The 23rd annual Tribeca Festival has unveiled the winners in its competition categories at an awards ceremony at Racket NYC. The top honors went to Griffin in Summer for the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, Bikechess for Best International Narrative Feature, and Hacking Hate for Best Documentary Feature. Awards were given in the following competition categories: U.S. Narrative, International Narrative, Documentary, Short Film, Audio Storytelling, Games, Human / Nature, Nora Ephron, Viewpoints, AT&T Untold Stories, and Tribeca X.
The Festival, which hosts more than 570 events across New York City, concludes on June 16.
“After a banner year of Tribeca programming, I do not envy our jurors’ task of selecting this year’s winners,” said Tribeca Festival director and SVP of programming Cara Cusumano. “I’m delighted to see they’ve chosen to honor a diverse, international, adventurous group of films that truly reflect the Tribeca spirit. We can’t wait to continue to follow and support all these films’ journeys into the world.”
Winners of the Audience Award, which are determined by audience votes throughout the Festival, will be announced at a later date.
2024 Winners and Special Jury Mentions, as selected by the 2024 Festival Jury, are as follows:
U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION
- Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature: Griffin in Summer, director Nicholas Colia (United States) – World Premiere. Jury Statement: “For its precocious and unexpected storytelling, and well-crafted performance.” This award is presented by OKX.
- Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux for Jazzy (United States) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “For its truth, unflinching honesty, realness and heart.”
- Special Jury Mention for Performance in a U.S. Feature: Joshua Burge for Vulcanizadora (United States) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “For his impact at showing moments both heart-wrenching and soulful, we were impressed by his depth and vulnerability.”
- Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Nicholas Colia for Griffin in Summer (United States) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “For its delightful humor, distinct point of view and specificity of tone.”
- Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Alejandro Mejia for The Knife (United States) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “For its engrossing visual aesthetic choices, its cinematic aliveness and stylistic point of view.”
- Special Jury Mention for Cinematography in a U.S. Feature: Ki Jin Kim for Bitterroot (United States) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “For its marriage of the spiritual and the literal, and its contrast between natural beauty and the mundane.”
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION
- Best International Narrative Feature: Bikechess, director Assel Aushakimova (Kazakhstan) – World Premiere. Jury Statement: “This film caught the jury unaware. With a lightness of style and use of cinematic language that led us into a society of oppressed youth and passive leadership. With stylish performances and generous cinematography, we met a country and the state of the world.”
- Special Jury Mention for an International Narrative Feature: Samia, director Yasemin Samdereli (Italy, Germany, Belgium, Sweden) – World Premiere. Jury Statement: “Special commendation for the film Samia for exploring the vital issue of refugees with humanity and integrity. Thanks to the beautiful performances by everyone involved.”
- Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature: Yu Aier for Some Rain Must Fall (China) – North American Premiere. Jury Statement: “For her beautifully sustained performance of unabated suffering.”
- Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature: Celina Murga, Juan Villegas, Lucía Osorio for The Freshly Cut Grass (Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, United States) – World Premiere. Jury Statement: “For the dexterous formality and humorous treatment of domestic chaos.”
- Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature: Constanze Schmitt for Some Rain Must Fall (China) – North American Premiere. Jury Statement: “For the daring use of color and creation of searing visual tension as a cinematic reinforcement of suffering.”
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
- Best Documentary Feature: Hacking Hate, director Simon Klose (Sweden, Denmark, Norway) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “The documentary jury awards a film that bravely and fearlessly investigates the misuse of the internet to encourage hate and bias by allowing media giants to profit and foster the continuation of the outrage. On trial are First Amendment freedoms that have been violated for profit.”
- Special Jury Mention for a Documentary Feature: Made in Ethiopia, directors Xinyan Yu, Max Duncan (United States, Canada, Ethiopia, Denmark, Korea, United Kingdom) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “For its multi-faceted exploration of the personal and collective cost of today’s face of globalization, we award the Special Jury Mention to MADE IN ETHIOPIA. Congratulations to the makers for opening a window to the lived experiences of those most directly impacted by the global labor industrial complex.”
- Best Cinematography in a Documentary Feature: Ezra Wolfinger for Shelf Life (United States) – World Premiere. “For a film that was self-described as “a passionate odyssey through the aging process”—the jury appreciates and was delighted by our visual journey from string cheese in Georgia to Mozzarella in Japan.”
