Awards

"Our prize is "For a glorious first feature which tells the story of a colourful group of New Yorkers, who in any other film would be labelled as 'outsiders'. Instead Israel lets us experience their world from the inside, and it's a wonderous place to be. It is a tender film with a simple narrative, driven by complex emotions. By letting herself be inspired by her magnificent actors' personal experiences of life on the autism spectrum, writer/director Rachel Israel has created a work that is inclusive, fresh and thoroughly engaging. It has also one of the funniest scripts we have ever come across, with a sense of humour that ranges from the crude jokes of conflicted protagonist David, to the no-nonsense cutoffs by its leading lady Sarah - a female character with a personal brand of vivaciousness never before seen on the cinema screen. We were deeply affected by this heartfelt story of coming of age and finding love, proving there is nothing wrong with being weird."

"For her heartwarming, hilarious and consistently surprising reinvention of the New York romantic comedy, which opens a door to a world of vibrant characters not commonly seen on film, the U.S. Narrative Jury gives the Founders Award to Rachel Israel for Keep the Change."

"For this award, we were looking for a filmmaker with a fearless, authentic voice. Our decision was unanimous. This filmmaker created a world full of vibrant characters often under-represented in cinema. It is a unique, yet universal love story told in a way we've never seen. We anxiously await to see what this filmmaker does next. We are so thrilled to present the award for Best New Narrative Director to Rachel Israel for Keep the Change."