Room, Romeo Is Bleeding Named 37th Aspen Filmfest Audience Award Winners

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Category: Entertainment News

Published on Thursday, 01 October 2015 18:03

Aspen Film announced today it's balloted Audience Award winners, one in each narrative and documentary categories, for the 37th Aspen Filmfest, which ran Sept. 25-30 at Paepcke Auditorium and the Isis Theater in Aspen and the Crystal Theatre in Carbondale.

Oscar Favorite Room, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, was chosen to receive the Audience Award for Best Feature Film and Romeo Is Bleeding directed by Jason Zeldes, was chosen to receive the Audience Award for Best Documentary Film. 

"This year, we are honored to present the awards on behalf of our audience to two films that while difficult in subject matter, find the real beauty of humanity - even under the most harrowing of circumstances," said Aspen Film Artistic Director Maggie Mackay. 

Timed to the spectacular fall color in the Rocky Mountains, Aspen Film presented a six-day showcase of independent and big-screen cinema featuring 23 features and documentaries from around the world - punctuated by filmmaker guests, in-depth discussions and education programming for Aspen High School, Carbondale Middle School, Carbondale Community School, Glenwood High School and Rifle High School. 

ABOUT THE WINNING FILMS:

Room (dir. Lenny Abrahamson, Ireland/Canada, 2015)

Both highly suspenseful and deeply emotional, Room starring ever-talented indie darling Brie Larson, is an unexpectedly tender exploration of the boundless love between a mother and child under the most harrowing of circumstances. 

Romeo Is Bleeding (dir. Jason Zeldes, USA, 2015)

Donté Clark is on a mission to combat his hometown's gang violence with poetry. As Clark and his high-school students delve into an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, real-life and fictional tragedies begin to overlap. This portrait of a young man struggling to give voice as well as hope to a hurting community is as inspiring as it is absorbing

Aspen Film will continue its fall celebration of film with "The Showcase" screening of The End of the Tour in partnership with Metropolitan Theatres. 

Directed by James Ponsoldt, written by Donald Margulies and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel, Anna Chlumsky, Joan Cusack, Mamie Gummer, Ron Livingston, and Mickey Sumner, The End of the Tour tells the story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter and novelist David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's groundbreaking epic novel, "Infinite Jest."  

Wednesday, October 7, 7:30pm at the Isis Theater (406 E. Hopkins Ave.); Tickets: $10.50 (GA); $8.50 (Aspen Film REEL PEOPLE members)

Aspen Filmfest was presented by The Aspen Times and generously supported by grants from the City of Aspen, Embrey Family Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries, Les Dames d'Aspen, Thrift Shop of Aspen and AspenOUT. Aspen Filmfest is sponsored by The Aspen Club & Spa, The Gant, Aspen Public Radio,Aspen Sojourner, Alpine Bank, Meat & Cheese Restaurant and Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media.

For full Aspen Filmfest program, more information and to join Aspen Film, please visit www.aspenfilm.org. For updates, like Aspen Film on Facebook follow @AspenFilm on Twitter and Instagram and join the conversation by using #Filmfest15 and #AspenFilm. 

ABOUT ASPEN FILM: Established in 1979, Aspen Film is one of Colorado's most active film arts organizations, presenting dynamic programs and featured guest artists throughout the year. Internationally recognized, Aspen Film organizes a major film event in every season, along with an extensive education program: Aspen Filmfest, Academy Screenings, Aspen Shortsfest and Film Educates. With a mission to enlighten, enrich, educate and entertain through film, Aspen Film stimulates thought, encourages dialogue and broadens understanding of our world and selves through the diverse spectrum of ideas presented by filmmakers worldwide. To learn more, visit www.aspenfilm.org and socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.