Indy Film Awards announces winners of 2020 season

• Winners for the inaugural Indy Film Awards announced
• Following a film gala hosted at Filmhuis Cavia in Amsterdam, prizes have been awarded to Korte Kuitspier (Best Short Narrative), WANTOKS: Dance of Resilience in Melanesia (Best Short Documentary), North of Blue (Best Experimental), Call Me Intern (Best Documentary) and El Afortunado (Best Narrative).
• Indy Film Library is now open for its second year of submissions.

The first Indy Film Awards has taken place at Amsterdam’s Filmhuis Cavia, on the 1^st of March.

Following the day-long event, all selected films were screened for the public, before the winners of the Best Feature Narrative, Best Feature Documentary, Best Short Narrative, Best Short Documentary and Best Experimental Film are announced.

The winners were as follows:

• BEST SHORT NARRATIVE – Korte Kuitspier – Comedy on prejudice and humour, by Dutch Director Victoria Warmerdam
  “As a whole, it becomes clear to us that we have been led full-circle, at the end of an educative process which has also given us a target genuinely worthy of mockery.”
• BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY – WANTOKS: Dance of Resistance – Climate-politics documentary, by activist-Director Iara Lee
  “Delivers a seamless introduction to a myriad of complex socio-political issues, framing what could be an alienating new experience for audiences by presenting its truths through interactions with warm, relatable human beings.”
• BEST EXPERIMENTAL – North of Blue – Stunning experimental animation, by Joanna Priestly
  “For audiences willing to think more abstractly on the universe, life’s impermanent existence within it, and their perceptions of both, Priestly’s ethereal animation will be ideal.”
• BEST NARRATIVE – El Afortunado ­– Argentine melodrama tackling race and poverty, by Wisny Dorce
  “Possesses an infectious likability which means many of its sins can be forgiven, and which enables it to deliver on some of the very best aspects of melodramtic cinema.”
• BEST DOCUMENTARY – Call Me Intern – Documenting graduate exploitation, by Nathalie Berger & Leo David Hyde
  “Two filmmakers and their stunt have helped trigger action around the world, educating youth on their rights as interns, and empowering them to fight and change the system. This is gonzo journalism to do Hunter S. Thompson proud.”

Jack Benjamin, Founder and Editor in Chief of Indy Film Library, said, “If these films are anything to judge the future of Indy Film by, the mainstream film industry should be looking anxiously over its shoulder at these bright new artists moving in on its turf! The filmmakers whose work has been selected for screening at this year’s Indy Film Awards have all done something quite remarkable in that regard. The winners are the very cream of the crop – considering the restraints placed on Directors like these, I am actually a little in awe of their work, and look forward to what they come up with in the future.”

Indy Film Library

Based in Amsterdam, Indy Film Library is a film-criticism platform, which delivers insightful feedback to independent filmmakers. The organisation also hosts an annual gathering to celebrate the best and brightest up-and-coming talents in the industry. For more information, visit www.indyfilmlibrary.com, or email indyfilmlibrary@gmail.com.