The Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to celebrate the American Independent film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences. The festival is committed to exhibiting films that express fresh voices and differing global perspectives, with the hope that these programs will enlighten audiences, provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers and present inspired entertainment for all.

The heart of the Hamptons International Film Festival has always been its Golden Starfish Award and the films in the competitions for Best Narrative Feature (over $150,000 in goods and in-kind services), Best Documentary Award ($10,000 in cash and in-kind services) and Short Film Award ($5,000 in cash). The Hamptons International Film Festival also awards the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Prize in Science and Technology ($25,000 in cash); the Kodak Award for Cinematography ($6,000 in goods and in-kind services); the Brizzolara Family Award for Films of Conflict and Resolution ($5,000 in cash); the Zicherman Family Foundation Award for Screenwriting ($5,000 in cash); Best Undergraduate and Graduate Student Films (eight $1,000 cash awards); and new this year, the Artemis Records Original Movie Score Award ($5,000 of goods and in-kind services). The Festival also presents Audience Awards in Best Narrative Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature Film and Best Short Film, announced at the closing ceremonies on Sunday.

On hand to present the awards were the Fest’s Executive Director Denise Kasell, Board Chairman Stuart Match Suna, Programmer Rajendra Roy, and Emcee Bob Balaban.

The Golden Starfish Narrative Feature Category was introduced by Rising Star Florian Lukas (One Day in Europe).

The Golden Starfish Award for Best Narrative Feature, presented by Rising Star Eugene Byrd (CONFESS) and Emily Blunt (GIDEON’S DAUGHTER), and carrying an awards package of over $150,000 of in-kind production services was awarded to Byambasuren Davaa’s THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG. THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG (Mongolia/Germany, US Premiere) was exquisitely filmed on the Mongolian steppes by Oscar-nominated director Byambasuren Davaa (THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL) who artfully incorporates the real day-to-day existence of the Batchuluuns—an actual Mongolian family, not actors—into the warm-hearted story of Nansal, the young daughter who finds a puppy sheltered in a cave.

Artemis Records Original Movie Score Award with a prize of $5,000 of in kind goods and services was presented by Artemis Records’ Daniel Glass toDagvan Ganpurev’s score for THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG.

The Kodak Award For Best Cinematography, presented by Mary Manard Reed of Kodak, and worth $6,000 in kind services and product was presented to Daniel Schoenauer’s cinematography for THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG.

The Zicherman Family Foundation Award For Best Screenwriter, presented by Rising Star Elizabeth Reaser (Sweet Land), and carrying a $5000 cash prize was awarded to Director/Screenwriter Stefan C. Schaefer for his film CONFESS (USA, World Premiere), in which a dreadlocked hacker with an axe to grind, Terell Lessor (Eugene Byrd) returns to New York to enact his revenge.

Jurors for the Golden Starfish Narrative Competition include: Actor David Moscow, Playwright/Screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz and Wieland Speck, Director, Panorama Section, Berlinale.

Golden Starfish Documentary Feature Film Award, presented by Rising Star Jake Muxworthy (PIGGY BANKS), and carrying a cash prize of $5,000 and $5,000 in-kind goods and services was awarded to David Zeiger’s SIR! NO SIR! (USA, New York Premiere), a penetrating look back at an oft forgotten chapter in the Vietnam chronicle in which military men and women on the frontlines of dissent come forward to recall their participation in the anti-war movement.

Jurors for the Golden Starfish Documentary Competition include: Alex Halpern, Founder & CEO, Post Factory NY; Actor/Playwright David Marshall Grant, Producer/Director Peggy Rajski.

The Golden Starfish Short Film Award with a prize of $5,000 cash was presented by Rising Star Kip Pardue to Director/Producer/Cinematographer Daniel Vernon’s FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (UK, North American Premiere), a beautifully filmed documentary set in the desolate Mojave Desert, where the Fountain Of Youth retirement home exists - a deteriorating place where the elderly wait patiently for time to pass by.

For the 6th consecutive year, the $25,000 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Prize in Science and Technology for a feature-length film that explores science and technology themes in fresh, innovative ways and depicts scientists and engineers in a realistic and compelling fashion will be presented at the Hamptons International Film Festival. This year's recipient of the Sloan Feature Film Prize is KARDIA, a Canadian film written and directed by Su Rynard, produced by Paul Barkin. The Award carries a $25,000 cash prize and was introduced by Hamptons Executive Director Denise Kasell and presented by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Doron Weber.

2005 marks the seventh annual Films of Conflict & Resolution program, consisting of films that are unique in their multi-faceted portrayals of conflict around the world. The Brizzolara Family Award for Films of Conflict and Resolution, presented by Kim Brizzolara and Debra Winger carries a $5,000 cash prize and was awarded to AT THE GREEN LINE (USA/Israel, US Premiere) a soul-searching documentary, by Jesse Atlas, about the Israeli occupation of lands seized after the 1967 war.

