Drunktown’s Finest, Tiger Orange & The Way He Looks Win At Outfest

LA’s main gay and lesbian film festival, Outfest, has come to an end for the year, but before it went out, it had awards for the best film, documentaries and shorts that screened at the during the event. The big winner was Drunktown’s Finest, which won the First US Dramatic Feature Audience Award and the US Dramatic Feature Film Grand Jury prize.

Other winners include Best Actor in a US Dramatic Feature for Mark Strano in Tiger Orange, with the Actress prize handed to Gaby Hoffmann for Lyle. The Ben Whishaw starring Lilting got an International Dramatic Feature Special Recognition, while the already acclaimed The Way He Looks took the overall Dramatic Feature Audience Award.

In case you were wondering, Drunktown’s Finest follows three Native Americans – a college-bound student, a father-to-be, and a promiscuous transsexual – as they struggle to escape their Indian reservation.

Take a look below for the full list of awards.

Audience Awards

Documentary Short
“Families Are Forever,” Directed by Vivian Kleiman

Dramatic Short
“Alone With People,” Directed by Drew Van Steenbergen

Documentary Feature
“Back on Board: Greg Louganis,” Directed by Cheryl Furjanic

Dramatic Feature
“The Way He Looks,” Directed by Daniel Ribeiro

First US Dramatic Feature
“Drunktown’s Finest,” (pictured above) Directed by Sydney Freeland

Grand Jury Awards

Documentary Feature Special Recognition
“Dior and I,” Directed by Frédéric Tcheng

Documentary Feature Winner
“The Circle,” Directed by Stefan Haupt

Actor in a U.S. Dramatic Feature
Mark Strano in “Tiger Orange”

Actress in a U.S. Dramatic Feature
Gaby Hoffmann in “Lyle”

Screenwriting in a U.S. Dramatic Feature
Desiree Akhavan for “Appropriate Behavior”

U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
“Drunktown’s Finest,” Directed by Sydney Freeland

International Dramatic Feature Special Recognition
“Lilting,” Directed by Hong Khaou

International Dramatic Feature
“Something Must Break,” Directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark

Documentary Short Film
“Flying Solo: A Transgender Widow Fights Discrimination,” Directed by Leslie Von Pless

Experimental Short Film
“Get Ripped,” Directed by Leonardo Van Dijl

Dramatic Short Film
“Jellyfish,” Directed by Rosie Haber

Special Programming Awards

Emerging Talent
Robert Hawk for “Home From the Gym”

Freedom
“Bad Hair,” Directed by Mariana Rondón

Artistic Achievement
Abdellah Taïa for “Salvation Army”

Special Programming Awards Statements

Emerging Talent
For drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of queer cinema —developed over a lifetime of attending festivals and helping other directors fulfill their creative ambitions — to craft a powerful and sexy debut short film of his own at the age of 76, the Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Robert Hawk for HOME FROM THE GYM.

Freedom
For depicting the corrosive effects of familial homophobia on a child determined to defy cultural expectations the Special Programming Award for Freedom goes to writer-director Mariana Rondón for BAD HAIR.

Artistic Achievement
For crafting an autobiographical portrayal of sexual awakening in the Muslim world that is both gorgeous and unflinching in its honesty, the Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to writer-director Abdellah Taïa for SALVATION ARMY.

Short Film Grand Jury Statements

Documentary Short
In a remarkable story of strength, perseverance, and dignity about a vanguard spirit, and for capturing an extraordinary history that will inspire generations of people, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Documentary Short Film goes to FLYING SOLO: A TRANSGENDER WIDOW FIGHTS DISCRIMINATION by Leslie Von Pless.

Experimental Short
With stunning and stark visuals, this film explores the complexity of masculine obsessions with power and sexuality. The 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Experimental Short Film goes to GET RIPPED by Leonardo Van Dijl.
Dramatic Short

For an engaging and unique film that encapsulates the simplicity, beauty, and amorphous nature of its namesake with maturity and nuanced sensitivity, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Dramatic Short Film goes to JELLYFISH by Rosie Haber.

Documentary Grand Jury Statements

Special Recognition
The jury honors a film with Special Jury Recognition for excellence in artistic achievement that includes masterful direction, cinematography, editing and composition. Through a compelling cinema verité style, engaging subjects and characters, the jury would like to award a Special Jury Recognition to DIOR AND I, directed by Frédéric Tcheng.

Documentary Feature
The Jury’s selection is a film that redefines the form of documentary filmmaking. With seamless integration of fiction and nonfiction, it elevates the craft of storytelling to new emotional heights. For its innovative techniques in overcoming the unique challenges of telling the little known history of a courageous pre-WWII underground gay movement, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film goes to THE CIRCLE (DER KREIS) directed by Stefan Haupt.

International Grand Jury Statements

Special Recognition

The Jury honors a film with special recognition for strong art direction complemented by even stronger performances that showcase the director’s cinematic maturity. The 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for International Feature Film would like to award Special Jury Recognition to LILTING, directed by Hong Khaou.

International Dramatic Feature
The Jury’s selection is a film that is both fearless and original. Through the lead character’s gripping performance, we experience a love story that is unconventional and also truly universal. The storytelling is enhanced by an impressive sound design and raw cinematography. The 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for International Dramatic Feature Film goes to SOMETHING MUST BREAK, directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark.

US Grand Jury Statements

Actress
For taking us on a supernatural journey, all the while remaining sincere and sympathetic, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a US Dramatic Feature Film goes to Gaby Hoffmann for LYLE.

Actor
For his honest portrayal of a brother conflicted with responsibility to family and career, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a US Dramatic Feature Film goes to Mark Strano for TIGER ORANGE.

Screenwriting
For her commitment to honesty and vulnerability with hilarious and poignant results, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for Screenwriting in a US Dramatic Feature Film goes to Desiree Akhavan for APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR.

Feature Film
For taking us into a dynamic world full of rich and flawed characters with unexpected journeys, the 2014 Outfest Grand Jury Award for US Dramatic Feature Film goes to DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST directed by Sydney Freeland.