AUDIENCE AWARDS

ImageOut Audience Awards are selected by audience ballot at festival film screenings and presented to independent filmmakers in the following categories: Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Short.

2022

Best Narrative Feature Film
LIE WITH ME
Directed By: Olivier Peyon
Country of Origin: France

Best Documentary Feature Film
ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY
Directed By: Bryan Darling & Jesse Finley Reed
Country of Origin: USA

Best Short Film
OVERTHINKER (PENSADERO)
Directed By: Matías Dinardo
Country of Origin: Argentina

2021

Best Narrative Feature Film
GAMEBOYS: THE MOVIE
Directed By: Ivan Andrew Payawal
Countries of Origin: Philippines / Japan

Best Documentary Feature Film
INVISIBLE: GAY WOMEN IN SOUTHERN MUSIC
Directed By: T.J. Parsell
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
FOR THE RECORD – AUTUMN ELEGY
Directed By: Theresa Rebeck
Country of Origin: Unknown

2020

Best Narrative Feature Film (tie)
SUBLET
Directed By: Eytan Fox
Countries of Origin: Israel / USA

GOSSAMER FOLDS
Directed By: Lisa Donato
Country of Origin: USA


Best Documentary Feature Film
CURED
Directed By: Patrick Sammon & Bennett Singer
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
WINGS
Directed By: Jamie Weston
Country of Origin: Unknown

2019

Best Narrative Feature Film (tie)
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
Directed By: Céline Sciamma
Country of Origin: France

SONG LANG
Directed By: Leon Le
Country of Origin: Vietnam


Best Documentary Feature Film
FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO
Directed By: Daniel G. Karslake
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
WONDER
Directed By: Javier Molina
Country of Origin: USA


Best Cinematic Experience (Special Audience Award)
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
Directed By: Jonathan Butterell
Country of Origin: UK

2018

Best Narrative Feature Film
1985
Directed By: Yen Tan
Country of Origin: USA


Best Documentary Feature Film
LIFE IN THE DOGHOUSE
Directed By: Ron Davis
Country of Origin: USA

This award has been underwritten by Jamie & Sally Whitbeck.

Best Short Film
SOMETHING ABOUT ALEX
Directed By: Reinout Hellenthal
Country of Origin: Netherlands

This award has been underwritten by Stan Hanby.

2017

Best Narrative Feature Film
FILM NAME
Directed By: DIRECTOR NAME

Best Documentary Feature Film (tie)
THE LAVENDER SCARE
Directed By: Josh Howard
Country of Origin: USA

REBELS ON POINTE
Directed By: Bobbi Jo Hart
Countries of Origin: UK / Italy / Canada / Japan / USA


Best Short Film (tie)
CURMUDGEONS
Directed By: Danny DeVito
Country of Origin: USA

SISAK
Directed By: Faraz Arif Ansari
Country of Origin: India

2016

Best Narrative Feature Film
BEING 17
Directed By: André Téchiné
Country of Origin: France


Best Documentary Feature Film
POLITICAL ANIMALS
Directed By: Tracy Wares
Country of Origin: USA

Best Short Film
OH BE JOYFUL
Directed By: Susan Jacobson
Country of Origin: UK

2015

Best Narrative Feature Film
AKRON
Directed By: Sasha King & Brian O’Donnell
Country of Origin: USA


Best Documentary Feature Film
THE GUY WITH THE KNIFE
Directed By: Alison Armstrong
Countries of Origin: Canada / USA


Best Short Film
TRÉMULO (TREMBLING)
Directed By: Roberto Fiesco
Country of Origin: Mexico

2014

Best Narrative Feature Film
PRIDE
Directed By: Matthew Warchus
Countries of Origin: UK / France / USA


Best Documentary Feature Film (tie)
BORN TO FLY: ELIZABETH STREB VS GRAVITY
Directed By: Catherine Gund
Country of Origin: USA

OUT IN THE NIGHT
Directed By: Blair Dorosh-Walther
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
ALONE WITH PEOPLE
Directed By: Drew van Steenbergen
Country of Origin: USA

2013

Best Narrative Feature Film
OUT IN THE DARK (ALATA)
Directed By: Michael Mayer
Countries of Origin: Israel / USA / Germany


