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The Official Best of Fest Award Winners

Each year, a new group of filmmakers is recognized with the Official Best of Fest Award. The complete list of winners, past and present, can be browsed in the sidebar at left. (Films may be recognized in more than one Official Best of Fest Category, and many are available in convenient Official Best of Fest Gift Sets.)

Below are the recipients of the 2011 Official Best of Fest Awards, announced January 6, 2012. Congratulations!

Award-Winning Films to Inspire

Award-Winning Films for Family

Award-Winning Films for Girls’ Nite In

  • Help, The (2011) | Tate Taylor | 146 min. | Drama | PG-13 | USA

Award-Winning Films About Romance

Award-Winning Films for Fathers, Sons & Brothers

  • Bad Day to Go Fishing (2009) | Álvaro Brechner | 110 min. | Drama | NR | Uruguay
  • Courageous (2011) | Alex Kendrick | 129 min. | Drama | PG-13 | USA
  • GoldenBox (2011) | Matt MacDonald | 19 min. | Action | NR | USA
  • Man Talk (2009) | Ben Harris | 8 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • Wrestling With My Father (2010) | Charles Fairbanks | 5 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Films About Real People

  • 14 DAYS with Alzheimer’s (2011) | Lisa Cerasoli | 30 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Acting Out (2010) | David Wolstencroft | 100 min. | Documentary | NR | Australia
  • Carmen Rupe (2010) | Lucy Hayes | 11 min. | Documentary | NR | Australia
  • Charcoal Burners (2010) | Piotr Zlotorowicz | 15 min. | Documentary | NR | Estonia
  • Ciao Cirella (2010) | Berthaud Christophe | 60 min. | Documentary | NR | France
  • Conversations with Artists (2009) | Vincent Morelli | 74 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Elephant Man Journeys, The (2011) | Chris Gallucci | 19 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Film Festival Project, The (2011) | Matt Embry | 48 min. | Documentary | NR | Canada
  • Forest Prince and the Pig Man, The (Hitchhiking in America) (2011) | Craig Constantine | 71 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Gaza Shield (2011) | Tania Khalaf | 18 min. | Documentary | NR | Lebanon
  • Hollywood to Dollywood (2010) | John Lavin | 81 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Irma (2010) | Charles Fairbanks | 13 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Kidnap (2011) | Pankaja Brooke | 30 min. | Documentary | NR | UK
  • Martyr Friday (2011) | Abu Bakr Shawky | 11 min. | Documentary | NR | Egypt
  • Mary and Bill (2011) | Andrew Napier | 50 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Mighty Cranbrook Town, The (2011) | Tom Jay Smith | 80 min. | Documentary | NR | UK
  • Police Tape (2011) | Josh Wolf | 26 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Wrestling With My Father (2010) | Charles Fairbanks | 5 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Chick Flicks

Award-Winning Films for Kids

  • New Suited, The (2010) | Niels Beekes | 17 min. | Comedy | NR | Netherlands
  • Tattle-Tale Hero (2011) | Nancy J. Lilley | 21 min. | Family | NR | Canada
  • Winnie the Pooh (2011) | Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall | 63 min. | Musical | G | USA

Award-Winning Films to Make You Laugh

  • 8 Second Dance (2011) | Trey Moya | 8 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Desperate Crossing (2011) | MinSeok Jeon | 5 min. | Action | NR | USA
  • Excuse Me (2010) | Duncan Birmingham | 6 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • Festival (2010) | Brett Leigh | 80 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • God of Love (2010) | Luke Matheny | 18 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • GoldenBox (2011) | Matt MacDonald | 19 min. | Action | NR | USA
  • Introduce You (2011) | Janet Christensen-Obrien | 5 min. | Romance | NR | USA
  • Knock Knock ((Who’s Dead?) (2010) | Fabrice Emerimana | 11 min. | Horror | NR | India
  • Lucky (2011) | Michael McCallum | 98 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • Man Talk (2009) | Ben Harris | 8 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • Mancrush (2011) | Tony Hagger | 15 min. | Comedy | NR | UK
  • Muppets, The (2011) | James Bobin | 103 min. | Comedy | PG | USA
  • Neander-Jin:The Return of the Neanderthal Man (2011) | Florian Steinbiss | 81 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • So This Priest Walks Into A Bar (2011) | Mark Lundsten | 11 min. | Drama | NR | USA
  • Surreal Estate (2011) | Lori Romero | 16 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • That Thing That Happened (2011) | Lindsay Ames, Josh Saltzman | 5 min. | Comedy | NR | Canada

