“Made in China” and “45365” Take Top SXSW Jury Prizes

Director/screenwriter/producer Judi Krant jams on her prize, a guitar, after winning the award for best narrative feature at the SXSW Film Festival Tuesday evening in Austin, TX. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

Judi Krant’s “Made in China” won the narrative jury prize, while Bill Ross’ “45365” won best documentary tonight at an informal awards presentation at the Austin Convention Center, closing out the main part of the South by Southwest Conference and Festival (SXSW). In the Audience Award categories, Scott Teems’s “That Evening Sun” and Geralyn Pezanoski’s “Mine” won best narrative and doc respectively, while the audience nod in the Emerging Visions category went to Jennifer Steinman’s “Motherland.” Winners in SXSW’s 24 Beats Per Second and Lone Star States sections will be announced Friday.

The 2009 SXSW Film Festival is screening 133 feature-length films, including 57 world premieres, selected from this year’s crop of 1,511 feature-length submissions (1,220 from the U.S. and 291 outside the U.S.)

“It’s a cold cruel world out there… but this is a dream come true,” said Krant when accepting the award for best narrative. Her film also took the SXSW “Chicken & Egg Emergent Woman Award,” which included a $2500 prize.

“SXSW seems like the best place to show a film like ours,” said “45365” director Bill Ross from the podium in the Austin convention center. “Y’all have all been so warm and receptive - thank you!”

“Going into the festival, we knew we had a strong lineup to be proud of, filled with some of the smartest and most talented filmmakers working at the studio level down to the tiniest of micro budgets,” commented SXSW Film Conference and Festival producer Janet Pierson in a statement. “But audiences, industry and press are all saying this is their favorite batch of movies in years. It’s great to feel the overwhelming embrace of the SXSW attendees who love what they’re watching, and even better, seeing our filmmakers enjoying each other’s work. The creative interchange is not just rhetoric, here at SXSW, it’s at the heart.”

The 2009 SXSW Film Festival Award winners with descriptions provided by the festival:

Feature Jury Awards

Documentary Feature
Winner - “45365,” director: Bill Ross
An inquiring look at everyday life in Middle America, the film explores the congruities of daily life in an American town Sidney, Ohio.

Honorable Mention, “The Way We Get By,” director: Aron Gaudet
On call 24/7 for the past 6 years, a group of senior citizens transform their lives by greeting nearly one million U.S. troops at a tiny airport in Maine.

Narrative Feature
Winner - “Made in China,” director: Judi Krant
Lost in Shanghai, an inventor discovers that it takes more than a bright idea to succeed. 

Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast - “That Evening Sun,” director: Scott Teems
A ruthless grudge match between two old foes.  Lines are drawn, threats are made, and the simmering tension under the Tennessee sun erupts, inevitably, into savagery.  Cast: Hal Holbrook, Mia Wasikowska, Ray McKinnon, Walton Goggins, Carrie Preston

Audience Awards

Emerging Visions Winner, “Motherland,” director: Jennifer Steinman
Six grieving mothers journey to Africa in order to test the theory that “giving is healing.”

Documentary Feature
Winner - “Mine,” director: Geralyn Pezanoski
After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of pets were rescued and adopted by families around the country, leading to many custody battles. Through these stories, the film examines issues of race, class and animal welfare in the U.S.

Narrative Feature
Winner - “That Evening Sun,” director: Scott Teems
A ruthless grudge match between two old foes.  Lines are drawn, threats are made, and the simmering tension under the Tennessee sun erupts, inevitably, into savagery. 

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co-directors and co-DPs Bill Ross and Turner Ross with Alex Ross at the SXSW Film Festival awards Tuesday. Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE Special Jury Awards SXSW & AIGA Austin Movie Poster Award Best in Show - “The Dungeon Masters,” director: Keven Macalester Designer: David Plunkert, Spur Design, LLC SXSW / Chicken & Egg Emergent Woman Award Winner - “Made in China,” director: Judi Krant Lost in Shanghai, an inventor discovers that it takes more than a bright idea to succeed. SXSW Wholphin Short Film Award Winner - “Sister Wife,” director: Jill Orschel In a time when the practices of Mormon fundamentalism offer sensational fodder for the evening news, Sister Wife offers a rare glimpse into the cloistered lifestyle. Shorts Jury Awards Reel Shorts Winner - “Thompson,” director: Jason Tippet Since second grade Matt and Ryan have shared the bond of speech impediments, weapons, and things that go fast. But as their last days of high school speed by, the two friends find that their go-carts, dirt bikes, and RC cars can’t outrun adulthood. Special Jury Award - “Happy 95 Birthday Grandpa,” director: Gary Huggins A fleeting memory in five minutes. Animated Shorts Winner - “Shaman,” director: Luc Perez Waiting for the bus on a rainy day in Copenhagen, the old shaman Utaaq sees a rare bird from his past. This makes him reminisce his youth, and a beautiful tale about the forces of nature begins. Special Jury Award - “Sweet Dreams,” director: Kirsten Lepore A Stalwart cupcake escapes from his native land to discover what lies beyond the sugar skyscrapers and candy-condos.  His violent shipwreck on a foreign shore forces him to adapt to a new lifestyle. Experimental Shorts Winner - “Cattle Call,” director: Matthew Rankin & Mike Maryniuk A high-speed animated documentary about the art of livestock auctioneering. Special Jury Award - “The Idiot Stinks,” director: Helder Sun Animation, Angst, Media, Martians and Miscommunication. Music Video Winner - Thunderheist, “Jerk It” Director: That Go-Noel Paul & Stefan Moore Special Jury Award - Fleet Foxes, “White Winter Hymnal” Director: Sean Pecknold Jury Special Mention - New Pornographers, “Myriad Harbor” Director: Fluorescent Hill Texas High School Competition Winner - “Performance Evaluation,” director: Breannah Gibson Special Jury Award - TIE “Fresh Fruit,” director: Edward Kelley & Brenden Cicoria “A Hospital Bathroom,” director: Miguel Johnson Login to recommend this article » posted on March 17, 2009 Films to Snag Login to Leave a Comment »