by Jessica Nin

The Florida Film Festival, (one of many festivals near & dear to our heart) took place last week at the Enzian Theater. The Florida Film Fest been a consistent festival partner of ProductionHUB’s year after year, and to have a great organization like the Enzian in our backyard makes it all the better.

With a record-breaking number of entries and 169 films representing 31 countries- the winners of the 2012 Florida Film Festival are definitely ones you’ll need to keep a ‘reel’ close eye on for future award winning movies, docs and shorts from none other than the sunshine state itself.

Narrative features

* Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature: “Magic Valley,” a haunting story about the residents of an Idaho community, directed by Jaffe Zinn.

* Special Jury Award for Compelling Narrative and Outstanding Ensemble Cast: “Mamitas,” a coming-of-age romance, directed by Nicholas Ozeki.

* Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: “The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best,” the tale of a failing singer-songwriter’s laughable tour, directed by Ryan O’Nan.

Documentaries

* Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature: “Salaam Dunk,” a look at female Iraqi basketball players, directed by David Fine.

* Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short: “Maurice,” about the projectionist at the last blue-movie cinema left in Paris, directed by Patrick Kack-Brice.

* Special Jury Award for Outstanding Direction: “An Affair of the Heart,” a look at the enduring relationship between singer-actor Rick Springfield and his fans, directed by Central Florida filmmaker Sylvia Caminer.

* Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: “Not Yet Begun to Fight,” a portrait of combat veterans finding peace through fishing, directed by Sabrina Lee and Shasta Grenier.

Shorts

* Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short: “Prima Donna,” in which a teen singer gets a powerful surprise. Shot in Orlando and Tampa, the film was directed by Laurie Thomas.

* Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short: “(notes on) biology,” a whimsical take on how an organism adapts to its environment, directed by ORNANA

* Special Jury Award for Outstanding Comedy: “High Maintenance,” in which a couple faces regular and unexpected  obstacles in their quest to get pregnant, directed by Shawn Wines.

About Florida Film Festival

The Florida Film Festival is the main location in Central Florida for American independent and international film. Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the festival is a core program of Enzian, a nonprofit organization founded in 1985. Enzian and the Florida Film Festival have served more than 1.5 million guests and hosted hundreds of celebrities including Cloris Leachman, Barry Levinson, Rick Springfield, Paul Newman, Christopher Walken, Oliver Stone, Glenn Close, John Waters, Emma Stone, Campbell Scott, James Caan, Ed Burns, Jason Lee, Gena Rowlands, William H. Macy, Jon Voight, and Edward James Olmos among many others.