- Best Editing in a Documentary Feature: Rupert Houseman for Antidote (United Kingdom) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “At this difficult moment in the world’s history – we commend the filmmakers and editors ability to craft a narrative with clarity and urgency – and to ring alarm bells for the consequences of vicious attacks on journalists. For its crisp and compelling narrative.”
BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR AWARD
- Nnamdi Asomugha for The Knife (United States) – World Premiere. Jury Statement: “This film lingered with us long after the screening, nagging our imaginations about the characters’ futures, calling into question our own biases and beliefs, filtering the world through a lens that is painfully familiar to some of us and foreign to others. To be able to shed light on universal themes and craft exquisitely detailed characters is one thing but to do it in the form of a contained dramatic thriller that is an entertaining nail-biter is no small feat. This filmmaker showed immense confidence in his ability to harness the audience’s reactions to tension, to turn an empathic eye to characters often relegated to the sidelines, to showcase ambiguous moral situations, to tackle race and class–all in the form of a taut and marketable thriller was exciting.”
- Special Jury Mention for New Narrative Director: Nicholas Colia for Griffin in Summer (United States) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “This film had the audience in the palm of its hand from the first minute. It straddled the very thin line between heartwarming, tragic, hilarious and awkward. It fills a void in the marketplace for films that touch on sophisticated themes while remaining family-friendly. Never pandering, always fresh, full of relatable universal experiences while being incredibly specific and nuanced–this film also features a breakout performance from a young exciting newcomer! The director of this film made one of the funniest films of the year and we cannot wait to see where he goes next.”
ALBERT MAYSLES AWARD FOR BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
- Debra Aroko and Nicole Gormley for Searching for Amani (Kenya) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “Exquisitely crafted with a taut narrative, this documentary paints a nuanced portrait of issues that often are ignored or worse unknown by those outside of a community. It is extremely difficult to take a topic that affects the world and to tell a story about that topic in an intimate and personal fashion that is both subversive and charming. So much of the success of a documentary is based on its main character, and the passion, curiosity, and relentlessness of 13-year-old Simon Ali was awe-inspiring.”
- Special Jury Mention for New Documentary Director: Elizabeth Ai for New Wave (United States) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “Loss, identity, the unspoken longing of mothers and daughters, fathers and sons pulsing and animated by an 80s soundtrack. This raw portrait of the American Vietnamese COMMUNITY is a story we’ve never seen before, where music becomes a way to escape from the old and belong to the new. For her powerful, evocative and emotionally honest storytelling.”
VIEWPOINTS AWARD
- Viewpoints Award: Come Closer, director Tom Nesher (United Kingdom) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “From alien abductions to a ski team in Afghanistan, to a young man investigating the murder of his father, the diverse films of the Viewpoint category inspired all of us to think and feel deeply. However, when choosing a winner, our decision was unanimous. This film pulled us all in from the first few frames and we felt that we were in skillful hands as it is fiercely executed and superbly performed.”
- Special Jury Mention for Viewpoints: Witches, director Elizabeth Sankey (United Kingdom) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “Our honorable mention, another unanimous winner, explores the taboo subject of women’s mental health during and after pregnancy. Expertly crafted through the lens of cinema and witchcraft, we hope everyone will get a chance to see WITCHES by Elizabeth Sankey.”
NORA EPHRON AWARD
Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge for Don’t You Let Me Go (Uruguay) – World Premiere. Jury Statement: “We (the jury) loved this poignant, life-affirming film that celebrates love and female friendships. We were moved and delighted by how the film beautifully honors the experiences of grief and life’s most special moments.”
HUMAN / NATURE AWARD
Dust to Dust (Japan) – International Premiere.
SHORTS COMPETITION
- Best Narrative Short: Ripe!, director Tusk (United States, Spain) – World Premiere. Jury statement: “For beautifully capturing the raw and realistic essence of a teen summer romance and containing extraordinary performances that bring to life the bittersweet charm of youthful love; and for immersing the audience in the evocative feeling of summer in every scene.”
- Special Jury Mention for Narrative Short: Alarms, director Nicolas Panay (France) – New York Premiere. Jury statement: “For empathetically portraying the dangers of burnout with excellent performances, sound design and editing; and effectively shedding light on how overwhelming stress in our lives can lead us to overlook the most important things.”
- Best Documentary Short: Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World, director Julio Palacio (United States) – New York Premiere. Jury statement: “For the grace with which it showed the gratitude and joy of parents unlocking the brilliance of their autistic daughter, and for how it showcased her extraordinary, once hidden talent, we chose Mikayla’s Voice.”
