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 Official Best of Fest Awards, announced February 1, 2010. Congratulations!

Award-winning Films to Inspire

• Borrowing Time (2010) | Robert Allan Black | 82 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Men’s Shed, The Movie (2006) | Peter Muizulis | 16 min. | Documentary | NR | Australia
• Morning Light (2009) | Mark Monroe | 100 min. | Documentary | PG | USA
• Race Across the Sky (2009) | Frank Matson | 120 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Skin (2009) | Anthony Fabian | 107 min. | Drama | PG-13 | UK

Award-winning Films for Family Viewing

• American Drummer Boy (2001) | Dorian Walker | 107 min. | Drama | NR | USA
• Bird and the Squirrel, The (2009) | Rebecca Scully | 5 min. | Family | NR | USA
• Coraline (2009) | Henry Selick | 96 min. | Drama | PG | USA
• Cracks (2007) | Micah Baskir | 3 min. | Family | NR | USA
• El Salón México (2009) | Paul Glickman | 13 min. | Fantasy | NR | USA
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | Wes Anderson | 87 min. | Comedy | PG | USA
• Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story (2007) | Becky Baumgartner | 32 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Letting Go (2007) | Dan Masucci | 4 min. | Family | NR | USA
• Little Blue (2006) | Bob Svihovec | 8 min. | Animation | NR | USA
• Ponyo (2009) | Hayao Miyazaki | 101 min. | Drama | NR | Japan
• Raspberries (2007) | Morgan Davidsen | 7 min. | Family | NR | Norway
• Summer Rain, A (2009) | Ela Thier | 17 min. | Drama | NR | USA
• Un bisou pour le monde (2007) | Cyril Paris | 10 min. | Family | NR | Fance
• Woman Rebel (2009) | Kiran Deol | 37 min. | Documentary | NR | Nepal

Award-winning Films for Girls’ Night In

• Home (2009) | Mary Haverstick | 84 min. | Drama | PG-13 | USA

Award-winning Films About Romance

• Bright Star (2009) | Jane Campion | 119 min. | Drama | PG | UK
• Kind of a Blur (2005) | Jon Goldman | 10 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• La Lune (2008) | Kelly Kyung Hee Shon | 8 min. | NR | USA
• Last Station, The (2009) | Michael Hoffman | 112 min. | Biography | R | Germany
• Mr. Thornton’s Change of Heart (2006) | Nic Cornwall | 12 min. | Comedy | NR | UK
• Turn (2009) | Michael Lucas | 11 min. | Drama | NR | Australia

Award-winning Films for Fathers, Sons & Brothers

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

Award-winning Films About Real People

• 131.9 cents per liter (2006) | Tony Mason | 6 min. | Short | NR | USA
• Autism: Made in the USA (2009) | Gary Null | 100 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Borrowing Time (2010) | Robert Allan Black | 82 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Chase Armitage on Parkour (2006) | Nick Canner | 6 min. | Sports | NR | Ireland
• Dhamma Brothers, The (2006) | Jenny Phillips | 76 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story (2007) | Becky Baumgartner | 32 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Hungry God (2008) | Sukhada Gokhale-Bhonde | 9 min. | Family | NR | USA
• JUMP! (2007) | Helen Hood Scheer | 85 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Maid, The (2009) | Sebastián Silva | 95 min. | Drama | NR | Chile
• Men’s Shed, The Movie (2006) | Peter Muizulis | 16 min. | Documentary | NR | Australia
• Song For Ourselves, A (2009) | Tadashi Nakamura | 35 min. | Educational | NR | USA
• Waiting for Women (2008) | Estephan Wagner | 34 min. | Documentary | NR | UK
• With Honors Denied (2003) | Mimi Gan | 16 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Woman Rebel (2009) | Kiran Deol | 37 min. | Documentary | NR | Nepal

Award-winning Films for Kids

• Ape Trouble (2009) | Scott Dikkers | 7 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Coraline (2009) | Henry Selick | 96 min. | Drama | PG | USA
• Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story (2007) | Becky Baumgartner | 32 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Pauls Opa (2007) | Ove Sander | 20 min. | Family | NR | Germany
• Pugumentary (2008) | Phil Clarke Jr. | 25 min. | Mockumentary | NR | UK

Award-winning Films to Make You Laugh

• Beat Boys Beat Girls (2009) | Yariv Sponko | 35 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Big Dreams Little Tokyo (2006) | Dave Boyle | 86 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | Wes Anderson | 87 min. | Comedy | PG | USA
• Fuzzy Insides (2009) | Michaela Olsen | 6 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Knuckle Draggers (2009) | Alex Ranarivelo | 88 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Kookman (2009) | Tony Mason | 81 min. | Comedy | NR | Australia
• Skills Like This (2009) | Monty Miranda | 86 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Skylight (2009) | David Baas | 5 min. | Mockumentary | NR | Canada
• Unitards (2009) | J. Scott Featherstone | 106 min. | Comedy | NR | USA

Award-winning Films for Dog Lovers

• Begleiter (2006) | Dan Margules | 28 min. | Fantasy | NR | USA
• Guard Dogs (2005) | Tyler Brooks | 13 min. | Mockumentary | NR | USA
• Whose Dog Is It Anyway? (2009) | Cindy Chupack | 12 min. | Comedy | NR | USA

