‘Young Hearts’ Nabs Audience Award at 37th Out On Film Festival

First love prevailed at this year’s Out On Film festival which celebrated it thirty-seventh year this Octobert. Anthony Schatteman’s Young Love nabbed two awards in the feature side of the festival and Buscando Alma was awared the top prize on the shorts side. Melissa Fisher’s film now qualifies for next year’s Live Action Short Film Oscars.

Check out the full press release and list of winners below!

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Atlanta, GA (October 20, 2024) – Out on Film presented by GILEAD has announced the filmmaker awards for the recently concluded 37^th edition of the Atlanta-based LGBTQIA+ film festival. Anthony Schatteman’s “Young Hearts,” about 14-year-old boy Elias who falls in love with his new neighbor boy Alexander of the same age, was a two-time winner, taking both the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature and the award for First Feature.

Taking the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was “Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps,” a film of transgender icon Scott Turner Schofield’s long-running performance art piece embodying the experience of becoming a man, taken from 127 total stories and over 15 years of material.  Directed by Andrea James and Puppett, “Becoming a Man” had its early roots in Atlanta.

“This was an extraordinary year for programming,” says Jim Farmer, festival director of Out On Film. “We had award-winning films from around the world and from our own backyards and our jurors and audiences had their work cut out for them in choosing favorites.”

Juan Pablo Di Pace and Andrés Pepe Estrada won the Jury Award for Best Director for their film “Duino,” about an Argentinian filmmaker struggling to finish a movie about his unrequited first love who receives an unexpected invitation to reconstruct his memories.

The Jury Award for Best Documentary went to Ashley Francis Roy’s “Striking With Pride: United at the Coalface,” about the unlikely alliance that grew between the gay men and lesbians of London and the striking miners of South Wales between London Pride 1984 and 1985, while Claudia Sanchez’s “TransMexico,” about the difficulties transwomen face in Latin America, took home the Audience Award for Best Documentary.

A special jury award went to the performers playing Eva & Violeta in Alessandra Lacorazza’s “In the Summers” – Luciana Elisa Quinonez & Allison Salinas, Sasha Calle & Dreya Castillo, Kimaya Thais & Lio Mehiel.

Matt Nadel took home the Jury and Audience Award for Best Documentary Short for “Cashing Out,” which charts the rise and fall of the billion-dollar industry that grew as many gay men – unable to work and with few months to live during the AIDS crisis — sold their life insurance policies to investors for quick cash.

Melissa Fisher’s “Buscando Alma” won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short. Because Out On Film is an Oscar® qualifying film festival, “Buscando Alma” will now be eligible for consideration for next year’s Live Action Short Academy Awards ®.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Short went to “Die Bully Die,” directed by Nathan and Nick Lacey.

This year’s Out On Film jury included Zuri Obi, Marquise Mays, B Ryan Glick,  Shakira Refos, Angelo Acerbi, Jack Feria and Ofir Raul Graizer. 

The 2024 Out on Film Award Winners:

Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature

“Young Hearts,” directed by Anthony Schatteman 

Best Documentary

“Striking With Pride: United at the Coalface,” directed by Ashley Francis Roy

Best Documentary Runner-up

“A House is Not a Disco,” directed by Brian J. Smith 

Best First Film

“Young Hearts,” directed by Anthony Schatteman 

Best Director:

“Duino,” directed by Juan Pablo Di Pace and  Andrés Pepe Estrada 

Special Jury Award for Performance:

The performers playing Eva & Violeta in Alessandra Lacorazza’s “In the Summers” – Luciana Elisa Quinonez & Allison Salinas, Sasha Calle & Dreya Castillo, Kimaya Thais & Lio Mehiel 

Best Narrative Short Film

“Buscando Alma,” directed by Melissa Fisher

Best Narrative Short Film Runner-up

“Leading Man” directed by Amanda Michaels and Whitney Houser 

Best Documentary Short Film

“Cashing Out,” directed by Matt Nadel

Best Documentary Short Film Runner-up

“Is Gay Marriage Next?,” directed by Emily Clark

 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature

“Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps,” directed by Andrea James and Puppett

Best Narrative Feature Runner-up

“Young Hearts,” directed by Anthony Schatteman

Best Documentary

“TransMexico,” directed by Claudia Sanchez

Best Documentary Feature Runner-up: “Light Up,” directed by Ryan Ashley Lowery

Best Documentary Short Film

“Cashing Out,” directed by Matt Nadel

Best Documentary Short Film Runner-up

“Is Gay Marriage Next?,” directed by Emily Clark

Best Narrative Short

“Die Bully Die,” directed by Nathan and Nick Lacey

Runner-up: “DL Guy” directed by Chad Zemel 

ABOUT OUT ON FILM 

Since its official inception in 1987, Out On Film has grown to become one of the major LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the country. Now an Oscar® qualifying film festival, a BAFTA qualifying film festival and USA Today’s 2023 Reader’s Choice pick as the top film festival in North America, Out On Film hosts an 11-day film festival in September as well as programming throughout the year.  Sponsors for the event include GILEAD, WABE, The Georgia Voice, the National Endowment for the Arts, Georgia Council for the Arts, the Fulton County Arts Council,  Edge Media Network, Georgia Film Office, Craig Hardesty, Atlanta Pride, Out Front Theatre Company,  MEAK Productions, Cornerstone Financial, Jim Anderson, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Eldredge ATL, Bill Kaelin Marketing, AARP, MAAP, Warren Gump, Howard Yorek, Ultimate Software, Canadian Consulate General Atlanta,  and the German Consulate General Atlanta

For information on Out on Film, please go to: outonfilm.org.