99 Homes takes top prize in Deauville

Director Josh Mond with the Revelation Prize for James White, writer Bahareh Azimi (representing US director Ramin Bahrani) with the Grand Prize for 99 Homes and director Trey Edward Shults with the Critics' Prize for Krisha' pose at the end of the 41st Deauville American Film Festival Photo: François Durand

After week of glorious sunshine the Deauville Festival of American Cinema ended last night (September 12) in a torrential downpour - and a flurry of prizes.

The Competition jury under the presidency of French director Benoît Jacquot bestowed its grand prize on Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes, which is about the indignities and suffering inflicted on families in the State by enforced evictions.

Michael Shannon as Rick Carver - 'A true monster spiced with malice and charm'

Our review also praised the film which stars Andrew Garfield, Laura Linney and Michael Shannon: “Audiences are bound to recognise the situations confronted by the diverse families involved across the economic divide and to respond to the sense of anger at the film’s heart. The performances from Garfield and Dern are spot-on while Shannon’s Carver us a true monster spiced with malice and charm.”

The film is due for release in the US and the UK on September 25, although in France it was destined to go straight to video on demand. It is hoped the prize may mean a change of tactic and a cinema run.

Writer-director Sean Baker was awarded the jury prize for Tangerine, which follows two transgender sex workers in Los Angeles, Sin-Dee (Kitana "Kiki" Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor), whose sweet and modest birthday celebration kicks off a raucous mission of revenge after Sin-Dee finds out her boyfriend has been cheating. It was shot solely on an iPhone 5s (with a Steadicam and lenses employed to help give it a glossier look).

James White by Josh Mond was the recipient of the Kiehl’s Revelation Prize. Inspired by Mond’s own story, the film explores loss and the manifestations of grief.

The Critics’ Prize was given to Krisha, a first feature by Trey Edward Shults, shot on a micro-budget and starring his aunt Krisha Fairchild, a drug and alcohol addict black sheep of her family.

The Deauville Audience Award recipient was Dope, a crowd-pleasing comedy drama written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa and produced by Forest Whitaker.

Deauville American Film Festival, sandwiched around the same period as Venice, Toronto and San Sebastian, experiences difficulty in getting noticed in the crowded calendar despite the presence of such star power as Keanu Reeves, Orlando Bloom, Elizabeth Olsen and Ian McKellen. This year even fewer international journalists turned up to provide wider media coverage, threatening its status on the global arena.

Awards in full

Grand Prize: 99 Homes, Ramin Bahrani.

Jury Prize: Tangerine, Sean Baker.

Kiehl's Revelation Prize: James White, Josh Mond.

Critics’ Prize: Krisha, Trey Edward Shults.

Deauville Audience Award: Dope, Rick Famuyiwa.

Lucien Barrière Literary Award: Dinaw Mengestu for his novel All Our Names

D’Ornano-Valenti Award: Les Cowboys, Thomas Bidegain