The 36 Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
Announces 2021 Award Winners
The 36th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF36) wrapped after 18 days on Nov. 21st with film awards at Savor Cinema prior to the last film of the festival, Laurent Tirard’s smart and sophisticated arthouse comedy, The Speech. The festival, which started Nov. 4th reeled out 200 films from over 40 countries in over 350 screenings. Film talent attended from the UK, Italy, France, Hungary, Spain, Cypress, Australia, Canada, and throughout the U.S.
Gregory von Hausch, President and CEO of FLIFF announced the winners in 35 categories. Awards in the major categories include: The suspense thriller Tall Tales, which took 4 wins: Best Film, Best Director Attila Szasz, Best Actor Tamas Szabo Kimmel, and Best Actress Vica Kerekes. American-ish, the first American-Muslim rom com directed by Iman Zawahry, picked-up two film awards, Best American Indie Comedy and Best Supporting Actor in an American Indie, Godfrey. Veteran actress Lilette Dubey, featured in American-ish and best known for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, received FLIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The drama East of Middle West, directed by Brian Locke Anderson, also received two film awards, one for Best American Indie and the second for Best Supporting Actress in an American Indie, Sophie Hoyt. The controversial film, ENOUGH! Lebanon’s Darkest Hour, directed by Daisy Gedeon, won Best Documentary. Best Supporting Actor in a Foreign Language Film went to Salah Bensaleh for his role in the comedy The Unknown Saint, from Morocco. Best Supporting Actress in a Foreign Language Film went to Carolina Yuste for her role in Spain’s indie gem with heart and humor, Girlfriends.
This year’s Humanitarian Award was presented to actor and filmmaker Daniel Baldwin at his Nov. 20th screening of his poignant documentary, My Promise to P.J., about the effects on friends and family left behind from opioid overdose. The emotionally charged film as well as Baldwin’s speech, so moved the audience eliciting rounds of applause, and significant discussion during the Q&A.
Below is a list of all awards, with the exception of the Audience Awards, which will be announced Monday, November 29 after online voting concludes. Awards, including the Audience Awards, will be available online at https://fliff.com/fliff36wrap
The 37th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival will take place Friday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 18, 2022. For further information email info@fliff.com
FLIFF36 FILM AWARDS
Best Film: TALL TALES
Best Director: Attila Szasz for TALL TALES
Best Actor: Tamás Szabó Kimmel for TALL TALES
Best Actress: Vica Kerekes for TALL TALES
Honorable Mention: Pia Halvorsen for BETRAYED
Best Supporting Actor in an American Indie: Godfrey for AMERICAN-ISH
Best Supporting Actor in a Foreign Language Film: Salah Bensaleh for THE UNKNOWN SAINT from Morocco
Best Supporting Actress in a Foreign Language Film: Carolina Yuste for GIRLFRIENDS from Spain
Best Supporting Actress in an American Indie: Sophie Hoyt for EAST OF MIDDLE WEST
Best Young Actor (Tie): Zakariah Inan for MICA, and Djibril Vancoppenolle for PETIT PAYS
Honorable Mention: Amin Simiar for HIT THE ROAD
Best Young Actress: Dayla De Medina for PETIT PAYS
Best American Indie: EAST OF MIDDLE WEST
Best Foreign Language Drama: BETRAYED
Best Foreign Language Comedy: THE SPEECH
Best American Indie Comedy: AMERICAN-ISH
Best Documentary: ENOUGH! Lebanon’s Darkest Hour, directed by Daisy Gedeon
Honorable Mention: THE NEW ABOLITIONISTS, directed by Christina Zorich
Best Short Documentary: Love Reaches Everywhere directed by Sean Bloomfield
Humanitarian Award: Daniel Baldwin for MY PROMISE TO P.J.
Best Foreign Language Short Narrative Comedy: From USA, Tiro Dominical directed by Pablo Riesgo Almonacid
Best Foreign Language Short Narrative Drama: From Israel, Devek directed by Uriya Hertz
Best Actor - Dramatic Performance in a Foreign Language Short: Izel Seylani for Delivery from Cyprus
Best Actress - Comic Performance in a Foreign Language Short: Eva Johansson for ALIVE from Sweden
Best Actor - Comic Performance in a Foreign Language Short: Vicenzo Bocciarelli for lockdownlove.it from Italy
Best American Indie Short Narrative Comedy: From USA, Call Me Back: The Uncommon Wisdom of Yvette Slosch, directed by Aaron Weinstein
Best American Indie Short Narrative Drama: Superstar directed by Jordan Hidalgo
Best Actress - Dramatic Performance in a Foreign Language Short: Sahar Roostaei for Tide from Iran
Best Actor - Dramatic Performance in a Foreign Language Short: Gaëtan Didier Tiendrebeogo for Djibril’s Forest from Burkina Faso
Best Actress - Comic Performance in an American Indie Short: Linda Lavin for Call Me Back: The Uncommon Wisdom of Yvette Slosch
Best Actor - Comic Performance in an American Indie Short: Riker Lynch for Aliens On Halloween
Lifetime Achievement: Lilette Dubey for AMERICANISH
Renaissance Award: Vasileios Papatheocharis for writing, directing & starring in VASY’S ODYSSEY
Filmed in Broward Feature Film: Pompano Boy directed by Andrew Paul David
Filmed in Broward Short: Senior Moments directed by Marcus Wolf
Filmed in Broward Award of Merit: After the Piano directed by Quinton Mack
Filmed in Broward Award of Merit: Curbside Pickup directed by Richard Drutman
