FLIFF Best Documentary: ENOUGH! Lebanon’s Darkest Hour, directed by Daizy Gedeon

The 36 Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

Announces 2021 Award Winners

 The 36^th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF36) wrapped after 18 days on Nov. 21^st with film awards at Savor Cinema prior to the last film of the festival, Laurent Tirard’s smart and sophisticated arthouse comedy, The Speech.  The festival, which started Nov. 4^th reeled out 200 films from over 40 countries in over 350 screenings. Film talent attended from the UK, Italy, France, Hungary, Spain, Cypress, Australia, Canada, and throughout the U.S.

Gregory von Hausch, President and CEO of FLIFF announced the winners in 35 categories. Awards in the major categories include:  The suspense thriller Tall Tales, which took 4 wins: Best Film, Best Director Attila Szasz, Best Actor Tamas Szabo Kimmel, and Best Actress Vica Kerekes.  American-ish, the first American-Muslim rom com directed by Iman Zawahry, picked-up two film awards, Best American Indie Comedy and Best Supporting Actor in an American Indie, Godfrey. Veteran actress Lilette Dubey, featured in American-ish and best known for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, received FLIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  The drama East of Middle West, directed by Brian Locke Anderson, also received two film awards, one for Best American Indie and the second for Best Supporting Actress in an American Indie, Sophie Hoyt.  The controversial film, ENOUGH! Lebanon’s Darkest Hour, directed by Daisy Gedeon, won Best Documentary.   Best Supporting Actor in a Foreign Language Film went to Salah Bensaleh for his role in the comedy The Unknown Saint, from Morocco.   Best Supporting Actress in a Foreign Language Film went to Carolina Yuste for her role in Spain’s indie gem with heart and humor, Girlfriends. 

This year’s Humanitarian Award was presented to actor and filmmaker Daniel Baldwin at his Nov. 20^th screening of his poignant documentary, My Promise to P.J., about the effects on friends and family left behind from opioid overdose.  The emotionally charged film as well as Baldwin’s speech, so moved the audience eliciting rounds of applause, and significant discussion during the Q&A.    

Below is a list of all awards, with the exception of the Audience Awards, which will be announced Monday, November 29 after online voting concludes.  Awards, including the Audience Awards, will be available online at https://fliff.com/fliff36wrap

 

The 37^th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival will take place Friday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 18, 2022.  For further information email info@fliff.com

FLIFF36 FILM AWARDS

Best Film:                    TALL TALES

Best Director:             Attila Szasz for TALL TALES

Best Actor:                  Tamás Szabó Kimmel for TALL TALES

Best Actress:                Vica Kerekes for TALL TALES                                                                                                 

Honorable Mention: Pia Halvorsen for BETRAYED

Best Supporting Actor in an American Indie: Godfrey for AMERICAN-ISH

Best Supporting Actor in a Foreign Language Film:  Salah Bensaleh for THE UNKNOWN SAINT from Morocco

Best Supporting Actress in a Foreign Language Film: Carolina Yuste for GIRLFRIENDS from Spain

Best Supporting Actress in an American Indie:   Sophie Hoyt for EAST OF MIDDLE WEST

Best Young Actor (Tie):   Zakariah Inan for MICA, and Djibril Vancoppenolle for PETIT PAYS 

Honorable Mention:             Amin Simiar for HIT THE ROAD

Best Young Actress:    Dayla De Medina for PETIT PAYS

Best American Indie:  EAST OF MIDDLE WEST

Best Foreign Language Drama:    BETRAYED

Best Foreign Language Comedy: THE SPEECH

Best American Indie Comedy:     AMERICAN-ISH

Best Documentary:    ENOUGH! Lebanon’s Darkest Hour, directed by Daisy Gedeon

Honorable Mention: THE NEW ABOLITIONISTS, directed by Christina Zorich

Best Short Documentary:  Love Reaches Everywhere directed by Sean Bloomfield

Humanitarian Award:    Daniel Baldwin for MY PROMISE TO P.J.

Best Foreign Language Short Narrative Comedy:  From USA, Tiro Dominical directed by Pablo Riesgo Almonacid

Best Foreign Language Short Narrative Drama:  From Israel, Devek directed by Uriya Hertz

Best Actor - Dramatic Performance in a Foreign Language Short:  Izel Seylani for Delivery from Cyprus

Best Actress - Comic Performance in a Foreign Language Short:  Eva Johansson for ALIVE from Sweden

Best Actor - Comic Performance in a Foreign Language Short:  Vicenzo Bocciarelli for lockdownlove.it from Italy

Best American Indie Short Narrative Comedy:  From USA, Call Me Back: The Uncommon Wisdom of Yvette Slosch, directed by Aaron Weinstein

Best American Indie Short Narrative Drama:  Superstar directed by Jordan Hidalgo

Best Actress - Dramatic Performance in a Foreign Language Short:  Sahar Roostaei for Tide from Iran

Best Actor - Dramatic Performance in a Foreign Language Short:  Gaëtan Didier Tiendrebeogo for Djibril’s Forest from Burkina Faso

Best Actress - Comic Performance in an American Indie Short:  Linda Lavin for Call Me Back: The Uncommon Wisdom of Yvette Slosch

Best Actor - Comic Performance in an American Indie Short:  Riker Lynch for Aliens On Halloween

Lifetime Achievement:  Lilette Dubey for AMERICANISH

Renaissance Award:  Vasileios Papatheocharis for writing, directing & starring in VASY’S ODYSSEY

Filmed in Broward Feature Film:  Pompano Boy directed by Andrew Paul David

Filmed in Broward Short:  Senior Moments directed by Marcus Wolf

Filmed in Broward Award of Merit:  After the Piano directed by Quinton Mack

Filmed in Broward Award of Merit:  Curbside Pickup directed by Richard Drutman