SXSW 2016 Announces Audience Award Winners, ‘TOWER’ and ‘Transpecos’ Win Big

As this year’s edition of the SXSW Film Festival winds down, the festival has wrapped up another successful year with its announcement of audience award picks, reflecting the favorites of the actual cinephiles and moviegoers who enjoyed what the always-fun Austin, Texas event had to offer. Among the lauded picks are Greg Kwedar’s border drama “Transpecos,” Jean-Marc Vallée’s headliner “Demolition” and just one holdover from the jury competition: Keith Maitland’s ambitious documentary “TOWER.”

The rest of the winners speak to the breadth of SXSW’s offerings, from uplifting docs like “Gleason” to foul-mouthed (and funny!) television picks like “Vice Principals.” With each section getting its own big winner, these audience awards really do offer up something for everyone. Take a look!

READ MORE: SXSW 2016 Coverage From Indiewire

Scroll down for the complete list of winners.

Feature Film Audience Awards

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Winner: “Transpecos”
Director: Greg Kwedar

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Winner: “TOWER”
Director: Keith Maitland
HEADLINERS
Winner: “Demolition”
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT 
Winner: “From Nowhere”
Director: Matthew Newton

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT 
Winner: “Mr. Gaga”
Director: Tomer Heymann 

VISIONS 
Winner: “Jules and Dolores”
Director: Caito Ortiz 

MIDNIGHTERS 
Winner: “I Am a Hero”
Director: Shinsuke Sato

EPISODIC 
Winner: “Vice Principals”
Directors: Jody Hill, David Gordon Green, Danny McBride 

24 BEATS PER SECOND 
Winner: “Honky Tonk Heaven: Legend of the Broken Spoke”
Directors: Brenda Greene Mitchell, Sam Wainwright Douglas   

SXGLOBAL 
Winner: “Ghostland”
Director: Simon Stadler 

FESTIVAL FAVORITES 
Winner: “Gleason”
Director: Clay Tweel

SXSW Film Design Audience Award

EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN
Winner: “We Are X”
Designer: Allison Brownmoore of Blue Spill

READ MORE: SXSW: Complete List of Winners at the 2016 Film Awards

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