2017 Awards
Throughout the festival, in addition to the audience discussions following each film, your juries have given an added hour of discussion for each short film. While the shorts were not included in our award discussions, the Faith & Film jury wanted to express its particular appreciation of the short, D.E.U.S–certainly an appropriate appreciation, given our location in a school of theology.
In deliberating which film best meets the selection criteria, this jury’s second choice is a film that certainly worked at promoting the dignity of all. Several factors led to our lead character’s ability to overcome particularly adverse circumstances: the love of both parents, and especially the playfulness and attention from his father, instilled a strength of self worth that carried him into adulthood. Finally, a speech therapist breaks through the silence imposed upon him by cerebral palsy, and he is able to communicate the fullness of his humanity. We give our second award to the Polish film, Life Feels Good.
Our top choice gives us a film whose artistry in light and color offer vibrant cityscapes as well as rich internal scenes. The creative transformations in this film are multiple: A father learns to own his own weakness, a son learns to own his strength; through both of these transformations a new family comes into being. But perhaps the greatest creative transformation occurs in us the audience, as we see with new eyes a community too often undervalued and despised. We see instead communal care for one another’s well being, sensitivity to the human situation and above all, human dignity. We give the Whitehead award for the common good to the Irish film set in the Cuban culture: Viva.
2017 Awards
- Jury Award for Whitehead Award for Outstanding Achievement: VIVA (2015) Cuba, Director Paddy Breathnach
- Jury Award Whitehead Award for Best Feature Film: VIVA (2015) Cuba, Director Paddy Breathnach
- Millennial Jury Award Whitehead Award for Best Feature Film VIVA (2015) Cuba, Director Paddy Breathnach
- Audience Award VIVA (2015) Cuba, Director Paddy Breathnach
2016 Awards
- Jury Award for Whitehead Award for Outstanding Achievement: Everywhere and Forever: Gustav Mahler’s Song of the Earth (2013) United States, Director Jason Starr
- Jury Award Whitehead Award for Best Feature Film: Marie’s Story (2014) France, Director Jean-Pierre Améris
- Audience Award: Marie’s Story (2014) France, Director Jean-Pierre Améris
2015 Awards
- Jury Award: Corazon de Leon (2013) Director
- Audience Award:
2014 Awards
- Jury Award: Shun Li and the Poet (2011), Italy, Director Andrea Segre
- Audience Award: Touch of the Light (2012), Taiwan, Director Jung-chi Chang
- Audience Award: English -Vinglish (2012), India, Director Gauri Shinde
2013 Awards
- Jury Award: Your Beauty is Worth Nothing (2012), Austria, Director Huseyin Tabak
- Audience Award: Dearest (2012), Japan. Director Yasuo Furuhata
- Audience Award: Almanya (2011), Germany. Director Yasemin Samdereli
2012 Awards
- Jury Award: Gold and Copper (2011), Iran. Director Homayoun Assadian
- Best Documentary: Crime After Crime (2011), USA. Director Yoav Potash
2011 Jury Award
- Troubled Water (2008), Norway. Director Erik Poppe
2010 Jury Award
- Departures (2008), Japan. Director Yojiro Takita
2009 Jury Award
- The Visitor (2007), USA. Director Thomas McCarthy
2008 Jury Award
- Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005), Hong Kong/China/Japan. Director Yimou Zhang
2007 Jury Award
- Tsotsi (2005), UK/S. Africa. Director Gavin Hood
2006 Jury Award
- The Syrian Bride (2004), France/Israel. Director Eran Riklis
2005 Jury Award
- The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Canada. Director Denys Arcand
2004 Jury Awards
- Best Feature Film: Gaz Bar Blues (2003), Canada. Director Louis Bélanger
- Best Film Short: Aftershock (2003), France. Director Michael Bergmann