The 19th Annual New Orleans Film Festival is over for 2008 and was a resounding success.


NOFF announces the winners of the first-ever Audience Awards:

Best Narrative Feature: "How to Be"
Directed by: Oliver Irving

Best Documentary Feature: "Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry"
Directed by: Erich Weiss

Other Awards:

Helen Hill Best Animation Award: "Chainsaw"
Directed by: Dennis Tupicoff
Sponsored by Showbiz Software

Honorable Mention: "The Spider"
Directed by: Juan Delcan

Best Narrative Short Award: "Glory At Sea"
Sponsored by CineFilm Lab
Directed by: Benh Zeitlin

Best Documentary Short Award: "Elegy for the Elswick Envoy"
Directed by: Nancy Willis
Sponsored by Showbiz Software

Best Experimental Award: "Home"
Directed by: Matt Faust
Sponsored by Showbiz Software

Honorable Mention: "Sera/Sera"
Directed by: John Murphy

Best Documentary Feature Award: "Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story"
Directed by: Jeffrey Schwarz
Sponsored by Panavision

Best Narrative Feature Award: "Goodnight Irene"
Sponsored by Swelltone Lab
Directed by: Paolo Marinou-Blanco

Louisiana Filmmaker Award: "The Zeppelin Parable"
Directed by: Kristian Hansen
Sponsored by Panavision & Kodak

We congratulate all the awardees.

Narrative Feature Award (Sponsored by Cinefilm Lab):
"Low and Behold"
Directed By: Zack Godshall

Narrative Short Award: "A Taste of Cream"
Directed By: Deanna Russo

Documentary Award: "The Allen Toussaint Touch"
Directed By: Jill Nicholls

Animation Award: "The Dinner Table"
Directed By: Song E. Kim

Experimental Award: "27,000 Days"
Directed By: Naveen Singh

Louisiana Filmmaker Award (Sponsored by Panavision New Orleans and Kodak): Conni Castille & Allison Bohl for "I Always Do My Collars First"

Grand Jury Prize: "The Allen Toussaint Touch"
Directed By: Jill Nicholls

Our presenting sponsors Cox Communications New Orleans and the Independent Film Channel present for the second year the Media Lab Short Film contest, in association with the Festival - details are below. Please feel free to forward this information to anyone you know.

Enter today! This competition gives filmmakers the opportunity to enter short film submissions through www.aboutcox.com on the Cox New Orleans and IFC's Media Lab website. The best films will be shown in New Orleans at the 18th Annual New Orleans Film Festival, October 11-18, 2007.

The top film will win an HD Video Camera and the top 10 submissions will be shown in the Cox/IFC Media Lab Showcase during the Festival, and on Cox on Demand New Orleans, only available with Cox Digital Cable. They will also have a chance to be shown on IFC nationally!
All entries will receive a free t-shirt or hat! Hurry - the deadline is September 3rd, 2007.

Films will be presented this year at three venues, Canal Place Cinemas, the Contemporary Arts Center and the Prytania Theatre. We are planning an extensive program of wonderful films in many genres from all over the world - details coming soon!

The Film Congress, our exciting program of panels and workshops, will take place at the CAC, October 13 & 14.
At the Launch Party on September 20th at Loa in the International House Hotel, the full schedule of Festival films and events will be announced, along with film category winners and information on special guests who will attend the Gala and Festival.

Tickets for all screenings will go on sale on September 29th (September 27th for NOFS members). Details will be available on the New Orleans Film Society's website, www.neworleansfilmfest.com.

To jump-start this exciting week of screenings, the New Orleans Film Society will host its annual Festival Gala on Thursday, October 11th at Republic New Orleans, 828 S. Peters St., in the Warehouse District. During the Gala, NOFS will honor T.G. Solomon with the inaugural "Celluloid Heroes" award, presented to a Cinema Luminary in recognition of Outstanding Service to the Art of Motion Pictures.

The 2007 Festival Gala is chaired by Roger Wilson and produced by Alexa Georges, who promises the event will be a red carpet affair featuring a world class jazz and blues musical review, along with great food from ten of the city's finest restaurants.

The evening at Republic New Orleans begins with an exclusive party for Gala Hosts at 6:30PM followed by general admission at 8:00PM. The Gala continues late into the night with a DJ Dance Party starting at 11:00PM.

Gala Host tickets are $300 each and include the champagne-laden pre-party catered by the Windsor Court Hotel and a VIP pass to all Festival screenings. Gala Host tickets are now available - call 504.309.6633 today!