French Riviera Film Festival co-founders Nicole Muj and Gotham Chandna were in a quandary. Every link in the chain of staging their second annual film festival in the south of France concurrent to the Cannes Film Festival was disrupted. “Due to the pandemic, we couldn’t hold our festival and awards this year live in Cannes,” said Ms. Muj. Then came the flash. In a startling realization, she remembered that Cannes and Beverly Hills are sister cities.
And sisters did what sisters do. They helped each other. “We were delighted to partner with the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel to host our awards virtually.” And with that clever solution, a chic, virtual award ceremony took place at The Pink Lady last weekend.
A small COVID-appropriate gathering of COVID-compliant cinephiles, industry veterans, film fans and one arts blogger hobnobbed on the Hotel’s lush grounds. The five-star hotel, itself an icon of Hollywood history, galvanized its renowned and exceptional wait staff to add rose wine and canapes to the party buzz. Guests clustered, at a distance and out-of-doors around the charming private pool of the stand-alone Presidential Bungalow. Most guests expressed their utter joy to go out and do anything, but especially to attend as lovely an affair as this.
And the winners were:
Best Director: Brandt Andersen (Refugee)
Best Actress: Yasmine Al Massri (Refugee)
Best Actor: Amos Nzamba (Zoo)
Best Drama Short: Refugee
Best Comedy Short: Oddly Popular
Best Documentary Short: The Power of Beauty
Best Experimental Short: Huo Zhe
Best Animation Short: The Bird & the Whale
Best Sci-Fi/Horror Short: Just A Moment
Best Fashion Short: Film Me
Best Music Video: anpu-ZOEA and Childhood
Lifetime Achievement Award: Larry Namer
Special Industry Award: Sue Vicory
Photo credit: Eric Minh Swenson
Dance critic Debra Levine is founder/editor/publisher of arts●meme.