Jury & Awards
NewFest 2020 Awards
Watch the Juried Awards Presentation
Watch the Closing Remarks + Audience Award Presentation
Juried Awards
Feature Directorial Debut From a Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award
Olivia Peace; Director of TAHARA
Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Awards
Blanche Akonchong; Writer/Director/Producer of MERCURY AFROGRADE
Elegance Bratton & Jovan James; Co-Writers/Directors/Producers of BUCK
Terrance Daye; Writer/Director/Producer of -SHIP: A VISUAL POEM
The Black Filmmakers Initiative is supported by Ralph Lauren Corporation, Blackstone and Vimeo
New York Short Film
Grand Jury Award:
QUEENIE; Director Cai Thomas
Special Mentions:
-SHIP: A VISUAL PEOM; Writer/Director Terrance Daye
SEE YOU SOON; cast James Cusati-Moyer & Jonny Beauchamp
U.S. Narrative Feature
Grand Jury Award:
COWBOYS; Writer/Director Anna Kerrigan
Special Mention:
CICADA; Co-Directors Matt Fifer & Keiran Mulcare and Actor/Co-Writer Sheldon D. Brown
Documentary Feature
Grand Jury Award:
KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY; Director Posy Dixon
Special Mention:
YOUR MOTHER’S COMFORT; Director Adam Golub
International Narrative Feature
Grand Jury Award:
WELCOME TO THE USA; Director Assel Aushakimova
Special Mention:
DATING AMBER; Director David Freyne
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Narrative Feature
DATING AMBER; Writer/Director David Freyne
Audience Award for Documentary Feature
CURED; Directors Patrick Sammon and Bennett Singer
Audience Award for Narrative Short
WAKING HOUR; Writer/Director Nava Mau
Audience Award for Documentary Short
THEY THROUGH THEM; Director Joan Galo
Jury
Black Filmmakers Initiative
Wellington Love, Producer/Publicist
Patrik-Ian Polk, Filmmaker
New York Shorts
Jeremy O. Harris, Playwright
River Gallo, Filmmaker, PONYBOI
Julio Torres, Comedian
US Narrative Features
Dino-Ray Ramos, Deadline
Rhys Ernst, Filmmaker, ADAM
Isabel Sandoval, Filmmaker, LINGUA FRANCA
Documentary Features
Tre’vell Anderson, Journalist
Barbara Vasconez, Programmer, NYWIFT and New York Latino Film Festival
Whembley Sewell, Editor In Chief, them.
International Narrative Features
Jazz Tangcay, Variety
Kathy Tu, The New York Times
Ed Gonzalez, Film Editor, Slant Magazine