AJ Schnack reports on how the LAFF went down:
Darius Marder’s LOOT, a study at parallel searches for buried treasure and the healing of past wounds, took the top Jury Prize at the Los Angeles Film Festival Saturday, along with the $50K prize sponsored by Target. The film was a world premiere at LAFF. Marder was an editor on the Oscar winning short, FREEHELD.
A special jury commendation was given to PRESSURE COOKER, which was described to me during the fest as “a cross between MAD HOT BALLROOM and Hell’s Kitchen (the TV show starring sometimes abusive chef Gordon Ramsay), directed by Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker.
Best Documentary Short went to Eva Weber’s CITY OF CRANES, which previously took top prize at Full Frame.
The documentary audience award went to ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, while MAN ON WIRE took the international audience prize (neither film was in the documentary competition).
Reporting from out here. Back in LA soon.
