EXCELLENCE AWARDS
2007 IFFS Excellence Award Honorees
International Category:
Piers Handling, Director & CEO,
Toronto International Film Festival Group
Git Sheynius, Festival Director,
Stockholm International Film Festival
Holden Payne, Director of Operations,
Seattle International Film Festival
Regional Category:
Andrew Rodgers, Executive Director,
RiverRun International Film Festival
Marc Lohmer, Executive Director,
Sonoma Valley Film Festival
Kelly Williams, Film Program Director,
Austin Film Festival
*2007 Nominations are currently closed. Nominations for 2008 will open in February.
The IFFS Excellence Awards , for the first time, will honor and pay tribute to the dedicated professionals and executives managing film festivals. Festivals continue to provide a vital intersection where the major stakeholders in the entertainment industry converge. For decades the tireless work of the film festival professional has made monumental impacts on the industry for individual filmmakers, buyers, sellers, and countless organizations involved in entertainment.
In 2007 an exemplary group of individuals will be nominated and honored by their peers and an esteemed panel of judges. The awards will be announced and presented at a ceremony taking place during this year's IFFS in December. Winners will receive special mention in Variety Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter.
There are two categories each containing three awards. The categories are for International and Regional film festivals, and the two awards presented in each category are the Director Award and Professional Award. A total of six awards will be presented in December.
Two Award Categories
International – To qualify for this category a significant number of festival participants must travel from different countries to attend the nominee's event. Additionally the festival must have over 50,000 attendees.
Regional – To qualify for this category a significant number of festival participants should attend from the local area, nearby counties, and/or states. Additionally the festival must have less than 50,000 attendees.
*Director Award
Presented to the film festival director who has made considerable contributions and a lasting impact on his or her film festival and independent film. Special emphasis for consideration will be placed on festival growth, new programs, organizational structure, and overall vision.
*Professional Award
Presented to the programmer/sponsorship manager, operations manager, or other festival professional that has excelled in his or her position making a significant contribution to the success of the film festival. Special emphasis will be placed on management of staff, execution of initiatives, and new initiatives from previous years.
Guidelines for Entry Submission
Nominations should be made in the online form below and must be completed in their entirety. The deadline for entries is October 30 th 2007. Entries submitted without all requirements satisfied may be deemed ineligible and may not be considered. All information submitted will be held as confidential and not released.
Judging Criteria
A panel of judges consisting of members from film festivals, producers, acquisition & distribution agents, and the media will judge each nomination based on organization, professional content, event history, clarity of message, and creativity and/or uniqueness.
Eligibility Requirements
The Excellence Awards are open to all film festivals and professionals throughout the world. Nominees must currently or have previously worked for a film festival within the past year. Individuals must be nominated by a peer, colleague, or industry affiliated professional working in the entertainment and film festival industry.
For additional questions please contact Chad Reott 330-294-0094.