BRIFF Winners 2019

BEST SHORT FILM:   SECOND CHILDHOOD by Vaughan Films

“Beautifully shot with lyrical precision and rousing score. An ode to Izzy & Vic Vaughans’ brave creative vision and exemplary of the boundless possibilities of indie/low budget filmmaking.”

Michael’s mother tells him he will outgrow his best friend. Seventy years later, it appears it wasn’t just a phase.

www.vaughanfilms.com
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Animation

That Makes Two of Us by Tim Hawkins
"Weird, wonderful, slightly sick. Excellent."

Art House

Rising Water by Niels Windfeldt
"Stunningly evocative cinematography that
​takes you on an existential trip."

Brighton Filmmaker

Landscapes of the Heart by Andrew Finch
"A hauntological ​tribute to Brighton's spaces that have been revived and dismantled through time, a love letter to the city."

Comedy

Popcorn by Dani Harvie
​"Funny, provocative and excellent satire.
​Rather naughty - like."

Drama

For Want of a Nail by Oakhill Productions
​"Intelligent treatment of OCD - great writing, original narrative and superb editing."

Indie / Low-Budget

Second Childhood by Vic and Izzy Vaughan
​Best Film of Brighton Rocks 2019 (see above)

Micro Movie

Lingering Effect by Jeff Vande Zande
"Life and death, pathos and gravitas, in less than 4 minutes."

Phone Movie

​Lightning by Cristina Isoli
"Pushes the boundaries of phone film production and the romantic drama genre."

Brighton Spirit Award

My Baby by Kim Jarred
"A deeply touching portrayal of a mother’s journey through her child’s early ​gender transition. The Brighton Spirit Award is given to the film that most embodies the city's attitudes and ideals."

Art House

Swivel by Lois Norman
“Beautiful and poetic - with breath-taking choreography."

Brighton Filmmaker

T.I.M. This Is Me by Philip L Moore
"​LGBTQ issues woven into a rich dramatic tapestry with a Brighton backdrop. A tour de force by director & writer Philip L Moore."​

Comedy

2:40 to London by Gavin Irvine
​"The original off-beat comedy that gives you pies, chilli, lumbersexuals and derrières!"

Documentary (short)

Violet Vixen by Leanne Rogers
"Beautiful, funny, we are completely fallen in love with this films and character. The filmmaker found special 'ordinary' moments to illustrate an extraordinary life. A touching, lovely film as much about maternal love as it is about drag. The filmmaker expertly weaves emotional waves throughout."

Fantasy / Horror / Sci-Fi

The Ballad of a Haunted Man by Emma Pitt
"With beautifully layered dialogue and extraordinary direction, Shane Attwooll gives sympathy, compassion and kindness to the role of Daniel the mortician. Attwooll’s compelling and versatile performance suggests we can appreciate death by its beauty."

LGTBQ+

I'm Sorry by Lovisa Lara ​
"Good acting and original storyline. A bit disturbing and unsettling even. You really feel the evolution between the two characters and the change of dynamics."

Music Video

Redeem by JD Kelleher
"Strong voice, lyrics and visuals - the whole package. Creates a whole new genre - LGBTQ noir!"

Student Film

 One Minute to Midnight by Max Tobin
"A witty but bleak tale of two friends facing the coming nuclear apocalypse. Excellent use of location shooting coupled with some some clever editing. Follows the cardinal rule of good filmmaking: Show, don’t tell."

Student Film

Oxygen by Sam Kennard
"An ambitious, cleverly-staged short. It features strong, simple shot composition with an excellent use of colour and framing to quietly suggest isolation in an alien environment. The sound design and music also deserve to be singled out for praise. All these elements combine to make a sad, beautiful film that defies its constraints."

BEST FEATURE FILM:     Some Girls Wander ​ (Dir. Geoff Woodbridge)

Picture
"Superb writing and performances."
"Packed with pathos and gravitas."
"Narrative is a flurry of cinematic references that ducks and weaves its way towards its climatic end."
"Woodbridge is a
writer-director to watch."

A chance meeting of two unlikely characters from different generations, who find comfort within each other’s conflicting worldviews whilst struggling with life on the street.  Some Girls Wander is a pointed reminder that most of us are just two pay checks away from a life on the street.

BEST FEATURE FILM:     AND IT WAS  (Dir. Pepe Torres)


"Sublime, surreal and mesmerising. A tour de force!"
"A trip like no other."
"Stunning photography."

A woman who hides her indigenous features under a thick layer of white makeup and a blonde wig, works as a night-time cleaner in an aquatic center and her only dream is to be able to swim. A meeting on the road, with a couple of Mapuches, will make you change your frustrated existence forever.​

BEST DOCUMENTARY:     Goodnight London (Dir. Oliver Guy-Watkins)
​Goodnight London is a love letter and a note of warning to a city that is undergoing rapid change through gentrification and redevelopment. How has rapid gentrification affected communities and creatives in London? The city exists in a transient state, swallowed by cranes, building sites and half eaten streets. Ambitious plans for transport and new developments have closed youth centres, music venues and art studios whilst also removing vast amounts of affordable housing from the city. What does the future hold?

BEST DOCUMENTARY:     These Days  (Dir. Andre de Nerveux)

A non-narrative documentation on the humanity of youth in their early 20s, the situations they find themselves in and the way they look at their futures. In years to come, how will they look back at these days? An excellent work of cinema-vérité by a Brighton-based filmmaker that very much captures the zeitgeist of our times.

Additional Awards

*Audience Choice Award: 2:40 to London (by Gavin Irvine)*

*Best Actor: George Glasby & Kell Chambers (“One Minute to Midnight”)*

*Best Actress: Anaisabel Merez ("Sylvia")*

*Best Cinematography: Rising Water (by Niels Windfeldt)*

*Best Director: Jonny Stearn (“Hackney Studio”)*

*Best Editing: For Want of a Nail (by Oakhill Productions)*

*Best Score & Choreography: Swivel (by Lois Norman)*

*Best Screenplay: T.I.M. Trapped in Me (by Philip L. Moore)*

*Best Set Design: Oxygen (by Sam Kennard)*
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*Best Special Effects: WOMXN (by Gystere Peskine & Eden Tinto Collins)*