The 2017 Harlem International Film Festival announced on Sunday, May 8, the award winners for the 12^th edition of the film festival at MIST Harlem (46 West 116th Street). Roberta Durrant’s KROTOA was named Best Narrative Feature, with Daniel Peddle’s GARDEN OF THE PEACEFUL DRAGON taking the award for Best Documentary Feature. Ilker Savaskurt’s GROOM’S BLOCK won Best World Film (Narrative) and Steven McGregor’s SERVANT OR SLAVE took the prize for Best World Documentary.

 

 

Harlem International Film Festival Program Director Nasri Zacharia said, “We have a great deal of pride in the accomplishments of all the films that comprised our slate this year. From opening night to closing night, our audiences were enthralled with the way our filmmakers see and show the world to us and the profound resonance of the messages they delivered within the urgent stories they told. It is never easy to single out and award just a few from a program as strong as this, but it’s always a pleasure to shine a second light on some of the great films we admired this season.”

 

The Audience Award was bestowed upon Angela Robinson Witherspoon’s CURTSY, MISTER. Best Director Awards go to Johnny O’Reilly for MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS (Narrative Feature), and Sarita Siegel & Gregg Mitman for THE LAND BENEATH OUR FEET (Documentary Feature).

 

The Mira Nair Award for Rising Female Filmmaker went to Serena Dykman for her work on NANA, while acting awards were received by Hasmine Killip (Best Actress) and Ronwaldo Martin (Best Actor) – both for their work in ORDINARY PEOPLE (Pamilya Ordinaryo).

 

Highlighting the film festival’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the work of local filmmakers, Jacques Zanetti’s DAY AFTER DAY won the New York Showcase Award, and Harlem Spotlight Awards went to Eduard Eme’s THE SPEECH (Harlem Spotlight Best Documentary), Tesia Joy Walker’s SEARCH PARTY (Harlem Spotlight Best Short Narrative), and Marquis Martin’s A GIRL CAN DREAM…BRE SCULLARK (Harlem Spotlight Best Short Documentary).

 

Best Experimental Film went to Mtume Gant’s WHITE FACE. Best Animation went to Nathalie Blomme’s TRIP TO THE STARS, and the winner for Best Music Video was Eileen Byrne’s IRIDESCENCE. The winning Webisode was Darian Dauchan’s THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BROBOT JOHNSON

 

Awards for Short Films went to: Pape Bouname Lopy, Marc Recchia, and Chistophe Rolin’s DEM DEM! For Best Short (short film over 15 minutes in length), Jeremy Wallace’s HELLO, MALCOLM for Best Short Short (short film under 15 minutes in length), and Royston Scott’s THE SARAH SPENCER WASHINGTON STORY for Best Short Documentary.

Best Youth Short went to Dominique Gilbert’s COCOA BUTTER SHORT, and Phil Elleston, II’s STATEMENT OF TRUTH was named Best Youth Short Documentary.

 

THE 2017 HARLEM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Best Narrative Film

KROTOA

Director: Roberta Durrant

 

Best Documentary

GARDEN OF THE PEACEFUL DRAGON

Director: Daniel Peddle

 

Best World Film

GROOM’S BLOCK

Director: Ilker Savaskurt

 

Best World Documentary

SERVANT OR SLAVE

Director: Steven McGregor

 

Audience Award

CURTSY, MISTER

Director: Angela Robinson Witherspoon

 

Best Narrative Director

Johnny O’Reilly (MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS)

 

Best Documentary Director

Sarita Siegel & Gregg Mitman (THE LAND BENEATH OUR FEET)

 

Mira Nair Award for Rising Female Filmmaker

Serena Dykman (NANA)

 

Best Actress

Hasmine Killip (ORDINARY PEOPLE (Pamilya Ordinaryo))

 

Best Actor

Ronwaldo Martin (ORDINARY PEOPLE (Pamilya Ordinaryo))

 

New York Showcase Award

DAY AFTER DAY

Director: Jacques Zanetti

 

Harlem Spotlight (Documentary)

THE SPEECH

Director: Eduard Eme

 

Harlem Spotlight (Short Narrative)

SEARCH PARTY

Director: Tesia Joy Walker

 

Harlem Spotlight (Short Documentary)

A GIRL CAN DREAM…BRE SCULLARK

Director: Marquis Martin

 

Best Experimental Film

WHITE FACE

Director: Mtume Gant

 

Best Short Documentary

THE SARAH SPENCER STORY

Director: Royston Scott

 

Best Short Narrative

DEM DEM!

Directors: Pape Bouname Lopy, Marc Recchia, and Chistophe Rolin

 

Best Short Short

HELLO, MALCOLM

Director: Jeremy Wallace

 

Best Youth Short Documentary

STATEMENT OF TRUTH

Director: Phil Elleston, II     

 

Best Youth Short

COCOA BUTTER SHORT

Director: Dominique Gilbert

 

Best Animation

TRIP TO THE STARS

Director: Nathalie Blomme

 

Best Music Video

IRIDESCENCE

Director: Eileen Byrne

 

Winning Webisode

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BROBOT JOHNSON

Director: Darian Dauchan