2007 Awards
SILVERDOCS 2007 AWARDS & RECOGNITION: The Winners
STERLING FEATURE AWARD
The SILVERDOCS Jury, comprised of a distinguished group of documentary film professionals, presents the SILVERDOCS Sterling Award to the most exceptional feature-length documentary screening in competition. The award winner receives over $25,000 cash and in-kind, including $5,000 in film product from Kodak.
Winner: PLEASE VOTE FOR ME by Weijun Chen
Special Jury mention for Sterling feature: ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS by Eva Mulvad
STERLING SHORT FILM AWARD
The SILVERDOCS Shorts Jury gives the Sterling Short Film Award to the documentary that tells a concise story in the most eloquent and powerful way. The winning filmmaker receives a $5,000 cash prize.
Winner: LOT 63, GRAVE C by Sam Green
Special Jury Mention for Sterling short: I WANT TO BE A PILOT by Diego Quemada-Díez
MUSIC DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Presented by Pump Audio, recognizes the documentary that best captures the complex artistry, enthusiasm, imagination and inspiration of musicians. The award winner will receive $2,500.
Winner: NOMADAK TX by Raúl De la Fuente
AUDIENCE AWARDS
The SILVERDOCS Audience Award is presented to the feature-length and short documentaries deemed most popular by Festival attendees. The winner receives $5,000 worth of prizes.
Winner of Audience Award for Feature: SOUVENIRS by Shahar Cohen and Halil Efrat
Winner of Audience award for Short: A SON’S SACRIFICE by Yoni Brook
ACE DOCUMENTARY GRANT
For the second year, SILVERDOCS is joining forces with ACE (Animal Content in Entertainment), to offer a feature documentary grant of $10,000 for projects in development that highlight animal issues.
Winner: THE CONCRETE JUNGLE by Rachel Buchanan and Don Bernier
CINEMATIC VISION AWARD
Presented by Discovery HD Theater is given to a feature and a short film that exhibit excellence and innovation in visual storytelling ($2,500 each).
Winner of Cinematic Vision Award for Feature: KURT COBAIN ABOUT A SON by AJ Schnack
Winner of Cinematic Vision Award for Short: MY EYES by Erlend Mo
BEYOND BELIEF AWARD
Awarded to a feature documentary that shows excellence in telling complex issues in faith and society.
Winner: AUDIENCE OF ONE by Michael Jacobs
SILVERDOCS/AMERICAN FILM MARKET AWARD will be presented to a film of exceptional promise in the marketplace. The award includes passes to the American Film Market (October 31 to November 7, 2007), airfare, five nights hotel and pre-arranged meetings with potential partners (a $5,000 value).
Winner: BIG RIG by Doug Pray
WITNESS AWARD in honor of Joey Lozano will be given to a theatrical documentary about human rights violations or social justice issues ($5,000).
Winner: THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg
Witness Award Honorable Mention: THE PRICE OF SUGAR by Bill Haney
2007 JURY MEMBERS
STERLING AWARD FEATURE JURY
 | Liesl Copland is head of acquisitions of Red Envelope Entertainment, the newly created original content division of Netflix. Previously, she worked with Cinetic Media specializing in project sales, ancillary markets and the development of alternative distribution models that offer independent film properties access to a wider audience. She has also worked as a producer and creative executive with companies including IFP Market and Tribeca Film Festival. |
 | Matt Dentler is the Producer of the South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival in Austin, TX, overseeing programming and coordination of the film festival and panels. He is also a curator for American Distributor Film Movement and the Canadian distributor Films We Like. |
 | Ross Kauffman is the 2004 Academy-Award winning director of BORN INTO BROTHELS, a feature documentary about the children of Calcutta’s prostitutes, which premiered at SILVERDOCS that year. Kauffman is currently working on PROJECT KASHMIR, which takes viewers into the war-zone of Kashmir. |
STERLING AWARD SHORT JURY
 | Yance Ford is Series Producer POV American Documentary, responsible for coordinating all aspects of the series submission process and annual editorial committee meeting. She represents POV at conferences, festival and markets and is a programming consultant for film festivals nationwide. |
 | Amir Labaki is a filmmaker, founder and director of the It's All True International Documentary Film Festival and one of the leading Brazilian film critics and curators. He is the author of 11 books on history and cinema, among them Solanas on Solanas, The Urgent Cinema of Santiago Alvarez, and The Films from Brazil. |
 | Liz Ogilvie is head of programming for Docurama Films, an independent digital distribution company dedicated exclusively to releasing cutting-edge, critically acclaimed documentary films into the home entertainment marketplace. Previously she managed programming at DocuClub and served as Managing Editor for Filmmaker magazine. |
MUSIC DOCUMENTARY JURY
 | Rosanna Arquette is an actress and filmmaker best known for her early film roles in DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN (1985), co-starring Madonna, and AFTER HOURS (1985) directed by Martin Scorsese. Other notable appearances include BABY, IT’S YOU (1983), PULP FICTION (1994) and CRASH (1996). She directed the documentaries SEARCHING FOR DEBRA WINGER (2002) and ALL WE ARE SAYING (2005) where musicians speak about the current state of the music business and balancing their art and personal lives.
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 | Joe Berlinger is the acclaimed filmmaker of BROTHER’S KEEPER, PARADISE LOST 1 & 2, and METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER (made in collaboration with Bruce Sinofsky). Berlinger also directed GRAY MATTER and serves as the co-executive producer of the Sundance Channel's ICONOCLASTS series, for which he directs numerous episodes. He has won two Emmys, a Peabody, an Independent Spirit Award, and accolades from the DGA, the Sundance Film Festival and others. |
