By If you aren’t big on the indie film scene, there’s a good chance that you don’t recognize any of those faces. Hell, if you are big on it, there’s a good chance you still don’t know. I only recognize two of the people up there, Evan Glodell (Bellflower) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block). The former because that’s a shot from the film he made/starred in, and the latter because I took that picture (and filmed him giving our own Sean Walsh a massage).
It doesn’t matter if I recognize their faces, though, because that has no impact on whether or not I recognize their names (which, to be fair, I also probably don’t) or their films (which I do). Regardless, all of these people have done something special this past year. They have proven that they are names and faces worth knowing and worth paying attention to. Technically speaking, three of the contestants have made films before, but, for all intents and purposes, these are their breakout films, so they still count. All of their films are special, and they have all touched the hearts of the Flixist staff to varying degrees.
Now enough beating around the bush, you want to know who won the 2011 Golden Dactyl for Best New Filmmaker. Well…
Bellflower, which deservedly took a spot in my Top 5 of 2011, rendered me completely speechless. I had no words. I still have trouble explaining exactly how it made me feel. Awful doesn’t really describe it. Heartbroken might be closer. Immensely disturbed? Maybe. Looking at that above image is giving me flashbacks. It’s amazing. Or maybe horrible. I don’t even know. It’s probably affected me more than any movie I’ve seen in years.
I think perhaps the most impressive thing about what Evan Glodell accomplished as a filmmaker is how absolutely involved he was in every aspect of the production. Seriously, he basically built the camera that the film was shot on. No one else on this list can say that. Nor can anyone else say they wrote, starred in, directed, edited, and produced their films. Even if his film is not better than the others on this list (and there are arguments to be made either way), Glodell’s commitment to his work is absolutely unmatched. If Bellflower is what he can do on a $17,000 budget, who knows what he could accomplish with some real money behind him. Only thing for sure: it will be amazing.
Joe Cornish absolutely deserves a runner-up spot on this list, because he did a fantastic job with his film, but no one put as much of themselves into their films as Evan Glodell did. He deserved this win.
- Evan Glodell (Bellflower) – 4
- Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) – 3
- Jonathan Levine (50/50) – 1
- Ben Wheatley (Kill List) – 1
- Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur) – 1
- Celine Sciamma (Tomboy) – 1
- Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) – 1