The Gymnast takes home the gold at San Francisco
filmfest

Awards were presented Sunday at the closing night gala of the 30th San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival.

The Audience Award for Best Feature was given to Ned Farr's The Gymnast. Farr's film looks at an aging gymnast who finds new life and new love in the world of aerial dancing. The film also received the Best U.S. Narrative Feature Award at New York City's Newfest earlier this month.

The Audience Award for Best Documentary was given to Todd Holland's The Believers, which looks at the world's first transgender gospel choir.

Eric Smith's film Irene Williams: Queen of Lincoln Road took home the Audience Award for Best Short Film. Smith's work, which has won 11 other awards already this year, looks at his friendship with Irene Williams, the elderly icon of Miami's Lincoln Road neighborhood.

The $10,000 Dockers First Feature Award went to Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil's film Stray Cats. This independent film from the Philippines examines the parallel lives of a straight woman and her gay neighbor. The Dockers First Feature Award is chosen by a jury that this year was made up of film director Cheryl Dunye, president of Ironweed Films Adam Werbach, and codirector of the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Carol Coombes.

The Michael J. Berg Documentary Award, which also comes with a $10,000 prize, was given to Janet Baus, Dan Hunt, and Reid Williams's film Cruel and Unusual. The documentary looks at transgender women who have been placed in men's correctional facilities. The jury that chose this year's winner for the Documentary Award was made up of filmmaker Harjant Gill, documentary filmmaker Sasha Aickin, and Melbourne Queer Film Festival director Lisa Daniel.

Eleven films made their world premieres at this year festival, which had 144 different scheduled programs, 20 of which were sold out. For more information about the festival visit www.FrameLine.org/festival.