The 21st annual Sonoma International Film Festival came to a close over the weekend with the awards ceremony, and IN THE ORCHARD directed by Christopher Knoblock won the prize for Best American Independent Feature. In the film a grief-stricken woman befriends a Marine Veteran with PTSD, and the two begin a relationship which may lead them towards tragic consequences.
Other winners include SALYUT-7 directed by Klim Shipenko snagging the prize for Best World Feature; and THE NEED TO GROW directed by Rob Herring & Ryan Wirick won for Best Documentary Feature.
In SALYUT-7, Astronauts are sent to the rescue of Salyut 7, an unresponsive Soviet space station in what will become one of the most complicated mission in the history of space navigation. The documentary THE NEED TO GROW follows the personal journeys of solution innovators as they fight to localize sustainable food systems and regenerate Earth’s dying soils.
The SIFF 2018 winners are:
SIFF JURIED AWARDS
Best American Independent Feature:
IN THE ORCHARD / Directed by Christopher Knoblock
Best World Feature:
SALYUT-7 / Directed by Klim Shipenko
Best Documentary Feature:
THE NEED TO GROW / Directed by Rob Herring & Ryan Wirick
Best Animated Short:
TWO BALLOONS / Directed by Mark C. Smith
Best Comedy Short:
SAM DID IT / Directed by Dominic Burgess
Best Dramatic Short:
WOODMAN / Directed by Mike Jackson
Best World Short:
INTO THE BLUE / Directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic
SIFF AUDIENCE AWARDS
The A3 Audience Award: Best Documentary:
THE PUSH / Directed by Grant Korgan & Brian Niles (co-directors Geoff Callan)
The Stolman Audience Award for Best American Indie:
FUNNY STORY / Directed by Michael Gallagher
SIFF Award for Best World Cinema:
TULIPANI / Directed by Mike van Diem
AUDIENCE SHORTS AWARDS
Best Animated:
THE DRIVER IS RED / Directed by Randall Christopher
Best Comedy:
GRAHAM’S MATE/ Directed by Andy Hill
Best Dramatic:
WOODMAN / Directed by Mike Jackson
Best Documentary:
EMPIRE ON MAIN STREET / Directed by Jessica Congdon
Best World Cimena:
CROSSING FENCES / Directed by Annika Pampel
Best Delicious:
SAFRON / Directed by Andreas Ewels