A look at the 2015 Atlanta Film Festival winners

And the awards go to ...

This year’s Atlanta Film Festival did not disappoint. With a particularly strong selection of documentaries and unique features — plus the countless shorts to choose from — it’s hard to pick a single favorite. We were all too distracted by James Franco’s cameo to keep our heads clear, anyway. Thankfully, the festival has managed to keep it together and organized a list of winners for us to look over.


2015 Atlanta Film Festival Winners:

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  • Courtesy of ATLFF


Best Narrative Feature: God Bless The Child
Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck team up for their second feature to tell the story of five siblings — and their absent mother. Shot on a Blackmagic Pocket Camera, the film captures the organic relationships between Harper (Harper Graham) and her four younger brothers. The cast’s familiarity and natural ease certainly wasn’t hurt by the fact that Machoian not only cast actual siblings in the roles, but that they were all his kids to boot. Talent must be genetic.

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  • Courtesy of ATLFF


Best Documentary Feature: Stray Dog
If you saw Winter’s Bone back in 2010, you’d probably recognize Ron “Stray Dog” Hall. Although he played an unsettling villain in Debra Granik’s indie hit, her newest work reveals the authentic, compassionate character of the real-life burly biker. Without interviews, voice overs, or expository text, Granik captures the Vietnam veteran as he makes his way through life as a husband, father, and true-blooded American in this naturalistic success.



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  • Courtesy of ATLFF


Best New Mavericks Feature: In The Turn
Not your typical sports documentary, In The Turn follows Crystal, a 10-year-old transgender girl from rural Canada as she grapples with small town concepts of normalcy. Banned from participating in her school’s sports teams, the film watches as a queer roller derby team called the Vagine Regime gives Crystal hope and a sense of community in Tremblay’s most recent work. We loved it too.


Best Pink Peach Feature: Before the Last Curtain Falls


New Mavericks Special Jury Prize: Next Year (L’année Prochaine)

Best Narrative Short: Turtle


Best Documentary Short: The Murder Ballad of James Jones


Best Animated Short: Starlight


Best Pink Peach Short: Charlotte


Best New Mavericks Short: Jennah


Best Music Video: 80’s Rok (presented by REVOLT)


Filmmaker-to-Watch Award (presented by Mountainfilm on Tour ATL and voted on by our Kickstarter Backers Jury): Ian Samuels, Myrna the Monster