Natalia Almada’s ‘Everything Else’ takes top prize at SFFILM 60

Prizes at the 60th edition of the San Francisco International Film Festival were revealed this week. Winning films across 12 categories were announced at the “Golden Gate Awards” celebration with nearly $40,000 in prizes awarded to filmmakers. (see below for complete list)

Natalia Almada took home the top prize — Golden Gate New Directors ($10,000) — for her feature Everything Else. The jury included: Bilge Ebiri (Village Voice); Media Holly Herrick (Austin Film Society); and Philippe Lesage (last year’s New Directors Prize winner).

In a statement the jury noted: “For its humanism, its consistency of vision, its formal rigor, and its remarkable blend of fiction and non-fiction, we give the New Directors award to Natalia Almada and her film Everything Else.”

Documentary feature films receiving Golden Gate Awards include Brimstone & Glory, The Force, and School Life.

For a complete list of winners see below.

Now in its 60th year, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest running film festival in the Americas. This year’s edition was held from April 5-19 at venues across the Bay Area and featured nearly 200 films.

SFFILM 60 Golden Gate Awards: Winning Films

GOLDEN GATE NEW DIRECTORS (NARRATIVE FEATURE) PRIZE

• Everything Else, Natalia Almada (Mexico/USA/France)
• Receives $10,000 cash prize

MCBAINE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AWARDS

• Brimstone & Glory, Viktor Jakovleski (USA)
• Receives $10,000 cash prize

• The Force, Peter Nicks (USA)
• Receives $5,000 cash prize

• Special Jury Prize: School Life (formerly In Loco Parentis), Neasa Ní Chianáin, David Rane (Ireland/Spain)

GOLDEN GATE AWARDS FOR SHORT FILMS

• Best Narrative Short winner: Univitellin, Terence Nance (France)
• Receives $2,000 cash prize

• Special Jury Prize for Narrative Short: A Brief History of Princess X, Gabriel Abrantes (Portugal/France/UK)

• Best Documentary Short winner: The Rabbit Hunt, Patrick X Bresnan (USA)
• Receives $2,000 cash prize

• Best Animated Short winner: Hot Dog Hands, Matt Reynolds, (USA)
• Receives $2,000 cash prize

• Best New Visions Short winner: Turtles Are Always Home, Rawane Nassif (Qatar/Lebanon/Canada)
• Receives $1,500 cash prize

• Bay Area Short First Prize winner: In the Wake of Ghost Ship, Jason Blalock (USA)
• Receives $1,500 cash prize

• Bay Area Short Second Prize winner: American Paradise, Joe Talbot, USA.
• Receives $1,000 cash prize

GOLDEN GATE AWARD FOR FAMILY FILM

• Valley of a Thousand Hills, Jess Colquhoun (South Africa/UK)
• Receives $1,000 cash prize

• Special Jury Prize: Summer Camp Island, Julia Pott (USA)

GOLDEN GATE AWARD FOR YOUTH WORK

• Cycle, Caleb Wild (USA)
• Receives $1,000 cash prize

GOOGLE BREAKTHROUGH IN TECHNOLOGY AWARD

• N.O.VI.S., Arthur Rodger ‘Harley’ Maranan (Phillipines)
• Receives $500 cash prize donated by Google Inc.