Editor

The 11th annual edition of SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival NY in-person section closed on Monday, March 18, with an Awards Ceremony at the beautiful National Arts Club, hosted by the Club’s Moving Image Committee and Chair Nina Urban.

In the presence of over 140 attendees, including club members, filmmakers, jury members, and friends, the screening of the last block of short films Before the Oil, ByKids: Beekeeper, and SeaMonster was followed immediately by the Awards Ceremony where 20 awardees were announced and given trophies in the form of a silk scarf donated by Lost Pattern. 

The 11th Edition of SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival in-person section closed on March 18, at the National Arts Club in New York. The Festival opened at the Maysles Cinema on March 13, 14 at MRHS, 15-17 at Cinema Village. The festival covers a broad range of social issues. The official Selection including the short films line up can be found on the festival’s website under the 2024 Program, totaling 53 films this year. The main themes are 100 Years of Armenian Cinema, Black History, BIPOC films, Aging and Disability, Women, LGBTQI+, and more. The films stream online starting today, March 19 here.

The Festival’s YouTube Channel has the trailers of the selection and the live Meet the Filmmakers interviews. 

The SRFF 2024 selection film Maya directed by Julia Verdin garnered The Vanya Exerjian - Empowering Women and Girls Award, which is an award given by Founder Nora Armani in memory of her cousin who was the victim of a hate crime against a woman. The Narrative Feature Grand Prize Winner is Valley of Exile directed by Anna Fahr, and the Jury Special Award went to the two films I Am Gitmo by Philippe Diaz and From Life to Life by Beka Sikharulidze. The Best Documentary Feature presented a tie between ORA by Michel Garcia and Blockade by Hakob Melkonyan, and the Jury Special Award in the documentary feature category went to DEPOT: Reflecting Boijmans by Sonia Herman Dolz. Awards were given in the Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Best Actor, and Best Actress categories, the Women Film Critics Circle Award, The IndiePix Unlimited Vision Award, as well as the Best Screenplay categories. The full list of awards will be published on the website and may be found here. 

"We’re proud to have had the opportunity to present over 700 socially relevant films from 40 countries over the past 11 years. This year’s selection comprised 53 amazing social issue-oriented films from all over the world. Congratulations are due to all the winners and a hearty applause to all participants." Festival Founding Artistic Director Nora Armani.

SRFF was founded by Actress/ Filmmaker Nora Armani in 2013 as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment. Following a family tragedy that cost the lives of two of her dearest and nearest, namely her cousin Vania, and uncle Jack Exerjian, Armani founded the festival to commemorate them in a meaningful way. SRFF believes in the power of the film medium in raising awareness of social issues and promoting positive social change. This new edition deals with topics such as Climate Change, Family and Adoption, LGBTQ Rights, Home and Health, Disability, Incarceration and Freedom, New York City, Racism, and BIPOC cultures.

The Mission of the SR Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant, human-interest stories across a broad range of social issues without resorting to violence and violent forms of storytelling.

The 2024 Jury members

THE VANIA EXERJIAN AWARD

Founder's Award given to a film or person/s for Empowering Women & Girls

NARRATIVE FEATURES

Valerio Caruso
Laura Lindenfeld
Kim Jackson
Siraj Syed (Fipresci member, Filmfestivals.com India senior correspondent)
Bill Black

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Bruno Chatelin (filmfestivals.com founder/editor)
Christina Kieky
Michelle Brothers
Claude Fischer Herzog
Beth Portello

NARRATIVE SHORTS

Karin Lee
Jaime Andrews
Jillie Simon

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Jane Wells
Richard Chisolm
Karen Kramer

SCRIPTWRITING

Tatevik Ayvazian
Jacqueline Quigley
Philip Cioffari

THE INDIEPIX VISION AWARD

Erica Peek

The WFCC - Women Film Critics Circle Award 

Mimi Torchin & Liron Cohen
N. Nikand
Monica Gleberman
Simonie Justine Wilson
Andrea KMR
Josie Melendez

BETH PORTELLO
BRUNO CHATELIN 
CHRISTINA KIELY
CLAUDE FISHER-HERZOG
JACQUE QUIGLY
JAIME ANDREWS
JANE WELLS
JILLIE SIMON
KAREN KRAMER
KARIN LEE
KIM JACKSON
LAURA LINDENFELD
MICHELE BROTHERS
RICHARD CHISOLM

PHILIP CIOFFARI
SIRAJ SYED 
TATEVIK AYVAZYAN
WOMEN FILM CRITIC