Home / Arts and Entertainment / Middleburg Film Fest Crowns Two Women Directors as Audience Award Winners
Middleburg Film Fest Crowns Two Women Directors as Audience Award Winners
20 Oct
Summary
- Two films directed by women won the audience award at Middleburg Film Festival
- "Hamnet" by Chloé Zhao and "Rental Family" by Hikari were the top audience picks
- Festival has a history of honoring films that go on to receive Oscar nominations
The Middleburg Film Festival, which marked its 13th edition this past weekend, has once again highlighted the work of women directors. For the second consecutive year, two films from female filmmakers have shared the festival's top audience award.
Chloé Zhao's emotional drama "Hamnet" and Hikari's moving crowd-pleaser "Rental Family" were the co-winners of the audience award at the Virginia-based festival. This continues Middleburg's reputation as a bellwether for awards season, as past audience award recipients have gone on to receive at least one Academy Award nomination.
In addition to the audience award, the festival presented several other honors. Casting director Nina Gold was recognized for her work on "Hamnet" and other films, while actors Colin Farrell and Rose Byrne received acting awards. Filmmaker Jon M. Chu and his collaborators were also celebrated for their creative partnership.
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The festival's founder, Sheila Johnson, expressed her appreciation for the filmmakers and audiences who made this year's event "one of our most inspiring yet." With a lineup of 48 titles spanning awards contenders, documentaries, and international features, the Middleburg Film Festival continues to showcase diverse voices and stories that resonate with audiences.
