Congratulations to WIFT members, Monica De Alwis, Prisca Bouchet and Robyn Paterson who scooped up most of the prizes at the Documentary Edge Awards on 18 April.
Monica and Prisca's feature debut, Pretty Brutal, about the challenging all-girl roller derby scene picked up Best NZ Feature Documentary, Best NZ Director, Best NZ Editing and Best NZ Cinematography. Kiwi director Robyn Paterson earned the Best NZ Emerging Filmmaker for her film Finding Mercy, another popular choice during this year's Auckland season. It will show in Wellington in May (check out the WIFT website for more info about Robyn in our profiles and screenings of Finding Mercy in Wellington in May.
Other women filmmakers were honoured, including Kathleen Mantel's documentary following the work of Joe Harawira in The Green Chain which picked up the Best NZ Short Documentary.
UK filmmaker Kim Longinotto was another big winner - the fragility of her documentary, Salma, earned her both Best International Director and Best International Feature Film.?Other winners included the story of Dr. Mohammad Jawal's work with victims of acid attacks, Saving Face, earning Best International Short Documentary while Ric Esther Bienstock's world premiere Tales from the Organ Trade earned a win in its programming category Sign of Times.
Ally Derks also received her award to a rapturous ovation from those in attendance as she collected the inaugural Documentary Edge International Super Hero award. Cited as one of the Documentary Edge Festival's biggest influences, Derks' participation this year charted another milestone in the international significance the Documentary Edge Festival is creating across the world.
For a full list of award winners and screenings locations go to www.documentaryedge.org.nz