The 2021 Oxford Film Festival announced the award winning films and filmmakers with Lissette Feliciano’s Women is Losers taking the prize for Best Narrative Feature; and Caren Zucker and Jon Donvan’s In a Different Key won Best Documentary Feature.

This year’s awards, the newly named Ronzos, honor the memory of the late Ron “Ronzo” Shapiro, a beloved local art pioneer and longtime supporter of the film festival.

The presentation of the Lisa Blount Memorial Acting Award went to Alexandra Grey for her performance in Gossamer Folds, the first time that award has been given to a transgender actress. The Alice Guy-Blaché Emerging Female Filmmaker Award and $1000 from the Louis M. Rabinowitz Foundation went to Khadifa Wong(Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance), and the Reel South Award went to Zaire Love(Road to Step). The Angie Thomas Zeitgeist Award went to Max’ed Deeq, director of The Meaning of Daisey.

Travis Mills’ Bastard’s Crossing won the Ronzo Award for Best Mississippi Feature Film, Jonathan Wysocki’s Dramarama won Best LGBTQIA+ Feature, Chelsea Christer’s Bleeding Audio was named Best Music Documentaryand Eytan Fox’s Sublet took the prize for Best Foreign Language Film.

Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington said, “Of course, we still have the virtual presentation of our films to look forward to, beginning on Thursday. However, as one of the first film festivals to offer in-person screenings and events since the pandemic began, this year’s edition will always retain a special place for both our film fans and especially for our attending filmmakers, as well as these award winners. Gathering under the big tents, the Conference Center and the Malco Commons to enjoy, be entertained, and celebrate a wonderful group of films and share in that enjoyment with others – even if were still socially distanced and wearing our masks, was truly special for everyone.”

Awards for short films, student films and music videos included; Navid Nikkhah Azad ‘s The Recess (Best Narrative Short); Kaitlyn Schwalje and Alex Wolf Lewis’ Snowy (Best Documentary Short); Manuel Marmier’s Kiko’s Saints (Best LGBTQIA+ Short); Christina Huff’s Genderf*ck Drag(Best Mississippi Short); Adam Bohorquez’s Millenium Hour (Best Student Film); Martin Gerigk’s Haiku (Best Fest Forward Experimental Short); Sasha Sivan Bortnik’s A Head Shorter (Best Fest Forward Animation Short); Chris Spargo’s Touch Tone Telephone by Lemon Demon (Best Music Video); and Greg Johnson’s The Vacant by American Automatic (Best Mississippi Music Video).

Films and filmmakers receiving Honorable Mentions included; Patrick O’Conner’s feature-length documentary Look Away, Look Away for its adept handling of the topic of Mississippi’s state flag; Chase Koynt’s No Ordinary Man for innovative storytelling; Alexandra Greyfor her outstanding performance in Gossamer Folds; I Fu Chen’s short film 3:14pmfor best proof of concept; Nicole Bazuin’s short film Modern Whore for innovation in storytelling; Kevin Staake’s short film Dieorama for uniqueness in subject matter; Eyre and Ely’s LGBTQIA+ short S.A.M. for authenticity onscreen; and Oscar Rene Lozoya II’s LGBTQIA+ short The Forgotten Place for outstanding screenwriting. Mississippi shorts receiving Honorable Mentions included Amile Wilson’s The Doll Lady and Brian Foster and Ethan Payne’s We Travel. Jared D. Weiss’s short The Beakmann Incident – also received an Honorable Mention, as did Justine Raczkiewicz’s music video for Top Knot Turn Up by Madame Gandhi.

Winners of 2021 Oxford Film Festival

Individual Awards

Alexandra Grey (Gossamer Folds) – Lisa Blount Acting Award

Khadifa Wong (Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance) – Alice Guy Blache Emerging Female Filmmaker Award

The Meaning of Daisey – Angie Thomas Zeitgeist
Director: Max’ed Deeq

Zaire Love (Road to Step) – The Reel South Award
$500 cash prize and airing of the film on PBS

Feature Film Awards

Women is Losers – BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Director: Lissette Feliciano
$15,000 camera rental package from Panavision
$500 cash prize sponsored by Steven and Gay Case

In a Different Key – BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Directors: Caren Zucker, John Donvan
$15,000 camera rental package from Panavision
$500 cash prize
Documentary editing feedback from Joe Shapiro

Look Away, Look Away – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Patrick O’Conner

Bastard’s Crossing – BEST MISSISSIPPI FEATURE
Director: Travis Mills
Cash Prize of $250 sponsored by Dr. Eric Springman and Kat Phillips
One-year membership and free equipment rentals from OxFilm Society.

Dramarama – BEST LGBTQIA+ FEATURE
Director: Jonathan Wysocki
Cash Prize of $250 sponsored by Robbie Fisher Productions

No Ordinary Man – HONORABLE MENTION (for innovative storytelling)
Director: Chase Koynt

Alexandra Grey (Gossamer Folds) – HONORABLE MENTION (for outstanding performance)

Bleeding Audio – BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Director: Chelsea Christer
Cash Prize of $250

Sublet – BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Director: Eytan Fox

Short Film & Music Video Awards

The Recess – BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Director: Navid Nikkhah Azad
$250 Cash prize sponsored by Steven and Gay Case
Three days of audio post-production from Taproot Design in Oxford

3:14pm – HONORABLE MENTION (for best proof of concept)
Director: I Fu Chen

Snowy – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Directors: Kaitlyn Schwalje, Alex Wolf Lewis
$250 Cash prize sponsored by Steven and Gay Case
Three days of audio post-production from Taproot Audio Design in Oxford

Modern Whore – HONORABLE MENTION (for innovation in storytelling)
Director: Nicole Bazuin

Dieorama – HONORABLE MENTION (for uniqueness in subject matter)
Director: Kevin Staake

Kiko’s Saints – BEST LGBTQIA+ SHORT
Director: Manuel Marmier
Cash Prize of $250 sponsored by Robbie Fisher Productions.

S.A.M. – HONORABLE MENTION (for authenticity onscreen)
Directors: Eyre and Ely

The Forgotten Place – HONORABLE MENTION (for outstanding screenwriting)
Director: Oscar Rene Lozoya II

Genderf*ck Drag – BEST MISSISSIPPI SHORT
Director: Christina Huff
Cash prize $250 sponsored by Beard & Riser
One-year membership and free equipment rentals from OxFilm Society

The Doll Lady – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Amile Wilson

We Travel – HONORABLE MENTION
Directors: Brian Foster, Ethan Payne

Millennium Hour – BEST STUDENT FILM
Director: Adam Bohorquez
Cash Prize of $250 sponsored by Michael Johannson

Haiku – BEST FEST FORWARD EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
Director: Martin Gerigk
Cash Prize of $100

A Head Shorter – BEST FEST FORWARD ANIMATION SHORT
Director: Sasha Sivan Bortnik
Cash Prize of $100

The Beakmann Incident – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Jared D. Weiss

Touch Tone Telephone by Lemon Demon – BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Director: Chris Spargo
Cash prize of $100 for MS Music Video and Overall Music Video
One-year membership and free equipment rentals from OxFilm Society.

Top Knot Turn Up by Madame Gandhi – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Justine Raczkiewicz

The Vacant by American Automatic – BEST MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEO
Director: Greg Johnson
Cash prize of $100 for MS Music Video and Overall Music Video
One-year membership and free equipment rentals from OxFilm Society.