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2012 Cinema Eye Honors

In 2012, the 5th edition of Cinema Eye took place on January 11, with Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz’ The Interrupters receiving the top two awards, Outstanding Nonfiction Feature and Outstanding Direction. It was the first time in Cinema Eye history that one film had won both awards. Frederick Wiseman accepted the Legacy Award on behalf of his debut film, Titicut Follies, and Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky received the first ever Hell Yeah Prize for their Paradise Lost series of films, which inspired a groundswell of public outrage over the case of the West Memphis Three. Presenters at the 5th annual event included Michael Moore, Alex Gibney, Peter Davis, Andrea Meditch, Josh Fox, Nanette Burstein and Robert Krulwich.

Outstanding Achievement
in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking

  • The Arbor

    Directed by Directed by Clio Barnard
    Produced by Tracy O’Riordan

  • Winner

    The Interrupters

    Directed by Steve James
    Produced by Alex Kotlowitz and Steve James

  • Nostalgia for the Light

    Directed by Patricio Guzmán
    Produced by Renate Sachse

  • Position Among the Stars

    Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich
    Produced by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich

  • Project Nim

    Directed by James Marsh
    Produced by Simon Chinn

  • Senna

    Directed by Asif Kapadia
    Produced by James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner

Outstanding Achievement in Direction

  • Clio Barnard

    For The Arbor

  • Danfung Dennis

    For Hell and Back Again

  • Winner

    Steve James

    For The Interrupters

  • Patricio Guzmán

    For Nostalgia for the Light

  • Leonard Retel Helmrich

    For Position Among the Stars

Outstanding Achievement in Editing

  • Hanna Lejonqvist SFK and Göran Hugo Olsson

    For The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975

  • Jennifer Tiexiera and Lizzy Calhoun

    For Dragonslayer

  • Joe Walker

    For Life in a Day

  • Jasper Naaijkens

    For Position Among the Stars

  • Winner

    Gregers Sall and Chris King

    For Senna

Outstanding Achievement in Production

  • Erik Nelson and Adrienne Ciuffo

    For Cave of Forgotten Dreams

  • Mike Lerner

    For Hell and Back Again

  • Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz

    For The Interrupters

  • Renate Sachse

    For Nostalgia for the Light

  • Winner

    Gian-Piero Ringel and Wim Wenders

    For Pina

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

  • Alma Har’el

    For Bombay Beach

  • Eric Koretz

    For Dragonslayer

  • Winner

    Danfung Dennis

    For Hell and Back Again

  • Katell Dijan

    For Nostalgia for the Light

  • Leonard Retel Helmrich and Ismail Fahmi Lubish

    For Position Among the Stars

Audience Choice

  • Bill Cunningham New York

    Directed by Richard Press

  • The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975

    Directed by Göran Hugo Olsson

  • Winner

    Buck

    Directed by Cindy Meehl

  • Cave of Forgotten Dreams

    Directed by Werner Herzog

  • Give Up Tomorrow

    Directed by Michael Collins

  • The Interrupters

    Directed by Steve James

  • Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

    Directed by Jon M. Chu

  • Project Nim

    Directed by James Marsh

  • Senna

    Directed by Asif Kapadia

  • Tabloid

    Directed by Errol Morris

Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film

  • Winner

    Clio Barnards

    For The Arbor

  • Michal Marczak

    For At the Edge of Russia

  • Alma Har’el

    For Bombay Beach

  • Tristan Patterson

    For Dragonslayer

  • Danfung Dennis

    For Hell and Back Again

Outstanding Achievement
in Original Music Score

  • Harry Escott and Molly Nyman

    For The Arbor

  • Ernst Reijseger

    For Cave of Forgotten Dreams

  • T. Griffin

    For Dragonslayer

  • Antonio Pinto

    For Senna

  • Winner

    John Kusiak

    For Tabloid

Outstanding Achievement
in Graphic Design or Animation

  • Justin Barber and Ryland Jones

    For Women Art Revolution

  • Mike Nicholson and Allison Moore

    For Better This World

  • Brent Green

    For Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then

  • Kinda Akash

    For Project Nim

  • Raynor Pettge

    For Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure

  • Winner

    Rob Feng and Jeremy Landman

    For Tabloid

Spotlight Award

  • Family Instinct

    Directed by Andris Gauja

  • Last Days Here

    Directed by Don Argott and Demien Fenton

  • The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

    Directed by Chad Friedrichs

  • Scenes of a Crime

    Directed by Blue Hadaegh and Grover Babcock

  • Winner

    The Tiniest Place

    Directed by Tatiana Huezo Sánchez

Outstanding Achievement
in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking

  • Il Capo

    Directed by Yuri Ancarani

  • Winner

    Diary

    Directed by Tim Hetherington

  • Minka

    Directed by Davina Pardo

  • Out of Reach

    Directed by Jakub Stozek

  • This Chair Is Not Me

    Directed by Andy Taylor Smith

Heterodox Award

  • Winner

    Beginners

    Directed by Mike Mills

  • The Lips

    Directed by Ivan Fund and Santiago Loza

  • The Mill and the Cross

    Directed by Lech Majewski

  • My Joy

    Directed by Sergei Loznitsa

  • Snow on Tha Bluff

    Directed by Damon Russell

Legacy Award

  • Winner

    Titicut Follies

    Directed by Frederick Wiseman

Hell Yeah Prize

  • Winner

    Paradise Lost Trilogy

    Directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky