Aspen Filmfest Audience Award Winners Announced

ST. VINCENT with Bill Murray and Musicians' Friendship KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON Win Top Audience Honors at 35th Aspen Filmfest, Presented by Aspen Film 

  The 35th annual Aspen Filmfest concluded last night at Aspen's Wheeler Opera House with well-received Closing Night Feature and Documentary presentations, Jason Reitman's MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN (Paramount Pictures) and Jesse's Roesler's THE STARFISH THROWERS. The six-day event drew one of the most eclectic audiences in memory to a line-up of fall previews, critically acclaimed documentaries, award-winning festival favorites, and special on-stage events. Academy Award® winning filmmaker Daniel Junge received the inaugural Documentary Spotlight and presented two programs including a sneak peak of his new film BEYOND THE BRICK: A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY (Radius/TWC) set for release next year. Movie lovers steadily filled Aspen's Wheeler Opera House and Isis Theater, as well as Carbondale's Crystal Theatre, resulting in a 14% attendance increase over last year.

"Across the board, audiences responded strongly to this year's program with several filmgoers attending multiple screenings," said George Eldred, Co-Director of Aspen Film. "Post-show, the lobby dynamic was an audience enthusiastically engaged in all the films across the board. For many, it was their favorite line-up ever with ballot ratings consistently on the high side of high."

Co-Director Laura Thielen added, "Attending filmmakers were impressed by the warm reception to them and their work. We welcomed so many audience stalwarts and were delighted to see an infusion of younger filmgoers, thanks to the involvement of some of our community partners."

Filmfest audiences packed the house for Philippe Falardeau's warmly received Opening Night Feature THE GOOD LIE (Alcon Entertainment, Imagine Entertainment, Black Label Media, Warner Bros. Pictures), and Jason Reitman's provocative closer, MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN. Morten Tyldum's THE IMITATION GAME (The Weinstein Company), Geeta and Ravi Patels' MEET THE PATELS (4 in a Billion Pictures, ITVS, Independent Lens, Impact Partners), Israel Horovitz's MY OLD LADY (Cohen Media Group), and Theodore Melfi's ST. VINCENT (The Weinstein Company) also played to capacity houses. Audiences were treated to sneak previews of Damien Chazelle's exhilarating Sundance winner WHIPLASH (Sony Pictures Classics) and Gabe Polansky's absorbing documentary RED ARMY.

The 2014 Aspen Filmfest audience poll winners were rapturously received including a standing ovation for Tony Sullivan, one of the subjects of Thomas G. Miller's moving LIMITED PARTNERSHIP at Sunday's screening. 

Audience Favorite Feature  

ST. VINCENT  

Directed by Theodore Melfi

(USA, The Weinstein Company)

Audience Favorite Documentary 

KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON

Directed by Alan Hicks

(USA, Radius/TWC)

Audience Special Recognition - Feature

THE IMITATION GAME  

Directed by Morten Tyldum

(UK, The Weinstein Company)

Audience Special Recognition - Documentary 

LIMITED PARTERSHIP

Directed by Thomas G. Miller

(USA, Tesseract Films, Treehouse Moving Image, ITVS)

Aspen Filmfest is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor The Aspen Times, as well as the City of Aspen and the Embrey Family Foundation. Additional support comes from Aspen Public Radio, Aspen Peak Magazine, Theory, Ravenheart Gallery, Aspen Out, Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, ANB Bank, and Realtor Melissa Temple. Les Dames d'Aspen and the Towns of Basalt and Carbondale provide additional funding for Aspen Filmfest's education programs.   

Aspen Film's next events are the annual ACADEMY SCREENINGS (December 22 - January 2) and ASPEN SHORTSFEST (April 7 - 12, 2015).

......... 

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 ourselves through the diverse spectrum of ideas presented by filmmakers worldwide. To learn more, visit  www.aspenfilm.org.