Best Documentary Feature

The 2019 International Motor Film Awards took place as a gathering of the best directorial and production talent, from high end films and commercials to student and independent productions. A collection of leading authorities and profiles in the car and film industry were present together with attendees from every corner of the globe.

Taking place on September 26th in London, the awards were again held at the beautiful Victorian venue The Grand, where guests were welcomed by a display of the Marussia MVR02 Formula 1 car, prepared as part of the TDF1 program. In addition to that, the display featured a suspended drone from Fleye carrying a RED camera with Cooke lens.

Guests enjoyed a complimentary buffet and popcorn with live jazz prior to the awards commencing. After a two hour meet-and-greet that gave everyone a chance to network and relax before the big show, the evening ensued with a screening of the films on the huge high definition screen with spectacular sound. VIP cabaret tables benefitted from complimentary bottles and additional snacks. 60 nominated films had segments screened during the evening, ranging from dramas, documentaries, event films, journalism films, student films and commercials, with 52 of the films represented by the filmmakers on the night.

We are honoured by the continued support from our sponsors, whose support helps make the awards possible. Special thanks to RED Digital Cinema and Cooke Optics who joined the night in full force, with Jarred Land, CEO of RED on the jury, and Robert Howard, CEO of Cooke there to present a trophy.
 
Winners took home a silver or golden conrod; bespoke trophies handcrafted using a variety of materials and manufacturing techniques. Polished aluminium, heated stainless steel, laser cut perspex, carved wood and galvanised steel come together to form trophies that stand over 30cm tall. The Grand Prix award winner received the coveted golden conrod; a trophy featuring a gold conrod, wheel and galvanised laurel, as well as a brushed gold scroll and plaque to stand out from the rest.

A silent auction took place on the night, with a huge range of incredible items ranging from signed Formula 1 memorabilia and Andy Warhol artwork to hospitality packages and jet fighter experiences. All proceeds go to Mission Motorsport, the forces' motorsport charity. Mission Motorsport's goal is to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of those affected by military operations by providing opportunities through motorsport and the automotive Industry. We don't know the amount raised yet but we did see quite a few guests heading home with new purchases at the end of the night!

Every year our sponsorboard is a huge hit and a great opportunity for guests to capture memories of the night. You can find the pictures in the gallery or on our Facebook page.

Best Drama Feature, sponsored by Mission Motorsport. A big category this year, with the likes of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Taxi 5, The Shanghai Job, Baby Driver and Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado involved. Presented by James Griffin from Mission Motorsport, the award went to Baby Driver. Director Edgar Wright received the award via video as he was unable to attend.

BABY DRIVER
Director: Edgar Wright
TriStar Pictures
Media Rights Capital
Working Title Films
Sony Pictures Releasing

Best Drama Short, sponsored by Aputure. Presented by Vicki Butler-Henderson - one of the founding presenters of Fifth Gear and the most recent female host of Top Gear. Vicki is a regular contributor for Autotrader and her new show The Car Years launched on ITV4 earlier this year. The prize went to The Racer, from director Brad Day, who joined us from the Gold Coast of Australia.

THE RACER
​Director: Brad Day

Best Documentary Feature, sponsored by the National Motor Museum. Presented by Jacques Steyn from the jury. About the winning film THE LAST RACE, Jacques said "This film captures the enthusiasm and devotion of the people in the crazy extra-ordinary world of US stock car racing in a simple, effective and very honest way - outstanding."

THE LAST RACE
​Magnolia Pictures
Journeyman Pictures
Director: Michael Dweck
Producers: Michael Dweck
& Gregory Kershaw

Best Documentary Short, sponsored by TDF (cheers for the F1 car!). Presented by Jessica Hawkins, a British racing driver and the official Development Driver for TDF. Jess is also a successful stunt driver that has worked on various projects including Hollywood movies and for the Fast and Furious Live Arena tour. With such a tough category, the jury decided to award two films. Directors Frank and Michele joined from Hong Kong and Amsterdam respectively for PROTOTIPO, and Connor Boals from Great Big Story collected the trophy for THE IMPOSSIBLE RIDE.

THE IMPOSSIBLE RIDE
​Great Big Story
Director: Eben Hall
Producer: Adam Wolffbrandt
Editor: Justin Beach
Senior Producer: Drew Beebe
Supervising Producer: ​Sadie Bass
Exec Producer: ​Courtney Coupe

Best Journalism Film, sponsored by Castle Combe. Presented by Bruce Law from the jury. The prize went to The Grand Tour - Detroit Muscle Power. Series Director Phil Churchward and editor Dan James took to the stage to collect the trophy.

THE GRAND TOUR - DETROIT MUSCLE POWER
​Jeremy Clarkson
James May
Richard Hammond
Series Director: Phil Churchward

Best Event Film, sponsored by Gumball 3000. Presented by Al Clark. The prize went to THE LAUDA LEGACY, with cinematographer Nils Vogt from STEREOSCREEN representing the film on stage. Congratulations on the win at Cannes, on the same night!

THE LAUDA LEGACY - STEREOSCREEN
Director / Writer: Tim Hahne
Producer: Nick Hahne

...

With a full house of over 300 guests - nominees, sponsors, jury members, race drivers, journalists, cast, crew and film lovers alike, we were in good company, and the positive vibe was clear from start to finish. With 60 outstanding nominated films this year, and almost every one represented on the night, we're honoured to provide a platform for this exciting and visceral industry we are all a part of.  
 
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, and a big congratulations to the teams behind Mission: Impossible - Fallout, who have taken home Best Cinematography, Best Stunts and the Grand Prix Award.
​
I'd like to thank our title sponsor RED Digital Cinema, as well as our category sponsors who have all been a fundamental part in making this happen, the jury who have spent countless hours scrutinising the films, my event team who worked around the clock to put on a great show, and of course everyone who took part this year; the new and old faces who make this event truly unique every year. 

Vince Knight, Managing Director