The Mexican film “The Gold Mine” (“La Mina de Oro”) won three awards, including the Best of Festival honor, at the 2010 Palm Springs International ShortFest, North America’s largest short film festival.
The victory makes that film, by director Jacques Bonnavent, eligible for Acadmy Awards consideration in the Live-Action Short Film category.
Other first-place winners that become Oscar eligible by virtue of the Palm Springs wins include the German/UK production “Hermann,” which was named Best Live Action Short Over 15 Minutes, and the Norwegian film “Angry Man” (Sinna Mann”) (below), which was honored as Best Animated Short.
In the past, 68 PSISF winners went on to receive Oscar nominations.
“Wish 143,” “Ormie” and “Born Sweet” won Audience Awards in the live-action, animation and documentary categories, respectively.
The awards were handed out at a ceremony at the Camelot Theater in Palm Springs, along with $14,000 in cash prizes and $76,000 in film stock, software prizes and camera equipment.
The full list of awards, from the festival press release:
JURY AWARDS
BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD - $2,000 cash, Software Package courtesy of The Showbiz Software Store. The winner of this award becomes eligible for Academy Awards consideration.
“The Gold Mine” (“La Mina de Oro”) ( Mexico ) (right), Jacques Bonnavent Betina, a lonely spinster, meets what appears to be the man of her dreams online, and in the course of time he proposes to her. After quitting her job and selling her apartment, she makes the arduous trip to be with him, but what awaits her is a wholly unexpected fate.
FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD - $2,000 cash, Software Package courtesy of The Showbiz Software Store, Ultimate Stock Footage Collection courtesy of Footagefilm.com, Final Cut Studio provided by Apple.
Pierre Ferrière, “The Story of My Life” (“Toute ma Vie”) ( France ) After calling her husband to tell him the good news (they’re having twins!) a woman heads for home on foot, when a stranger accosts her on the street claiming to know everything about her.
PANAVISION GRAND JURY AWARD – Panavision Camera Package valued at $60,000.
“Off Season” (Canada/USA), Jonathan van Tulleken Stealing from summer cottages during the brutal off-season winter months, a transient and his faithful dog make a tragic discovery.
JURY SPECIAL CITATION – The jury presented a special mention to “Flawed” ( Canada ) directed by Andrea Dorfman “for the originality of its artistic expression, its genre-defying aesthetic and its emotional resonance.” Artist/filmmaker Andrea Dorfman’s drawings burst colorfully into life as she animates the story of her long distance relationship with a man whose profession (plastic surgeon) gives her (and us) plenty of fodder.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT
“Wish 143” ( UK ), Ian Barnes A young man, desperate to come of age before time runs out, has nothing to lose but his virginity.
