The Gotham Film & Media Institute (The Gotham) tonight announced the winners of the inaugural Gotham Week Honors.
Winning the U.S. Features in Development honor was “Here for the Weekend,” written and directed by Jane Casey Modderno. The raunchy rom-com follows three transgender best friends chasing love, success, and connection in Palm Springs, while trying desperately to keep their found-family together.
Winning the U.S. Shorts to Features honor was “Thirstygirl,” written and directed by Alexandra Qin, which follows two sisters on a road trip from New York to a rehab in Kentucky after one of them relapses.
The winner of the Spotlight on Documentaries honor was “Matininó,” directed by Gabriela Díaz Arp, a powerful portrayal of the Villanueva family, a multi-generational family of Puerto Rican women transforming their experience of violence into a fantasy film.
The winner of the Global Producer of The Year honor was Sophie Luo, producer of “Valley of the Tall Grass,” which sees a trashed TV/VCR combo set that survives and circulates through the lives of various Indigenous characters in an Oregon town.
The Gotham Week Honors celebrated Gina Duncan, President of BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), with the first-ever Gotham Week Cultural Impact Honor. This award honors Duncan’s remarkable journey in cinema and media, from her work at the Jacob Burns Film Center, through her tenure at Sundance, to her current role leading one of the world’s most renowned cultural institutions.
Filmmakers RaMell Ross and Sean Wang each received an inaugural Gotham Week Alumni Honor of Distinction Award. This award pays tribute to outstanding alumni of The Gotham programs who serve as beacons of the independent filmmaking community.
The Gotham Week Honors ceremony took place at The Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The Inaugural Gotham Week Honors recipients are:
For the U.S. Features In Development honor, presented by Gabrielle Nadig…
Here for The Weekend
Written and Directed by Jane Casey Modderno
Produced by Michael Gottwald, Josh Penn, and Josh Peters.
The U.S. Features in Development jury included: Nicolás Celis, Robert Kessel, and Gabrielle Nadig
For the U.S. Shorts to Features honor, presented by Melissa Adeyemo and Krista Parris…
Thirstygirl
Written and Directed by Alexandra Qin
Produced by Carlos López Estrada, Asher Goldstein, and Valerie Bush
The U.S. Shorts to Features jury included: Melissa Adeyemo, Mauricio Leiva Cock, and Krista Parris
For the Spotlight on Documentaries honor presented by Set Hernandez and Li Lu…
Matininó
Directed by Gabriela Díaz Arp
Produced by Karla Claudio Betancourt, Wendy Muñiz, and Guillermo Zouain
The Spotlight on Documentaries jury included: Set Hernandez, Li Lu, and Rodrigo Reyes
For the Global Producer of the Year honor, presented by Ellie Foumbi and Neil Williams…
Sophie Luo
Valley of Tall Grass
The Global Producer of the Year jury included Ellie Foumbi, Savina Neirotti and Neil Williams
What do you think of the winners for the inaugural Gotham Week Honors? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.
