17th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival Announces Award Winners

The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) announced today the winners of the 2016 Festival. On April 28, 2016, the Festival wrapped up its eight day run with the Southern California premiere of The Fixer starring Dominic Rains, James Franco, Rachel Brosnahan and Melissa Leo at Lido Live (3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach) with the post party in the Via Lido Plaza.

The Newport Beach Film Festival celebrated outstanding contribution to global cinema at a special event during the 17th annual Festival at the Balboa Bay Resort on April 23. Additionally, The Festival's selection committee reviewed more than 2,500 films. The Festival screened over 400 films, representing 50 countries. The films competed for Jury, Festival Honors and Audience Awards.

The 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival jury featured an impressive roster of film industry professionals, including Vice President of Film Acquisitions at Fandor, Amanda Salazar, Film industry veteran, Arthur Jeppe, Executive Director of the Cucalorus Film Festival, Dan Brawley, award-winning independent producer, screenwriter and director, Hans-Martin Liebing, Executive Vice President, Acquisitions, Research, and Network Operations for Pivot, Jennie Morris, Screenwriter Kenneth Young, Program Director for the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF), Jim Brunzell III, Toronto International Film Festival's Lisa Haller, Kim Leadford, co-founder of StarStream Media and Reel Asian Head of Programming Kristine Estorninos.

NEWPORT HONORS AWARDS

NBFF WOMAN OF DISTINCTION AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO ACTING - Kate Beckinsale (Love & Friendship)
LEGEND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC IN CINEMA - Burt Bacharach (Po)
LEGEND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA - Rita Moreno (Remember Me)
AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SCREENWRITING - Linda Woolverton

2016 AUDIENCE AWARDS:

FEATURE FILM - The Lennon Report - Jeremy Profe, Director
FEATURE FILM - Nobody Walks in LA - Jesse Shapiro, Director
FOREIGN FILM - Battalion (????????) - Dmitry Meskhiev, Director
DOCUMENTARY - Orange Sunshine - William A. Kirkley, Director
DOCUMENTARY - The Ataxian - Zack Bennett and Kevin Schlanser, Directors
ACTION SPORTS - Dirty Old Wedge - Tim Burnham, Director
ENVIRONMENTAL - Huntwatch - Brant Backlund, Director
ART, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN - Tyrus - Pamela Tom, Director
FAMILY- The Kids From 62-F - Imani Shakur, Director

SHORT FILMS

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM - Seeking: Jack Tripper - Quinlan Orear
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM - Reality+ - Coralie Fargeat, Director
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM - Follow Your Heart - Rob O'Neill, Director
BEST FOREIGN SHORT FILM - Zaatari - David Ghali - Director
ART, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN - The Whimsical Imagineer - Ken Kebow, Director

2016 JURY AWARDS

BEST FEATURE FILM - Embers - Claire Carré, Director
BEST ACTOR - George Kosturos - American Wrestler: The Wizard
BEST DIRECTOR - Claire Carré - Embers
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Rudiger Barth, William A. Kirkley - Orange Sunshine
BEST DOCUMENTARY - Off The Rails - Adam Irving, Director
BEST EDITING - Chris Catanach - Orange Sunshine

SHORT FILMS

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM - Hi, How Are You - Director, Daniel Johnston
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM - The Last Barn Dance - Jason Arthurs and Ted Richardson, Directors
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM - Violet - Windy Marshall, Director
BEST FOREIGN SHORT FILM - Deszcz - Malina Maria Mackiewicz, Director

2016 FESTIVAL HONORS:

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: DIRECTING - Bob Yari - Papa: Hemingway in Cuba
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FEATURE FILM - Love & Friendship - Director Wit Stillman
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FEATURE FILM - American Wrestler: The Wizard - Alex Ranarivelo, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FOREIGN FILM - The Violin Teacher - Sergio Machado, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FOREIGN FILM - The Innocents (Agnus Dei) - Anne Fontaine, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTING - Dev Patel - The Man Who Knew Infinity
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTING - Evanna Lynch - My Name is Emily
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SCREENWRITING - Alexander Janko - Year By The Sea
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: EDITING - Todd Holmes - Coming Through The Rye
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ENSEMBLE CAST - Love Is All You Need?
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM - Roksana - Shaina Pakravan, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM - Zelos - Thoranna Sigurdardottir, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM - Clock Maker's Dream - Cashell Horgan, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM - Delicate Things - Patrick Maxwell, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FOREIGN FILM - Foal
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM Twin Visions - Louise Salter and Gavin Bowden, Directors
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT ANIMATION FILM - Dissonance - Till Nowak, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FAMILY FILM - Lost & Found - Liam O'Neill, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: MUSIC - Monument - Israel Anthem, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTION SPORTS - Fire and Water - Thomas Brookins, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTION SPORTS - Chasing Niagara - Rush Sturges
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE - Brianna Hildebrand - The Voice Inside, Actress & Producer

Attendance at the 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival was 50,000 with a record number of sellouts. The Newport Beach Film Festival is sponsored in part by City of Newport Beach, Visit Newport Beach, Arrowhead Water, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Celebrity Cruises, Fashion Island and Los Angeles Times.

About The Newport Beach Film Festival

Celebrated as one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival seeks to bring to Orange County the best of classic and contemporary filmmaking from around the world. Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program, a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, the NBFF focuses on showcasing a diverse collection of studio and independent films from around the globe. The 17th annual Newport Beach Film Festival ran April 21st - April 28th and spotlighted over 400 films from around the world.

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