Accepting the award for The Interrupters: Subject Ameena Matthews takes the mic, with award presenter Michael Moore, director Steve James and author/producer Alex Kotlowitz behind her. The Interrupters won Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking and Direction, the night’s two top awards at the 5th Annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking.
On a rainy evening in Queens, New York, a group of documentary luminaries got together to celebrate the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors, a five-year-old awards show for nonfiction filmmaking. It was, indeed, a star-studded affair.
Walking in to the museum’s lobby last night, I was immediately blinded by the sheer docu-star power. Filling the lobby for the cocktail hour were such filmmaking icons as Albert Maysles, Frederick Wiseman, Michael Moore, Steve James, Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger, the latter two of the team behind the Paradise Lost trilogy.
Inside the Museum of the Movie Image for the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors
Shortly afterward, guests filed into the museum’s auditorium for the awards ceremony, the organization’s fifth. A.J. Schnack and Esther Robinson, Cinema Eye Honors co-chairs and the evening’s co-hosts, had a great chemistry. While Schnack’s goofy asides brought many laughs, it was Robinson who brought just the right amount of solemnity to the occasion.
The Interrupters filmmaker Steve James, who presented the Audience Choice prize to the Buck team and who also won for both Outstanding Achievement in Direction and Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking, exclaimed that tonight he didn’t care about the Oscars, referring to the absence of his film The Interrupters on the Oscar nominee shortlist. A look around the auditorium confirmed his feeling. A generation of amazing storytellers filled the seats including Alma Ha’rel (Bombay Beach), Marshall Curry (If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front), Asif Kapadia (Senna), Danfung Dennis (Hell and Back Again), Cindy Meehl (Buck) and many, many more. There is a strong sense of camaraderie among documentary filmmakers.
Other evening highlights included Frederick Wiseman accepting the Legend Award for his first film, Titicut Follies, as well as a touching acceptance speech by Tim Hetherington’s mother for her late son’s film, Diary which won Best Short. Another touching moment came when Jason Baldwin, one third of the West Memphis 3, brought his heroes, filmmakers Berlinger and Sinofsky up to the stage to accept a new “Hell, Yeah!” prize. Both Sinofsky and Berlinger were clearly moved.
Frederick Wiseman accepts the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors Legacy Award for his documentary Titicut Follies.
The full list of Cinema Eye Honors 2012 winners
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
The Interrupters
Directed by Steve James
Produced by Alex Kotlowitz and Steve James
Presented by Michael Moore
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Steve James
The Interrupters
Presented by Alex Gibney
Audience Choice Prize
Buck
Directed by Cindy Meehl
Presented by Robert Krulwich
Outstanding Achievement in Production
Gian-Piero Ringel and Wim Wenders
Pina
Presented by Peter Davis and Andrea Meditch
Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Gregers Sall and Chris King
Senna
Presented by Peter Davis and Andrea Meditch
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
Danfung Dennis
Hell and Back Again
Presented by Kirsten Johnson and Darius Marder
Spotlight Award
The Tiniest Place
Directed by Tatiana Huezo Sánchez
Presented by Kirsten Johnson and Darius Marder
Heterodox Award
Beginners
Directed by Mike Mills
Presented by Kimberly Reed and Alrick Brown
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking
Diary
Directed by Tim Hetherington
Presented by Nanette Burstein and Josh Fox
Outstanding Achievement in an Original Music Score
John Kusiak
Tabloid
Presented by Nanette Burstein and Josh Fox
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Animation
Rob Feng and Jeremy Landman
Tabloid
Presented by Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen
Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film
Clio Barnard
The Arbor
Presented by Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen
Hell Yeah Prize
Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
The Paradise Lost Trilogy
Presented by Jason Baldwin
Legacy Award
Titicut Follies
Directed by Frederick Wiseman
Presented by Steve James
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