The SAICFF is pleased to announce exciting changes in our awards line-up. We are now offering a $101,000 grand prize—the largest first-place cash prize in the world!. [8.3 MB]

  
Jerry Rose, three-time president of the National Religious Broadcasters, receives the “Best Documentary” award for Acts of Mercy, a powerful film which shares the hope that the Mercy Ships have brought to victims of deformities in West Africa. Hosted by Bill Kurtis, veteran A&E journalist and former CBS Morning News anchor, and co-produced by Mr. Rose, president of the Total Living Network, Acts of Mercy chronicles the service performed by surgeons onboard the Anastasis, a 522-foot floating hospital. [5.5MB]

  
The finalists for the grand prize jubiliee award for Best of Festival at the 2006 San Antonio Indepedent Christian Film Finalist included five films — Acts of Mercy, The Choice, The White Handkerchief, The Oath of Desormeau, and Day of Reckoning. The White Handkerchief, a twelve minute film that explores one man’s deep desire to reconcile with his parents, took runner-up for “Best of Festival,” while The Oath of Desormeau, which also received “The Audience Choice” Award by a runaway margin, garnered the top prize at last year’s event. [4.0MB]

  
The Jim Bob Duggar Family, stars of the Discovery Health Channel’s number one hit-special, “Raising 16 Children,” perform “May the Lord, Mighty God, Bless and Keep you Forever” to the tune of “Edelweiss.” During an earlier hour-and-a-half session with this home schooling family of sixteen, festival attendees got a powerful glimpse into the way a large Christian family works together as a team in a successful project of national impact. The Duggars humble testimony of trusting God for children was an inspiration to many. [5.8MB]

  
Richard and Kristena Ramsey of Aletheia Stage and Film Company, receive the “Best of Festival” Jubilee Award — a $10,000 grand prize — for their film, The Oath of Desormeau. In addition to landing the festivals’ top honor in 2006, The Oath gave the Ramseys their second Audience Choice Award in two years as they claimed the same prize for Washington’s Cross at the 2004 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. Festival founder Doug Phillips observed that in 2006 The Oath “best represent[ed] the values, the vision, and the belief of [the]...festival, a belief which encourages...fathers to turn their hearts to their children and husbands to their wives.” [9.4MB]

  
Stephen Kendrick, the co-writer and producer of Facing the Giants, shared the behind-the-scenes story of his highly successful independent film at the 2006 festival. Kendrick offered these words of hope to attendees, “The Lord has done a very unique things here with [the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival]. He is putting believers — putting it on their radar screen where you are making movies now to get your ready for what God is going to do in the future. And He’s calling us to boldly proclaim the truth to set people free from the darkness.” [8.8MB]

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