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2021 Archive

Since 2004 FOCAL International Awards competition is dedicated to the promotion and celebration of archival footage and its contribution to the creative and cultural industries. We congratulate all the past winners.

Best Use of Footage in a Short Film Production

2021 Winner

The Spiritual Exercises

Director:
Lloyd Kramer, Scott Chestnut
Producer(s):
Lloyd Kramer, Tom Yellin, Alison Joy
Footage Archive Researcher:
Alison Joy, Leila Wikel
Archival Sources:
ABC News VideoSource, British Pathé, Reuters, Kinolibrary, Ball State University Archives and Special Collections, The Associated Press
Production Company:
The Documentary Group
Country of Production:
United States

Synopsis

Terry and Therese fall in love in 1960s New York. He's a rising star in the art world, she works at the famed Metropolitan Opera. The only problem? He's a Jesuit Priest who has taken a vow of celibacy. “The Spiritual Exercises” tells a love story in the face of impossible odds.

Shortlisted

Revelaciones (Revelations)

Director:
Juan Soto
Producer(s):
Juan Soto
Footage Archive Researcher:
Juan Soto
Archival Sources:
Cuban FIlm Archive, Photographic private collection, Juan Soto Private Collection
Production Company:
TardeoTemprano Films
Country of Production:
United Kingdom, Colombia

Synopsis

I called my mother with a very specific question, and the conversation ended up having the structure of a potencial film. When blending her words with some old 16mm footage and some photography rolls a cuban friend had asked me to develop, the images started to burn, and their ignition posed questions about the nature of memories, how do we archive and preserve them, and which ones vanish without leaving a trace. According to Didi Huberman, to look at an image requires being able to discern the place where it burns.

North Country

Director:
Nick Martini (Director) Cam Riley (DP)
Producer(s):
Anthony Lahout (EP), Lindsey Hagen (EP)
Editor(s):
Mattias Evangelista
Archival Sources:
Rick Moulton, Oklahoma Historical Society, New Hampshire State Parks, John Frye and International Skiing History Association, Jeff Liech and Franconia Ski Museum
Production Company:
Stept Studios
Country of Production:
United States

Synopsis

100-year businesses don’t exist. The retail industry is dead. In the rugged White Mountains of northern New Hampshire, Lahout’s has remained open 365 days a year since 1920. While e-commerce and conglomerates have stripped the country of local, independent retailers, a family of Lebanese immigrants have prevailed for a century, beating the Great Depression, World War II, the Dot Com Crash and Great Recession.

Award-winning director Nick Martini and cinematographer Cam Riley have teamed up with executive producer Anthony Lahout to captivate a nation consumed with hashtags instead of history. This film tells a timeless short story of the American dream and the family that put a community on skis. After 100 years, Lahout’s is still a family business moving onto its fourth generation. Through past and present, we learn the true root of the store's success.