For the second year in a row, two films shared the top prize at the Middleburg Film Festival, and both were directed by women.
Chloe Zhao’s moving drama “Hamnet” and Hikari’s emotional crowd-pleaser “The Rental Family” won audience awards at the Virginia-based festival, which celebrated its 13th year this weekend. Orlando von Einsiedel’s “The Cycle of Love,” about the romantic journey of a Delhi street artist, won best documentary, while Kauser Ben Hania’s emotional “The Voice of Hind Rajab” won best international feature.
“Hamnet,” which was screened as the festival’s centerpiece on Saturday night, continues to be a crowd favorite after winning the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival. “Rental Family” closed Middleburg, and screenwriter and director Hikari also attended the screening.
The Middleburg Film Festival has earned a reputation as a leader in awards season. All of the festival’s top prize winners have been nominated for at least one Academy Award, with the exception of 2022 Audience Award winner “Devotion.” Previous winners include Conclave and September 5 (2023), American Fiction (2023), Belfast (2021), Minari (2020), and Green Book (2018).
Over the four-day weekend, several tributes and special honors were awarded at the festival. Casting director Nina Gold won the first Ensemble and Casting Award for her work on “Jay Kelly,” and Chao won the “Visionary Director Award” for “Hamnet.” Colin Farrell won the Spotlight Actor Award after screening Edward Berger’s thriller The Ballad of the Little Player, and Rose Byrne won the Agnès Varda Pioneering Film Artist Award for her performance in Mary Bronstein’s A24 release If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You.
Director Jon M. Chu and his longtime collaborators, cinematographer Alice Brooks and editor Myron Kirstein, also won the 4th Annual Variety Creative Collaborators Award.
“This year’s festival was one of the most emotional we’ve ever seen,” said MFF Founder and Board Chair Sheila Johnson. “We are deeply grateful to the filmmakers and studios who have shared their extraordinary work with us, and to our audience, sponsors, and volunteers for their enthusiasm and support that continues to make Middleburg a special community for film.”
After each screening, festival goers vote for their favorite film. This year’s lineup included 48 titles, including awards season nominees, thought-provoking documentaries, and acclaimed international features.
