SXSW Audience Awards Announced: 'Before I Disappear,' 'Cesar Chavez' Among Winners

by uInterviewMarch 17, 2014, 12:00 am >

SXSW Film Festival Audience Awards have been announced, with Before I Disappear winning the award in the Narrative Feature Competition and DamNation earning the audience award in Documentary Spotlight.

SXSW announced the Audience Award-winners from the Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Visions, Midnighters, Episodic, SXGlobal, Festival Favorites and Design Award categories. The Audience Award for 24 Beats Per Second will be announced on Monday, March 17.

Before I Disappear, which won the audience award from the Narrative Feature Competition, came into SXSW with a fair amount of momentum. Directed by Shawn Christensen, the character study is based off his Oscar-winning short film, Curfew. The movie stars Christensen as Richie, a depressed man who is forced to take care of his eleven-year-old niece, Sophia (Fatima Ptacek). Before I Disappear also stars Emmy Rossum (Shameless), Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy).

Congrats to the cast and crew of @B4IDisappear Winners of the #SXSW audience award. @dreamsick @perlmutations @FatimaPtacek @emmyrossum

— Paul Wesley (@paulwesley) March 15, 2014

#BeforeIDisappear has won the audience award at SXSW. Never like to say I told ya so, but… Congrats to the inimitable #ShawnChristensen!

— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) March 15, 2014

Cesar Chavez, from director Diego Luna, won the Audience Award from Narrative Spotlight. The biopic is about the historic activist Cesar Chavez and stars Michael Pena in the title role, alongside Rosario Dawson and America Ferrera.

Woohoo! We won the audience award! “@diegoluna_: “@lynnfainchtein: Cesar Chavez, le gusto a la gente en SXSW : https://t.co/SyBE26ugWd”

— America Ferrera (@AmericaFerrera) March 15, 2014

Documentary winners include Vessel, from director Diana Whitten, a documentary about a group of women’s rights activists who offer abortions on a boat in international waters off the coast of countries that outlaw abortion in an effort to provide safe alternatives to illegal, and often unsafe, abortions. Vessel also received Special Jury Recognition for Political Courage.

Vessel wins the Audience Award! Thank you @sxsw – this has been an amazing launch! #Vessellanding https://t.co/xqWXeD560y

— Vessel (@Vesselthefilm) March 15, 2014

The Documentary Spotlight Audience-Award went to DamNation from directors Ben Knight and Travis Rummel, a documentary exposing the corporate nature and negative environmental effects of dams in the U.S.