The week-long celebration of all things deemed experimental, non-narrative and esoteric -- whether on screen or in a gallery -- drew to a close over the weekend. This year saw the roll-out of the MOMENTUM symposium series and the ifpod web video project; of which the latter initiative was moderately successful despite its archaic clunky usability -- and not unlike their website this year (com'on, frames?) -- compared to the Web 2.0 experience we're all used to.

My snobby technical gripes withal, the fest continued to expand its reach beyond celluloid and tape, and has above all cemented itself as the city's foremost multimedia arts event.

As the cap-off to the successful run, the Award Winners were announced, which reads like a who's who of the media arts scene, local and beyond, emerging and established. Congratulations to all the artists.

Images Prize:
Sponsored by NOW Magazine, the grand prize, awarded in recognition of the Best Canadian Media Artwork in the festival:
David Hoffos (Lethbridge, Alberta) Scenes From the House Dream: Bachelor's Bluff at the J.M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, U of Toronto.

National Film Board of Canada Award:
This prize is awarded by the NFB to the Best Emerging Canadian Film or Video Maker in the festival:
Andrea Cooper (Toronto) Strange Things and Oh, Darlin...

Best International On Screen (Film) Award:
Presented by the Images Festival, this award honours the strongest new international film in the festival:
Gerhard Holthuis (the Netherlands) Careless Reef #1: Preface

Best International On Screen (Video) Award:
Presented by the Images Festival, this award honours the strongest new international video in the festival:
Julia Meltzer and David Thorne (a/k/a/ Speculative Archive)(USA) We will live to see these things, or, five pictures of what may come to pass.

Best Off Screen Award:
Presented by the Images Festival, this award honours the strongest new Canadian or international installation or new media work in the festival (tie):
Lonnie van Brummelen (the Netherlands) Grossraum at Gallery TPW
Thomas KĂśner + JĂźrgen Reble (Germany) Quasar

Steam Whistle Homebrew Award:
Presented by Steam Whistle Brewing, this award honours excellence and promise in a local artist:
Christina Battle (Toronto) Three Hours, Fifteen Minutes Before the Hurricane Struck

Overkill Award:
The Overkill Award was established in 2000 to honour Images Executive Director Deirdre Logue (1995 through 1999 festivals) and is given to an artist whose work approaches extremes of incorrigibility through form and/or content, and challenges our notions of edgy experimental practice:
Bruce McClure (New York) They Wakened Later, Simultaneously
Honourable mention: Jennet Thomas (London, UK) Because of the War

Marian McMahon Award:
Presented by the Images Festival to a woman filmmaker each year, this award honours strong work in autobiography, the complexity of "subject" and the spirit of Marian McMahon:
Sarah Pucill (London, UK) Taking My Skin.

York University Award for Best Student Film:
Presented by York University's Department of Film and Video, the recipient is determined by audience vote:
Laurynas Navidauskas (student at Simon Fraser University) Good Night Sleep Tight

Vtape Award for Best Student Video:
Vtape, Toronto's video art distributor, presents this longstanding award. The recipient is determined by audience vote:
Eric Hill (student at the University of Regina) Error

RBC "S is for Student" Award for Excellence:
RBC is a strong supporter of the Arts and is proud to present the award of Excellence for the "S" is for Student competition, as part of the Images Festival. The student winner is chosen by the Images Festival 2007 Competition Jury.
Eric Hill (student at the University of Regina) Error

Tom Berner Award:
This award, sponsored by LIFT (The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto) and the Images Festival commemorates the late Tom Berner, who for many years supported and nurtured Canadian filmmakers. The award is presented annually to an individual who has provided extraordinary support to the cause of independent filmmaking in Toronto: Roberto Ariganello (Toronto)