Award-winning Films for Animation Lovers

• Ape Trouble (2009) | Scott Dikkers | 7 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Bird and the Squirrel, The (2009) | Rebecca Scully | 5 min. | Family | NR | USA
• Coraline (2009) | Henry Selick | 96 min. | Drama | PG | USA
• El Salón México (2009) | Paul Glickman | 13 min. | Fantasy | NR | USA
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | Wes Anderson | 87 min. | Comedy | PG | USA
• La Lune (2008) | Kyung Hee Kelly Shon | 8 min. | NR | USA
• Little Blue (2006) | Bob Svihovec | 8 min. | Animation | NR | USA
• Papiroflexia (2007) | Joaquin Baldwin | 3 min. | Animation | NR | USA
• Pauls Opa (2007) | Ove Sander | 20 min. | Family | NR | Germany
• Ponyo (2009) | Hayao Miyazaki | 101 min. | Drama | NR | Japan
• Sebastian’s Voodoo (2008) | Joaquin Baldwin | 5 min. | Animation | NR | USA
• Skylight (2009) | David Baas | 5 min. | Mockumentary | NR | Canada

Award-winning Films to Make You Think

• Black Crayon (2003) | Hanjin Park | 10 min. | Drama | NR | South Korea
• Dispensables, The (2009) | Andreas Arnstedt | 110 min. | Drama | NR | Germany
• Guard Dogs (2005) | Tyler Brooks | 13 min. | Mockumentary | NR | USA
• Hurt Locker, The (2009) | Kathryn Bigelow | 131 min. | Drama | R | USA

Award-winning Films for Art Lovers

• Audience of One (2009) | Mike Jacobs | 88 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Bright Star (2009) | Jane Campion | 119 min. | Drama | PG | UK
• Coco Before Chanel (2009) | Anne Fontaine | 105 min. | Biography | PG-13 | France
• Silent Light (2009) | Carlos Reygadas | 127 min. | Drama | NR | Mexico

Award-winning Films for Sports Lovers

• Chase Armitage on Parkour (2006) | Nick Canner | 6 min. | Sports | NR | Ireland
• Lost World of Mr. Hardy, The (2008) | Andy Heathcote | 93 min. | Documentary | NR | UK
• Morning Light (2009) | Mark Monroe | 100 min. | Documentary | PG | USA
• Race Across the Sky (2009) | Frank Matson | 120 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-winning Films About Death, Loss & Grief

• Departures (2009) | Yôjirô Takita | 130 min. | Drama | PG-13 | Japan
• Hurt Locker, The (2009) | Kathryn Bigelow | 131 min. | Drama | R | USA
• Living in Emergency (2009) | Mark N. Hopkins | 93 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-winning Films for Nature Lovers

• Cove, The (2009) | Louie Psihoyos | 92 min. | Documentary | PG-13 | USA
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | Wes Anderson | 87 min. | Comedy | PG | USA
• Garden, The (2008) | Scott Hamilton Kennedy | 80 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Papiroflexia (2007) | Joaquin Baldwin | 3 min. | Animation | NR | USA
• We are all here (2009) | Yonghwa Choi | 2 min. | Educational | NR | USA

Award-winning Films About War

• American Drummer Boy (2001) | Dorian Walker | 107 min. | Drama | NR | USA
• Hurt Locker, The (2009) | Kathryn Bigelow | 131 min. | Drama | R | USA
• With Honors Denied (2003) | Mimi Gan | 16 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Woman Rebel (2009) | Kiran Deol | 37 min. | Documentary | NR | Nepal

Award-winning Films About Faith

• Audience of One (2009) | Mike Jacobs | 88 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story (2007) | Becky Baumgartner | 32 min. | Documentary | NR | USA

Award-winning Films for Teens

• Beat Boys Beat Girls (2009) | Yariv Sponko | 35 min. | Comedy | NR | USA
• Morning Light (2009) | Mark Monroe | 100 min. | Documentary | PG | USA

Award-winning Films About Politics

• Broadcast Blues (2009) | Sue Wilson | 75 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Cove, The (2009) | Louie Psihoyos | 92 min. | Documentary | PG-13 | USA
• Skin (2009) | Anthony Fabian | 107 min. | Drama | PG-13 | UK

Award-winning Films for Singles

• Knuckle Draggers (2009) | Alex Ranarivelo | 88 min. | Comedy | NR | USA

Award-winning Films About Aging & Agelessness

• Borrowing Time (2010) | Robert Allan Black | 82 min. | Documentary | NR | USA
• Dance With Me (2003) | Devon Chivvis | 15 min. | Romance | NR | USA
• Last Station, The (2009) | Michael Hoffman | 112 min. | Biography | R | Germany
• Man in the Chair (2007) | Michael Schroeder | 107 min. | Comedy | NR | USA

Award-winning Films for Horror-film Lovers

• Devil’s Wedding, The (2009) | Dan Cadan | 14 min. | Comedy | NR | UK
• Predileção (2009) | Marcio Garcia | 17 min. | Thriller | NR | Brazil
• Scissu (2009) | Tom Bewilogua | 28 min. | Drama | NR | Germany

Award-winning Films for Mystery Lovers

• Crimson Mask, The (2009) | Elias Plagianos | 85 min. | Thriller | NR | USA
• Mildred Richards (2008) | Marc Kess | 19 min. | Thriller | NR | USA

Award-winning Films for Adrenaline Junkies

• Predileção (2009) | Marcio Garcia | 17 min. | Thriller | NR | Brazil

Award-winning Films for Cult-film Aficianados

• Devil’s Wedding, The (2009) | Dan Cadan | 14 min. | Comedy | NR | UK
• Fuzzy Insides (2009) | Michaela Olsen | 6 min. | Comedy | NR | USA