by Cristina Cacioppo, Director of Programming
photos by Edwina Hay

With another great festival transpiring, the whole Nitehawk team are sharing stories about the filmmakers and attendees that we encountered over the past week. We’re always pleased to hear such warm feedback about the programs and conversations, something we look forward to as we plot out the festival, from the moment we start watching submissions to when the doors to the theater open.

This year we had sixty films, 60% of which were directed by women and non-binary people. Throughout the seven programs presented there were NYC set films, animation, documentary and narrative, and some that traversed several genres.

For the second year in a row we commissioned a festival bumper, this time from NSF alum Kelly Schiesswohl, whose innovative animation piece TRICHOTILLOMANIA! blew us away in 2022.

This year our main jury includes Lio Mehiel (Mutt), Katja Blichfeld (High Maintenance) and Kia Brooks (The Gotham Film & Media Institute), who selected the boldly playful short Dilating for Maximum Results by Nyala Moon. Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio) selected our Music Driven winner, the hilarious boy band send-up Fanatic by Taran Killam, and Clyde Folley (editor/programmer, The Criterion Channel) served as our Midnite program judge, landing on the also-Audience Winner Krush the Wrestler by Alex Megaro. Full list of prizes and winners included below.

 

As always, we’re grateful for the whole Nitehawk team for all of their efforts in bringing the festival to life – our bar team who come up with thematic cocktails for the parties, our server and runner staff who take care of the audience, our projectionists and content manager who juggle many formats; to our sponsors MUBI and Heard City for support as well as all of the prize sponsors.

Prize Winners
Jury Prize
Dilating For Maximum Results / Nyala Moon

MUSIC DRIVEN Winner
FANATIC / Taran Killam

MIDNITE Winner
Krush the Wrestler / Alex Megaro

New Filmmaker Award
Terminally Ill / Chris Cole

Future of Films is Female Prize
Eli, Briefly / Celine Sutter

Audience Award: Opening Nite
Terminally Ill / Chris Cole

Audience Award: Music Driven
Peace Mantra / Vango Jones

Audience Award: Midnite
Krush the Wrestler / Alex Megaro

Audience Award: Matinee One
Confessions / Stephanie Kaznocha

Audience Award: Matinee Two
Flutz / Ryan McCown

Audience Award: NoBudge
Call Me Mommy / Haley Alea Erickson & Taylor Washington

Audience Award: Closing Nite
Goldilocks / Meryl Jones