Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director | |
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![]() The 2024 recipient: Vera Drew | |
Country | United States |
Presented by | The Gotham Film & Media Institute |
First award | Jennie Livingston for Paris Is Burning (1991) |
Currently held by | Vera Drew for The People's Joker (2024) |
Website | awards |
The Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award is one of the annual Gotham Independent Film Awards and honors feature film directorial debuts. Named after Bingham Ray since 2013, [1] [2] the breakthrough director award was first given in 1991 as the Open Palm Award, with Jennie Livingston being the first recipient of the award, for her work in Paris Is Burning . From 1991 to 1996 only the winner was announced, since 1997, a set of 5 to 6 nominees is presented annually.
Year | Director(s) | Film | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | Jennie Livingston | Paris Is Burning | [3] |
1992 | Tom Kalin | Swoon | [4] |
1993 | Leslie Harris | Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. | [5] |
1994 | Rose Troche | Go Fish | [6] |
1995 | Rebecca Miller | Angela | [7] |
1996 | Lisa Krueger | Manny & Lo | [8] |
1997 | Macky Alston | Family Name | [9] |
Morgan J. Freeman | Hurricane Streets | ||
John O'Hagan | Wonderland | ||
Ira Sachs | The Delta | ||
Alex Sichel | All Over Me | ||
1998 | Darren Aronofsky | Pi | [10] |
Lisa Cholodenko | High Art | ||
Chris Eyre | Smoke Signals | ||
Vincent Gallo | Buffalo '66 | ||
Harmony Korine | Gummo | ||
1999 | David Riker | The City | [11] |
Tim Kirkman | Dear Jesse | ||
Eric Mendelsohn | Judy Berlin | ||
Mark Polish and Michael Polish | Twin Falls Idaho | ||
Frank Whaley | Joe the King |
The Breakthrough Director Award, given for the best first feature, has been renamed in honor of Bingham Ray, the late distribution executive.