The 2020 Richmond International Film festival concluded with the annual red carpet awards where the top overall Grand Jury and Audience Choice Awards of the year were announced.

Victories Place written and directed by Yoann Guillouzouic took the Overall Grand Jury Award Winner of the Year; and Mr. Jimmy (USA) directed by Peter Michael Dowd snagged the Best of Festival – Documentary Feature. Ticket directed by Yoh Komaya and Illegal directed by Nick Alexander tied for Audience Choice Award for Best Feature.

RIFF is now in full swing with preparations for their 10th Year Anniversary Festival, which will be held May 4-9, 2021.

2020 RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

GRAND JURY WINNERS & AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

FILM

Overall Grand Jury Award Winner of the Year

Narrative Feature
Victories Place (France)
Written & Directed by Yoann Guillouzouic

Narrative Short
Lake of Happiness (Spain/Belarus)
Written, Produced & Directed by Aliaksei Paluyan

Best of Festival Winners

Documentary Feature
Mr. Jimmy (USA)
Produced, directed & edited by Peter Michael Dowd

Documentary Short
Virtually Free (USA)
Directed by André Robert Lee. Produced by Susan MacLaury, Alexandra Blaney, Dawn Porter, Albie Hecht, and Hiry West

Experimental Short
Sentiments Distingués (France)
Directed & Produced by Keren Marciano

Animated Short
Into the Flame (USA)
Written & Directed by Sean McClintock, Produced by Cloie Leger/Hue & Cry

Music Video
Love is Still the Answer (Jason Mraz, Virginia, USA)
Directed by Martin Montgomery

Episodic (tie):
Motel Gravy (USA)
Written & Directed by Deborah and Christopher Mitchell. Produced by Christopher Mitchell

The Magic Shed (USA)
Directed by Andrew Carnwath, Produced by Robert Kelshian, Andrew Carnwath, Stacy Murphy, Sylvester Tucker, Dave Trownsell

Overall Individual Merit Award Winners for Film

Best Director:
Ome’ – Wassim GEAGEA (Lebanon)

Best Cinematography (tie):
Jay Keitel, Man with the Silver Case (USA)
Behrooz Karamizade, Lake of Happiness (Spain/Belarus)

Best Original Music:
The Return of Space Girl (USA)

Best Actress:
Antonia Bill in the role of Clara for September (Germany)

Best Actor (tie):
Juan Carlos Aduviri in the role of Carlos, Electric Swan (Greece)
Albert Delpy, role of Andre for Portraitist (Luxembourg)

Best Supporting Actor:
Igar Sigau for the Father in Lake of Happiness (Spain/Belarus)

Best Supporting Actress:
Nelly Prince for Madame Capdepont, The Electric Swan (Greece)

Best Ensemble Cast:
Mary Birdsong, Dominic Rains & Stephen Plunket for Stormchaser (USA)

Rising Star Award:
Lake of Happiness – Jasja/Anastasiya Plyats (Spain/Belarus)
Ome’ – Elias/Jack Abboud El Janah (Lebanon)

Production Design:
The She-Wolf (USA)

Best Virginia Made:
16 Bars directed by Sam Bathrick (USA)

Best Family Film:
Team Marco directed by Julio Vincent Gambuto (USA)

Best Original Screenplay (tie):
Burka City – Bracq Fabrice (France) / Greta – Sparkman Clark (USA)

2020 Legacy Award
William Kelly, Can Art Stop a Bullet: William Kelly’s Big Picture (Australia)

2020 Founders Award
The Zen Speaker directed by Robin Greenspun

2020 Pioneer Award for Excellence in Leadership & Public Service
Scattering CJ directed by Andrea Kalin

Audience Choice Award for Best Short
The Imminent Expiration of Seth Dodson written, produced & directed by Alex Craig (USA)

Audience Choice Award for Best Feature (Tie)
Ticket written, produced & directed by Yoh Komaya (Japan)
Illegal written & directed by Nick Alexander & produced by Lazaro Ayala (USA)

SCREENPLAYS:

Overall Grand Jury Best Feature Screenplay
Kaleidoscope by Adam Lapallo

Overall Grand Jury Best Short Screenplay
Found by Frederick Parks

Best Action Adventure
Skyfoxes by Marisa Forest

Best Comedy
Driving Miss Doha by Richard Spencer

Best Drama or Family
Back to the World by Shawn DePasquale

Best Horror/Thriller/Fantasy
Kindred Spirits by Hannah Rose Lomele

Teleplay
Rails by Aleksandra Milanova

MUSIC:

Best Rock or Pop
The Moon City Masters

Best Folk or Country
Rachel Messer

Best World
Jouwala Collective

Best Soul, Hip Hop, R&B
Rodney the Soul Singer

Rising Star Award
Gina Brooklyn

Emerging Artist Award
Cleophus James

Overall Grand Jury Artist of the Year
TSoul

Audience Choice Award
TSoul