology to empower marginalized communities. This rare glimpse into the life and thought-provoking public projections of the Polish-born artist sheds light on his lifelong investigation of monuments, war, and trauma. The evolution of his political art unfolds throughout the film, from his first intervention created in Warsaw, Poland (his birthplace) in 1968, through his latest effort to transform Paris’ monument to war Arc De Triomphe into its complete antithesis -a temporary site for war abolitionism and peace activism.
Jury Notes
“The Art of Un-War, for its beautifully conceived and compelling profile of the artist Krzysztof Wodiczko. At this critical moment his brilliant and inspiring art challenges us to rethink our perception and understanding of war.”
JURY AWARD NOMINEES – FEATURES
JURY AWARDS - SHORTS
Film Description:
In this poetic, visually-stunning short, virtuoso jazz pianist and film composer Kris Bowers tracks his family’s lineage through his 91 year-old grandfather from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Jury Notes:
“Beautifully shot, edited, and produced. A warm, uplifting story about resilience and creativity. Compositionally outstanding. ‘A Concerto is a Conversation’ balances the warmth of the characters and their impressive stories against the coldness of the history, weaving through glorious music as character and metaphor.”
SHORTS JURY AWARD NOMINEES
JURY AWARD NOMINEES – SHORTS
JURY AWARDS - MINI-DOCS
BEST FILM
PROSOPAGNOSIA
Director: Steven Fraser
Prosopagnosia is a story of identity that uses expressive animation to investigate intimacy, communication and memory. Prosopagnosia is face-blindness and as a means of understanding this neurodiverse behavior, the contents of a memory box are explored. Sketchbooks, photographs and diaries are intricately unraveled to tell a unique and personal story.
Jury Notes
“A personal, vulnerable, and vibrant exploration of a fascinating yet little known topic – face blindness. The jury was impressed by the visually rich design and stop motion animation, poignant narration, and profound questions raised.”
SPECIAL MENTION
SENTIENCE 知覺
Director: Elliot J. Spencer
Sentience is a short art documentary filmed in China. It takes us to two opposed locations in a span of twenty-four hours. Guanxi’s scenic mountainous region being one, and the other Yangshou’s raucous, touristy West Street sector. The former brims with a quiet, almost hypnotic majesty that can only be appreciated during the day, while the latter roars with an overwhelming assemblage of both human, and mechanized fury, that is at its most palpable come nightfall.
Jury Notes
“Enchanting and disturbing in equal measure, Sentience is a visually stunning essay on the contrast between ancient beauty and modern aesthetics in China, and explores the ways in which we interact with and participate in our surroundings.
JURY AWARD NOMINEES – MINI-DOCS
MINI-DOC JURY
Dean Hamer: Dean Hamer is a filmmaker whose work focuses on collaborating with sexual and gender minority communities from around the world to tell their stories. He and partner Joe Wilson’s QWaves films have screened at SDFF over the years beginning in 2009 with their first feature and Emmy® Award winner, Out in the Silence. Winner Best Mini-Doc: SDFF 2021: Kapaemahu.
Isabel Fischer: Isabel is a Multimedia/Television Producer at Northern California Public Media, a PBS affiliate television station in Rohnert Park, CA. She creates short documentary content featuring community stories about local agriculture, food, wildlife, arts & culture, and leaders in sustainability. At Berkeley’s legendary music venue, the Freight & Salvage Isabel directs and edits live music content as part of the NorCal production team.
Chris Fisher: Chris is a playwright, stage director, professor and educator in the Seattle area. She is former chair of the Cinema, Drama and Film area at Shoreline College, Her plays and writing are imbued with documentary-based research. Chris is an enthusiastic veteran juror for Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival.
