Female filmmakers from around the world gathered in Toronto on Sunday night to mark the end of the 11th annual Female Eye Film Festival with a closing night awards ceremony. The FeFF is dedicated to celebrating the work of female film directors.

Directors Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert won a $3, 000 equipment grant from William F. White for best Canadian feature for Margarita.

A $2, 500 post-production service grant sponsored by Deluxe was given to Canuck director Shandi Mitchell for The Disappeared (pictured), as best debut feature.

The best in show award went to the American comedy/family drama Mighty Fine by Debbie Goodstein.

The Playback Singer by Suju Vijayan won the award for best debut foreign feature.

In the documentary category, the best short went to Natsanat by Cheryl Halpern and Mitchell Stuart, while best feature doc was awarded to Living Along the Fence Line by Lina Hoshino and Gwyn Kirk.

Where is Joel Baum by Pearl Gluck was chosen as the best short film while Debris by Anne Walker received honours for best animation.

And the best experimental film of the festival was Fragments by Golbon Eghtedari.

The Female Eye screenplay winners were:

• Best Screenplay – William, Will You Dance – written by Mary Huckstep
• Best Reserve Screenplay – Making of A Faith Healer – written by Rachelle Chartrand
• Best Fresh Voice – Jemma Gold: Teenage Has-Been – written by Justine Barron
• Crowd Pleaser /Audience Choice Award – Two 4 One – written by Maureen Bradley
• Best Low Budget Screenplay – Laundromat Philosopher – written by Lucie Page

The Female Eye Film Festival also honours the achievements of women in the Canadian film and TV industry with tribute events. This year Judy Gladstone, former executive director of Bravo!FACT was given the honourary maverick tribute, while Ruba Nadda, director of Cairo Time and Sabah was given the honourary director’s  tribute.

The 11th annual Female Eye Film Festival was held in Toronto between June 19^th and June 23, 2013. It included industry events such as panel discussions, a script development program, tours and public screenings of films directed by women from around the world. The script development program includes advisory meetings between pre-selected screenwriters and film industry professionals and a public reading of these screenplays in front of the public and a business audience.  The festival’s founder and executive director is Leslie Ann Coles.