Winners of the 31st Atlantic Film Festival announced

Afghan Luke closed off the 31st Annual Atlantic Film Festival this evening at two sold-out screenings at Park Lane Cinemas. Director Mike Clattenburg, producers Mike Volpe and Barrie Dunn and writers Patrick Graham and Douglas Bell were all on hand to present the film.

You can check out Matt Semansky’s review of the film here. I didn’t like it as much as he did, but the picture proves Clattenburg has a set of directorial skills far outside what he showed during a decade spent in Sunnyvale Park, and more to come, with his Dartmouth-shot feature The Guys Who Move Furniture coming out next year.

The awards went to a number of worthy recipients, including Michael Melski‘s Charlie Zone, which stood out in a crowded field, taking four.

The award winners include:

Best Atlantic Short ($3,000 in film stock)
Sponsored by Kodak Canada Inc. and open to all Atlantic work under 60 minutes.
I’m 14 and I Hate The World – Kenneth J Harvey

Best Atlantic Feature ($10,000 in services)
Sponsored by The Postman and open to all Atlantic feature dramas over 60 minutes
Charlie Zone – Michael Melski

Rex Tasker Documentary Award ($2,500 towards next film project)
Sponsored by the National Film Board of Canada and open to all Atlantic documentary films.
18 Days – Tarek Abouamin

Michael Weir Award for Best Original Screenplay ($1,500 cash)
Sponsored by Michael Weir Foundation of Arts
Cloudburst – Thom Fitzgerald

Ed Higginson Cinematography Award ($10,000 equipment & service)
Sponsored by Sim Video and William F. White International Inc. Awarded to an individual for excellence in the craft of cinematography.
Charlie Zone – Christopher Ball

Award for Outstanding Direction ($1,000 cash)
Sponsored by Thom Fitzgerald. Awarded to an individual for excellence in the craft of direction.
Charlie Zone – Michael Melski

Joan Orenstein Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress ($500 cash)
Sponsored by Thom Fitzgerald
Ruth Lawrence – Clipper Gold

David Renton Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor ($500 cash)
Sponsored by Thom Fitzgerald
Glen Gould – Charlie Zone

Script Development Award ($10,000 in development financing from Astral’s Harold Greenberg Fund)
Sponsored by Telefilm Canada & Astral’s Harold Greenberg Fund
Iain MacLeod – Soccer Punch

Award for Sound Editing ($500 cash)
Sponsored by Thom Fitzgerald
Afghan Luke – Brian Power, Eva Madden, Bob Melanson and Cory Tetford

Award for Outstanding Music ($5,000 service package)
Sponsored by Hideout Studios
Snow – Asif Illyas

10 X 10 RBC Emerging Artist ($5,000 cash)
Sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada
Eden – Mo Kenney & Greg Jackson

Best Canadian Short ($5,000 service package)
Sponsored by 902 Post
Wild Life – Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Best Canadian Feature ($10,000 service package)
Sponsored by Panavision
Café de Flore – Jean Marc Vallée

The Joy Award
Sponsored by Linda Joy
Gerrish Lane – Robert Santaguida

The Helen Hill Animated Joy Award
Sponsored by Linda Joy
Kreb’s Tale – Tim Tracey

The Joy Post Award
Sponsored by Linda Joy
Spectres of Shortwave – Amanda Dawn

The Newfoundland Joy Award
Sponsored by Linda Joy
The Machine – Liz Solo

The First Feature Project (Production financing for $105,000 towards a first feature length film)
Sponsored by Telefilm Canada & Film Nova Scotia
Richard MacQueen and Michael Ray Fox

CBC Pioneer Award
Sponsored by CBC
David MacLeod, Big Motion Pictures

Audience Award ($50,000 in 3D stereoscopic post-production & 3D camera services)
Sponsored by Creative Post and 3D Camera Company
To be given out at the closing party, which is happening
right now. When we know, so will you.

CORRECTION to this story, Monday September 26. The Hideout Studios music prize is a $5,000 service package, not the amount that was previously reported. We apologize for the error.