NOFF2022 Jury Awards

The 33rd New Orleans Film Festival Jury Awards are out! Congratulations to all the filmmakers who joined the festival this year.


Narrative Features Competition
The winning film receives a $15,000 Panavision camera rental package and $13,500 of Light Iron Post Production services.

Jury Award Winner: Our Father The Devil – dir. Ellie Foumbi

Special Jury Recognition: Stay Awake – dir. Jamie Sisley


Best Documentary Features Competition

Jury Award Winner: The Time of The Fireflies (El Tiempo de las luciérnagas) – dirs. Matteo Robert Morales, Mattis Appelqvist Dalton

Special Jury Recognition: Outta the Muck – dirs. Bhawin Suchak, Ira Mckinley

Special Jury Recognition: This is National Wake – dir. Mirissa Neff


Best Louisiana Feature Award
The winning film receives a $15,000 Panavision camera rental package and one free screening at Light Iron’s New Orleans’ facility.

Jury Award Winner: Hollow Tree – dir. Kira Akerman

Special Jury Recognition: Silent Beauty – dir. Jasmín Mara López


Best Cinematography Feature Award
The winning Louisiana feature film receives a $10,000 Keslow Camera rental package.

Winner – Louisiana Feature: Silent Beauty – dir. Jasmín Mara López


Best Narrative Short Award (Oscar®-qualifying category)
The winning film will receive $2,500 in Kodak film stock.

Jury Award Winner: If I Go Will They Miss Me – dir. Walter Thompson-Hernández

Special Jury Recognition: CIVIC– dir. Dwayne LaBlanc


Best Documentary Short Award (Oscar®-qualifying category)

Jury Award Winner: The Feeling of Being Close to You – dir. Ash Goh Hua

Special Jury Recognition: SALLAD – dir. Tramaine Townsend

Special Jury Recognition: I Never Had Dreams of My Son – dir. Jason Blevins


Best Louisiana Short Award
The winner of this award will receive a $5,000 Storyville Post package.

Jury Award Winner: little trumpet – dir. Megan Trufant Tillman

Special Jury Recognition: House of Tulip – dir. Cydney Tucker

Special Jury Recognition: In Search of… Pregame – dir. Jason R.A. Foster


Best Cinematography Louisiana Short Award
The winning Louisiana short film receives a $10,000 Keslow Camera rental package.

Winner – Louisiana Short: A Different Perception – dir. Joshua J. Williams


Helen Hill Award for Animated Short (Oscar®-qualifying category)

Jury Award Winner: Hospes – dir. Stephanie J. Williams

Special Jury Recognition: My Parent, Neal – dir. Hannah Saidiner

Special Jury Recognition: When You Wish Upon A Star – dir. Domenico Modafferi


Best Experimental Short Award

Jury Award Winner: Proximity Study (Sight Lines) – dir. Elizabeth M. Webb

Special Jury Recognition: Blue Veil – dir. Shireen Alihaji

Special Jury Recognition: Signal and Noise – dirs. Kate Mathews, Jess Shane

Special Jury Recognition: Prayer – dir. Vashni Korin Balleste


Reel South Award
The winning film receives a $1000 cash prize.

Winner: Becoming YAMAZUSHI – dir. G. Yamazawa


John-Carlo Monti Memorial Award
This year’s recipient receives $1,000 from the John-Carlo Monti Memorial Award Fund, honoring below-the-line, on-set crew members, not traditionally recognized.

Winner: Bao Ngo


South Pitch
The winning narrative pitch will receive an “invitation only” opportunity to apply for an artist grant from Warners Bros. Discovery’s content innovation hub, OneFifty. The winning documentary pitch will receive a $10,000 cash prize. 

South Pitch Documentary Winner: Andy Sarjahani, Iranian Hillbilly (Documentary Feature)

South Pitch Narrative Presented by Warner Bros. Discovery Winner: Maya Pen, Flammable Water (Narrative Feature)


See all #NOFF2021 Jury Award winners here.

See all #NOFF2020 Jury Award winners here.