SXSW unveiled the majority of their 2012 film awards last night at an awards ceremony hosted by comedian Doug Benson, with many MFF alums taking home awards.
The Audience Award for Narrative Feature in Competition went to Megan Griffiths‘ EDEN. Griffiths has worked as assistant director on several MFF titles, including THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM (2011) and ZOO (2007).
Griffiths also took home one of two Chicken & Egg Emergent Narrative Woman Director awards. The other went to Amy Seimetz for her first feature as director, SUN DON’T SHINE. Seimetz co-directed the MFF 2009 short ROUND TOWN GIRLS, and is perhaps best known as an actress featured in, among many other MFF titles, THE DISH & THE SPOON and SMALL POND. SUN DON’T SHINE will also be of interest to MFF audiences for its stars, MFF alum Kentucker Audley (BAD FEVER) and Kate Lyn Sheil (GREEN).
MFF alums also fared well in the awards for short films. The SXSW Wholphin award went to MFF faves Josh and Benny Safdie for their short THE BLACK BALLOON, and the Texas Shorts award went to Annie Silverstein for her short SPARK, shot by Nathan Duncan (director of MFF 2011’s experimental short GHOST MALL).
The audience awards for other categories (including Midnighters and Emerging Visions) will continue to be unveiled throughout the week. Meanwhile, with many filmmakers leaving town and the music conference quite literally taking over Austin, now through the weekend become prime days for dedicated film lovers to take advantage of shorter lines. At 16 films into my goal of 30+, one such film-goer signing off.
– Eric Allen Hatch, Director of Programming
Maryland Film Festival Blog 
Congrats, MFF! Can’t wait for your own fest this May!