Of Medicine and Miracles, a feature-length documentary following oncologist Dr. Carl June on his quest to find a cure for cancer, and Farewell, Mr. Haffman, a narrative feature set in Occupied Paris in 1941 about a thwarted attempt to escape the conflict, captured top honors at the 29thannual Sedona International Film Festival.
The eight-day festival featured more than 150 films from around the world and appearances by Jacqueline Bisset, Karen Allen, Judd Hirsch, Lasse Hallström, Lena Olin, Tim Daly and Amy Smart.
In addition to earning a Best of Fest award, Of Medicine and Miracles won the Director’s Choice Award for Most Inspirational Documentary and the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature in a tie with Mama Bears, the story of women from conservative Christian backgrounds who fully accept their LGBTQ+ children.
Farewell, Mr. Haffman also received the Audience Choice Best International Film Award.
Other highlights of the award ceremony that took place on the Festival’s final day as a snowstorm blanketed the red rocks include Patrick and the Whale, Director’s Choice Best Environmental Documentary; The Grab, Director’s Choice Best Investigative Documentary; Monumental Divide, Director’s Choice Best Documentary; The Wind and the Reckoning, Director’s Choice Best Feature –Drama; Conducting Life and Awadagin Pratt: Black in America in a tie for Audience Choice Best Documentary Short; The Road Dance, Audience Choice Best Feature Drama; and Pinball - The Man Who Saved the Game, Audience Choice Best Feature Comedy.
The Festival presented Lifetime Achievement Awards in acting to Bisset, Allen and Hirsch; for directing to Hallström; for Outstanding Acting to Olin and her daughter Tora Hallström for their roles in Hilma; for Outstanding Lead Actress to AnnaLynne McCord for Condition of Return; and Heart of the Festival Award to Chris and Pat McFaul.
The full list of award winners includes:
2023 Sedona International Film Festival
Directors’ Choice Awards
Shorts:
Best Short – Drama: Tarneit
Best Short – Comedy: The Vacation
Best Short – Dramedy: DAD-rahpy
Best Animated Short: Andy “a dog’s tail”
Best International Short: Table 8
Best Student Short: Dadu
Best Humanitarian Short: Bienvenidos a Los Angeles
Best Indie Spirit Short: Where No One Lives
Best Mixed Media Short: The Block
Most Inspirational Short: This Wild Abyss
Documentary Shorts:
Best Doc Short: Monumental Divide
Best Environmental Doc Short: American Scar
Most Inspirational Doc Short: Rare Enough
Best Indie-Spirit Short Documentary: Bacon ‘n’ Laces
Documentary Features:
Best Documentary: Ranger
Best International Documentary: A House Made of Splinters
Best Environmental Documentary: Patrick and the Whale
Most Inspirational Documentary: Of Medicine and Miracles
Best Investigative Documentary: The Grab
Best Indie-Spirit Documentary: Unveiled: Joyce Tenneson & the Heroine’s Journey
Non-Fiction New Visions Award: Sansón and Me
Narrative Features:
Best Feature - Drama: The Wind and the Reckoning
Best Feature - Comedy: Long Flat Balls “Broken Promises”
Best International Feature: Róise and Frank
Best Humanitarian Feature: Clocked
Best Indie-Spirit Feature: Silent Life
Best Impact Film: The Year of the Dog
Best Family Film: Rally Caps
Most Inspirational Film: Maamanithan (The Great Man)
Marion Herrman Excellence in Filmmaking: The Secret Song
Screenplay Awards
Best TV Pilot Screenplay: “Back Fires” by Alex Blumberg
Best Feature Screenplay: “I Dream A World” by Hal LaCroix
Best Short Screenplay: “Mary & Adam” by Ren Montoro
Audience Choice Winners
BEST OF FEST NARRATIVE: Farewell, Mr. Haffmann
BEST OF FEST DOCUMENTARY: Of Medicine and Miracles
Best Animated Film: Still With You
Best Short - Drama: Before Dawn, Kabul Time
Best Short - Comedy: Sunscreen
Best Student Short: The Code of Family
Best Documentary Short: TIE: Conducting Life and Awadagin Pratt: Black in America
Best Documentary Feature: TIE: Of Medicine and Miracles and Mama Bears
Best Feature Drama: The Road Dance
Best Feature Comedy: Pinball - The Man Who Saved the Game
Best International Film: Farewell, Mr. Haffmann
Special Awards 2023:
Lifetime Achievement (Acting): Jacqueline Bisset, Karen Allen, Judd Hirsch
Lifetime Achievement (Directing): Lasse Hallström
Outstanding Acting: Lena Olin and Tora Hallström — “Hilma”
Outstanding Lead Actress: AnnaLynne McCord — “Condition of Return”
Heart of the Festival Award: Chris and Pat McFaul
10.03.2023 | Editor's blog
Cat. : AWARDS