Newport Beach Film Festival announces awards

The Newport Beach Film Festival announced the recipients of nearly 50 awards Thursday, the end of the eight-day festival, including the first ever MacGillivray Freeman Films Awards.

The closing-night film, "A Beginner's Guide to Endings," directed by Jonathan Sobol, was named by the Jury Awards as Best Feature Film, according to the news release.

The film also won in the same category for Best Screenplay and Best Cinematographer.

The jury panel consisted of Academy Award-nominated costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis, cinematographer Eric Roizman, Emmy Award-winning producer, writer and director Mary Lou Belli, creator of the Showtime's Soul Food series, Felicia D. Henderson, producer, writer and director Amanda Pope and UC Irvine Extension Director of Continuing Education Kirwan Rockefeller.

"Face to Face" also won Jury Awards for Best Actor (Vince Colosimo), Best Actress (Ra Chapman) and Best Director (Michael Rymer).

More than 2,000 films were reviewed and more than 400 picked by the selection committee to be a part of the 2011 festival.

Officials estimated that more than 50,000 people attended the festival from April 28 to Thursday.

The 2011 MacGillivray Freeman Films Awards, a new recognition for documentary filmmaking, was awarded to three films.

"My So-Called Enemy" was awarded for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking in the feature category and "The Dancer" received the same award in the short films category.

"This is Your Ocean: Sharks" also received the MacGillivray Freeman Films Special Achievement Award in Environmental Filmmaking.

2011 Newport Beach Film Festival award winners

Jury Awards

Best Feature Film: "A Beginner's Guide to Endings"

Best Actor: Vince Colosimo, "Face to Face"

Best Actress: Ra Chapman, "Face to Face"

Best Director: Michael Rymer, "Face to Face"

Best Cinematographer: Samy Inayeh, "A Beginner's Guide to Endings"

Best Screenplay: Jonathan Sobol, "A Beginner's Guide to Endings"

Best Feature Documentary Film: "My So-Called Enemy," director Lisa Gossels

Honorable Mention: "We Were Here," directors David Weissman, Bill Weber

Best Short Documentary FILM: "Warriors of Qiugang," director Ruby Yang

Honorable Mention: "Moth in Spring," director Yu Gu

Best Short Animated Film: "Fly," director Alan Short

Honorable Mention: "Bottle," director Kirsten Lepore

Best Narrative Short Film: "Love Song of Iskra Prufrock," director Lucy Gaffy

Honorable Mention: "The Escape," director James Connelly

2011 Audience Awards