The Winners of the 8th Montreal International Black Film Festival are revealed: Inside Story and Dear Mandela Receive Top Honor!

MONTREAL, Oct. 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The 8^th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival, presented by Global Montreal, announced its prizewinners at the Festival's closing ceremonies last night. Winners were selected by a professional jury. Members of the jury for Narrative Feature were: Raymond Desmarteau (actor and radio host), Benz Antoine (actor) and Philippe Fehmiu (radio host and director). The jury for Documentary Feature was made up of: Patricia Rimok (President and CEO of Immigration Business Network ib2ib), Robert Cohen (lawyer) and Lynda Thalie (singer-songwriter). For short and mid-length films, the jury included: Jenny Salgado (singer-songwriter), Hassan Serraji (columnist and blogger) and Alejandro Jiminez Ramos (filmmaker).

Members of the juries evaluated over 115 excellent films from nearly 40 countries according to a set of selection criteria. While all films were outstanding, the following really stood out:

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE:
INSIDE STORY, by Rolie Nikiwe  (Kenya, South Africa)
Honorable Mentions to:
Winnie, by Darrell Roodt (Canada, South Africa)
Sonny Boy, by Maria Peters (Netherlands)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
DEAR MANDELA, by Dara Kell & Christopher Nizza (South Africa, USA)
Honorable Mentions to:
The Central Park Five, by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon (USA)
The Creators, by Laura Gamse (South Africa)

BEST MID-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY:
SARABAH, by Maria Luisa Gambale (Senegal, USA)
Honorable mention to:
Duhozanye, A Rwandan Village of Widdows, by Karoline Frogner (Norway, Rwanda)

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT:
SLEEP, by Donald Conley (USA)
Honorable mention to Umkhungo, by Matthew Jankes (South Africa)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
CARBON FOR WATER, by Evan Abramson and Carmen Elza Lopez (USA)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT:
A FAMILY MAN, by The Rauch Brothers, Lizzie Jacobs (USA)
Honorable Mention to MacPherson, by Martine Chartrand (Canada)

About the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF)
The Montreal International Black Film Festival was created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cinema, art and culture. The mission of the Montreal International Black Film Festival is to stimulate the development of the independent film industry and to foster the creation of films on international Black realities. The Festival wants to promote a different kind of cinema: cinema from both here and abroad that doesn't always make it to the silver screen. We showcase groundbreaking cinema that both moves and shocks us, all while raising awareness. MIBFF films deal with issues and raise questions that are at once provocative, funny, perplexing and shocking. Join us for a fresh look at Black cinema from all four corners of the globe! www.montrealblackfilm.com.

Get festival news on:
www.montrealblackfilm.com  / www.facebook.com/blackfilmfestival / www.twitter.com/filmblackmtl

SOURCE: Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF)

Director of media relations: Carla Beauvais - [email protected] - [phone]
Francophone press agent: Fadwa Lapierre - [email protected] - [phone]
Anglophone press agent: Danny Payne - [email protected] - [phone]
Ethnic and community press agent: Aimée Kassi - [email protected] - [phone]