Short documentary Umoja: No Men Allowed has picked up awards at the the Palm Springs International Shortfest and the Artivist Festival, USA.
The heartwarming film beat a line-up of 300 international rivals to take out the $60,000 Panavision Grand Jury Award, which includes the use of a 35mm Panavision camera and two-week edit, at the Palm Springs International Shortfest.
The film, about a group of Samburu tribeswomen who infuriate their jealous ex-husbands by creating a successful women’s only village in Kenya, also won the Human Rights Award at the Artivist Festival, USA.
The two awards follow a successful international festival run including IDFA 2010 and screenings in Australia at Flickerfest, Dungog and Byron Bay. It also won the inaugural F4 Award for Outstanding New Documentary Talent at the Australian International Documentary Conference.
The Palm Springs International Shortfest included 32 Australian short films: Nullarbor 's co-director and writer Patrick Sarell and co-director Alistair Lockhart received a Jury Special Citation for Excellence in Filmic Storytelling, while Christopher Stollery's dik was voted the Audience Favourite Live Action Short.
Meanwhile, Alex Murawski's Kiss took out second place behind Israeli film The Promised Land in the Best Student Live Action Short (15 minutes and under) category.