Out Film CT wrapped up its 9-day film festival on Saturday, May 30, with enthusiastic audiences voting that night’s film as the favorite film of the festival. Over 2,000 attendees from all over Connecticut and beyond enjoyed a wide selection of exceptional feature films, shorts and documentaries in the festival’s 22nd year at Cinestudio, located on the beautiful campus of Trinity College in Hartford.  

Due to its strong reputation in the festival circuit, Connecticut was asked to host several U.S. and world premieres, including Ferron: Girl on a Road, Shafted, Good Art/New Poetry (by local filmmaker Kurt Uccello) and Astoria, Queens.  This year’s festival was also host to a number of special guests from as far as San Francisco and Newfoundland.  Audiences were treated to live introductions and question & answer sessions with film directors Gerry Rogers (Ferron: Girl on a Road), C. Fitz (“Showgirls” Provincetown, MA), Sara Winters (Love Sucks), Allegra Hirschman (Shafted), Kurt Uccello (Good Art/New Poetry), Kyle Coker (Astoria, Queens) and with safe sex pioneer Richard Berkowitz, subject of the documentary film Sex Positive.

According to festival Director Shane Engstrom, “This year’s award winners are a clear reflection of our audience’s diverse interests with winners from around the globe.”

Chef’s Special, winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature, is the hilarious tale of how a successful Spanish restaurant owner’s life is turned upside down with the sudden arrival of his estranged children and an Argentinean soccer star.  

The Audience Award for Best Documentary went to Ferron: Girl on a Road, which traces the songs, the loves, the heartbreaks, and the pioneering path carved by a Canadian folk music legend.

The Jury Award for Best Short Film was awarded to Second Guessing Grandma, a touching and amusing story of a young man determined to come out of the closet and gain the acceptance of his family.

In addition, Out Film CT bestowed the ‘Director’s Award’ to Gerry Rogers of Ferron: Girl on a Road.  Engstrom states, “We created this award last year to highlight the achievements of a director whose film vision really captured the spirit of the festival, and we are thrilled to award this year’s Director’s Award to Gerry Rogers.”  Rogers, well known for her documentary My Left Breast, succeeded in capturing the essence of a visionary artist and the soul of a musical icon.  

Out Film CT continues its collaboration with the Trinity College gay-straight student organization, EROS (Encouraging Respect of all Sexualities), in presenting the 11th EROS Film Festival from November 4-8, 2009.  This event, held every fall, brings more queer films to Hartford with an emphasis on youth, history and classic films.   In addition, the “Out Film CT Presents” film series continues at Cinestudio throughout the year.  Check the Web site for updates: www.OutFilmCT.org.

Film Festival Winners

Best Feature - Audience Award

Winner – Chef’s Special

Runner Up – I Can’t Think Straight

Special Mention – Pedro

Best Documentary - Audience Award

Winner – Ferron: Girl on a Road

Runner Up – “Showgirls” Provincetown, MA

Special Mention – Sex Positive

Best Short - Jury Award

Winner – Second Guessing Grandma

Runner Up – Kali Ma

Special Mention – Thirteen or So Minutes

Director’s Award

Gerry Rogers (Ferron: Girl on a Road)