Guest Blogger

Last night, the closing night party sponsored by A&E Indie Films was very fancy and held at the Nasher Museum of Art center for contemporary and post modern artists from around the world. There were shuttle buses provided that took us out there and it's a really great new space. There was an exhibition called Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool — and it is. Here's the description from the website:

"The first career retrospective of the renowned American artist Barkley L. Hendricks. Born in 1945 in Philadelphia, Hendricks's unique work resides at the nexus of American realism and post-modernism, a space somewhere between portraitists Chuck Close and Alex Katz and pioneering black conceptualists David Hammons and Adrian Piper. He is best known for his stunning, life-sized portraits of people of color from the urban northeast.

"Cool, empowering and sometimes confrontational, Hendricks's artistic privileging of a culturally complex black body has paved the way for today's younger generation of artists. This unprecedented exhibition of Hendricks's paintings will include work from 1964 to the present."

The party ended early. I heard there was going to be an early after party at the Hilton Hotel where the filmmakers were staying but alas I was pooped after my panel and a day of screening – I was heading back to the Marriott Hotel for as much beauty sleep as I could get. I was joined on the way back by Tom Quinn, Magnolia Pictures and the 'host with the most' Molly Thompson, A&E Indie Films (see pic).

Aah the last day of Full Frame, and the jurors would have been deliberating into the wee hours — maybe not, but you never know! The winners are announced at the famous BBQ and Trouble the Water is the top winner followed by Man on Wire (a Magnolia Pictures release). Check out the winners below — there are a total of 12 awards.

Anne Dellinger Grand Jury Award — Trouble the Water

Special Jury Award — Man on Wire

Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short — City of Cranes

Full Frame Audience Award — Man on Wire

Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award — Lioness

The Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award — In A Dream

Full Frame Inspiration Award — At the Death House Door

Full Frame President's Award — Summerchild

Full Frame Spectrum Award — The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)

Full Frame Women In Leadership Award — Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai

Full Frame/Working Films Award — Please Vote for Me and Trouble the Water

The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights — Trouble the Water

I am back in chilly New York, thankfully it's not raining and Full Frame will be re-screening the 'best of the fest.' For me, Full Frame didn't have the same community spirit as last year and I am sure that was due to the dreadful weather but overall I had a productive and fun time.