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ASHLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 'Western,' 'Imperial Dreams' win top film jury awards Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 13, 2015 at 6:17 PM Updated Apr 14, 2015 at 5:33 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 13, 2015 at 6:17 PM Updated Apr 14, 2015 at 5:33 PM » Social News “Imperial Dreams,” the stirring tale of an aspiring writer enmeshed in crime-ridden Los Angeles ghetto life, swept both the juried and audience awards as Best Feature Film for the Ashland Independent Film Festival, which closed Monday evening. A dozen awards were presented in Oscar-style form at a well-attended Awards Gala on Sunday evening at the Historic Ashland Armory.  “Western,” the story of cartel violence in two border towns, won the Les Blank Award for feature length documentary, while the Rogue Creamery Audience Award for Feature Length Documentary was a tie between “Frame by Frame” and “Batkid: The Wish Heard Round the World.”  “Frame” explores the lives of photographers living under a Taliban prohibition on photographs. “Batkid” details the life of a Miles Scott, a 5-year-old Klamath Falls boy, battling cancer in San Francisco while the city rallies to his wish to emulate Batman.  “Wildlike” won the Jim Giancarlo Juried Award for Best Acting Ensemble in a Feature. It tells of a young woman adrift in Alaska, finding support and friendship from a random backpacker. It also won the Gerald Hirschfeld ASC Award for Best Cinematography. Ashlander Hirschfeld, 94, a noted cinematographer (“Young Frankenstein,” “My Favorite Year”) presented the award.  Best Editing went to “Kurt Cobain: a Montage of Heck.” It documents the life of this famed but doomed rocker of the '90s. The Best Short Film was “Skunk,” the story of a troubled young girl in Texas and her caretaking of rescued dogs. The Jim Teece “Local Hero” Audience Award for Short Films went to “Birthday,” about a young military wife dealing with the grievous wounding of her Marine husband. Best short documentary in the eyes of both jury and audience voters was “One Year Lease,” about three guys renting from a zany, cat-loving landlady. The Audience Family Choice Award went to the animated short “The Dam Keeper,” about a pig and a fox standing up to bullying and a strange pollution threatening the town. Honorable Mentions went to “Stop,” “Hotel 22,” “Welcome to Leith,” “Proud Citizen,” “Cartel Land” and “Barge.” The No Limits Award went to “Brand.”  The gritty, often grisly “Imperial Dreams” gives fleeting hope to 21-year old Bambi, just out of prison for gang activity (assault with a deadly weapon). He longs to put his life together as a writer, albeit in violent and drug-drenched South Central LA, where each day is a survival challenge. Our protagonist narrates the film from the wise and touching manuscripts of his writing, as he tries to raise his son (mom’s in prison), while living in his car. If there’s any program to help him to his feet, it’s not visible. Homies offer him $4,000 to smuggle oxycontin to Portland. That would solve all his problems — or put him back in the pen for decades. He must have a driver’s license to get jobs, but can’t get one, because he’s thousands behind on child support, because he's been in prison. Bullets fly around him, taking out his cousin. The son, about 10, is witness to all this, and is soon removed by child protective service. But then, one glimmer of promise. The very white literary establishment takes time to read a few of his pages. They like it. A lot. It’s a powerful film, shining light on the few corners of hope amid the societal carnage and despair. It’s not easy to watch. The big issue is: how does Bambi build containers of safety and sanity around himself, so he can even get to square two in life? Director Malik Vitthaal has captured it all in this movie. He best describes what drove him to create the film, which really seems a featurized documentary. The actors are acting, but you know this is how it really is. He notes: “We all have the ability to control how we respond to adversity. The young men from South Central in Los Angeles whose real-life struggles inspired our story represent the challenging socioeconomic and emotional realities that so many people of color in American inner cities face. It’s not a film about desperation though; it is about hope. It is about young men who grow all the more empowered to achieve their dreams when their families — stuck in the destructive cycle of drugs, gangs, and crime — don’t provide the support that they need. These men construct their own spheres of support, creating crucial turning points when everything around them is in chaos.” The 2015 Rogue Award, announced Saturday, went to Olympic champion Greg Louganis, who shared his story in the documentary "Back on Board: Greg Louganis." Earlier in the week, the AIFF presented award-winner director Ondi Timoner with the inaugural "No Limits" Award in recognition of her fearless film making and unique storytelling style in her latest film, "BRAND: A Second Coming." John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. The Ashland International Film Festival contributed to this report.   By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 13, 2015 at 6:17 PM Updated Apr 14, 2015 at 5:33 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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