Michael Moore's Traverse City film fest gives top honors to 'Pope Francis' Doc

Wim Wenders’ film about the current pope was recognized with the Founders Grand Prize.

Wim Wenders’ documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word won the top honors, the Founders Grand Prize, at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival, which concluded Sunday in Traverse City, Michigan. As he announced the honor at the fest’s awards ceremony, Moore said, “This is a film that has moved so many people this week. And it came from an unexpected place. The response from people who are not necessarily connected to or familiar with the subject matter have not stopped talking to me about it on the street. It has just been a great thing to witness here in Traverse City this week.”
Released by Focus Features, the documentary about the current pope, has grossed nearly $4 million worldwide since it opened May 18.
The Founders Prize for Best U. S. Fiction Film resulted in a tie, with the award going to both Scott Cooper’s Hostiles and Brett Haley’s Hearts Beat Loud, while Susan Lacy’s documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts received the Founders Prize for Best U.S. Nonfiction Film.
Peter Luisi’s Streaker scored the Audience Award for Best Fiction Film, and Joshua Riehl’s The Russian Five won the Audience Award for Best Documentary.
A complete list of winners follows
AUDIENCE AWARDS
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST FICTION FILM
“Streaker” by Peter Luisi
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
“The Russian Five” by Joshua Riehl
FOUNDERS AWARDS
THE MICHIGAN AWARD
“Arthur Miller: Writer” by Rebecca Miller
NORA EPHRON AWARD
“Amateurs” by Gabriela Pichler
BRUCE SINOFSKY AWARD FOR DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
“One of Us” by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
SPECIAL AWARD FOR DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
“Hillbilly” by Sally Rubin and Ashley York
SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXUBERANCE IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
“Bathtubs Over Broadway” by Dava Whisenant
YOUSSEF CHAHINE AWARD
“The Insult” by Ziad Doueiri
STANLEY KUBRICK AWARD FOR BOLD AND INNOVATIVE FILMMAKING
Fiction: “The Captain” by Robert Schwentke
Non-Fiction: “Our New President” by Maxim Pozdorovkin
ROGER EBERT PRIZE FOR BEST FILM BY A FIRST TIME FILMMAKER
Fiction: “And Breathe Normally” by Ísold Uggadóttir
Non-Fiction: “The Sentence” by Rudy Valdez
BEST US FICTION FILM – TIE
“Hostiles” by Scott Cooper
“Hearts Beat Loud” by Brett Haley
BEST FOREIGN FICTION FILM
“1945” by Ferenc Török
BEST US NONFICTION FILM
“Jane Fonda in Five Acts” by Susan Lacy
BEST FOREIGN NONFICTION FILM
“The Silence of Others” by Robert Bahar, Almudena Carracedo
FOUNDERS GRAND PRIZE
“Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” by Wim Wenders
 
SHORT FILM AWARD WINNERS
STUART J. HOLLANDER PRIZE FOR BEST FAMILY FILM
“Sherbert Rosencrantz, You’re Beautiful” by Natalie van den Dungen
SPECIAL MENTION SHORT FILM
“Lifeboat” by Skye Fitzgerald
SPECIAL MENTION SHORT FILM
“Mini Bimaadiziwin” by Shane McSauby
AUDIENCE AWARD BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
“Period. End of Sentence.” by Rayka Zehtabchi
AUDIENCE AWARD BEST FICTION SHORT
“Great Choice” by Robin Comisar
BEST NONFICTION SHORT FILM
“Period. End of Sentence.” by Rayka Zehtabchi
BEST FICTION SHORT FILM
“Emergency” by Carey Williams
Winners of the TCFF bumper contest, sponsored by FIM GROUP
Honorable Mentions
Tami Evans & Brenda Smith – “Pellicula Flickinicus”
Ryan Schmitz, Rich Tran, Sierra Falconer – “Deserted”
Patti Perkette – “What Makes a Movie?”
Brad Geimenhardt – “Right On Time”
John Hobbs – “One More Wish”
Sierra Falconer – “The Last Ticket”
Award Winners
Don Blublaugh – “Game Night”
Maggie Buerkle – “Photobomb”
John Plough – “Lighthouse,” “Dogwalker,” “Popcorner” (THR.com)