“Natural Selection” & “Dragonslayer” Win Top SXSW Film Fest Honors

Robbie Pickering’s “Natural Selection” won the Narrative Feature Competition, while Tristan Patterson’s “Dragonslayer” took the Documentary Feature Competition prize tonight at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival Awards in Austin, Texas. “Natural Selection” also picked up other prizes tonight, including Breakthrough Performance by Rachael Harris and Matt O’Leary as well as Best Screenplay for Pickering. Best Editing went to “Natural Selection”‘s Michelle Tesoro, while the film’s Curt Schneider picked up the nod for Best Score/Music.

In Audience selections, Vikram Gandhi’s “Kumaré” won the Documentary Feature prize, while “Natural Selection” took the award for Narrative Feature. Andrew Haigh’s “Weekend,” which will be tonight’s SXSW Buzz screening, won the audience nod for SXSW’s Emerging Visions section.

“You guys just saved me like $10,000 in psychiatrist bills,” said producer John Baker, accepting the Grand Jury prize for Documentary Feature.

Paul Jensen, producer of Grand Jury prize winner for Narrative feature, said: “We all know how difficult this independent filmmaking is. Robbie never gave up, and he never wavered from his vision.”

Award winners are being updated as they are announced in Austin, TX.

The 2011 SXSW Film Festival Award Winners:

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Grand Jury Winner: “Dragonslayer”
Director: Tristan Patterson

Best Editing: “Where Soldiers Come From”
Editors: Kyle Henry & Heather Courtney

Best Cinematography: “Dragonslayer”
Director of Photography: Eric Koretz

Best Score/Music: “The City Dark”
Music by: The Fishermen Three, Ben Fries

NARRATIVE FEATURE
Grand Jury Winner: “Natural Selection”
Director: Robbie Pickering

Breakthrough Performances:
Evan Ross – “96 Minutes”
Rachael Harris – “Natural Selection”
Matt O’Leary – “Natural Selection”

Best Screenplay: “Natural Selection”
Writer: Robbie Pickering

Best Editing: “Natural Selection”
Editor: Michelle Tesoro

Best Cinematography: “A Year in Mooring”
Director of Photography: Elliot Davis

Best Score/Music: “Natural Selection”
Music by: iZLER, Curt Schneider

Feature Film Audience Awards

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner: “Kumaré”
Director: Vikram Gandhi

NARRATIVE FEATURE
Winner: “Natural Selection”
Director: Robbie Pickering

SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
Winner: “Becoming Santa”
Director: Jeff Myers

EMERGING VISIONS
Winner: “Weekend”
Director: Andrew Haigh

Short Film Jury Awards

NARRATIVE SHORT
Winner: “Pioneer”
Director: David Lowery

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Winner: “Mothersbane”
Director: Jason Jakaitis

ANIMATED SHORTS
Winner: “The Wonder Hospital”
Director: Beomsik Shimbe Shim

EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
Winner:
Director:

Runner Up:
Director:

MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner: Hollerado, “Americanarama”
Director: Greg Jardin

TEXAS SHORTS
Winner: “8”
Director: Julie Gould & Daniel Laabs

Time Warner Cable & Ovation Young Filmmaker Scholarship for Texas High School Shorts
Winner: “( __ )”
Director: Chad Werner

SXSW Film Design Awards

EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN
Winner: “Silver Bullets”
Designer: Yann Legendre

Audience Award Winner: Green
Designer: Adrian Kolarczyk

EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN
Winner: “Blue Valentine”
Designer: Jim Helton

Audience Award Winner: “Blue Valentine”
Designer: Jim Helton

SXSW Special Awards

SXSW WHOLPHIN AWARD
Winner: “The Eagleman Stag”
Director: Mikey Please

SXSW CHICKEN & EGG EMERGENT NARRATIVE WOMAN DIRECTOR AWARD
Winner: Sophia Takal for “Green”

LOUIS BLACK LONE STAR AWARD
Winner: “Incendiary: The Willingham Case”
Directors: Steve Mims & Joe Bailey, Jr.

Special Award – The Chicken & Egg Pictures “We Believe in You” Award:

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