Alexandria Film Festival Announces Festival Awards

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The Alexandria Film Festival (AFF) concluded its 18th annual program with the announcement of 13 awards to films and filmmakers in this year’s festival.

  • Best of the Festival Award
    “The Test,” directed by Claudia Myers and Laura Waters Hinson

  • Special Jury Award for Feature
    “Out of My Comfort Zone,” directed by Ivy Vale

  • The Joe Cantwell Award for Documentary Excellence
    “Paxson: A Home in Common,” directed by Jacob Boelman

  • Audience Award
    “Love Dogs,” directed by West Eldredge

  • Best of the Region Award
    “Pennies,” directed by Lena Louise Streitwieser and produced by Mary Beth Warner

  • Best Animated Film Award
    “Velo Love,” produced by Nancy Breslin

  • Best Original Screenplay Award
    “Written in Skin,” directed by Damian Wampler

  • Best Achievement in Exploration of Contemporary Issues Award
    “Sometime, Somewhere,” directed by Ricardo Preve

  • Special Jury Award for Short Film
    “Hindsight,” directed by Max Rykov

  • Best Fictional Short Award
    “Tin Can,” directed by Pat Battistini

  • Best Emerging Filmmaker Award

    “From Ashes to Beauty: Stories After Incarceration,” directed by Mabel Malhotra

  • Best Achievement in Innovative Filmmaking Award
    “Always Already,” directed by Ken Sackheim

  • Best International Film Award:
    “Hate Songs,” directed by Alejo Levis

“As we bring the 18th annual Alexandria Film Festival to a close, we are thrilled and honored to be able to celebrate these filmmakers and their resonant stories with this slate of awards,” said Dara Sanders, chair of the Alexandria Film Festival. “We thank all the filmmakers who participated in this year’s festival, our partners, donors, sponsors, and dedicated volunteers, and also the audiences who attended the festival and engaged in meaningful conversation with the filmmakers.” 

Photos of some (but not all) of the award winning filmmakers pictured with Alexandria Film Festival Chair Dara Sanders:
www.flickr.com/photos/124804644@N04/albums/72177720321876668/

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About the Alexandria Film Festival

Now in its 18th year, the Alexandria Film Festival brings high-quality, independent, short and feature-length films of every genre, to the City of Alexandria each November and intermittently throughout the year. The festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by a grant from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts, as well as the generosity of volunteers, numerous individuals and corporate sponsors.

Patti North