Burbank, CA – The 9th annual Burbank International Film Festival announced the best films and performances of the Festival at their Closing Night Gala on Sunday, September 10th, 2017 at the Los Angeles Mariott Burbank Airport. The Festival featured over 180 screenings of independent feature films, short films, and film revivals, along with artist tributes, cast and crew panels, parties, and special red carpet events. The Festival was hosted by the AMC 16 Theater in Downtown Burbank. The Burbank International Film Festival provides a platform for independent filmmakers to display their work, and attract the attention of industry professionals. Each year, the Festival showcases a wide range of independent films that feature up-and-coming film making talent from all over the globe.
Several individuals received special awards for unique and exemplary accomplishments:
- Actress/Activist Tippi Hedren (The Birds, Marnie, and Founder of the Roar Foundation) received the Awareness Award for her animal rights activism.
- Casting Director Sarah Finn (The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, and all the Marvel movies & TV shows including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) received the first ever Casting Award.
- Actress Veronica Cartwright (Alien, The Right Stuff, The Witches of Eastwick) won the Lifetime Achievement Award for acting.
- Makeup Artist/Designer Michael Westmore (16 years of Star Trek TV shows) and Academy & Emmy-winning make-up artist (The Mask, Rocky, Raging Bull), received the Makeup/Design Award.
- Weathercaster/comedian Fritz Coleman received the Garry Marshall Spirit Award presented by Kathleen Marshall (Garry’s daughter who co-founded The Falcon Theatre), recently renamed The Garry Marshall Theatre.
The full list of winners and finalists is as follows:
- Drama Feature
- Winner: The Last Smile
- Slipaway
- I’m Still Here
- Limelight
- Eyes of the Roshi
- Carving a Life
- Drama Short
- Winner: The Admired
- Manners of Dying
- Letters from Alcatraz
- Wanted
- Terminal
- Comedy Feature
- Winner: The List
- Brand New Old Love
- Lifehack
- Garlic & Gunpowder
- Saint Francis: Monks in Robes
- Comedy Short
- Winner: Deadpool the Musical
- The Heist
- Baked Ziti
- The Possessed Waiter
- New Media Short
- Winner: Star Trek Continues: What Ships Are For
- Trumped!
- BTS The Webseries
- #BeefInBrentwood
- Documentary Feature
- Winner: Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches
- Crows of the Desert
- Fallen
- Departing
- Documentary Short
- Winner: Seeing is Believing
- Prince of Smoke
- Rock Bottom and Back
- They Say We Worship Satan
- The Bridge to Nowhere
- Foreign Feature
- Winner: Uma
- My Late Mother in Law
- Rama Rama Re
- Organic Love Stories
- Foreign Short
- Winner: The Boy by the Sea
- Cubs
- Go Paul
- The Swelling
- Valkommen
- Faith Based
- Winner: Over the Rhine
- Turning Point
- No Greater Love
- Voice of Grace
- The Voice in the Wilderness
- Sci-Fi Fantasy Feature
- Winner: Thrill Ride
- Nephilim
- Tinker
- The Equire
- Sci-Fi Fantasy Short
- Winner: Might
- Shero
- Dryad
- Hey Kiri
- Grey
- Passage of Flick
- Thriller Feature
- Winner: The Landing
- Hell Mountain
- Death House
- Isolani
- Lost Angeles
- LA County Students Short
- Winner: The Drought Police
- Oatmeal
- Penpals
- Mission Road
- A Letter to Heaven
- Student Short
- Winner: Caliber
- Icarus
- Rose Garden
- Audition
- Blasted
- Women Short
- Winner: Gift of the Magpie
- The Admired
- The Party
- Portions
- The New 35
- Animation Short
- Winner: Post No Bills
- Below 0
- The Adventure of Wollyfoot and Friends
- Digital Romance
- Rabbit Blood
- Original Screenplay
- Winner: Bloody Williamson (Sara Caldwell & James Ballowe)
- Above Reproach (Sami Taylor Yakovetic)
- Dollar Down (J. Michael Aiken)
- Amber’s Alert (Thada Catalon)
- The Unjustified Jade (Ben Htoo)
- Unknown Power (Juday Ray)
- Go to Sleep (Diana Djurcinovska)
- A Woman, Untitled (Charles William Lane)
- Speak English (Kieran Angelini)
- Such Times as These (Elliot Ohannes)
- Adapted Screenplay
- Winner: Glory Season (Mark Hedges)
- Too Close to the Edge (Linda Niccol)
- The Heart of a Tiger (Sreyram Kuy & Ross Raffin)
- Best Actor
- Winner: Patrick Fugit (The List)
- Danny Arroyo (The Last Smile)
- Orlando Delgado (Uma)
- Don Baldaramos (Manner of Dying)
- Evan O’Toole (Rose Garden)
- Best Actress
- Winner: Jennifer Morrison (The List)
- Alexandra Braun (Uma)
- Kate McLaughlin (Isolani)
- Aqueela Zoll (Kinesthesia)
- Elaine Partnow (Slipaway)
The Festival’s primary sponsors were:
Visit Burbank, the official destination marketing organization for the City of Burbank, California. Visit Burbank’s mission is to promote Burbank, for tourism and to improve the tourism business environment through the development and operation of a tourism improvement district and other programs and initiatives.
Downtown Burbank, whose mission is to promote Downtown Burbank as a vibrant entertainment and shopping destination with a dynamic street scene, enticing restaurants and an authentic urban vibe. This is accomplished by modernizing the physical infrastructure, keeping the district clean and safe, establishing a brand identity, and advocating for the best interests of businesses and property owners in Downtown Burbank.
First Entertainment Credit Union (FECU), who combine strength, safety, and growth to be the premier financial resource for those in the entertainment business. FECU manages more than $1.4 billion in assets and serves over 75,000 members. They have almost 400 companies & community partners, and a community charter which covers all of Los Angeles County. FECU has ten branches in the Los Angeles area (plus thousands of Shared Branching locations) and have grown their workforce team to over 200 strong.
The Festival also offered special thanks to Market City Caffe, who hosted the Opening Night Reception, and Urban Press Winery for supporting the Festival.