LAFF: Dave Boyle’s ‘Man From Reno,’ Debra Granik’s ‘Stray Dog’ Win Top Prizes

Dave Boyle’s Man From Reno, a San Francisco-set murder mystery, was named best narrative feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival, which concludes today. The jury award for best documentary went to Debra Granik’s Stray Dog, a portrait of biker Ron “Stray Dog” Hall.

Kerem Sanga’s The Young Kieslowski, an off-beat romantic comedy, captured the audience award for best narrative feature, while the audience voted its award for best documentary feature to Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel’s Meet the Patels, in which L.A.-based actor Ravi Patel consents to let his parents find him the ideal Indian bride.

The inaugural LA Muse Award, also chosen by jury, was presented to Damian John Harper‘s Los Angeles, about a young man in rural Oaxaca trying to raise money so he can be smuggled across the border. Each of the top three jury awards carried an unrestricted $5,000 cash prize for their respective directors.

Actor Vincent Piazza from Jersey Boys, which played as the festival’s closing night film, handed out the honors at the fest’s awards cocktail reception.

“This year the Los Angeles Film Festival reached a new high thanks to the audiences who packed theaters in support of the films. We’re so proud of every single film and celebrate the winners!” festival director Stephanie Allain said.

Earlier in the festival, Film Independent, which presents the annual event, announced that filmmakers Logan Kibens and Felipe Dieppa‘s Operator won the Sloan Fast Track Grant, a $15,000 production grant.

This year, LAFF and Funny or Die joined for the Make ’em LAFF talent competition, which was won by Suzi Yoonessi for Olive and Mocha: Fast Times at Sugar High. Yoonessi will have her next video produced by Funny or Die and received a talent hold deal presented by Fox Audience Strategy.

A complete list of winners follows:

Narrative Award (for Best Narrative Feature)

Winner:        Man From Reno, directed by Dave Boyle

Producer:     Ko Mori?

Cast:             Ayako Fujitani, Pepe Serna, Kazuki Kitamura

 

Documentary Award (for Best Documentary Feature)

Winner:         Stray Dog, directedby Debra Granik

Producer:      Anne Rosellini

Featuring:     Ron ‘Stray Dog’ Hall, Alicia Soriano Hall, Felipe Angel Padilla Soriano, Felipe de Jesús Padilla Soriano

 

Documentary Award

Honorable Mention:   Walking Under Water, directed by Eliza Kubarska

Producer:                      Monika Braid

 

LA Muse Award

Winner:          Los Ángeles by Damian John Harper

Producers:    Jonas Weydemann, Jakob D. Weydemann

Cast:               Mateo Bautísta Matías, Marcos Rodriguez Ruíz, Lidia García, Daniel Bautista, Donaciano Bautista Matías

 

Best Performance in the Narrative Competition

Winner:        The Ensemble Cast of Recommended by Enrique, directed by Rania Attieh and Daniel García

Producers:    Rania Attieh, Daniel García, Ivan Eibuszyc, Mahalia Cohen, Alice Kharoubi

Cast:              Lino Vareia, Sarah Swinwood

 

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature         

Winner:        The Young Kieslowski, directed by Kerem Sanga

Producers:   Seth Caplan, Danny Leiner, Dave Hunter, Ross Putman

Cast:             Ryan Malgarini, Haley Lu Richardson, Joshua Malina, Melora Walters, James Le Gros, Osric Chau, Jessica Lu, John Redlinger

 

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature

Winner:        Meet the Patels, directed by Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel

Producers:   Janet Eckholm, Geeta V. Patel

Featuring:     Ravi V. Patel, Vasant K. Patel, Champa V. Patel

 

Audience Award for Best International Feature

Winner:        Someone You Love, directed by Pernille Fischer Christensen

Country:      Denmark

Producers:  Vinca Wiedemann, Sisse Graum Jørgensen

Cast:            Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Sofus Rønnov, Eve Best

 

Award for Best Narrative Short Film

Winner:        The Runaway, directed by Jean-Bernard Marlin, France.

Producer:    Valentine de Bligniéres

Cast:             Adel Bencherif, Médina Yalaoui

 

Award for Best Documentary Short Film

Winner:        The Queen, directed by Manuel Abramovich, Argentina.

Producer:      Daniela Raschcovsky        

 

Award for Best Animated/Experimental Short Film             

Winner:         Butter Lamp, directedby Hu Wei, China/France

Producer:      Julien Féret

Cast:              Genden Punstock

 

Audience Award for Best Short Film

Winner:        The Gunfighter, directed by Eric Kissack

Producer:      Sarah Platt

Cast:             Nick Offerman, Shawn Parsons, Scott Beehner, Eileen O’Connell, Jordan Black

 

Audience Award for Best Music Video

Winner:        Turn Down For What: Lil Jon and DJ Snake, directed by Daniels

Music:           Lil Jon & DJ Snake