Award-Winning Films to Make You Think

  • Exile (2010) | Gaia Baldini | 6 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Plastic Planet (2009) | Werner Boote | 95 min. | Documentary | NR | Austria
  • Power of Elle, The (2011) | Dimitri Morantus | 25 min. | Mystery | NR | USA
  • Virtual JFK: Vietnam, If Kennedy Had Lived (2008) | Koji Masutani | 85 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Films for Sports Lovers

  • Bad Day to Go Fishing (2009) | Álvaro Brechner | 110 min. | Drama | NR | Uruguay
  • Mary and Bill (2011) | Andrew Napier | 50 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Mighty Cranbrook Town, The (2011) | Tom Jay Smith | 80 min. | Documentary | NR | UK
  • Wrestling With My Father (2010) | Charles Fairbanks | 5 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Films for Music Lovers

  • Hollywood to Dollywood (2010) | John Lavin | 81 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Slip Cue (2010) | Robin Kupferman | 25 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Films for Art Lovers

Award-Winning Films About War

  • New Project: Scarred Lands & Wounded Lives — The Environmental Footprint of War (2009) | Lincoln Day | 68 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Saints and Soldiers (2003) | Ryan Little | 90 min. | Drama | PG-13 | USA

Award-Winning Films About Faith

  • Higher Ground (2011) | Vera Farmiga | 109 min. | Drama | R | USA

Award-Winning Films for Teens

  • Boxed Up (2011) | Sean McCarthy | 17 min. | Thriller | NR | USA
  • Chatroom (2010) | Hideo Nakata | 97 min. | Drama | R | USA
  • Soul Surfer (2011) | Sean McNamara | 106 min. | Drama | PG | USA
  • Two Brothers (2011) | Rick Stevenson | 80 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Films About Politics

  • Martyr Friday (2011) | Abu Bakr Shawky | 11 min. | Documentary | NR | Egypt

Award-Winning Films for Singles

  • God of Love (2010) | Luke Matheny | 18 min. | Comedy | NR | USA

Award-Winning Horror Films

  • Summer of Massacre, The (2011) | Joe Castro | 98 min. | Horror | NR | USA

Award-Winning Mysteries

Award-Winning Animation

  • Adventures of Tintin, The (2011) | Steven Spielberg | 107 min. | Adventure | PG | USA
  • Brown’s Daughter, The (2011) | Coline Brun-Naujalis | 12 min. | Biography | NR | UK
  • Man With The Stolen Heart, The (2011) | Charlotte Boulay-Goldsmith | 8 min. | Adventure | NR | UK
  • New Suited, The (2010) | Niels Beekes | 17 min. | Comedy | NR | Netherlands
  • Tannery, The (2010) | Iain Gardner | 6 min. | Drama | NR | UK
  • The Quiet Life (2010) | Timothy Hittle | 11 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
  • While You Were Out (2010) | Noah Lambie | 7 min. | Fantasy | NR | USA
  • Winnie the Pooh (2011) | Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall | 63 min. | Musical | G | USA

Award-Winning Dramas

Award-Winning Documentaries

  • Elephant in the Living Room, The (2010) | Michael Webber | 96 min. | Documentary | PG | USA
  • Film Festival Project, The (2011) | Matt Embry | 48 min. | Documentary | NR | Canada
  • Two Brothers (2011) | Rick Stevenson | 80 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Cause Films

  • DAMs: The Lethal Water Bombs (2010) | Sohan Roy | 20 min. | Documentary | NR | India
  • Elephant in the Living Room, The (2010) | Michael Webber | 96 min. | Documentary | PG | USA
  • Gaza Shield (2011) | Tania Khalaf | 18 min. | Documentary | NR | Lebanon
  • Kidnap (2011) | Pankaja Brooke | 30 min. | Documentary | NR | UK
  • Knocking on the Devil’s Door (2011) | Gary Null | 96 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • New Project: Scarred Lands & Wounded Lives — The Environmental Footprint of War (2009) | Lincoln Day | 68 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Plastic Planet (2009) | Werner Boote | 95 min. | Documentary | NR | Austria
  • Police Tape (2011) | Josh Wolf | 26 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Raw Truth, The (2011) | Jin Yoo-Kim | 25 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Tattle-Tale Hero (2011) | Nancy J. Lilley | 21 min. | Family | NR | Canada

