Congratulations to the 2019 BZN award-winning filmmakers.
We look forward to receiving your submissions for BZN 2020.
Juried Awards
Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy
USA
Written, Produced & Directed by Mimi deGruy
Co-Produced by Shannon Dyvbig
Known for riveting storytelling as well as stunning cinematography, explorer and filmmaker Mike deGruy filmed the oceans from the shallows to the very deep sea. After he dies in an accident his wife and filmmaking partner returns to the edit room to make a film that both celebrates his career but also highlights what he cared most about: we are destroying the ocean before knowing what is there, and we need to continue exploring.
N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear examines the enigmatic life and mind of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Navarro Scott Momaday (House Made of Dawn). This documentary profile delves into the psyche behind one of Native America’s most celebrated authors of poetry and prose. Words from a Bear visually captures the essence of Momaday’s writings, relating each written line to his unique Kiowa-American experience, representing ancestry, place and oral history. Original animation, historical photos and aerial landscapes complement interviews with indigenous authors Rilla Askew and Joy Harjo; actors Robert Redford, Jeff Bridges, Beau Bridges and James Earl Jones; and Richard West, founding director of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, to reveal Momaday’s creative core. Words from a Bear is produced by Jeffrey Palmer for Rainy Mountain Media LLC, and executive produced by Sally Jo Fifer for ITVS, Shirley K. Sneve for Vision Maker Media, and Michael Kantor for American Masters Pictures.
Audience Awards
The Etruscan Smile
USA | UK | Switzerland
Directed by Mihal Brezis & Oded Binnun
Produced by Arthur Cohn
The Etruscan Smile stars acclaimed British actor Brian Cox as Rory MacNeil, a rugged old Scotsman who reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son, Rory sees his life transformed through a newly found bond with his baby grandson.
Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy
USA
Written, Produced & Directed by Mimi deGruy
Co-Produced by Shannon Dyvbig
Known for riveting storytelling as well as stunning cinematography, explorer and filmmaker Mike deGruy filmed the oceans from the shallows to the very deep sea. After he dies in an accident his wife and filmmaking partner returns to the edit room to make a film that both celebrates his career but also highlights what he cared most about: we are destroying the ocean before knowing what is there, and we need to continue exploring.
A neuroscientist who studies the alcohol consumption habits of sexually deprived fruit flies watches her findings play out in her own life with a colleague who works in her lab.
Life is hard in remote northern Pakistan – especially for women, who face significant cultural, economic, and geographic barriers to opportunity and education. Despite their difficulties, a quiet revolution is growing. For the first time, girls in the region are challenging tradition for their right to go to school.
When a city made from cardboard catches fire it is up to the local fire chief and his brave deputies to save Cardboard City from total destruction.