TRYON – After a weekend of films, breakout sessions and camaraderie between filmmakers, producers and screenwriters, the second annual Tryon International Film Festival (TRIFF) that took place Oct. 8 and 9 has come to an end and the winners have been crowned.

Beau Menetre, festival organizer and co-founder of the Polk County Film Initiative headquartered in Tryon, called the weekend the “most memorable weekend” of his life.

“Thank you to all of the filmmakers who contributed their passion projects to TRIFF16,” Menetre said. “This weekend was all about making new friends.”

Kevin Powers, one of this year’s festival judges, expressed his congratulations to all of the films and filmmakers present, adding that it was hard to choose from so many films. More than 30 films were shown in Tryon during the two-day festival.

“I would like to congratulate all the wonderful films and filmmakers who screened this past weekend at the TRIFF,” Powers said on Facebook. “I had a great experience as one of the 2016 judges and it was hard to choose between all the great films. I look forward to what the TRIFF has in store for 2017.”

Steven Adam Renkovish, filmmaker and writer from Easley, S.C., touted the festival as one that will eventually make MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” list, saying Menetre and PCFI co-founder Kirk Gollwitzer care about filmmaking.

“The people who are running this festival genuinely care about the craft of filmmaking, about the arts in general, and it shows,” Renkovish said. “This has been a weekend that I will never forget.”

Renkovish’s film, “A Beautiful Silence,” screened at TRIFF on Oct. 9 and has been chosen to compete in the 2016 South Carolina Underground Film Festival.

More than 30 films were screened at the 2016 Tryon International Film Festival, created by Polk County Film Initiative co-founders Beau Menetre and Kirk Gollwitzer. This year’s winners, in seven categories, are:

Best Feature: “Hate Crime” by Steven Esteb

Best Human Rights & Dignity: “Hate Crime” by Steven Esteb

Best Documentary: “American Epic: Out of the Many The One” by Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty

Best Short: “Four Pies” by Andrew Huggins

Best Student Film: “Adaptation” by Bartosz Kruhlik

Audience Choice: “Camp 72” by Seema Mathur

Tryon International Film Festival’s Overall Winner: “American Epic” (all segments) by Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty