Thunder Road, a drama about a police officer from Middle America trying to raise his young daughter as he copes with his disintegrating marriage and imploding career, won the top prize at the 2018 South by Southwest Awards for best narrative feature.
Jim Cummings wrote, directed and starred in the movie, which is based on his 2016 award-winning Sundance Fest short film.
Best documentary went to People’s Republic of Desire, director Hao Wu’s exploration of the surreal existences of “live-streaming” social media stars in China.
“I really want to thank my family for being patient with me, because this film was made over four years,” Wu said.
Stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan hosted the Tuesday night awards show at the Paramount Theatre in Austin. “I would say South by Southwest is the best film festival,” he said in his opening monologue. ‘”Granted, I’ve never been to Cannes. Or Telluride.”
The jury awarded two special prizes in the features category: special recognition for first feature to “The New Romantic,” a romantic comedy about a college senior who decides to date an older man to cash in on presents; and special recognition for writing for “Jinn,” a story of a teenage girl in the Bay Area whose life changes after her mother converts to Islam.
The male stripper documentary, “This One’s for the Ladies,” received a special jury prize for best cast.
Janet Pierson received a special honor for her 10 years as the head of SXSWFilm. “I love working with filmmakers,” she said.
