Accolades Given, Awards Received, Drop Curtain: SIFF is a Wrap

Following five festive days that featured a wide variety of international films, gourmet food and wine, tributes and premieres, the bountiful cinematic feast at this year’s Sonoma International Film Festival came to its just desserts Sunday with the announcement of its award winners.

A common theme of the program was media manipulation and invasion of privacy, which was reflected in the winning films Blackbird (Best World Feature) and Terms and Conditions May Apply (Best Documentary Feature) in the juried competition.

Three separate juries of three jurors each awarded the prizes, including screenwriting guru Syd Field, talent manager Beth Holden-Garland and USA Today film critic Claudia Puig for the Narrative Features.

Tom Davia, director of festivalsand alternative theatrical distribution for Shoreline Entertainment, writer-producer Darryl Ponicsan, and Susannah Greason Robbins, executive director of the San Francisco Film Commission, made up the jury for Documentary Features. 

The Short Film jury included Mari Aixalá Dawson, founder of Animari Films, Bears Fonté, director of programming for the Austin Film Festival, and Elliot Kotek, editor-in-chief of Beyond Cinema.

Juried Award Winners

Best American Independent Feature: As High As The Sky, directed by Nikki Braendlin.

Honorable Mention for American Independent Feature: Favor, directed by Paul Osborne.

Best World Feature: Blackbird, directed by Jason Buxton.

Best Documentary Feature: Terms and Conditions May Apply, directed by Cullen Hoback

Best Narrative Short: Chance of Rain, directed by Philipp C. Wolter

Best Documentary Short: The Flogsta Roar, directed by Johan Palmgren

Audience Favorite Awards

The Stolman Audience Award of $1000 for Best American Independent Feature: As High As The Sky, directed by Nikki Braendlin and star Caroline Fogarty, who was there to receive the award.

A³ Audience Award of $1000 for Best Documentary: Living on One Dollar, directed by Zach Ingrasci, Sean Leonard and Chris Temple, who were on hand to receive the award.

Audience Award of $1000 for Best World Feature:  Jackie, (The Netherlands), directed by Antoinette Beumer.

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