2024 Award Winners

Salem Film Fest 2024 screened a total of 40 documentary films, including 23 features and 14 shorts. Among those 40 films, this year the festival honors six filmmakers with awards which represent the appreciation of our audience and jury, and recognition of achievement in different disciplines in filmmaking. 

In a unique tradition of the fest, winners in each category will be awarded original handmade trophies created by artists based in Salem. These awards not only honor the filmmakers' achievements but also celebrate the collaboration between the film festival and the local art community. As we explore the nominated films and the visionaries behind them, we aim to spotlight the talent and creativity that mark the highlights of this year's Salem Film Fest.

Special Jury Award:

QUEENDOM — WINNER
Directed by Agniia Galdanova, Produced by Igor Myakotin

Jurors include:

  • Clemence Taillandier (Distribution consultant)

  • Erin Trahan (Arts journalist)

  • Chek Wingo (Filmmaker)

  • Shaun Clarke (Arts educator)

Award by Scott Lanes

Award by Arlene Brown

Cultrera Cuts Editing Award:

BYE BYE TIBERIAS — WINNER
Directed by Lina Soualem
Edited by Gladys Joujou

Jurors include:

  • Sally Wu (Film editor)

  • Susanne Rostock (Film editor)

  • Flavia de Souza (Film editor)

  • Khary Jones (Film editor)

Award by Melynn Nuite

Audience Award:

LUCHA: A WRESTLING TALE — WINNER
Directed by Marco Ricci


The Audience Award is determined by audience votes.

Award by Jack Walsh

Michael Sullivan Award for Journalism:

CITIZEN SLEUTH — WINNER
Directed by Chris Kasick

Jurors include:

  • Peter Keough (Film critic and journalist)

  • Joe Cultrera (Co-Founder, Salem Film Fest)

  • Delores Edwards (Executive Producer, Basic Black (GBH))

  • James Sullivan (Program Director, Newburyport Documentary Film Festival)

Award by Jack Walsh

American Cinematographer Magazine Award

THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES — WINNER
Directed by Asmae El Moudir
Cinematography by Hatem Nechi

Presented by Stephen Pizzello, Editor-in-Chief, American Cinematographer Magazine
A Special Mention for the American Cinematographer Magazine Award for Cinematography was presented to OUT THERE: A NATIONAL PARKS STORY, Directed by Brendan Hall.

Award by Deb Linehan

Best Short Award:

A HOME ON EVERY FLOOR — WINNER
Directed by Signe Rosenlund-Hauglid

Jurors:

  • John Gianvito (Educator, curator, filmmaker)

  • Sara Jordano (Filmmaker)

  • Katherine Irving (Programmer)

  • Katelyn Rebelo (Winner, Best Short Award, Salem Film Fest 2023)

Award by Elise Mankes

Mass Reality Check Winners:

1st - Warman, Directed by Pete Sethanant, Suffolk University
2nd - The Weight of Numbers, Madalyn Carr, Bridgewater State University
3rd - The Spontaneous Activity of Children, Directed by Katherine Fitzgerald, Emerson College

Award by Peter Grimshaw

Keeping It Reel Winners:

1st - Most Valuable Heist of All Time, Directed by Ryan Williams and Jonathan Bertone, Westwood High School
2nd - Dahlia and Her Plants, Directed by Adia Smith, Buckingham Browne and Nichols
3rd - Detained., Directed by Joe Grimaldi and Cam McDonald, Triton Regional High School

Filmmaker Spotlight — Marci Darling, director of THE NITA & ZITA PROJECT

THE NITA & ZITA PROJECT unfolds the riveting story of two Jewish immigrant sisters who rose to international burlesque stardom. Their journey, marked by both the dazzle of the spotlight and the shadows of solitude, is a testament to their unbreakable bond, their vibrant heritage, and their indelible influence on the fabric of the city that became their final resting place. Filmmaker Marci Darling, who hails from Manchester-by-the-Sea, challenges Jewish stereotypes and gender norms, illuminating a slice of American culture rarely seen—the lives of burlesque dancers, acrobats, contortionists, and the courageous performers who dare to dream under the spotlight.

Bridie O’Connell, a Salem Film Fest 2024 organizer, had the opportunity to chat with Darling ahead of THE NITA & ZITA PROJECT’s world premiere to learn more about the film.

