MUMBAI: This year the Slamdance Film Festival has awarded Keith Miller‘s Welcome to Pine Hill the grand jury award for feature narrative, while Jens Pfeifer‘s No Ashes, No Phoenix won the grand jury award for feature documentary at its 18th edition.
 
The closing-night awards ceremony was held at the Treasure Mountain Inn. Exclaimed Slamdance co-founder and president Peter Baxter, “What a great way to end Slamdance‘s 18th festival -- by celebrating the films our excellent jurors and incredible audiences have awarded these emerging filmmakers.”
 
"This year‘s narrative and documentary competitions are stronger than ever, and these filmmakers represent the vanguard of true independent filmmaking," he added.
 
Getting Up by Caskey Ebeling was given the Audience Award for Feature documentary, while the Audience Award for feature narrative was bagged by Andrew Edison’s Bindlestiffs.
 
Besides the Grand Jury award to Keith Miller’s film for its poetic and emotionally honest depiction of one man‘s final journey in life, crafted from a true spirit of humanity and community, the Special Jury Award for bold originality was awarded to Heavy Girls by Axel Ranisch for its joie de vivre, an incredibly life-affirming film that is presented with a unique vision and an amazing cast.

The Grand Jury award for feature documentary was given away to No Ashes, No Phoenix by Jens Pfeifer, the Grand Jury award for short documentary was awarded to Skylar Neilsen’s The Professional.

The Slamdance Film Festival takes place every year in Utah.