Over 30 films were selected for exhibition and/or competition at the 2017 Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival held at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Avenue, in Chicago from August 3-10. Of those films, the top award-winners are narrative short Closer Than They Appear with 5 awards and narrative feature Monkey receiving 7 awards, including Best of Fest. Gold Star takes home the Audience Favorite.

Best Original Score
Anatoliy Zubkov, Closer Than They Appear

Best Production Design
Holger Isenberg and Fabienne van de Koolwijk, King Grandpa

Best Sound
Closer Than They Appear

Best Editing
Zoritsa Kotseva, Monkey

Best Cinematography
Alexander Stanishev, Monkey

Best Supporting Actress
Catherine Curtin as “Deanne” in Gold Star

Best Supporting Actor
Leonid Yovchev as “Penev” in Monkey

Best Achievement for a Young Actor
Daniil Izotov as “Kolya” in Closer Than They Appear

Best Actress
Aleksandra Kostova as “Maya” in Monkey

Best Actor
Arjun Radhakrishnan as “Shreepad Naik” in Shreelancer

Best Screenplay
Dimitar Kotzev and Ivan Markov, Monkey

Best Director
Nataliya Belyauskene, Closer Than They Appear

Best Music Video
Stung

Best Documentary Short
Cliff, Superfan

Best Documentary
Everything in the Song is True

Best Narrative Short – Drama
Closer Than They Appear

Best Narrative Short – Comedy
Das Paket

Best Narrative Feature
Monkey

Best of Illinois
Spaceman.

Audience Favorite
Gold Star

Best of Fest
Monkey