Bridie O’Connell: What does it mean to you to be a local filmmaker and have the world premiere of your film at Salem Film Fest?

Marci Darling: I love Salem, the history, the art, the quirky culture. I have volunteered for many years at the Peabody Essex Museum because I think it is an exceptional supporter of local art. I also work in the wand shop in Salem every October just to people-watch. I am enchanted by the covens of witches ages 5-85 who come in looking for wands. Premiering at the Salem Film Festival has been an extraordinary experience. The Festival team is outstanding and the festival itself  has several unique factors that support artists and filmmakers in ways other festivals don't. For example, I didn't know what to expect from the "Lineup Reveal" and I was surprised when it was sold out. The theater was filled with so many passionate film lovers who really responded to the trailers — it was an amazing experience. 

Pictured: Marci Darling and Sharon Gillen at the Historic New Orleans Collection

BO: How did you decide to pursue and create this film?

MD: Last January, I woke up one morning and knew I needed to tell the story of Nita & Zita. I was visiting New Orleans in 1997 and was standing in a crowded bar, when I spotted a photo of Zita across the room and it felt like being hit by a lightning bolt. I have a radar for vintage makeup, costumes, and dancers, and that was my first exposure to the sisters. The next day, I was wandering around the French Quarter when I stumbled upon Judy's Collage — a Junque shop that had tattered costumes hanging from the ceiling, costumes that had belonged to these local New Orleans legends. I returned to LA where I was a professional belly dancer, circus acrobat, and burlesque dancer, and ended up doing an homage to Nita & Zita with my dance partner and soul mate, Kim. Kim was a contortionist, and I was a contortionist-illusionist, and we created a burlesque act that played every Thursday night at the Viper Room in Hollywood for years. Once I had my children and moved to New Orleans, I always kept photos of Nita & Zita around my house as inspiration. Kim died in 2018, and this film is my homage to her, a way for me to re-live those dancing years and our time together. As my research grew, the film became even more for me, a way to tell the stories of marginalized women, trailblazers who lived life on their own terms, a way to illuminate a slice of American history rarely seen — that of the offbeat performers.

BO: Can you tell us more about your creative vision and approach to storytelling in this film?

MD: They say creating Apocalypse Now was a journey into the Heart of Darkness — creating The Nita Zita Project was a journey into the Heart of Light. With no money and very few images of Nita & Zita, I initially planned for the film to be five minutes long and filmed on my phone; however, once I started researching, many doors flung open and the film grew into a full crew, shooting on location, and a year of relentless research that took me from the New England Genealogical Society to the New York Library of the Performing Arts, to Harlem, New Orleans, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Louisiana State Museum, and even knocking on doors in the French Quarter. I was inspired by quirky filmmakers who blaze their own trails and don't follow any rules — like Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson, and Hitchcock. With so little budget, I had to get very creative with my vision for the film. I wanted it to be whimsical and to reflect the sisters’ handmade style. I call the film my "handstitched tale of wonder."

BO: What challenges did you face in creating this film?

MD: There were many challenges when making this film, for example, very little was known about my subjects Nita & Zita. There were stories and rumors about them and their dancing, but no proof. As a scholar, I researched relentlessly, but much of performing arts history is not yet digitized. I had to search through actual card catalogs in libraries. In New Orleans, I would look for sources at antique shops, and because many people there refuse to email or even talk on the phone, I was sent to "knock on the door of the house with the magenta porch." Additionally, as performers, Nita & Zita often changed their names. Even when they danced under their real names, the flyers and newspapers misspelled their names. I think the fact that I was a dancer gave me insight into the research because I too love to change my name, and changed it often as a performer, so I knew to try different combinations and different possibilities, which is what led me to find so much research.

BO: What is something surprising viewers can expect from your film (and try not to give anything away!)

MD: In the titles of my film, there is a red glitter sign reading "Nita and Zita, International Dancers Dance Here Every Night." This sign was not made by me. It is the actual sign Nita & Zita made themselves and hung in their house. Every frame of the film is meant to evoke Nita Zita style. For example, when one of our interviewees, Katie Pearl, is talking about trying on Zita's dress, and how it fit her perfectly as a jewish woman from Eastern Europe, the background I used is actually the painted walls in an abandoned synagogue in Transylvania. Also, many people find it surprising that many of the "bohemian" artists and dancers, the "outsider artists" who were inspired and impacted by the sisters, are now professors, enriching higher education by teaching at Brown, Wesleyan, Pratt, Endicott, and more places.

