The 17th Annual Tribeca Film Festival Announces Audience Award Winners

The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced the winners of the two Audience Awards - the audience choice for best narrative and documentary feature films - sponsored by AT&T. To Dust, written and directed by Shawn Snyder, was honored with the Narrative award and United Skates, directed by Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown, was given the Documentary award. Each award comes with a cash prize of $10,000.

"Great stories bring people together from all walks of life where the unexpected is discovered and new voices are introduced," said Paula Weinstein, Executive Vice President of Tribeca Enterprises. "This year's Audience Award winners are a testament to that. From a Hasidic Jewish community in To Dustto the off-the-radar African-American roller-rink community in United Skates, we applaud these filmmakers for telling these incredible stories and bringing new perspectives to our Festival audiences."

"I'm both ecstatic and bowled over by this news. Premiering at Tribeca Film Festival has been a dream and a homecoming, as Tribeca Film Institute was one of the earliest supporters of this strangely personal and oddly specific film," said To Dust director Shawn Snyder. "It was made entirely out of love and miracles, by incredible collaborators who believed in it from the start. I share this honor and the excitement with each and every one of them and want to give a special thanks to my producers, Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Ron Perlman, Josh Crook, Scott Lochmus and Jonathan Gray."

"It was such an honor to have our world premiere at Tribeca this year-- and now to win the audience award!? Every one of those votes is like a vote for keeping this skate world alive and its rinks open. There is no greater feeling than knowing that audiences are falling in love with this community, the same way we have," said United Skates directors Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown

The runners-up were Mapplethorpe, directed by Ondi Timoner, for the Narrative audience award and Momentum Generation, directed by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist, for the Documentary audience award. Throughout the Festival, which kicked off on April 18, audience members voted by using the official Tribeca Film Festival app on their mobile devices and rated the film they had just viewed from 1-5 stars. Films in the U.S. Narrative Competition, International Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, Special Screenings, and Midnight sections were eligible.

Audience Award winners and runners-up will screen Sunday, April 29 at Cinépolis Chelsea along with the winners selected by the Tribeca Film Festival Jury, which were announced on April 26.

To Dust: 1:45pm & 7:45pm

Mapplethorpe: 12pm

United Skates: 1pm & 7pm

Momentum Generation: 4:45pm & 10:45pm

ABOUT THE AUDIENCE AWARD WINNING FILMS AND RUNNERS-UP:

WINNERS

To Dust, directed by Shawn Snyder, written by Shawn Snyder, Jason Duran. Produced by Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Ron Perlman, Josh Crook, Scott Lochmus. (USA) - World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Traumatized by the death of his wife, a Hasidic cantor obsesses over how her body will decay. He seeks answers from a local biology professor in this, unlikeliest of buddy comedies. With Geza Rohrig, Matthew Broderick.

The film played in the Special Screenings section.

United Skates, directed and produced by Dyana Winkler, Tina Brown. (USA) - World Premiere. Credited with incubating East Coast hip-hop and West Coast rap, America's roller rinks have long been bastions of regional African-American culture, music, and dance. As rinks shutter across the country, a few activists mount a last stand.

The film played in the Documentary Competition section.

RUNNERS UP

Mapplethorpe, directed and screenplay by Ondi Timoner. Produced by Eliza Dushku, Nathaniel Dushku, Richard J. Bosner, Ondi Timoner. (USA) - World Premiere. In the late 1960s, art-school dropout Robert Mapplethorpe moves into the Chelsea Hotel with dreams of stardom. He quickly becomes the enfant terrible of the photography world as the downtown counterculture of 1970s New York reaches its zenith. With Matt Smith, Marianne Rendón, John Benjamin Hickey, Brandon Sklenar, McKinley Belcher III, Mark Moses.

The film played in the U.S. Narrative Competition section.

Momentum Generation, directed and written by Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist. Produced by Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist, Colby Gottert, Greg Little, Justine Chiara, Karen Lauder, Laura Michalchyshyn, Lizzie Friedman, Tina Elmo. (USA) - World Premiere. In the 1990s, a band of teen surfers came together on the north shore of Oahu. Their unbridled talent and strong bonds of friendship would bring professional SURFING to new heights. But as their stars rose, those bonds would be tested. With Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Taylor Knox, Benji Weatherley, Kalani Robb, and Ross Williams.

The film played in the Documentary Competition section.

About the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival is the leading cultural event that brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival CHAMPIONS emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 17th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. www.tribecafilm.com/festival

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