MOVIES

Freep Film Festival awards 'Best of Fest' and more

Detroit Free Press

Films about Nikki Giovanni, Detroit housing justice and more take home top awards from Freep Film Festival

The Freep Film Festival has announced the award winners from its 2023 festival. The 10th annual festival concluded on April 30 following five days of in-person screenings, at-home-streaming film availability, educational events and more. 

All award selections were made by the festival's programming team.

Best of Festival Award: ‘Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,' directed by Michéle Stephenson and Joe Brewster.

Through intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry, “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” pushes the boundaries of biographical documentary film by travelling through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators. This is the top honor for a feature-length documentary in the fest.

‘Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project’ is a look at the life of poet Nikki Giovanni and the revolutionary historical periods through which she lived, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter.

"This film captured this top spot because it was a revolutionary approach to a traditional biopic," Kathy Kieliszewski, Freep Film Festival's artistic director said. "The filmmakers created an otherworldly, cinematic experience that truly embodied Giovanni's spirit."

Spirit of Michigan Award: ‘Cave of Adullam' directed by Laura Checkoway

This award chosen by the festival jury honors the movie that best exemplifies the state of Michigan's spirit of ingenuity and creativity — both in filmmaking quality and topic.

Cave of Adullam leader Jason Wilson stands with Laura Checkoway, the director of “The Cave of Adullam,” before the showing of her documentary about Wilson during the Michigan premiere at the Michigan Science Center Toyota Engineering theater in Detroit on Saturday, April 29, 2023.

Directed by Michigan native Laura Checkoway, "The Cave of Adullam" focuses on a transformational Training Academy in the heart of Detroit, where Black boys who are emotionally, mentally and spiritually in debt gather to be trained and transformed into comprehensive men. 

Best of Festival Shorts Award: 'Daron, Daron Colbert' directed by Kevin Steen

"Daron, Daron Colbert" earned the honor of the festival's top short documentary. 

The film explores navigating a hardscrabble existence in the oft-neglected southwest Detroit neighborhood of Delray, where aspiring actor Daron Colbert unspools stories of his past through audition tapes. 

"This short was notable for its sophisticated use of several filming techniques to tell its story, and also the sympathetic way it captured the unexpected beauty of Detroit neighborhood Delray," Steve Byrne, Freep Film Festival cofounder and 2023 shorts programmer, said. "But it cinched this award with the nuanced portrait it paints of aspiring actor Daron Colbert. Unforgettable."

Hometown Talent Award: Juanita Anderson, ‘Sydney G. James: How We See Us'

(L to R) Director of "Sydney G. James: How We See Us" Juanita Anderson with the subject of her documentary Sydney G.James before the showing of their film in the Shorts Program #1: Creative Types at the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on Saturday, April 29, 2023.

This award goes to the best Michigan-based director of a festival documentary. Juanita Anderson is a veteran producer, documentary filmmaker and still photographer who was born and raised in Detroit. She is the area head of media arts & studies at Wayne State University and her short film about local artist and muralist Sydney G. James was produced for the Firelight Media/American Masters short film series.

Shine a Light Award, Feature: ‘Locked Out’ directed by Luchina Fisher and Kate Davis

Set in Detroit, “Locked Out” takes us into the lives of courageous Black women who face evictions, predatory lenders and traditional banking, as they become ground fighters in a movement to battle modern-day redlining and housing injustice. 

Set in Detroit, "Locked Out" takes us into the lives of courageous, Black women who face evictions, predatory lenders and the inequities of traditional banking, as they build a movement to fight housing injustice.

Shine a Light Award, Short: ‘Detroit Will Breathe’ directed by Kate Levy

"Detroit Will Breathe" was produced in connection with the social justice group Detroit Will Breathe and their lawsuit against the city of Detroit, the film captures George Floyd-inspired protests of summer 2020, weaving together footage from police body cameras, protesters and bystanders, as well as slow-moving portraits of key protesters. The film provides an unprecedented look into the tactics of the Detroit Police, reveals shocking conversations between police officers, and offers a poignant look into what it means to be part of an integrated movement fighting for Black lives. 

Tristan Taylor from the group Detroit Will Breathe is featured in the new documentary about the actions of police in 2020 during protests against the murder of George Floyd.

The two Shine a Light Awards honor the feature length and short documentaries that best uses journalistic techniques to bring unknown information to light or that celebrates journalistic excellence.

Best of Real Fresh: The Art of Adaptation’ directed by Kieran Michael from the University of Michigan

This awards goes to the best documentary short from the Real Fresh University Showcase. The Real Fresh program spotlights some of the best documentary work being done by students at area colleges and universities. Participating schools include Calvin University, Michigan State University, Oakland University, University of Michigan, University of Windsor and Wayne State University.

‘The Art of Adaptation’ is a short documentary about a previously anti-sports person with cerebral palsy who confronts his body image issues when he challenges himself to participate in wheelchair basketball and tennis. The film was directed by Kieran Michael, a University of Michigan student.

"Director Kieran Michael points the camera at himself — unflinchingly — while sharing his struggles with cerebral palsy. But the heart of this story is the unexpected revelations this self-described "anti-sports" University of Michigan student finds through participating in wheelchair basketball and tennis," Byrne said. "We also loved the way the film used archival footage to provide emphasis and context to its points about body image. "