Denver Film Festival audiences have named Ireland’s “The Quiet Girl” the outstanding narrative feature and the Colorado-based “The Holly” the outstanding documentary feature of the 45th annual festival, which featured more than 230 films and ended Sunday.
“I am so excited,” Rubinstein told the Denver Gazette on Monday. “This award is maybe the most important one that we can win. We knew all along this is a story that the people of Denver would be interested in — and yet the powers that be in our city have wanted to pretend that it doesn’t exist.”
A special red-carpet screening of “The Holly” drew an estimated 1,300 to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Thursday, which is believed to be the largest audience to see a documentary at the Denver Film Festival since “Bowling for Columbine” in 2002. Between that and the audience award, Rubinstein said, “Now maybe some of our city leaders will realize this is a documentary that they should want to see.”
Director Julian Rubinstein introduces 'The Holly' to about 1,300 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Thursday.
“The Holly” investigates the city’s anti-gang efforts through the lens of a shocking 2013 shooting involving a community activist named Terrance Roberts, who is now running to be Denver’s next mayor.
“The Quiet Girl,” the story of a young Irish girl who bonds with a surrogate couple after her own overcrowded family sends her away, is already the highest-grossing Irish-language film in history.
The festival’s major juried award, determined by a curated panel of experts, named “EO” the Best Feature Film. The jury called the Polish and Italian movie that shows life through the eyes of a grey donkey with melancholic eyes “a tour-de-force demonstration of the visual possibilities of filmmaking while simultaneously evoking a kaleidoscope of emotions through an unusually stoic protagonist."
Audience favorite 'The Quiet Girl' is the highest-grossing Irish-language film ever.
The jury’s Best Documentary Award went to “Master of Light,” a film from The Netherlands about an artist imprisoned for dealing drugs. The jury said the film “stood out for its beauty, its complexity and its bravery in addressing difficult issues such as addiction and incarceration.”
The festival also gave its Rare Pearl Award to “The Whale,” directed by Darren Aronofsky.
“This year’s festival lineup was a pure reflection of our lives today and the countless challenges, as well as celebrations,” said Artistic Director Matthew Campbell. “Our team is incredibly proud of the diverse lineup that we were able to bring to our audiences.”
'The Holly,' a documentary following a high-profile Denver shooting involving anti-gang activist Terrance Roberts, was featured at the Denver Film Festival on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. The documentary analyzes city and federal efforts to combat the gang-violence problem in a section of Park Hill through the lens of Roberts' attempted murder trial.
2022 Denver Film Festival Awards
Audience Awards (determined by a tally of ballots)
• Narrative Feature: “The Quiet Girl,” directed by Colm Bairéad
• Documentary Feature: “The Holly,” directed by Julian Rubinstein
• Short Film: “The Flagmakers,” directed by Cynthia Wade and Sharon Liese
• Music: “Holdfast. – Find a Way,” directed by Ryan Frazee
Juried Awards (determined by designated panels)
“EO,” which shows life through the eyes of a donkey, has been named Best Feature Film of the 2022 Denver Film Festival by a curated jury.
• Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film: “EO,” directed by Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland, Italy)
• Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary: “Master of Light,” directed by Rosa Ruth Boesten (The Netherlands)
• American Independent Award: “Nanny,” directed by Nikyatu Jusu
• Short Film Grand Jury Award: “Ice Merchants,’ directed by João Gonzales (Portugal, France, UK)
• Liberty Global Best Student Domestic Short: “El Carrito,” directed by Zahida Pirani (U.S.)
• Liberty Global Best Student International Short: “Not the ’80s,” directed by Marleen Valien (Germany)
• Marilyn Marsh Saint-Veltri Award for Best Student Animation Short: “The Seine’s Tears,” directed by ensemble (France)
Note: Films shown as “special presentations,” including “Armageddon Time,” “Empire of Light,” ”The Holly” and “Women Talking,” were not eligible for juried awards.
Film on Music Documentary Grant Awards
Up to $20,000 in finishing funds for documentary productions specifically for music licensing, scoring and composition:
• “Lee Fields: Faithful Man”
• “Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?”
• “Sound of the Silents”
The crowd at the Jacuard Hotel in Cherry Creek to hear the winners of the juried awards announced on Sunday. The audience favorites were released on Monday.