Winter Film Awards Announces Winners of 2017 Indie Film Festival

Winter Film Awards, a New York City non-profit film organization, brought their 11-day Indie Film Festival to a rousing close on March 4, 2017 at a glittering Award Ceremony and Gala Red Carpet event at the beautiful Club 230Fifth with over 2000 attendees in New York City.

Fifteen outstanding films were awarded with over $70,000 in prizes. Guests nibbled fabulous cupcakes courtesy of Satin Ice, SNAPPED photos at the Bai Drinks photobooth and enjoyed live performances by America's Got Talent alum Sky Katz, Amine Hachem, Karina, Andy Peter's Magic and May Daishi.

The rapidly growing Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival, now in its sixth year, is a dynamic and exciting event in the heart of the City. Winter Film Awards showcases films from emerging filmmakers from around the world in all genres with a special emphasis on highlighting the work of women and minority filmmakers. Winter Film Awards is proudly one of the Top 10 Best Reviewed Festivals on FilmFreeway.

The 2017 Festival ran February 23-March 4 2017. Among the 88 Official Selections screened at Cinema Village (22 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003), was an eclectic mix of 11 Animated films, 8 Documentaries, 11 Feature narratives, 10 Horror films, 12 Music Videos, 24 Narrative shorts and 7 Web series, including 12 student films and 33 first-time filmmakers. Filmmakers come from 30 countries; 42% of the films were created by women, 45% were created by people of color.

Festival Founder George Isaacs says "Emerging filmmakers are so often ignored in favor of big budget generic action films, and filmmakers with limited budgets and lack of connections can be easily overlooked. Diverse, exciting low budget films are created all over the world; it is critical for local film festivals to showcase them. WFA's location in the center of the action provides our filmmakers with a dazzling chance to begin their careers in the film industry."

Winter Film Awards is proud to announce the winners of the 2017 Festival:

* Best Picture - Bridge, directed by Amit Ranjan Biswas (India)

* Best Director - Train Driver's Diary, directed by Milos Radovic (Serbia)

* Best Documentary Film - Perfect, directed by Jérémie Battaglia (Canada, Brazil)

* Best Horror Feature Film - Be Afraid, directed by Drew Gabreski (United States)

* Best Short Film - Sista in the Brotherhood, directed by Dawn Jones Redstone (United States)

* Best Horror Short Film - Laid to Rest, directed by Jennifer Valdes (United States)

* Best Animated Film - Rabbit Blood, directed by Yagmur Altan (Turkey)

* Best Web Series - Shoot Me Nicely, directed by Elias Plagianos (United States)

* Best Music Video - Hands of Love, directed by Jimmie Weidemann & Ronni Garner (Denmark)

* Best Original Score - Beyond the Curtain, directed by Haixu Liu (United States, China)

* Best Student Film - Entropic, directed by Sebastian Savino (United States)

* NY Perspectives Award - Creedmoria, directed by Alicia Slimmer (United States)

* Outstanding Woman Director - Woman With Violin, directed by Mariam Bakashvili (United States)

* Best Actress - Catherine Blades, Cheerleader, directed by Irving Franco (United States)

* Best Actor - Soumitra Chatterjee, Bridge, directed by Amit Ranjan Biswas (India)

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Winter Film Awards is an all-volunteer, minority- and women-owned registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 in New York City by a group of filmmakers and enthusiasts. The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Winter Film Awards is led by George Isaacs (CEO & Founder), Steffanie Finn (Executive Director), Lesley Sigall (Treasurer), Joseph Mauceri and Vaughn Murphy. Winter Film Awards is grateful for the tireless support of our team: Mobasher Ahmed, Carly Bassen, Jennifer Bonaparte, Pete Bradt, Fernando Camacho, Paul Marengo, Dawn Mecca, Chloe Miller, Isabel Negron, Fulden Kologlu Oner, Eric Vollweiler and Neal Williams.

Corporate and local support of Winter Film Awards plays an critical role in the life of the Festival and underscores WFA's commitment to quality, adventure and diversity in THE ART OF cinema. Prizes and gifts for the 2017 Festival were generously donated by American Icon Screen Printing & Embroidery, Backstage, Bai Drinks. Balog Digital, Big Apple Con, Bliss Spa W Hoboken, Cyberlink, Ex Nihilo Paris Perfumes, Glidecam, Gracelynn Collection, GRS Systems, IndiePix Films, Ink Tip, Jungle Software, Peanut Butter & Co‎, Satin Fine Foods, Set Shop, Stolen Rum, Swiss Watch Gallery and Fine Jewelers, The Headshot Truck, Variety 411 and Zacuto.

WFA is privileged to partner with B&H Photo, Aftab Committee for Iranian-American Artists, AJA Video Systems, Inc, Animation World Network, Art Payroll, Boston Casting, Cinefemme, Cinematcher, Eventcombo, FearsMag, Gotham Mini Storage, NYC & Company, PS Print, Rhodywood, Room Mate Grace Hotel, Rushtera, Steven C Beer, Thrive Promotions, Viktor Koen / School of Visual Arts, vMix, Women's Film Critic Circle (WFCC) and Yelp.