THE NITA & ZITA PROJECT screens in-person during Salem Film Fest at Cinema Salem on Sunday, March 24 at 3pm. Tickets available here.

Filmmaker Spotlight — Jane M. Wagner, Director of BREAK THE GAME

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

After coming out as a trans woman, world-record-holding gamer Narcissa Wright lost her massive fanbase. To win them back, she attempts to set a new world record in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while live-streaming every minute of her mythic quest. BREAK THE GAME, directed by Jane M. Wagner, draws from an archive of over 3,000 hours of Twitch livestream footage intertwined with 8-bit animation to explore gamer culture and the mental health implications that can come with living a digital life.

Bridie O’Connell, a Salem Film Fest 2024 organizer, had the opportunity to chat with Wagner ahead of BREAK THE GAME’s North Shore premiere to learn more about the film.

Bridie O’Connell: How did you first connect with Narcissa and decide to create this film?

Jane M. Wagner: I came across Narcissa's story in a very internet rabbit-hole-type way. During the holiday season in 2015, I was playing my old N64 and couldn't beat a boss in Diddy Kong Racing. I searched it on YouTube and came across some people "speedrunning" the game, or playing it super fast using glitches. It blew my mind! I kept clicking "next video" until I came across some legendary speedruns of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and was struck by how popular Narcissa seemed with her community - here was a celebrity of this cool gaming subculture – I wanted to learn more. So I went to Narcissa's Twitch stream. It was about a month or so after she had transitioned and she was sharing her life online in a way that was very compelling and made me realize I wasn't just watching the future of where our media was headed, but also our relationships. I knew instantly that Narcissa's stream was worthy of a documentary, but didn't reach out until about a year later when I saw she wanted to make a comeback. I DMed Narcissa on the website formerly known as Twitter and flew out to Portland, Oregon to meet her.

BO: What was it like using footage from Twitch live streams in your filmmaking?

JMW: Using the footage from Twitch live streams took a long time to get right. My initial idea was to set the movie entirely in the world of Twitch, but when I spoke to some mentors and leaders in the industry, I was cautioned that watching someone play video games or be on the computer isn't cinematic. You may not realize it from watching the film, but I actually took 10 or 12 trips to Portland to film with Narcissa as the events unfolded, with the hopes of making the movie more cinematic with a capital C. It wasn't until we had a rough cut screening as part of Film Independent and the IDA's Docuclub program that it became clear that the scenes set in Twitch were the most authentic. Editor Stephanie Andreou and I were in the parking lot after the screening and both came to the conclusion that we could remove all of the verite footage up to a certain point in the movie. It may sound wild to put almost everything you shot on the cutting room floor, but it was surprisingly easy and made the movie so much more visceral, immersive, and in the end - Cinematic!

BO: Why do you think Narcissa's story is important, for gamers and non-gamers?

JMW: Narcissa's story opens up a conversation about where we are in our increasingly digital society — one where parasocial relationships are common and many of our most vulnerable interactions are held online. It reveals the need for more mental health resources made specifically for gamers and those who spend time online. It shows the reality of those who are confronted with online harassment. For non-gamers, it's an entry point into the world and a way to better understand the gamers in their lives. 

BO: How long did this film take to create?

JMW: BREAK THE GAME took six years from start to finish. Narcissa archived more than 3,000 hours of her Twitch streams, so simply watching down the footage took about a year. We were also creating a new cinematic language using the chat and digital interfaces and had a very elaborate animation process, so it took a considerable amount of time to complete!

BO: What was the most challenging part of working on this film?

JMW: The hardest part of working on this film was financing it. I ended up having to put the film on hold from time to time, and I had to put a lot of costs on my credit card in order to finish. Sadly, my situation isn't unique — we're at a point where for many of us, being a documentarian is a calling, not a viable career. Hopefully, this will change, enabling more people from diverse backgrounds to make groundbreaking work.

BO: What else can you tell us about the film?

