‘King Jack’ and ‘TransFatty Lives’ Win Tribeca Audience Awards

READ MORE: Watch: Exclusive ‘King Jack’ Clip Teases Tribeca Coming-of-Age Drama

The directorial debuts of Felix Thompson and Patrick O’Brien were the big winners at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival over the weekend, as “King Jack” and “TransFatty Lives” won the two Audience Awards, respectively. “Jack” was chosen to receive the Narrative Award and “TransFatty” won for Documentary. Each award comes with a cash prize of $25,000. 

“The awards go to two powerful and charming stories of young men facing their deepest fears and overcoming their own challenges,” said Genna Terranova, Tribeca Film Festival Director “These fiction and non-fiction stories of triumph and resilience clearly resonated with audiences this year.”

“King Jack” follows a hardened 15-year-old in a rural town as he discovers the importance of friendship, family and looking for happiness even in the most desolate of circumstances. “TransFatty” is a similar tale of self-discovery as director O’Brien, the titular NYC deejay and Internet meme-making superstar, documents his life after being diagnosed with ALS and given only two to five years to live. Both films had their world premieres at the festival.

Throughout the Festival, which kicked off April 15, audiences were able to vote by completing nomination ballots upon exiting screenings of films. Films in the World Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight and Midnight sections were eligible. Leslye Headland’s sexy rom-com “Sleeping with Other People” and Pakistani music doc “Song of Lahore” were the runner-ups.

READ MORE: Tribeca Review: ‘TransFatty Lives’ is a Groundbreaking Documentary About Living With ALS