The drama America’s Family had a strong showing at the 25th annual Dances with Films festival in Los Angeles, claiming the Grand Jury Award for Features as well as the Audience Award for Competition Features when the fest wrapped on Sunday.
The film from writer-director Anike L. Tourse watches as the Diaz family home is raided by ICE on Thanksgiving, with mother Marisol (Tourse) being put in detention, son Koke (Ricardo Cisneros) being deported and father Jorge (Mauricio Mendoza) fleeing for protective sanctuary. Marisol and Jorge’s two American-born children—young attorney Emiliano (Emmanuel López Alonso) and his disabled teen sister Valentina (Jailene Arias)—then scramble to reunite the family as their parents and brother fight to get home.
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DWF is a festival celebrating the best of the best in independent film, which is based at the TCL Chinese Theatre. It ran this year from June 9-19. Closing out the festival last night was the thriller Ghostwritten, starring Jay Duplass. 2022’s entire list of winners can be found below.
GRAND JURY AWARD for Features
AMERICA’S FAMILY written & directed by Anike L. Tourse produced by: Daniel Sollinger (Lead Producer), Nadia Voukitchevitch (P), Anike Tourse (P) Angelica Salas (EP),Zerihoun Yilma (AP), Emiliana Guereca (AP), Paulina Villaba (Co-P), Diana Haro (Co-P)
HONORABLE MENTION: JASMINE IS A STAR ______________________________________________
GRAND JURY AWARD for Shorts
A DIRE STRAIT written & directed by Liang-Chun Lin produced by Taylor Poling
HONORABLE MENTIONS: KICKSTART MY HEART/TIM TRAVERS THE TIME TRAVELERS PARADOX ______________________________________________
GRAND JURY AWARD for Documentaries
JACK HAS A PLAN directed by Bradley Berman produced by Chris Metzler
HONORABLE MENTIONS: GREEN FORESTS AND THE RED CARPET and MAKING A KILLING ______________________________________________
INDUSTRY CHOICE AWARD – over 40’
BABY DON’T CRY written by Zita Bai directed by Jesse Dvorak produced by Qiyu Zhou & Zeron Zhao ______________________________________________
INDUSTRY CHOICE AWARD – under 40’
TARNEIT written by Elizabeth Packett directed by John Sheedy produced by: Andre Lima ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – COMPETITION FEATURES
AMERICA’S FAMILY written & directed by Anike L. Tourse produced by: Daniel Sollinger (Lead Producer), Nadia Voukitchevitch (P), Anike Tourse (P) Angelica Salas (EP),Zerihoun Yilma (AP), Emiliana Guereca (AP), Paulina Villaba (Co-P), Diana Haro (Co-P) ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – COMPETITION SHORTS
WHITE NOW PLEASE written & directed by Kyle Lau produced by Joyce Liu-Countryman ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – FUSION FEATURES
1-800-HOT-NITE written & directed by Nick Richey produced by Nick Richey, Ali Richey, Zach Mann, Ben Jagger, Nathan Presley, Warren Pereira, Phoenix Vaughn & Trevor Lee Georgeson ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – FUSION SHORTS
WHY DON’T YOU LIKE ME written by Nik Sysuev directed by Ira Storozhenko produced by Nik Sysuev, Roxanne Griffith, Bryce Fishman ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
ETERNAL SPRING written by Jason Loftus, Masha Loftus & The Pearman Brothers directed by Jason Loftus produced by Jason Loftus, Masha Loftus, Yvan Pinard & Kevin Koo ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
INSIDE THE BEAUTY BUBBLE written, directed & produced by Cheryl Bookout & Cheri Gaulke ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – PILOTS TV
SPOOK SHOW 17 written by Robert Luther directed by Wyatt Barclay & Robbie Luther produced by Wyatt Barclay, Kevin Tolby & Robbie Luther ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – PILOTS WEB
LEGIT MARRIED written by Ahsan Ali, Lisa Jill Anderson & Stephen Brown directed by Chelsea Gonzalez executive produced by Lisa Jill Anderson, Ahsan Ali, Stephen Brown produced by Lisa Jill Anderson, Chelsea Gonzalez ______________________________________________
OUT OF TUNE written by Erika Hamilton directed by Portlynn Tagavi produced by Erika Hamilton, Alexis Sterling & Diana Zollicoffer ______________________________________________
AUDIENCE AWARD – DANCES WITH KIDZ PRO
HONK written & directed by Cheryl Allison produced by Alison Smith, Natalie Murray, Cheryl Allison
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