The inaugural kid-centered Giffoni Hollywood Film Festival came to a close at the Nickelodeon Studios on Sunday, May 1, with a lively awards bash celebrating the best of the films shown during the festival. The loose, informal event--whose atmosphere recalled the network's annual Kids Choice Awards, albeit with more of a film bent and a lot less slime and belching--capped off six days of festivities and activities ranging from Disneyland trips to a night of bowling with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith to various film screenings. The entire journey of the festival was recapped in various video clip packages peppered throughout the program, which in addition to celebrating the cream of the film crop also heralded Hallmark Entertainment's Robert Halmi Sr., who was given a special award.
Both Smith and Pinkett Smith were on hand for this final night event, as well as Giffoni founder Steven Paul and the Hollywood figure who served as the constant, nurturing presence during the entire festival, Jon Voight. Following the awards show proper, which included video packages recapping the whole of the festival's festivities, attendees including Brendan Fraser and young stars Daryl Sabara, Khleo Thomas, and Josh Peck, retreated out of the studio to a fun- and food-filled afterparty. The young and young-at-heart indulged in carnival-like fare, from the eats (chicken, burgers, ice cream) to activities (wall climbing, shooting hoops, riding gyroscopes).
The winners of the Giffoni Hollywood awards were decided by over 100 children jurors, aged 9 to 17, from 13 countries around the world. The jury was split into three age groups/categories: Dare to Dream (9-11), Reach the Sky (12-14), and Make It Happen (15-17):
DARE TO DREAM (Ages 9-11)
Best Feature: Tooth (United Kingdom)
Director: Ed Nammour
Producers: Simon Franks, Susie Brooks-Smith, Zygi Kamasa
Best Short: Gabriel (Australia)
Director: Cherie Knott
Producer: Janine Burchett