‘American Fiction’ Wins Audience Award at 11th Annual Middleburg Film Festival

Mark Johnson and I attended the 11th Annual Middleburg Film Festival where we were both impressed by Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut American Fiction. We weren’t alone. Audiences, who embraced the film with a rare standing ovation, voted the satire the best film of the festival via the Audience Award.

American Fiction stars Jeffrey Wright as “Monk,” a frustrated author who writes a profane, pandering novel that white publishers and readers rabidly embrace. It’s a very funny film that looks primed for success in the awards race to come.

The full press release detailing the weekend’s prize recipients follows the American Fiction trailer.

The Middleburg Film Festival announced today the Audience Award winners for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature, as well as a Special Presentation Audience Award following the conclusion of the 11^th anniversary edition of the four-day festival on Sunday, October 22.

Best Narrative Feature was awarded to AMERICAN FICTION from writer/director Cord Jefferson who appeared at the Festival to receive the Special Achievement in Filmmaking Award. The award for Best Documentary Feature went to INVISIBLE NATION, directed by Vanessa Hope who was also in attendance with the film’s producer Ted Hope. Represented at the Festival by its composer and winner of the Distinguished Composer Award, Michael Giacchino, J.A. Bayona’s SOCIETY OF THE SNOW received the award for Best International Feature. Audiences were also especially taken with Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers’ THE LAST REPAIR SHOP, giving it a Special Presentation Audience Award. Bowers attended MFF to receive the inaugural Sheila Johnson Vanguard Award.

MFF audiences were given the opportunity to cast ballots for their favorite festival films following each screening. This year’s festival featured 39 films spanning various genres, including Oscar contenders, thought-provoking documentaries and critically acclaimed international features, nine of which are their countries’ official Oscar entries for Best International Feature.  

“Congratulations to our remarkable Audience Award winners,” said MFF Executive Director Susan Koch. “We couldn’t be prouder of this year’s lineup and were honored to present so many exceptional films and welcome leading filmmakers to engage in thoughtful conversations.”

Winner of the prestigious TIFF People’s Choice Award, AMERICAN FICTION is Jefferson’s feature directorial debut, and stars Jeffrey Wright as a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own which propels him to the heart of the hypocrisy he claims to disdain. The film also stars Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross and Skyler Wright. 

INVISIBLE NATION documents the election and tenure of Taiwan’s Dr. Tsai Ing-wen, the country’s first female president. The film is an inside account of Tsai’s tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the United States and China. With unprecedented access, director Vanessa Hope captures Tsai at work in her country’s vibrant democracy and as she seeks full international recognition of Taiwan’s right to exist. 

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW tells the incredible survival story of The Old Christians Rugby team’s plane crash in the Andes in 1972. Directed by J. A. Bayona and adapted from a book by Uruguayan author Pablo Vierci, the film chronicles the survivors’ extreme ordeal, their struggle to stay alive, and their eventual rescue. The film is Spain’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature. A section of the film’s Michael Giacchino-composed score world premiered at the Festival on Friday afternoon at a tribute concert for the composer by the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra.

THE LAST REPAIR SHOP takes a look at a devoted group of craftspeople who repair Los Angeles public school students’ instruments in one of the last such programs of its kind in the country. The film blends personal histories of the repair people with emotional, firsthand accounts from the student musicians for whom their instruments made all the difference in their lives.

“We are incredibly thankful to all who played a role in making this year’s festival another resounding success,” said MFF Founder and Board Chair Sheila Johnson. “Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the distributors and filmmakers who entrusted us with their wonderful films and to our sponsors, filmgoers, staff and volunteers for their continued support and tireless work.”

The Coca-Cola Company and Wells Fargo are the Middleburg Film Festival’s Presenting Sponsors. The Washington Post is MFF’s Founding Media Sponsor.