TIPTON, IA – The jury of the 2011 Hardacre Film Festival has announced its award-winning films in six categories. The festival will take place Aug. 5 and 6 at the Hardacre Theater, 112 E. 5th St. in Tipton.

"We received a huge number of entries this year—more than 170 from 15 countries—so it was a special challenge to narrow down our selection for a festival that lasts a day and a half," said Will Valet, Hardacre director. "These films are the best of the best."

The award-winning films are:

Best Narrative Feature

WINNER – "Boy Wonder," by director Michael Morrissey. Beware the hero. In this riveting and gritty psychological thriller, a young Brooklyn boy named Sean witnesses the brutal murder of his mother and grows up obsessed with finding her killer. Thus begins his life as a quiet, straight-A student by day and a self-appointed hero at night. Like a graphic novel you can’t put down, "Boy Wonder" challenges morality, distorting perceptions of what is right and what is justified as it races to its shocking conclusion.

Best Documentary

WINNER – "The City Dark," by director Ian Cheney. After moving to New York City from rural Maine, filmmaker Ian Cheney ("King Corn") asks a simple question: Do we need the stars? Ian unravels the myriad complications of a globe glittering with lights—including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above. Featuring stunning astrophotography, "The City Dark" is the definitive story of the disappearing stars.

RUNNER-UP – "Breaking and Entering," by director Benjamin Fingerhut. Some say that to embrace one’s greatest talent is to make the world a better place. Others see a grown man spinning a 17-foot Hula Hoop and snicker about trivial obsessions. "Breaking and Entering" documents three of these would-be Guinness World Record holders as they battle the odds in pursuit of global dominance.

Best Short Film (tie)

WINNER – "The Magic Man," by director DC Kasundra. Hoping to secure fame and fortune, a struggling vaudeville magician turns to the dark arts. But the power unleashed could cost him the one thing he truly loves. "The Magic Man" blends the artistry of black-and-white silent films of the 1920s with beautifully rendered visual effects to create a unique 3D experience.

WINNER – "The Secret Friend," by director Flavio Alves. A reclusive, elderly widow, Anna Marshall (Harris) lives in quiet desperation following her husband’s death until she begins receiving daily phone calls from a silent stranger. As the calls continue, unabated Anna finds herself waiting for her phone to ring with growing anticipation, prompting her to reach out to her silent prankster.

Best Student Film

WINNER – "GoldenBox," by director Matt MacDonald. Best friends Jeff and Tucker have grown up like most boys—playing video games and causing mischief. Now, late into their 20s, Jeff’s new job promotion is moving him out of the country and away from Tucker’s immaturity forever. With one last night together, they have to break into a shipping facility to steal back a package—a mysterious golden box—and hope their friendship can survive the adventure.

RUNNER-UP – "Blank Canvas," by director Hannah Sullivan. In this short, a young girl sees her life as a blank canvas ready to be painted.

Best Animated Film

WINNER – "The Quiet Life," by director Timothy Hittle. Jay Clay has ceased his wanderings and built a home for himself and Blue, his faithful animal companion. Jay is content to live a quiet life. Yet trouble is never far away, and soon, chaos is at his door. He encounters two visitors amid the mayhem, and his life is forever changed.

RUNNER-UP – "The Renter," by director Jason Carpenter. A young boy is dropped off at an elderly woman’s home for the day. Her house sits among fields of weeds and rotting pears. A lone man, who rents a room, adds to the unsettling atmosphere. This daycare makes for a harsh and confusing world for the boy, who learns caring can be shown in unexpected ways.

Best Experimental Film

WINNER – "Red Rider’s Lament," by director Jeremy Bessoff. The tragic-comic "Red Rider’s Lament" employs vintage plastic cowboys and construction paper sets to explore the enactment of masculinity in the Old West. The Rider enters the fold just as the West’s dust is settling. His haphazard wanderings cause him to confront manifest destiny and the changes it renders to the landscape and its inhabitants.

Best Iowa Film

WINNER – "Married in Spandex," by directors Devin Gallagher and Allison Kole. As they begin a life together, Amanda and Rachel are determined to make their wedding day a unique and memorable affair. "Married in Spandex" follows the young women as they navigate their way from their home in the Philadelphia to Ames, Iowa. When every same-sex wedding is seen as a political act and brides or grooms-to-be are asked to walk the entire LGBT community down the aisle, not everyone will be cheering Amanda and Rachel’s offbeat "I do."

Hardacre 2011 will also give an Audience Award, to be voted on by the audience and announced at the conclusion of the festival Saturday, Aug. 6.

Admission to any of the Hardacre’s three programs, Opening Night, Saturday Day or Closing Night, is $8 each. An all-festival pass can be purchased for $20. Films on Friday begin at 6 p.m. On Saturday, screenings will run all day from 9 a.m. through 11 p.m.