2007 BIFF Announces Best of Fest Awards

Great Barrington, MA – Today, the 2007 Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) is pleased to announce the winners of the “Best of Fest” Awards in the feature film and documentary categories. In the feature film category “Arranged” written by Stefan Schaefer and directed by Diane Crespo and Stefan Schaefer, was selected as the audience favorite. “Arranged” is the story of two young women – one an Orthodox Jew, the other Muslim – meet and become friends as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn.

Over the course of the year they learn they share much in common, not least of which is that they are both going through arranged marriages. In the documentary category “Darius Goes West” directed by Logan Smalley was selected as best documentary. “Darius Goes West” is a film which follows the road trip of 15-year-old Darius Weems from Athens, Georgia, who was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the most common fatal genetic disorder to affect children worldwide. A group of Darius’ college-age friends decided there was no need for his quality of life to disintegrate  along with his muscles. In the summer of 2005, they rented a wheelchair-accessible RV and took Darius, who had never seen mountains, the ocean or even crossed a state line, on the adventure of a lifetime. They found joy, brotherhood and the knowledge that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride. The 2007 festival was held May 17-20, 2007 at the Triplex Cinema, Mixed Company and the historical Mahaiwe Theatre in Great Barrington, MA.

Last year’s winners were the Australian film “Look Both Ways,” and the Brazilian documentary “Favela Rising” which was both released last summer. The Berkshire International Film Festival is for filmmakers and film lovers alike to be entertained, educated and inspired. BIFF seeks to celebrate independent film and to recognize and pay tribute to accomplished artists on both sides of the camera in the international, national and regional film community. BIFF aims to provide filmmakers, producers, directors, writers and actors an environment to collaborate, present their work, and interact with each other and with film audiences. Specific priorities of the Festival are to showcase the most challenging and topically relevant documentaries each year, and provide a platform for Berkshire filmmakers.