Film Fest 919 Announces Awards

The third edition of Film Fest 919 in North Carolina, which was held in person rather than online, has announced a few prizes. Nomadland and Fatman tied for the Audience Favorite Award, with the former taking home the Distinguished Screenwriter Award for director, writer, and editor Chloé Zhao and the latter earning the Spotlight Award for writer-directors Ian and Eshom Nelms.

This marks the first accolade for Fatman, which stars Walton Goggins and Mel Gibson. Billed as an action-comedy in which, per IMDB, “Santa Claus must contend with a hitman sent from a disappointed child,” the film is set to be released by Saban Films on November 17^th.

Nomadland, on the other hand, has now earned yet another audience prize after picking up comparative awards at a number of festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival, and the Montclair Film Festival. It also made history at the Venice Film Festival as the first film directed by an East Asian woman to win the Golden Lion. Searchlight Pictures will release the acclaimed drama, which stars Frances McDormand and is expected to be a major Oscar player, on December 4^th. Here’s our review from NYFF.

Read our reviews of two Film Fest 919 selections, Herself and Uncle Frank, both of which will be released by Amazon Studios.