Silver Spring, Maryland, June 27, 2010-AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong festival activities that included the screening of 102 films representing 54 countries, a free outdoor screening, live performances, and a five-day concurrent International Documentary Conference.  The Festival is on target to host over 25,000 attendees, including more than 1,000 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals exploring the documentary in action, with a particular emphasis on youth, education and next generation media artists. The Audience Award winners will be announced on Monday, June 28, 2010.

This year's Sterling Award for Best US Feature goes to WO AI NI MOMMY (I LOVE YOU, MOMMY) directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal, which documents eight-year-old Chinese Fang Sui Yong and her adoption by a Jewish couple from Long Island who name her "Faith." The film follows Faith and her parents' twist-and-turn journey over a year and a half. The director will receive $5,000 cash.

 

The Sterling US Feature Jury noted:  "The film dives so deeply into its story that the filmmaker's hands disappear. She creates a profound connection between her characters and the story she's telling. Above all, she dares to leave us with questions to which there are no easy answers."

AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival today announced the competition films for the 2010 Festival, taking place June 21-27, 2010 in the Washington, D.C. area.

Films will screen in five sections: Sterling US Feature Competition, Sterling World Feature Competition, Sterling Short Film Competition, and the to-be-announced Silver Spectrum and Spotlight Programs.

by John Hopewell and Elsa Keslassey

First-time helmer Janus Metz' documentary "Armadillo," about two Danish soldiers in Afghanistan, won the Critics' Week Grand Prix at Cannes on Thursday.

Cannes -- May 19, 2010 -- The Wagner/Cuban Companies' Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired US rights to Oscar-winner Alex Gibney’s untitled Eliot Spitzer documentary produced by A&E IndieFilms and Wider Film Projects. A powerful and probing look at the former Governor of New York, the film follows Eliot Spitzer’s career from his days as an attorney general committed to battling Wall Street corruption, to his ignominious fall. The film features revelatory interviews with Spitzer, Wall Street powerbrokers, old enemies from New York's capitol and escorts from the infamous Emperor’s Club, painting a rich and compelling portrait of corruption, hubris and temptation that plays like a high-stakes political thriller. A work-in-progress version was recently unveiled at the Tribeca Film Festival to much fanfare and critical acclaim.