The 15th American Film Festival in Wrocław: announcing the winners
Although this year’s festival embraced a frosty Alaskan theme, Wrocław has been anything but chilly, filled instead with a warm and lively atmosphere. While there’s still Monday full of screenings at New Horizons Cinema and an online edition running through November 17, it’s time to start our first wrap-ups.
With over 200 screenings, countless Q&A sessions, discussions, exhibitions, a concert, a birthday Silent Disco, stand-up shows, and unforgettable AFF-ter parties, this 15th American Film Festival has truly explored every cinematic frontier. And now, at today’s closing awards gala, we proudly reveal this year’s winners, chosen by none other than our festival audience, who cast their votes for their favorite films.
Breakthrough competition
In the newly revamped Breakthrough section (feature films; previously known as Spectrum), we spotlighted emerging filmmakers who are early in their careers but have already made an impact at global festivals with their distinct voices and authorial styles. Out of the nine featured titles, Familiar Touch, directed by Sarah Friedland, emerged as the audience favorite.
A moving drama about losing memory and getting a new life that bridges the past and the present. The film was one of the featured projects in last year’s US in Progress and has already garnered three awards at the Venice Film Festival, solidifying Sarah Friedland as one of the most promising voices in American independent cinema. (Description by Magdalena Bartczak, translated by Barbara Feliga).
Catch the winning film from the Breakthrough section tonight at 9:30 pm or tomorrow at 4:00 pm (screening includes Polish audiodescription and SDH subtitles).
American Docs competition
The American Docs section features bold, uncompromising filmmakers who spotlight compelling yet often overlooked topics. Through these documentaries, we delved into stories from American culture, society, and politics that rarely reach mainstream audiences. Out of six powerful films, the audience awarded Missing from Fire Trail Road, directed by Sabrina Van Tassel, as this year’s favorite.
Mary Ellen disappeared without a trace. In the United States, Indigenous women are frequent targets – because perpetrators often go unpunished. A shocking documentary that exposes the systemic racism allowing these injustices to persist. (Description: Piotr Mirski).
You can still catch the winning film from the American Docs section tonight at 9:45 pm at the New Horizons Cinema, or watch it online as part of the festival.
Buy a ticket for the on-site screening
(available only in Poland)
The winner of the Breakthrough section received a $10,000 prize, and the American Docs section winner received $5,000, both sponsored by the New Horizons Association.