Members of the C&R Jury include, acclaimed actress Debra Winger, Israeli distributor Ruth Diskin, and studio executive David Dinerstein.

The Career Achievement in Acting Award to Miranda Richardson. The award was presented to Ms. Richardson by Hamptons Programmer Rajendra Roy. Alec Baldwin also received the Career Achievement in Acting Award at a presentation earlier in the festival. Both Baldwin and Richardson attended the Festival to serve as acting mentors for the Rising Stars Program. Conceived as a means of celebrating the key role actors play in the making of independent films, Rising Stars program has grown into a dynamic, enriched program. It feeds on the tremendous, expanding energy of the Hamptons festival both domestically and internationally to provide a platform for extraordinary acting talent.

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Film/Video Awards, presented by program coordinator Jeremiah Newton and sponsor Dana Fuchs from Ray Ban, is a juried competition where eight young filmmakers receive $1,000 cash. This year’s winner’s include: THE DEBT Director Levan Koguashvili, New York University; 5G Director: Alessandro Tanaka, Columbia University; BREACHED Director: Laura Richard, New York University; CHICLE Director: Josh Hyde, Ohio University; TADPOLES Director: Miguel Alvarez, University of Texas in Austin; MISSING Director: Jeremiah Friedman, Wesleyan University; NASSER Director: Adam Yeremian, New York University; OUTSIDE A DREAM Director: Warren Jenson, University of Southern California; THE FAITH OF JOEY RAIL Director: Matt Robertson, University of Texas in Austin; LIMINALITY Director: Jessica Manafort, New York University.

The Golden Starfish Award for Best Young Videomaker, presented by Youth Media Program Director Maria Marewski and Barbara Belotte, and carries a cash prize of $500, was awarded to Kelvin Redvers for the film SHEEP.

The Panasonic 48 Hour Film Competition pits four award winning alumni filmmakers in a unique challenge: write, shoot, edit, and present a short film at the festival in just 48 hours! The inaugural participants are: Ryan Eslinger (Sloan Award Winner '03 for MADNESS AND GENIUS); Savannah Haske(Rising Star '03 for PIGGY); Greg Pak (Golden Starfish Winner '02 for ROBOT STORIES); Marty Sader (Golden Starfish Winner '04 for MOST HIGH). Presenting a Panasonic Camera package to the winner of the competition was Panasonic’s Jan Littleton. The Panasonic 48 Hour Film Award was presented to Savannah Haske.
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The 2005 Hamptons Film Festival’s Audience Award were presented by Fest’s Executive Director Denise Kasell, Board Chairman Stuart Match Sunaand Programmer Rajendra Roy at the Closing Night event at Bamboo on Sunday, October 23, 2005.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was a tie between Marc Rothemund’s SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE LAST DAYS (Germany, East Coast Premiere); and Writer/Director Ali Selim’s SWEET LAND (USA, World Premiere).

The Audience Award for Best Documentary was presented to filmmaker’s Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s BALLETS RUSSES (USA, East Coast Premiere).

The Audience Award for Best Short Film was presented to Director Eric Smith’s IRENE WILLIAMS: QUEEN OF LINCOLN ROAD (USA).

The Audience Award for Best Long Island Film was presented to Director Kevin Jordan’s BROOKLYN LOBSTER (USA).

The Audience Award for Children’s Feature Film was presented to Director Polly Draper’s THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND (USA, World Premiere).

Presenting Sponsors:
American Airlines and Altour International
Host Sponsors:
Panasonic, Time Warner Cable Media Sales
Patron Sponsors: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, FHM Magazine, Kinray, New Line Cinema, Nick Movies, Plum TV, Post Factory, NY State Department of Health; Regal Entertainment Group; Silvercup Studios

The 13th Hamptons International Film Festival ran from Wednesday, October 19 through Sunday, October 23, 2005. Over 180 Narrative Features, Documentaries and Shorts were presented. Special Events included the “Industry Toast” to Picturehouse President Bob Berney, a Tribute to Spalding Gray, Acting Achievement Awards to Miranda Richardson and Alec Baldwin, ‘A Conversation With…’ Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, the Rising Stars Program and panel moderated by Alan Cumming, the sneak preview of WALK THE LINE with Joaquin Phoenix in attendance, and the successful Southampton expansion among many panels, programs and parties.

A few of the guests who joined in the festivities included Danny Aiello, Kevin Bacon, Jon Robin Baitz, Bob Balaban, Alec Baldwin, Ned Beatty,Bob Berney, Dyan Cannon, Alan Cumming,
Hope Davis, David Dinerstein, David Marshall Grant, Ted Hope, Arliss Howard, Eugene Jarecki, Cherry Jones, Erica Leerhsen, Marc Levin, Claude LeLouch, David Moscow, Bill Nighy, Liza Minnelli, Sarah Paulson, Miranda Richardson, Roy Scheider, Kyra Sedgwick, John Sloss,Charlize Theron, Christine Vachon, Debra Winger