NewFest, one of the world’s most respected LGBTQ film festivals announced today the winners of its 31st edition with top honors going to Jayro Bustamante for TEMBLORES (Grand Jury Prize, Narrative Feature) and Theodore Collatos and Carolina Monnerat for QUEEN OF LAPA (Grand Jury Prize, Documentary Feature), while Levan Akin’s AND THEN WE DANCED and Cody Stickels’ A NIGHT AT SWITCH N’ PLAY picked up the top Audience Awards for narrative and documentary features respectively.

The festival, which closes tonight with the New York premiere of Rodrigo Bellott’s award-winning film and Bolivia’s selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards, TU ME MANQUES, featured more than 160 films from 32 countries over the last 7 days.

Other festival highlights included the New York premiere of Mike Doyle’s romantic ensemble SELL BY, the New York premiere centerpiece screenings of TO THE STARS, DRAG KIDS, AND THEN WE DANCED, and CUBBY, a Spotlight screening of THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF WOLFBOY and World Premieres for ALL WE’VE GOT, SIBERIA AND HIM and MUSIC FOR BLEEDING HEARTS.

The festival also partnered with the New York City Department of Education and the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME), to present three screenings of a special high school program comprised of six LGBTQ-teen-themed short films during this year’s festival entitled ‘Feels Like Teen Spirit’, programmed exclusively for local students. On Friday, October 24th, MOME Commissioner Anne del Castillo attended and delivered a speech about the importance and impact of LGBTQ youth seeing representations of themselves reflected onscreen.

Winners and Awards of 31st NewFest

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Winner of Audience Award, Narrative Feature
AND THEN WE DANCED – Director Levan Akin

Winner of Audience Award, Documentary Feature
A NIGHT AT SWITCH ‘N PLAY – Director Cody Stickels

Winner of Audience Award, Narrative Short
WONDER – Director Javier Molina

Winner of Audience Award, Documentary Short
LADYLIKE – Directors Rachel Bickert, Emily Tapanes , Emma Wang, and Lidieth Arevalo

NARRATIVE JURIED AWARDS

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize, Narrative Feature
TEMBLORES ;- Director Jayro Bustamante

Special Mention, Narrative Feature
NEVRLAND – Director Gregor Schmidinger

DOCUMENTARY JURIED AWARDS

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize, Documentary Feature
QUEEN OF LAPA – Directors Theodore Collatos and Carolina Monnerat

Special Mention, Documentary Feature
OUR DANCE OF REVOLUTION – Director Phillip Pike

SHORT FILM JURIED AWARDS

Winner of Grand Jury Prize, Short
PONYBOI – Directors River Gallo and Sadé Clacken Joseph

Special Mention, Short
WONDER – Director Javier Molina