Award-Winning Mockumentaries

  • Festival (2010) | Brett Leigh | 80 min. | Comedy | NR | USA

Award-Winning Thrillers

  • Boxed Up (2011) | Sean McCarthy | 17 min. | Thriller | NR | USA
  • Deviant, The (2011) | Karam Natour | 5 min. | Drama | NR | Israel
  • Exam (2008) | Stuart Hazeldine | 101 min. | Thriller | NR | UK
  • Hypoxia (2011) | Matt Livadary | 29 min. | Sci-Fi | NR | USA
  • Let Us Prey (2011) | Matt Brewer | 10 min. | Thriller | NR | USA
  • Summer of Massacre, The (2011) | Joe Castro | 98 min. | Horror | NR | USA
  • Terms Of Employment (2011) | Glynn Turner | 18 min. | Thriller | NR | USA

Award-Winning Experimental Films

  • Bridge in Mind, The (2010) | Martina Bramkamp | 3 min. | Art | NR | UK
  • Feeder (2009) | Joseph Ernst | 4 min. | Comedy | NR | UK

Award-Winning Films About Redemption

  • Heaven’s Rain (2011) | Paul Brown | 106 min. | Drama | R | USA

Award-Winning Science Fiction Films

Award-Winning Films About Sacrifice

  • Bad Day to Go Fishing (2009) | Álvaro Brechner | 110 min. | Drama | NR | Uruguay

Award-Winning Films About Spirituality

  • Café (2010) | Marc Erlbaum | 95 min. | Drama | NR | USA
  • Presence, The (2011) | Tom Provost | | Drama | PG-13 | USA
  • Saints and Soldiers (2003) | Ryan Little | 90 min. | Drama | PG-13 | USA

Award-Winning Films for Dance Lovers

  • Nrityagram: For the Love of Dance (2010) | Nanette Melville | 27 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Silent Heart (2011) | Ryan Turner | 11 min. | Drama | NR | USA

Award-Winning Films Coming of Age Films

Award-Winning Human Rights Films

  • At the End of Slavery (2010) | Ted Haddock | 34 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Death By Medicine (2010) | Gary Null | 93 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Easy Call (2010) | Angelo Arakaza | 9 min. | Mystery | NR | Canada
  • Help, The (2011) | Tate Taylor | 146 min. | Drama | PG-13 | USA
  • Kidnap (2011) | Pankaja Brooke | 30 min. | Documentary | NR | UK
  • Knock Knock (Who’s Dead?) (2010) | Fabrice Emerimana | 11 min. | Horror | NR | India
  • Lone Samaritan (2010) | Barak Heymann | 50 min. | Documentary | NR | Israel
  • Mission: Montreal (2010) | Natcha Songore | 9 min. | Drama | NR | India
  • Queen Has No Crown, The (2011) | Tomer Heymann | 82 min. | Documentary | NR | Israel
  • Return of Old Man Kabura, The (2010) | Patrick Ngendakumana | 7 min. | Biography | NR | India

Award-Winning Films About Medicine

  • Something the Lord Made (2004) | Joseph Sargent | 110 min. | Drama | NR | USA

Award-Winning History Films

  • Car is Born, The: A documentary about Carl & Bertha Benz (2011) | Ulli Kampelmann | 19 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
  • Century of Light (2011) | Christopher Leps | 47 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-Winning Films For Animal Lovers

  • Dolphin Tale (2011) | Charles Martin Smith | 113 min. | Drama | PG | USA
  • Elephant in the Living Room, The (2010) | Michael Webber | 96 min. | Documentary | PG | USA
  • Elephant Man Journeys, The (2011) | Chris Gallucci | 19 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Summer Rain, A (2009) | Ela Thier | 17 min. | Drama | NR | USA

Ponyo (2009) | Hayao Miyazaki | 101 min. | Drama | NR | Japan

American Drummer Boy (2001) | Dorian Walker | 107 min. | Drama | NR | USA

Little Blue (2006) | Bob Svihovec | 8 min. | Animation | NR | USA

Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Documentary (2007) | Becky Baumgartner | 32 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Un bisou pour le monde (2007) | Cyril Paris | 10 min. | Family | NR | Fance

Letting Go (2007) | Dan Masucci | 4 min. | Family | NR | USA

Cracks (2007) | Micah Baskir | 3 min. | Family | NR | USA

Raspberries (2007) | Morgan Davidsen | 7 min. | Family | NR | Norway

Woman Rebel (2009) | Kiran Deol | 37 min. | Documentary | NR | Nepal

El Salón México (2009) | Paul Glickman | 13 min. | Fantasy | NR | USA

Bird and the Squirrel, The (2009) | Rebecca Scully | 5 min. | Family | NR | USA

Coraline (2009) | Henry Selick | 96 min. | Drama | PG | USA

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | Wes Anderson | 87 min. | Comedy | PG | USA