Rosa Ruth Boesten: Last News

Lisa Kennedy In “Master of Light,” Rosa Ruth Boesten’s superbly intimate portrait of painter George Anthony Morton, shadows matter as much as light. The documentary, which won the grand jury prize at the SXSW Film Festival, deals with Black trauma, gently acknowledging change without over-trumpeting resilience.While serving time in federal prison for selling drugs, Morton studied the works of Rembrandt and other classical painters. Unlike too many formerly incarcerated people, he found work when he was released after a 10-year stint.

HBO Documentary Films has acquired worldwide television and streaming rights to Master of Light, the SXSW award-winning film about artist George Anthony Morton, who honed his exceptional talent while serving a prison sentence.

Naman Ramachandran Rodrigo Reyes’ “Sansón and Me” (Mexico/U.S.) has won best film at the Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 23-28) international competition. Supported by BBC Studios Documentary Unit, the award is Academy Award accredited.Special mentions were given to “One Day in Ukraine” by Volodymyr Tykhyy (Ukraine-Poland) and “After the End of the World” by Nadim Mishlawi (Lebanon)The best first feature award was won by Rosa Ruth Boesten’s “Master of Light” (U.S.-Netherlands). A special mention was given to “Julie on Line” by Mia Ma (France).Best short film was awarded to “Fawley” by Chu-Li Shewring and Adam Gutch (U.K.).

Mexican Immigrant Tale ‘Sansón And Me’ Wins Best Film At Sheffield Doc/Fest

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticBack together in person after two years of going virtual during the pandemic, the Austin-based SXSW Film Festival has announced its juried prizes. As in previous editions, the awards show happened at the midpoint of the nine-day event, before SXSW’s music events suck much of the attention away from film screenings.The top prize in narrative feature competition went to “I Love My Dad,” written and directed by James Morosini, who also stars as a younger version of himself in this uncomfortable retelling of how he was catfished by his father (played by Patton Oswalt).“Morosini displays massive empathy as a filmmaker to get into the mind of the father he feels betrayed by, and also as an actor portraying the impact of that betrayal,” said the jury, who also gave special jury prizes to the cast and crew of “It Is in Us All” and Elizaveta Yankovskaya, star of the Russian film “Nika.” Best documentary feature honors went to director Rosa Ruth Boesten’s “Master of Light,” a portrait of once-incarcerated painter George Anthony Morton’s steps to rebuild his life after prison, which impressed its jury for its empathy as well.“With astonishing intimacy, the film’s visuals build an artful bridge between two- and three-dimensional realms that are deeply rooted and utterly transcendent,” the jury explained.