- Best Animated Short: In the Shadow of the Cypress, directors Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi (Iran) – New York Premiere. Jury statement: “For using a distinctive visual style, unique imagery and exceptional sound design to bring to life a poignant family relationship, characterized by love and protection amidst an effective portrayal of the profound impact of PTSD on both the individual and those around them”
- Special Jury Mention for Animated Short: Budō, directors Amanda Aagard and Alexander Toma (Sweden) – International Premiere. Jury statement: “With appreciation for its quirky and humorous narrative and capturing viewers with its remarkably intricate manner of portraying its characters and surroundings.”
- Best Music Video: Never Ending Song, performed by Conan Gray (United States)
- Student Visionary Award: Nay Tabbara for Ebb & Flow (Lebanon, Qatar) – World Premiere. Jury Comment: “Because of how it captured the extraordinary and the ordinary in the life of a teenage girl pursuing her first kiss against a background of chaos and war.”
- Special Jury Mention for Student Visionary: Jamie Perault for Budd, Sweat & Tearz (United Kingdom) – World Premiere. Jury Statement: “For its clear-eyed and compelling portrait of resilience and innovation in the face of injustice and structural hurdles.”
TRIBECA GAMES AWARD
Goodnight Universe (United States) – World Premiere.
TRIBECA AUDIO STORYTELLING COMPETITION
- Fiction Audio Storytelling Award: The Skies Are Watching (United States). Jury statement: “Drawing from the historic past of radio drama and presenting a story that feels breathlessly of the moment, this genre-bending series brims with intrigue. Its shifting, stylish approach to the medium always kept us guessing as top-notch sound design introduced us to its cast of bewildering-yet-relatable characters. Classic and timeless meets cutting edge.”
- Narrative Nonfiction Audio Storytelling Award: Delejos (United States, Canada,Puerto RIco). Jury statement: “This selection offers us a vivid and imaginative journey through grief, loss and remembrance. The interweaving of the narrator’s loss with her father’s perspective on death was original and artful, and the use of tape (gathered and chosen exquisitely) gave us deep insights into the characters, and served as a compelling guide through the story. This selection struck the jury as elegant, nuanced, and powerful. It stood out in part because of its method of unfolding its thesis: through the scenes and conversations between protagonists, rather than explication via script, which made us listen a little closer to a world we don’t inhabit. As a result, we were more invested in its arc and characters.”
- Independent Fiction Audio Storytelling Award: Red for Revolution (United States). Jury Statement: “We found this project to be an untold story from one of the most important parts of artistic history in our country. It spoke of empowerment and activism. It also stood out to us with exciting sound design and strong performances. And when we look to where Audio Storytelling can go, this is a shining example.”
- Independent Nonfiction Audio Storytelling Award: Back to the Water: More than One Octopus (South Africa, United States). Jury Statement: “This piece of narrative audio beautifully showcases the relationship between two women who grew up in the same country, but worlds apart. They balance their differences by thematically braiding in history, the natural world, and personal memoir. They allow us a glimpse of the interiority of two personal journeys as mirrors to the greater political forces that shaped their lives.”
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AT&T PRESENTS UNTOLD STORIES
Lilian T. Mehrel for Honeyjoon
TRIBECA X AWARD COMPETITION
- Best Commercial: Michael CeraVe from CeraVe and Ogilvy PR, directed by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim
- Best Feature: Audrey’s Children from UTA and Ronald McDonald House Charities, directed by Ami Canaan Mann
- Best Episodic: The Santa Stories from Coca-Cola and WPP Open X/VML, directed by Steven Caple Jr. and Bryce Dallas Howard
- Best Short: One Good Reason from ServiceNow, Tribeca Studios, and directors Perri Peltz and Matthew O’Neill
- Best Games & Immersive: MLB The Show Storylines: The Negro Leagues by PlayStation Studios, directed by Jarred Schiff, Gavin Filipiak, Ramone Russell, and Brandon Akiaten.
- Best Audio: Science will Win, by Pfizer
- Best Content Creator: Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 Schedule Release Video from the Jacksonville Jaguars, directed by Asher Grodman
- Social Impact Award: …One Good Reason from ServiceNow, Tribeca Studios, and directors Perri Peltz and Matthew O’Neill
- Environmental Impact Award: Project Maji: Waters of Change Vr Experience from Born Studios and directors Bilge Tekin, Dominic Clarke, and Nicholas Masters-Waage
