TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL AND TRIBECA FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF 2009 TRIBECA ALL ACCESS CREATIVE PROMISE AWARDS
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL AND TRIBECA FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF 2009 TRIBECA ALL ACCESS CREATIVE PROMISE AWARDS
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Author, L’Oréal Spokesperson and Unicef Ambassador Dayle Haddon Presented L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth “Vision” Award
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Inaugural TFI Adrienne Shelly Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship Announced
The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, the founding sponsor of the Festival, along with the Tribeca Film Institute tonight announced the winners of the sixth annual Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Awards at City Winery along with the musical accompaniment of DJ Questlove. Tribeca All Access (TAA), a program designed to help foster relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities, is made possible by Bloomberg.
This evening at the Tribeca All Access Awards at City Winery in lower Manhattan, the following winners were announced:
• Narrative section prize – Miguel Aviles for “Somnium,” in which one man confronts his darkest fears, through his dreams, in order to salvage his life and get his true love back.
• Emerging Narrative section prize – Andrew Bui for “Bronxopolis,” in which a geeky Vietnamese teen turns his crush on his Dominican neighbor into a comic book character that is far from their lives in the Bronx.
• Documentary section prize – George Reyes for “La Muneca Fea (The Ugly Doll),” in which a group of elderly sex workers in Mexico City seek peace and find community at a refuge established by a former colleague.
• Screenwriting section prize – Jinho Ferreira aka “Piper” for “Walter’s Boys,” in which a clandestine training operation led by an ex-CIA agent recruits urban teens, but faces treacherous consequences from the trainees’ intent to break free with the help of a former mentor.
Honorable mentions were given to:
• Narrative – Jennifer Phang for “Look For Water,” in which a couple wakes up one morning to find they have literally lost sight of one another, igniting a path to rediscover each other and others lost along the way.
• Emerging Narrative – Hugo Perez for “The Immaculate Conception,” in which the death of Maria’s popstar husband Poblito, leaves her with the chance to make a decision that may finally bring her happiness, but requires some divine intervention.
• Documentary – Stephen Maing for “High Tech, Low Life,” in which truth and potential fame motivates a young Chinese vegetable seller to become China’s first citizen reporter, covering controversial and censored news via his blog, digital camera and blackberry.
The winners were selected from 21 eligible projects from the 27 in the program and based on the strength of their vision and filmmaking promise. The 2009 TAA Creative Promise Award comes with a prize of $11,000 for narrative, documentary and emerging narrative and $7,000 for screenwriting as well as an original piece of art from a contemporary artist. All of the filmmakers participating in the program have scripts or documentary proposals for which they are seeking funding and/or representation.
"The caliber of talent of Tribeca All Access’ filmmakers continues to amaze us," said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Institute. “I am proud that TAA is helping to bring these voices and visions to the forefront - ultimately enhancing all of our film experiences.”
“Like the rest of the Tribeca All Access program, tonight was a celebration that all of the participants could say they felt as if they were a winner. We’ve accomplished a lot in just this week and will continue to pave the way for our filmmakers to collaborate amongst themselves and with the industry as a whole,” said Tamir Muhammad, Director of Tribeca All Access.
2009 Tribeca All Access participants were selected from a pool of more than 475 submissions, and six projects through international associations. A jury of respected industry professionals selected the four winners and three honorable mentions. Since its founding in May 2004, TAA has supported the careers of more than 155 filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities within the film industry and facilitated 2,432 one-on-one meetings for them with key industry personnel. From 2004 – 2008, a total of 158 projects have participated in TAA.
Jurors for this year’s Tribeca All Access included Viola Davis, Sanaa Lathan, Fenton Bailey, Anne Carey, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Luis Guzman, Darnell Martin, Amy Robinson, Ellen Kuras, Lola Ogunnaike and Lance Reddick.
Author, L’Oréal Spokesperson and Unicef Ambassador Dayle Haddon presented Jennifer Phang with the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth “Vision” Award for her screenplay “Look For Water,” which also received an honorable mention in the narrative category. Female writers/directors actively participating in the emerging narrative section of the 2009 TAA program were eligible for the award, and Phang received a limited edition compact designed by Carelle and a $15,000 cash award from L’Oréal Paris to help further her creative vision through filmmaking.
TFI Adrienne Shelly Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship
As part of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation’s mission to aid in the advancement of talented women filmmakers, the foundation has teamed with the Tribeca Film Institute to form the TFI Adrienne Shelly Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship. The fellowship will be awarded to one selected Tribeca All Access filmmaker to further her career and creative projects. A total of $5,000 will be awarded in addition to support and mentorship throughout a 10-month period. The late actress’ husband Andy Ostroy, who also serves as Executive Director of the foundation, and advisory board member Emily Deschanel presented the award to Ana Lily Amirpour for “The Stones,” in which class, tradition and love all violently collide in modern day Tehran, as a young working class girl embarks on a forbidden love with a wealthy young man with fatal consequences.
“It is truly an honor to be partnering with the Tribeca Film Institute on this new fellowship,” said Ostroy. “Adrienne lived and worked in Tribeca, so it’s an especially meaningful addition to her growing legacy that the foundation that bears her name will be helping other talented women achieve their own filmmaking dreams through TAA.” Ostroy is producing Ms. Shelly’s follow-up script to her 2007 hit film WAITRESS, SERIOUS MOONLIGHT, which is directed by Cheryl Hines, stars Meg Ryan and Tim Hutton, and has its world premiere April 25th at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Jurors for this year included Annie Sundberg, Michelle Byrd and Adam Brightman.