JMW: For info on BREAK THE GAME theatrical and community screenings please see www.breakthegamemovie.com — I'm also in development on my second feature documentary that also explores technology's effects on our emotional lives.

BREAK THE GAME screens in-person during Salem Film Fest at Cinema Salem on Friday, March 22 at 9:15pm. Tickets available here.

Filmmaker Spotlight — Elan Golod, Director of NATHAN-ISM

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

After World War II, Nathan Hilu, a young Jewish soldier from New York, found himself in an unlikely position: guarding top Nazi officials during the Nuremberg Trials. Through his sketches and notes, Hilu captured a unique perspective on these historical figures and their crimes, a project he continued for decades. Elan Golod's documentary NATHAN-ISM delves into Hilu's legacy, examining how art can serve as both a personal record and a means to question historical narratives.

Bridie O’Connell, a Salem Film Fest 2024 organizer, had the opportunity to chat with Golod ahead of its Massachusetts premiere to learn more about the film.

Bridie O’Connell: What inspired you to create the film NATHAN-ISM?

Elan Golod: I had come across an article about an exhibition of Hilu’s work, and I was immediately captivated by the complexity of Nathan’s journey - A young Jewish man confronted with the perpetrators of the Holocaust, the details of which he was learning about in real time as the Nuremberg trials were unfolding. I was also quite intrigued by the cognitive dissonance in his artwork, which showcases heavy subject matter in a very vibrant, childlike style. This unique blend felt inherently cinematic and offered a fresh way of telling a story related to the Holocaust.

BO: What sets NATHAN-ISM apart from other films about the Holocaust and Nuremberg trials?

EG: Unlike many Holocaust films, Nathan-ism boldly delves into the subjective nature of memory, through Nathan Hilu’s story that navigates between truth and trauma, time and creativity. This film offers audiences the opportunity to witness a unique convergence of personal stories and historical realities. Nathan’s visual memoirs add some much needed color (literally and figuratively) to the discussion of Holocaust remembrance.

BO: What are some challenges you faced during the filmmaking process?

EG: While Nathan's charismatic persona enriched the narrative, it also presented challenges in the filmmaking process. As viewers probably can tell from the film, Nathan was not the easiest subject to direct. Our filming sessions were not typical interviews but resembled more of a "show-and-tell" experience, where Nathan enthusiastically unveiled the stories behind his latest drawings without allowing much space for probing questions. However, by selectively highlighting certain drawings for discussion, I managed to guide the dialogue towards the specific themes I aimed to explore.

BO: What do you hope audiences take away from viewing NATHAN-ISM?

EG: I think that especially at this pivotal moment when the last living witnesses from the WWII era are passing away, it is essential to discuss the challenges in stewarding history for the next generation. I recently had the honor of bringing the film and Nathan’s story full circle by screening the film inside Courtroom 600 in Nuremberg, where the Nazi criminals were brought to justice. This momentous occasion served as a poignant reminder of the weighty responsibility we bear in safeguarding our collective memory. I hope viewers take this film as an opportunity to examine the ways in which we can keep our stories alive, and the intrinsic value of listening to our elders.

BO: We’re excited to be the Massachusetts premiere of NATHAN-ISM. What else can you tell us about the film?

EG: I am currently busy promoting the film's impact campaign of community screenings and exhibitions of Nathan's artwork. We hope the film can spark conversations that deepen our understanding of history. My team and I are very excited to have the film's Massachusetts premiere at the Salem Film Fest and look forward to additional screenings in the area later this year, including at the Yiddish Book Center at Amherst. If anyone has particular venues where you would like to see the film showcased, please let us know at nathanism.film@gmail.com

In the meantime, I am working on a short documentary as a "palette cleanser" after working on Nathan-ism for so long. This new film is also arts-related and deals with some similar themes of legacy, but it is not connected to the Holocaust.

NATHAN-ISM screens in-person during Salem Film Fest at Cinema Salem on Friday, March 22 at 2:00pm. Tickets available here.

Filmmaker Spotlight — Denise Zmekhol, Director of SKIN OF GLASS

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

In SKIN OF GLASS, filmmaker Denise Zmekhol (CHILDREN OF THE AMAZON, SFF 2009) explores her late father's most celebrated work as an architect, a modernist glass skyscraper in the heart of São Paulo, Brazil affectionately known as the Pele de Vidro (“Skin of Glass”), which in the decades following its construction has fallen into disrepair and become occupied by hundreds of unhoused families.  The film delicately interweaves the personal and political in a poetic and cinematic meditation on displacement, inequality, and loss.

