‘Goodfellas’ actor among those honored at Beaufort film festival

An actor who appeared in “Goodfellas” and “Law and Order” received one of the top honors at the Beaufort International Film Festival.

Actor Paul Sorvino was honored with the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award as the 13th annual festival closed Sunday evening. Joyce Gilliard, a television and movie stylist, was recognized with the festival’s Behind the Scenes award.

Fifty-four films and seven screenplays were screened at the fesitval from more than 300 entries, a festival news release said. Organizers estimated 15,000 people attended the festival at USC Beaufort Center for the Arts.

Among the other award winners:

Best Feature: “In the Orchard,” directed by Chris Knoblock, Los Angeles, California

Best Documentary (Feature): “The Need to Grow,” directed by Rob Herring and Ryan Wirick, Los Angeles, California

Best Documentary ( Short): “No Sanctuary,” directed by Nathan Knox, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Best Short Film: “Tin Can,” directed by Pat Battistini, Santa Clarita, California

Best Student Film: “Homecoming,” directed by Jennifer Blair, Los Angeles, California

Best Comedy: “Passive Aggressive Dads,” directed by Jim Picariello, Brooksville, Maine

Best Animation: “Night Light,” directed by Yamiset Trujillo and Jane Suarez, Orlando, Florida

Best Screenplay: “Last of the Burly Girls,” written by John Pisano-Thomsen, Toronto, Canada

Best Actress: Dana White, Los Angeles, California (“In the Orchard”)

Best Actor: Jonas Ball, Los Angeles, California (“In the Orchard”)

Best Director: Chris Knoblock, Los Angeles, California (“In the Orchard”)

Audience Choice: “Tin Can,” director Pat Battistini, Santa Clarita, California (Short Film)

Stephen Fastenau

The Island Packet

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Stephen Fastenau covers Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands for The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet. He has worked for the newspapers since 2010 in various roles as a reporter and assistant editor. His work has been recognized with awards from the S.C. Press Association, including first place for public service as part of a large team reporting on environmental contamination in a Beaufort military community. Fastenau previously wrote for the Columbia County News-Times and Augusta Chronicle. He studied journalism and political science at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and lives in Beaufort. Support my work with a digital subscription