The 2021 Florida Film Festival announced the Grand Jury and Audience Awards with the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature going to The Last Out directed by Michael Gassert and Sami Khan; and the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Materna directed by David Gutnik.
The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to I’M FINE (Thanks for Asking) from filmmakers Kelley Kali and Angelique Molina; and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Holy Frit directed by Justin Monroe.
At the 30th anniversary celebration edition, the festival recognized Founders Philip and Sigrid Tiedtke for “their vision and 30 years of selfless dedication to independent film in Central Florida.” Additionally, Matthew Curtis was recognized for his contributions to FFF and Enzian Theater, receiving an award in appreciation of 25 years of excellence as Programming Director. In honor of Matthew’s achievements, the founders dedicated the 2021 Florida Film Festival to him and have formally announced the renaming of the festival’s short film audience award to the Matthew Curtis Audience Award for Best Short Film.
“Matthew’s passion for film, dedication to the festival, and stalwart commitment to the vision that ‘Film
is Art’ has made him instrumental in shaping the Florida Film Festival and what it means to the
community,” says Managing Director and founding family member Elizabeth Mukherjee. “FFF wouldn’t
be what it is without him, and this award will remind generations to come of his impactful contribution.”
2021 Florida Film Festival Award Winners
SHORTS
Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short – The Shawl (Dir. Sara Kiener)
Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short – When We Were Bullies (Dir. Jay Rosenblatt)
Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short – Please Hold (Dir. Kristen “KD” Dávila)
Special Jury Award for Exceptional Narrative Filmmaking – I Love Your Guts (Dir. David Janove)
Audience Award for Best Midnight Short – Stuck (Dir. David Mikalson)
Matthew Curtis Audience Award for Best Short Film – No Man’s Land (Dirs. Anna Andersen and Gabriella Canal)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature – The Last Out (Dirs. Michael Gassert and Sami Khan)
Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction Storytelling – Two Gods (Dir. Zeshawn Ali)
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature – Holy Frit (Dir. Justin Monroe)
NARRATIVE FEATURES
Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature – Materna (Dir. David Gutnik)
Special Jury Award for Persistence of Vision – Kelley Kali for I’M FINE (Thanks for Asking) (Dirs. Kelley Kali and Angelique Molina)
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature – I’M FINE (Thanks for Asking) (Dirs. Kelley Kali and Angelique Molina)
INTERNATIONAL
Audience Award for Best International Feature – Riders of Justice (Dir. Anders Thomas Jensen)
Audience Award for Best International Short – Masel Tov Cocktail (Dirs. Arkadij Khaet and Mickey Paatzsch)