Reel Asian Announces Audience Award Winner

The Reel Asian Film Festival announced the winner of the Reel Asian Audience Award today. Here is the full list of award winners:


2010 REEL ASIAN AWARD WINNERS:

REEL ASIAN AUDIENCE AWARD
All feature films at the festival were eligible for this prize. The favourite feature film was chosen by the audience by secret ballot. ($500 cash prize)

The Reel Asian Audience Award goes to Naoko Ogigami for TOILET.

An independent jury comprised of distinguished members of the media arts community selected this year’s award winners. The Features Jury consisted of Jari Osborne, Marina Di Pancrazio, Darcy Murphy.

ASTRAL’S HAROLD GREENBERG FUND BEST FEATURE FILM OR VIDEO AWARD
All feature works were eligible for this prize. ($1,000 cash prize)

"This story of a beloved country doctor disguises itself as a gentle comedy before revealing itself as a provocative argument for the morality of an honorable lie." – Jari Osborne

The Astral’s Harold Greenberg Fund Best Feature Film Award goes to Miwa Nishikawa for DEAR DOCTOR (Japan, 2009)

The Shorts Jury consisted of Randall Okita, Paul Wong, and Mishann Lau.

NFB BEST CANADIAN FILM OR VIDEO AWARD
All Canadian works were eligible for this prize. ($2,500 production budget prize towards the development of winner's next project)

“The award goes out to an extraordinary work that combines home-movies, history and first person accounts. it is a journey of self-discovery that includes the voices of 4 generations of a Canadian family. Written, directed and edited by the filmmaker, he has taken the particular and has made it universal in both form and content.” – Paul Wong

The NFB Best Canadian Award goes to Jeff Chiba Stearns for ONE BIG HAPA FAMILY

WIFT-T AWARD
All films made by female GTA-based artists were eligible for this prize. ($1,200 programming pass, one-year membership and mentorship from WIFT-T and $1,000 rental credit at Videoscope.)

“This award goes to a feminist story that takes the viewer on an emotional and honest journey in which the filmmaker confronts her motherʼs veiled past.” ¬– Mishann Lau¬

THE WIFT-T AWARD goes to Jane Kim for SEEING THROUGH THE SPIDERʼS WEB (Canada, 2009)

TRINITY SQUARE VIDEO VISIONARY VIDEO AWARD
All videos made by GTA-based artists are eligible for this prize. ($650 in TSV membership dues and services, $100 cash prize upon completion of new work made at Trinity Square Video.)

“This award goes to an important, timely work that freshly illuminated historical, political and personal struggles and brought a brilliant combination of research and innovation into the process of reclaiming our history.” ¬ – Randall Okita

The TSV Visionary award goes to Lesley Loksi Chan for REDRESS REMIX (Canada, 2010)

ANIMASIAN AWARD
All animated films and videos were eligible for this prize. The award was innitiated by director/animator Ann Marie Fleming, and is continues to grow as animators and animation lovers across the country make contributions to the growth and future of the award. ($500 cash prize)

“Combining multiple techniques, this filmmakerʼs first film has a strong and original approach both technically and conceptually, tackling a complex issue with the lightness of freshly fallen Snow.” – Mishann Lau

The ANIMASION AWARD goes to Su-An Ng for NATURE ON ITʼS COURSE (Canada, 2009)

LIFT AND FUJI BEST FILM AWARD
All films made by GTA-based artists were eligible for this prize. ($280 in LIFT membership dues and services, $500 credit towards LIFT equipment and facility rentals, workshops and courses, 5 rolls of Fuji 16mm film.)

“This award goes to a wonderfully rendered love letter to familial sacrifice and the struggle of new Canadian families.” – Randall Okita

The LIFT and Fuji best film award goes to Gloria Kim for THE AUCTION

MOVIEOLA BEST SHORT FILM OR VIDEO AWARD
All short films are eligible. ($300 cash prize and opportunity for broadcast on Movieola.)

“The award goes to a crash-bang distillation of pop genres. It is a seamless mash-up of live-action, drama, anime and manga that tells a classic story of revenge and poetic justice in which violence is deftly handled.” – Paul Wong

The Movieola Best Short Award goes to director Sol Friedman for JUNKOʼS SHAMISEN

THE SO YOU THINK YOU CAN PITCH? AWARDS

This year’s pitch competition was a public event hosted by local artist Keith Cole. An audience of over 100 watched as 7 teams competed for more than $28,000 in services from Charles Street Video. The winners were chosen by the panel of jurors: Nobu Adilman, Eileen Arandiga, and Lila Karim.

CHARLES STREET VIDEO AND REEL ASIAN PITCH PROFESSIONAL ARTIST AWARD
The award winners receive $1,500 (cash), and a $5,000 production package from Charles Street Video (equivalent to $18,000 at industry rental rates).

The Pitch Professional Artist Award goes to Tricia Lee (Director), Ryan Reaney (Producer) for SEARCHING FOR WONDER

Synopsis: When a 12-year-old child prodigy, who lives in an adult world, discovers magic, he experiences a feeling of wonder which he has never felt before and goes on a journey to find what is missing in his life.

CHARLES STREET VIDEO AND REEL ASIAN PITCH EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
The award winners receive $1,500 (cash), and a $3,000 production package from Charles Street Video (equivalent to $10,000 at Industry rental rates).

The Pitch EMERGING ARTIST AWARD goes to Shahrzad Nakhai (Producer/Director) for SUGAR BOWL

Sypnosis: Sugar Bowl is a poetic portrayal of Negros Island, Philippines. Through a chorus of voices we hear the tragic story of its sugar cane industry through eras of Spanish and American colonization. Sugar Bowl crafts an eerie story of people living in the past and struggling to keep things as they once were.