SFF Programmer Emeritus, Jeff Schmidt caught up with Zmekhol ahead of the film's New England Premiere at Salem Film Fest.

Jeff Schmidt: Before this project, did you ever think that you would want to make a film that had such a strong connection to your own personal story, your own life?

Denise Zmekhol: You know, it's interesting, because in CHILDREN OF THE AMAZON, the film I showed at your festival more than ten years ago, it wasn't about my story, but there was one story that was personal. That was my contact with the environmental activist, Chico Mendes. He was asking me to film his funeral, and that's part of the story of the film because he was assassinated like two weeks after that. So in that story I did tell it from my point of view, because I'm telling the story of the children of the indigenous and rubber tapper kids that I photographed.

And when I started thinking about what I want to do next, you know, before I started this film specifically, I was thinking, oh, I want to make a film without any narration, without archival footage, you know? And, and I ended up doing the same thing - you know, I had to narrate the story because in the first person, it was a very personal. And it's interesting because it's hard not to tell the story of the past, even when you are in the in the present story. There's no way just to be there. I think it's more interesting when you go back and you bring all this history and you go like, “Oh my God, look at the meaning of all this.” You know, it has a different meaning, right? When you know more about the history of that story.

JS: So this film initially began as a book project. Can you explain that origin and how it eventually evolved into a film instead?

DZ: It all started when I found out through a friend of a friend in 2015 that the building that my father had designed that was kind of his masterpiece, was occupied by homeless people. And then we thought about making a book just to highlight all these amazing projects that my father had done that most people in Brazil don't know because he died very young. He was 48. And then one day, I'm telling another friend who is an architect, and he said to me, “Why are you making a book? As a filmmaker you should be making a film.” So I didn't sleep that night. And then I felt like, okay, if I didn't sleep, it's because there's something important here that I have to do, you know? So I decided to go to Brazil and start interviewing people, And I thought, you know, might as well just film them, just in case. And that's how the film started.  I shot like 60 interviews at least. You just have to do a lot of research and hear and listen to all these stories to see who is going to be part of your journey and your story, right?

JS: Do you feel like the process of making this film provided you any catharsis in regards to your unresolved feelings with your Dad? Were you able to catch more of a glimpse of who he was?

DZ:  Yeah. Thank God, after all that I did. It’s in the process of making the film, you're also in the process of dealing with all these emotions, you know, like sitting in the back of the room when you're editing and I was crying so many times, and of course I was doing therapy. So, you know, I mean, I couldn't have done this film without therapy. It was a lot to process but I feel more empowered now. I understand my father better. So I think the wound that I had, became more like a scar.

JS: What advice would you give to filmmakers that feel like they need to tell their own story, that choose to go down that personal story rabbit hole? 

DZ:  Yeah, I think you need some supervision and you need to do therapy together, because it does open a lot of wounds. It has a lot of repercussions. Repercussions inside you emotionally. So it's important to go deep and try to put the whole story out.

JS: What's been the reaction from your family about the film?

DZ:  Good question. Well, my mother died in 2008, so my brother, he's a little nervous about it. I’ve just finished with the Brazilian Portuguese translated version. I'm going to Brazil and I'm going to show it to him. So he hasn't seen the film yet.

JS: Now that you have completed the film, are you still considering the book project?

DZ:  Yeah. I mean, it's just like an idea because, you know, after a film like that, in which I produced, directed and fundraised – it was an expensive film to make - I was a little burned out, but I think it'd be nice to jump to a different media. You know, something I can touch like a a book and turn the pages and work with the drawings. The drawings are so beautiful. There's so many. You know, I just thought it would be such nice work, to just change a little bit the way you tell a story. And it's not necessarily a story, I think it is a book for architects, for students, architects, students. You know, it's not like I'm going to tell the same story or different stories, it will just be about his work. So be very different. I think that would be nice.

SKIN OF GLASS screens in-person during Salem Film Fest at the Peabody Essex Museum on Sunday, March 24 at 12:30pm followed by a virtual Q&A with Denise Zmekhol - tickets available here.

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