‘Conclave’ and ‘September 5’ Share Win for the Audience Award at Middleburg Film Festival

Two films captivated audiences at the Middleburg Film Festival, resulting in a tie for the coveted Audience Award.

Edward Berger’s religious thriller “Conclave” and Tim Fehlbaum’s historical drama “September 5” took home the Audience Award at the Virginia-based festival. Meanwhile, RJ Cutler’s “Martha”, an intimate look at business mogul Martha Stewart, earned the Audience Award for Best Documentary. Mohammed Rasoulouf’s Iranian political thriller “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” claimed the top spot for Best International Feature.

“Conclave,” proving to be a crowd favorite, secured its second audience prize on the festival circuit, having previously won at the Mill Valley Film Festival. The film, which premiered at Telluride to critical acclaim, is generating Oscar buzz for stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, and director Berger. Berger’s last film, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” received nine Oscar nominations and won four.

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Fehlbaum’s “September 5,” a powerful drama about the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre told from the perspective of news organizations, is also gaining momentum. After premiering at Venice and Telluride to glowing reviews, the film, starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, and Leonie Benesch, was acquired by Paramount Pictures.

The Middleburg Film Festival, now in its 12th year, has a strong track record of predicting Oscar contenders. Except for the 2022 Audience Award winner, “Devotion,” every Audience Award winner has gone on to receive at least one Academy Award nomination, including “American Fiction” (2023), “Belfast (2021), “Minari” (2020), and “Green Book” (2018).

“We are thrilled to recognize these filmmakers and their incredible work,” said MFF Executive Director Susan Koch. “Their stories resonated deeply with our audiences for their exceptional storytelling and craftsmanship. We are also grateful to our record-breaking number of attendees this year.”

Following each screening, festival-goers cast ballots for their favorite films. This year’s lineup included 43 films, ranging from awards-season contenders to thought-provoking documentaries and critically acclaimed international features.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this year’s festival such a success,” added MFF Founder and Board Chair Sheila Johnson. “We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers, distributors, sponsors, and our dedicated audience, staff, and volunteers.”

This year’s festival also honored several distinguished filmmakers and artists, including Zoe Saldana, Clément Ducol, Camille (“Emilia Perez”), Jason Reitman and Eric Steelberg (“Saturday Night”), Jharrel Jerome (“Unstoppable”), Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”), Paul Tazewell (“Wicked”), Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”), and Edward Lachman (“Maria”).