January 13, 2016, Astoria, Queens, New York – The Look of Silence was the big winner at the 9th Annual Cinema Eye Honors, taking home three awards, including Outstanding Nonfiction Feature, Outstanding Direction for Joshua Oppenheimer and Outstanding Production for Signe Byrge Sørensen. It’s the first time in Cinema Eye history that filmmakers have won Outstanding Feature or Outstanding Production twice – Oppenheimer and Sørensen were honored in both categories for The Act of Killing in 2014.
Sørensen’s two trophies on Wednesday, combined with her two wins in 2014, tie her with Laura Poitras for most total awards in Cinema Eye history at four.
The editor Chris King also made Cinema Eye history on Wednesday, becoming the first person to win three awards in the same category. His Editing Honor for Amy joins his previous awards for Exit Through the Gift Shop and Senna.
Meru, the mountain climbing epic directed by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, took home two awards: Audience Choice and Cinematography. The latter award was shared with Cartel Land cinematographers Matthew Heineman and Matt Porwoll, the second year in a row that there was a tie in the Cinematography category.
The rest of the evening’s awards were split between many of the year’s top nonfiction films. Laurie Anderson won the award for Outstanding Original Score for Heart of a Dog; Stefan Nadelman and Hisko Hulsing took home Graphic Design Honors for Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and Crystal Moselle won Outstanding Debut for The Wolfpack.
The Nonfiction Short Film Award was also a tie result, with both Hotel 22 by Elizabeth Lo and Buffalo Juggalos by Scott Cummings named as winners. This year’s award for Nonfiction Film for Television went to HBO Documentary Films’ Private Violence, directed by Cynthia Hill. Alexandre Nanau’s Toto and His Sisters received the Spotlight Award.
Legendary filmmaker Steve James, a Cinema Eye winner in 2012 for The Interrupters, hosted the 2016 Cinema Eye Honors at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. Radiolab hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich served as announcers and Voices of God for the proceedings. Presenters included DA Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Ross McElwee, Making a Murderer co-directors Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi, Alex Gibney, Liz Garbus and Chris Smith, director of this year’s Legacy Award winner American Movie.
American Movie was presented with its Legacy Award at the Cinema Eye Honors Lunch on Tuesday in Manhattan, where the winner of this year’s Heterodox Award was also revealed as Jafar Panahi’s Taxi.
A full list of this year’s winners follows:
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking
The Look of Silence
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Joshua Oppenheimer
The Look of Silence
Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Chris King
Amy
Outstanding Achievement in Production
Signe Byrge Sørensen
The Look of Silence
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography (tie)
Matthew Heineman and Matt Porwoll
Cartel Land
Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk
Meru
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score
Laurie Anderson
Heart of a Dog
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design or Animation
Stefan Nadelman and Hisko Hulsing
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film
The Wolfpack
Directed by Crystal Moselle
Audience Choice Prize
Meru
Directed by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Films Made for Television
Private Violence
Directed and Produced by Cynthia Hill
For HBO Documentary Films: Senior Producer Nancy Abraham, Executive Producer Sheila Nevins
Spotlight Award
Toto and His Sisters
Directed by Alexandre Nanau
Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking (tie)
Buffalo Juggalos
Directed by Scott Cummings
Hotel 22
Directed by Elizabeth Lo
Heterodox Award
Taxi
Directed by Jafar Panahi
Legacy Award
American Movie
Directed by Chris Smith