Best Documentary Feature Film
THE RUGBY PLAYER
Directed By: Scott Gracheff
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
THE DEVOTION PROJECT: FOREMOST IN MY MIND
Directed By: Antony Osso
Country of Origin: USA

2012

Best Narrative Feature Film
MELTING AWAY
Directed By: Doron Eran
Country of Origin: Israel / Canada


Best Documentary Feature Film
I STAND CORRECTED
Directed By: Andrea Meyerson
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
TSUYAKO
Directed By: Hikari (aka Mitsuyo Miyazaki)
Country of Origin: Japan / USA

2011

Best Narrative Feature Film
MINE VIGANTI (LOOSE CANNONS)
Directed By: Ferzan Ozpetek
Country of Origin: Italy


Best Documentary Feature Film
WE WERE HERE: THE AIDS YEARS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Directed By: David Weissman & Bill Weber
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK ALONE (EU NÃO QUERO VOLTAR SOZINHO)
Directed By: Daniel Ribeiro
Country of Origin: Brazil

2010

Best Narrative Feature Film
UNDERTOW
Directed By: Javier Fuentes-León
Country of Origin: Peru / Colombia / France / Germany


Best Documentary Feature Film
MAKING THE BOYS
Directed By: Crayton Robey
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film (tie)
HENS AND CHICKS
Directed By: Becky Lane
Country of Origin: USA

YOU BELONG WITH ME
Directed By: Dan Petracca
Country of Origin: Unknown

2009

Best Narrative Feature Film
PATRIK, AGE 1.5
Directed By: Ella Lemhagen
Country of Origin: Sweden


Best Documentary Feature Film
EDIE & THEA: A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT
Directed By: Susan Muska & Greta Olafsdottir
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
FALLING FOR CAROLINE
Directed By: Chris Chew
Country of Origin: Canada

2008

Best Narrative Feature Film
TRU LOVED
Directed By: Stewart Wade
Country of Origin: USA


Best Documentary Feature Film
PAGEANT
Directed By: Ron Davis & Stewart Halpern-Fingerhut
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
NO BIKINI
Directed By: Claudia Morgado Escanilla
Country of Origin: Canada

2007

Best Narrative Feature Film
THE BUBBLE
Directed By: Eytan Fox
Country of Origin: Israel


Best Documentary Feature Film
FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO
Directed By: Daniel G. Karslake
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film (tie)
KALI MA
Directed By: Soman Chainani
Country of Origin: USA / India

PARIAH
Directed By: Dee Rees
Country of Origin: USA

2006

Best Narrative Feature Film
A LOVE TO HIDE (UN AMOUR À TAIRE)
Directed By: Christian Faure
Country of Origin: France


Best Documentary Feature Film
LAUGHING MATTERS… MORE!
Directed By: Andrea Meyerson
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
AVAILABLE MEN
Directed By: David Dean Bottrell
Country of Origin: USA

2005

Best Narrative Feature Film
SUMMER STORM (SOMMERSTURM)
Directed By: Marco Kreuzpainter
Country of Origin: Germany


Best Documentary Feature Film
VENUS OF MARS
Directed By: Emily Goldberg
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
RYAN’S LIFE
Directed By: Nick Wauters
Country of Origin: USA

2004

Best Narrative Feature Film
EATING OUT
Directed By: Q. Allan Brocka
Country of Origin: USA


Best Documentary Feature Film
PATERNAL INSTINCT
Directed By: Murray Nossel
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
POWERPLAY
Directed By: Greg Lawson
Country of Origin: Netherlands

2003

Best Narrative Feature Film
LATTER DAYS
Directed By: C. Jay Cox
Country of Origin: USA


Best Documentary Feature Film
LAUGHING MATTERS
Directed By: Andrea Meyerson
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
KISS AND TELL
Directed By: Michaline Babich
Country of Origin: USA

2002

Best Narrative Feature Film
THE TRIP
Directed By: Miles Swain
Country of Origin: USA


Best Documentary Feature Film
DADDY & PAPA
Directed By: Johnny Symons
Country of Origin: USA


Best Short Film
NO DUMB QUESTIONS
Directed By: Melissa Regan
Country of Origin: USA