"happythankyoumoreplease" and "The White Meadow" Top Denver FF's Awards

A scene from Josh Radnor's "happythankyoumoreplease." [Photo courtesy of SDFF]

Fresh off of receiving an audience award at the Virginia Film Festival, Josh Radnor's "happythankyoumoreplease" continued a winning streak, picking up the Starz People's Choice Award for Best Feature at the 33rd Starz Denver Film Festival (SDFF), which concluded on Sunday, November 14. Lily Rivlin's "Grace Paley: Collected Shorts" went on to win the documentary equivalent of the award.

Denver's jury award winners included the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film, which went to "The White Meadow," directed by Mohammad Rasoulof who was arrested and jailed in Iran last year. Jose Padilha's "Secrets of the Tribe" went on to win the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary Film, while "My So-Called Enemy," from director Lisa Gossels received a Special Jury Prize in Filmmaking for its eight year commitment documenting the lives and friendships of a group of Israeli and Palestinian young women, some of whom are on a quest to be the next generation's ambassadors of peace. Director Chris Brown was also awarded the Emerging Filmmaker Award for "Fanny, Annie & Danny."

This year's edition of the festival took place over 12 days, and featured 224 films from 30 countries. Attendance was up from the previous record of 47,500, the festival said.

"With the opening of the Denver Film Society's new permanent home, the Denver FilmCenter/Colfax, star-studded Red Carpet presentations and filmmakers from around the world joining us, the 33rd year of the Starz Denver Film Festival was an exhilarating cinematic celebration," said Britta Erickson, SDFF director in a statement. "Demonstrated in both numbers and response, the Denver community and the inspiring filmmakers and industry professionals who shared their work with our enthusiastic audience were paramount to this being such a successful year."