'Flannery' Wins First-Ever Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize Ahead of World Premiere at Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival

Prize comes with $200,000 finishing grant for film on writer Flannery O'Connor, directed by Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco

Flannery, the documentary about Southern "gothic" writer Flannery O'Connor, has been named the winner of the inaugural Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, two days before its world premiere at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in Arkansas.

​The award will be presented to directors Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco at a gala event at the Library of Congress Thursday night. The prize, which comes with a $200,000 finishing grant, "recognizes a filmmaker whose documentary uses original research and compelling narrative to tell stories that touch on some aspect of American history," according to a news release announcing the award.

The prize, the richest I'm aware of in documentary film, will be presented annually. It is funded by philanthropists Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine, in concert with The Better Angels Society and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation.
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Flannery is an extraordinary documentary that allows us to follow the creative process of one of our country’s greatest writers.

--Ken Burns

"[Flannery] is a beautiful and thoughtful reflection about the power of words and contemplation as well as the satisfaction that comes from a commitment to art and craft," Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, said in a statement. 

Dr. Hayden selected the winning film from a half-dozen finalists, "in consultation with Ken Burns," according to the news release. The announcement marked the culmination of a multi-step process that began with 80 films submitted for consideration. The initial submissions were whittled to 10, which "were then reviewed by an internal committee consisting of filmmakers from Florentine Films [Ken Burns' production company] and expert staff from the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, the Library’s state-of-the-art moving image and recorded sound preservation facility."

The six finalists "were then reviewed by a National Jury consisting of: Edward Ayers, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and President emeritus at the University of Richmond; Andrew Delbanco, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies at Columbia University and President of the Teagle Foundation; Rachel Dretzin, co-founder of Brooklyn-based Ark Media and a principal producer, director, and writer with the Company; and Dawn Porter, an American documentary filmmaker and the founder of production company Trilogy Films."

​Flannery kicks off the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Friday evening, with the filmmakers expected to be on hand. Watch the trailer for the film here:

Flannery Trailer from Elizabeth Coffman on Vimeo.

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Related: 
>Flannery director Elizabeth Coffman on bringing her documentary to Hot Springs: 'This festival makes perfect sense'

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In a statement, Burns praised Flannery as "an extraordinary documentary that allows us to follow the creative process of one of our country’s greatest writers. It also provides us a glimpse into her life, including her Catholic faith, her unusual sensitivity to race as a Southern white woman, and her daily struggles with illness and the prospect and reality of an early mortality. The story is beautifully told and captures the power of her southern birth and life. We’re hopeful that a new generation of readers will re-discover the writings of Flannery O’Connor because of this film.”

O'Connor died at age 39 in 1964, after a long struggle with lupus. She is best known for her mastery of the short story genre; among her works are "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," "Everything That Rises Must Converge," "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," and "A Late Encounter with the Enemy."

Flannery O'Connor, a lover of birds, with one of her peacocks. Photo from IMDB.com

Coffman said in a statement, "This wonderful award supports filmmakers who seek creative ways for listening to U.S. history with all of our 'freaks' and prophets, our serial killers and our saints – to paraphrase Flannery O’Connor – and will help to revive the hilarious, transcendent talent of writers who exist just outside the mainstream."

“It is such a great honor to receive this award, as it highlights Flannery O’Connor’s unique place in American literature,” Bosco, the film's co-director, noted. “Her life and her work resonate with contemporary issues concerning faith, race, gender, and disability. Her stories vividly portray narratives of cultural conflict in a nation still haunted by religious belief.” ​

The second-place prize was awarded to the documentary Mae West: Dirty Blonde, directed by Sally Rosenthal. That award comes with a $50,000 prize, provided by The Better Angels Society. Four grants of $25,000 each were provided to the other quartet of finalists: The Adventures of Saul Bellow, directed by Assaf Galay; The First Angry Man, directed by Jason Cohn; Mr. Soul, directed by Melissa Haizlip, and 9 to 5: The Story of a Movement, directed by Julia Reichert.

An image from Julia Reichert's "9 to 5: The Story of a Movement." Photo from MoMA