Also, Tribeca All Access, together with 46664 and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, announced the first annual Mandela Day Tribeca All Access Award. TAA filmmakers, both present participants and alumni, are invited to submit original short film works to compete for grants from 46664 for future film projects. The opportunity will encourage filmmakers to bring Nelson Mandela’s values to life in cinematic form, helping people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them. Submissions will open June 8, 2009, and five winners will be selected to receive the Mandela Day Tribeca All Access Award, a grant in the amount of $10,000 each to put toward the making of a short film. Recipients of the Mandela Day Tribeca All Access Award will have the opportunity to have their completed film shown at a special Tribeca All Access screening event during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival in NYC.
Tribeca All Access provided this year’s 31 participating directors and screenwriters the opportunity to meet one-on-one with more than 100 potential investors, development executives, producers and agents in prescheduled meetings. During the six-day event, Tribeca All Access arranged more than 430 meetings total for program participants. For the second year, Tribeca All Access included international delegates by featuring six projects through its associations with the UK Film Council, Screen Australia (formerly Australian Film Commission) and Canadian Film Centre.
All participants in the 2009 program are now eligible to apply to “Tribeca Access OnTrack,” an expansion of the program designed to provide year-round support to TAA alumni.
TAA is made possible by Bloomberg. Additional support is provided by Time Warner, L’Oréal Paris, the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
2009 TRIBECA ALL ACCESS AWARD WINNERS
NARRATIVE
Miguel Aviles (Director, Screenwriter)
Somnium
When one man’s subconscious becomes jealous of his conscious, he must confront his darkest fears, through his dreams, in order to salvage his life and get his true love back.
Other Listed Crew: Michael Jasionowski (Producer, Editor)
HONORABLE MENTION
Jennifer Phang (Director, Screenwriter)
Look For Water
A couple wakes up one morning finding they have literally lost sight of each other, igniting them on a path to rediscover each other and others lost along the way.
Other Listed Crew: Dominc Mah (Screenwriter), Robert Chang (Executive Producer)
EMERGING NARRATIVE
Andrew Bui (Director, Screenwriter)
Bronxopolis
A geeky Vietnamese teenager turns his crush on his sassy Dominican neighbor into a comic book character that is far from the lives they grow into in the Bronx.
HONORABLE MENTION
Hugo Perez (Director, Screenwriter)
Immaculate Conception
When her popstar husband Pablito dies during a plastic surgery operation, Maria is left with a decision that may finally bring her happiness but requires a little divine intervention.
Other Listed Crew: Katharyn B. Marquez (Producer), Nick Spicer (Producer), Francisco Bello (Editor)
DOCUMENTARY
George Reyes (Co-Director, Producer)
La Muneca Fea (The Ugly Doll)
A group of elderly sex workers in Mexico City seek peace and find community behind the walls of Casa Xochiquetzal, a refuge established by one of their former colleagues.
Other Listed Crew: Claudia Lopez (Co-Director, Assoc. Producer), Nekisa Cooper (Producer)
HONORABLE MENTION
Stephen Maing (Director, Producer, DP)
High Tech, Low Life
Truth and potential fame motivates a young Chinese vegetable seller to become China’s first citizen reporter covering the country’s controversial and censored news stories via his blog, digital camera, and blackberry.
Other Listed Crew: Anne Marie Stein (Consulting Producer), Meng Xie (Field Producer), Jian Yi (Consulting Producer), Kirsten Johnson (Consulting Producer)
SCREENWRITING
Jinho Ferreira aka “Piper” (Screenwriter)
Walter’s Boys
A clandestine training operation run by an ex-CIA agent recruits urban teens, but faces treacherous consequences from the trainee’s intent on breaking free with the help of a former mentor.
L’ORÉAL PARIS WOMEN OF WORTH “VISION” AWARD
Jennifer Phang (Director, Screenwriter)
Look For Water
A couple wakes up one morning finding they have literally lost sight of each other, igniting them on a path to rediscover each other and others lost along the way.
Other Listed Crew: Dominc Mah (Screenwriter), Robert Chang (Executive Producer)
TFI ADRIENNE SHELLY FOUNDATION SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIP
Ana Lily Amirpour (Director, Screenwriter)
The Stones
In modern day Tehran, class, tradition, and love all violently collide as a young working class girl embarks on a forbidden love with a wealthy young man with fatal consequences.
Other Listed Crew: Gordy Hoffman (Producer), Sina Sayyah (Producer)
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About the Tribeca Film Festival
Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca Film Festival in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, New York City to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture. The Festival’s mission is to help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center.
Tribeca Film Festival is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors. The Tribeca Festival has screened over 1100 films from over 80 countries since its first festival in 2002. Since its founding, it has attracted an international audience of more than two million attendees and has generated over $530 million in economic activity for New York City.
About the 2009 Festival Sponsors
As Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, American Express is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of film making, bringing business and energy to New York City and offering benefits that enhance the festival-going experience.
The Festival is pleased to announce the return of its Signature Sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Apple, Bloomberg, Brookfield Properties, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), Delta Air Lines, iShares, NBC 4 New York, RR Donnelley, Snapple, The New York Times, Telemundo 47 and Vanity Fair.
The Tribeca Film Festival is also honored to welcome the following new Signature Sponsors: AMC, DIRECTV and Heineken.
