Miami announces awards
by Dana Ballestero
"Mutluluk" ("Bliss"), a societal portrait of modern-day Turkey and Greece by director Abdullah Oguz, garnered the Miami International Film Festival's audience award for top dramatic world feature. "La Zona" ("The Zone"), director Rodrigo Plá's thriller about a wealthy Mexico City gated community under siege, earned the audience award for best Ibero-American feature. And the audience favorite among documentaries went to "Vengo de un Avión que Cayó en las Montañas" ("Stranded: I Come from a Plane that Crashed in the Mountains"), Uruguayan director Gonzalo Arijón's account of the infamous 1973 crash that stranded a rugby team in the Andes.
For the first time, the festival teamed with the Munich, Germany-based International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The federation awarded the group's top film honor to the Israeli road-rage revenge drama "Tnuah Maguna" ("Foul Gesture") by director Itshak Grad.
The Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the international journalism and social change think tank created by The Miami Herald's founding fathers, sponsored the $250,000 Knight Grand Jury Prizes for top dramatic world feature, best Ibero-American feature, best documentary and best short film.
"Sztuczki" ("Tricks"), Polish director Andrzej Jakimowski's coming-of-age tale, won the Knight Grand Jury Prize for best world cinema dramatic feature. Honorable mentions: "Tesko Je Biti Fin" ("It's Hard To Be Nice"), Bosnian director Srdan Vuletic's look at an unlucky Sarajevo taxi driver; and FIPRESCI favorite "Foul Gesture."
Two films shared the Knight Grand Jury Prize for best Ibero-American dramatic feature: Mexican road adventure "Cochochi" by directors Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman and the modern-day Haiti portrait "Eat For This Is My Body" from debut director Michelange Quay. Honorable mentions: Chilean director Rodrigo Marín's heart-wrenching "Las Niñas" ("The Girls") and Mexican director Ernesto Contrera's take on romantic destiny, "Párpados Azules" ("Blue Eyelids").
In the documentary competition, Brazilian director João Moreira Salles earned the Knight Grand Jury Prize for "Santiago," his homage to his family's long-time butler. Honorable mention winners: "Calle Santa Fé" ("Santa Fe Street"), in which Pinochet-regime protestor Carmen Castillo documents her life in exile and return to her native Chile; and, "Un Tigre de Papel" ("A Paper Tiger"), director Luis Ospina's playful portrait of legendary Colombian artist Pedro Manrique Figueroa.
In the festival's first-ever Shorts competition, Canadian director Connie Diletti's post-war drama experience "Homecoming" earned the top Knight prize. An honorable mention went to Mexican director Daniel Sánchez Arévalo for his wedding/hospital drama "Traumología" ("Traumology"). Honorable mention for best animated short went to Chris Lavis and Maciek Szcerbowski's "Madame Tutli Putli." And best first-time shorts director honors went to Taiwanese director Viv Koh's "Overnight A Rose."
All grand jury prize winners received a $25,000 cash prize from the Knight Foundation. Executives recently established a $60 million grant fund to finance independent films worldwide. For more information, go to www.knightarts.org.
"Mutluluk" ("Bliss"), a societal portrait of modern-day Turkey and Greece by director Abdullah Oguz, garnered the Miami International Film Festival's audience award for top dramatic world feature. "La Zona" ("The Zone"), director Rodrigo Plá's thriller about a wealthy Mexico City gated community under siege, earned the audience award for best Ibero-American feature. And the audience favorite among documentaries went to "Vengo de un Avión que Cayó en las Montañas" ("Stranded: I Come from a Plane that Crashed in the Mountains"), Uruguayan director Gonzalo Arijón's account of the infamous 1973 crash that stranded a rugby team in the Andes. For the first time, the festival teamed with the Munich, Germany-based International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The federation awarded the group's top film honor to the Israeli road-rage revenge drama "Tnuah Maguna" ("Foul Gesture") by director Itshak Grad.
The Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the international journalism and social change think tank created by The Miami Herald's founding fathers, sponsored the $250,000 Knight Grand Jury Prizes for top dramatic world feature, best Ibero-American feature, best documentary and best short film.
"Sztuczki" ("Tricks"), Polish director Andrzej Jakimowski's coming-of-age tale, won the Knight Grand Jury Prize for best world cinema dramatic feature. Honorable mentions: "Tesko Je Biti Fin" ("It's Hard To Be Nice"), Bosnian director Srdan Vuletic's look at an unlucky Sarajevo taxi driver; and FIPRESCI favorite "Foul Gesture."
Two films shared the Knight Grand Jury Prize for best Ibero-American dramatic feature: Mexican road adventure "Cochochi" by directors Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman and the modern-day Haiti portrait "Eat For This Is My Body" from debut director Michelange Quay. Honorable mentions: Chilean director Rodrigo Marín's heart-wrenching "Las Niñas" ("The Girls") and Mexican director Ernesto Contrera's take on romantic destiny, "Párpados Azules" ("Blue Eyelids").
In the documentary competition, Brazilian director João Moreira Salles earned the Knight Grand Jury Prize for "Santiago," his homage to his family's long-time butler. Honorable mention winners: "Calle Santa Fé" ("Santa Fe Street"), in which Pinochet-regime protestor Carmen Castillo documents her life in exile and return to her native Chile; and, "Un Tigre de Papel" ("A Paper Tiger"), director Luis Ospina's playful portrait of legendary Colombian artist Pedro Manrique Figueroa.
In the festival's first-ever Shorts competition, Canadian director Connie Diletti's post-war drama experience "Homecoming" earned the top Knight prize. An honorable mention went to Mexican director Daniel Sánchez Arévalo for his wedding/hospital drama "Traumología" ("Traumology"). Honorable mention for best animated short went to Chris Lavis and Maciek Szcerbowski's "Madame Tutli Putli." And best first-time shorts director honors went to Taiwanese director Viv Koh's "Overnight A Rose."
All grand jury prize winners received a $25,000 cash prize from the Knight Foundation. Executives recently established a $60 million grant fund to finance independent films worldwide. For more information, go to www.knightarts.org.
Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com. 
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