Award Winners 2008

"This is very overwhelming," said Sweden's Tomas Alfredson as he took to the stage Thursday night to accept the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature for his coming-of-age vampire tale Let the Right One In. "Since I am a director, I wonder if I could make a film for the people back home." Festival co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal watched as Alfredson took out a small camera and asked the crowd at the modish Target-Tribeca Filmmaker Lounge to help him with a "script" he had prepared. "It's in Swedish," he said. "When I say action, you say 'skol,'" a Swedish salute. Alfredson enthusiastically readied his camera and, with everyone waiting for the big moment, hilariously futzed around with the settings. Finally, we gave our roaring skol, and Alfredson graciously gave another round of thanks. As the pictures and interviews almost immediately began, Alfredson said everyone at the Tribeca Film Festival had already been treating him like a star. "My mouth is dry," he answered when asked how he planned to celebrate the big win. "A couple of glasses of wine maybe."

Earlier, juror Oliver Platt presented My Marlon and Brando director Hüseyin Karabey the award for best new narrative filmmaker. "I want to dedicate this award to the people who lost their lives in Iraq," said an emotional Karabey. "We wanted to tell one of their stories." Gini Reticker's Pray the Devil Back to Hell took the prize for best documentary feature. Reticker took the stage with a weeping Abigail Disney, the film's producer, to accept. "I can't tell you how much this means to the women of Liberia and women looking for peace all over the world," Reticker said. The New York State LOVES Film Best Documentary Award went to Daniela Zanzotto for Zoned In, which she filmed over the course of nine years in the South Bronx, "a part of New York not always shown," she said. "I hope this will get the film out there. It needs friends."

Highlights from the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival awards show will air Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on WNBC. The Cadillac Award for audience choice will also be announced at that time. Check out the full list of winners, prizes, and jury comments after the jump.
 

2008 Awards

2008 The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature

Film: Let the Right One In (Lat den rätte komma in)
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Prize: $25,000
Art Prize: Maternal Nocturne: Clearing Storm created by Stephen Hannock
 
Jury Comments: "For its mesmerizing exploration of loneliness and alienation through masterful reexamination of the vampire myth."
 
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2008 Best New Narrative Filmmaker

Film: My Marlon and Brando (Gitmek)
Director: Hüseyin Karabey (Turkey, Dutch, UK).
Prize: $25,000 sponsored by American Express
Art Prize: Bonfire created by Ross Bleeckner
 
Jury Comments: "For its skillful blending of documentary style with a classic love story and ultimate creation of a truly modern and unlikely international heroine."
 
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2008 Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film

Actor: Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello
Film: Somers Town
Director: Shane Meadows (UK)
Prize Business Elite Ticket voucher for anywhere Delta travels, sponsored by Delta Airlines.
 
Jury Comments: "For an extraordinary and exhilarating rendering of a friendship found, the Narrative Feature Jury is awarding the Best Actor prize to this magical team."
 
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2008 Best Actress in a Narrative Feature

Actress: Eileen Walsh
Film: Eden
Director: Declan Recks (Ireland)
Prize: Two Business Elite Ticket Vouchers for anywhere Delta flies. Sponsored by Delta Airlines.
 
Jury Comments: "For her exquisite rendering of a lonely wife aching to be seen and heard."
 
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2008 Best Documentary Features

Film: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Director: Gini Reticker (USA)
Prize: $25,000
Art Prize: Liza Minnelli created by Timothy White
 
Jury Comments: "In a relentless pursuit of peace, the women of Liberia show us how community, motherly love, and perseverance can change the fate of a society. Pray the Devil back to Hell is a reminder that we have the power to say 'Enough!' to the atrocities of our world ."
 
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2008 Best New Documentary Filmmaker

Film: Old Man Bebo
Director: Carlos Carcas (Spain)
Prize: $25,000 sponsored by American Express
Art Prize: Maquette for Primary Compass created by Don Gummer
 
Jury Comments: "We the jury feel that Carlos Carcas showed us that if you truly have art in your body and soul it will find its way out into the world. We applaud the filmmaker for bringing Old Man Bebo into your consciousness."
 
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2008 New York Loves Film

Film: Zoned In
Director: Daniela Zanzotto (USA, UK)
Prize: $5,000 sponsored by the New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development
Art Prize: Table Odeon created by Donna Ferrato
 
Special Mention: Hotel Grammercy Park directed by Douglas Keeve (USA).
 
Jury Comments:"This was a challenging and spirited discussion with two clear favorites: both films are very different and the jury felt that both should get equal mention even though only one gets the prize. We thought Hotel Grammercy Park was a highly entertaining and moving story about a New York family and a New York institution coming to terms with a changing city, but in the end we felt Zoned In deserved the prize for having the bravery to tell a seemingly typical story that ends up revealing bold and difficult truths."
 
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2008 Made in NY

Film: The Caller
Director: Richard Ledes (USA)
Prize: $5,000 sponsored by The City of New York Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting
Art Prize: Nude on Guitar created by Ralph Gibson
 
Jury Comments: "The Caller superbly uses its New York locations - from the sleek midtown high-rises to the desolate Brooklyn Bridge piers - to create a chilling and finally stirring suspense movie; an unusual thriller whose mysterious plot finally exposes the mysteries of the heart."
 
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2008 Best Narrative Short

Film: New Boy
Director: Steph Green
Prize: $5,000
Art Prize: Air created by Francesco Clemente
 
Jury Comments: "New Boy took us on a complete emotional journey. It was moving, funny, and powerful."
 
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2008 Best Documentary Short

Film: Mandatory Service
Director: Jessica Habie
Prize: $5,000 sponsored by Edelman Studios
Art Prize: The Screamer created by John Alexander
 
Jury Comments: "Mandatory Service, a perspective of war and conflict from participants themselves. The Israeli's empathy for the Palestinians is not a perspective we glimpse too often in Western Media."
 
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2008 Student Visionary Award

Film: Elephant Garden
Director: Sasie Sealy
Prize: Apple Mac Pro Desktop with a 15" Display and Final Cut Studio 2, sponsored by Apple
 
Jury Comments: Elephant Garden captured the "inner-life" of a beautiful young girl; her confusion as she becomes a young adult. Wonderful visual story telling and the performance of Kelley Mack is stellar."
 
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2008 Cadillac Award

Winner to be chosen by the Audience and will be announces on WNBC-TV on Saturday, May 3rd. Winner receives $25,000 cash and the art award "Peripheral Drift Illusion" created by Ryan McGinness, as well as a trophy created by Cadillac.
 
» Cadillac Award