This past weekend, the members of the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film voted on the nominees for its Trudy awards. This year’s crop of winners, the society’s 26th, will be celebrated with a dinner event later in the year, since the event originally scheduled for March 22nd was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
10 films won awards, with South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece, PARASITE dominant, taking 4 awards, including Best Movie and Best Director. A pair of Icelandic films, AND BREATHE NORMALLY and WOMAN AT WAR came away with 3, including Best Actress and Best Director. In all, 11 of the 16 categories were claimed by filmmakers outside of the US. Tops among American winners was THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO, a visual stunner which won 2 Trudies for Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography.
Other countries among the winners were China with Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW earning Best Editing and Best Production Design; the documentary HONEYLAND from Macedonia; and Turkey for MUSTANG, reining in a Best Actor Trudy.
The society’s most prestigious award, the Buried Treasure, went to CUBBY, a black comedy from debut screenwriter Mark Blane, who co-directed with Ben Mankoff and also stars in the film as an eccentric, naive 20something as he fumbles his way towards a new life in the Big Apple. Getting by as a babysitter when not getting high with his roommates, he reverts to childhood fantasies of his personal gay superhero as he struggles against the biggest hurdle to his goals: himself.
In order to be eligible, Buried Treasure nominees must have earned less than $250,000 in US box office. Chlotrudis created the category in order to shine a spotlight on those films the group feels deserve wider attention and a second look. In order to vote, members must have watched all five nominated films.
The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is a Boston-based non-profit group that teaches people to view film actively and experience the world through independent film, and encourages discussion. The group works with film festivals, local art-houses and theaters, production companies, directors and actors to bring creative, quality films to the attention of audiences and film-lovers. Visit http://www.chlotrudis.org, join us at Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
FULL LIST OF TRUDY WINNERS:
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE CAST
PARASITE
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Horace Ma for SHADOW
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jona Tochet for THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
BEST EDITING
Xiaolin Zhou for SHADOW
BEST USE OF MUSIC IN A FILM
Composer, Davíð Þór Jónsson; Music Editor, Cecile Coutelier for WOMAN AT WAR
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
LUCE, screenplay by J.C. Lee, based on his play
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
PARASITE, screenplay by Boon Joon-ho and Jin Won Jan
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jonathan Majors for THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lorraine Toussaint for FAST COLOR
BEST ACTOR
Matthias Schoenaerts for MUSTANG
BEST ACTRESS
Halldora Geirharðsdóttir for WOMAN AT WAR
BEST DIRECTOR (tie)
Isold Uggadottir for AND BREATHE NORMALLY
Bong Joon-ho for PARASITE
BEST DOCUMENTARY
HONEYLAND
BEST MOVIE
PARASITE
BURIED TREASURE
CUBBY