2017 marked the inaugural presentation of two awards of achievement by FilmNorth that recognize excellence in independent filmmaking. The first was the FilmNorth Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement, innovation, and artistry. The second was the Gordon Parks Trailblazer Award, presented by FilmNorth and SoulTouch Productions to a film artist whose career choices show a vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2018, FilmNorth presented our first FilmNorth Legacy Award, which recognizes significant, long-term contributions to the Minnesota film community.
2019 FilmNorth Award recipient: Gregg Araki
2019 FilmNorth Award recipient: Michael Starrbury
2018 FilmNorth Award recipient: Debra Granik
2018 FilmNorth Legacy Award recipient: Al Milgrom
2017 FilmNorth Award recipient: John Carroll Lynch
2017 Gordon Parks Trailblazer Award recipient: Craig Laurence Rice
