‘Chef’ and ‘Keep On Keepin’ On’ honored at the Tribeca Film Festival

The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival audience has spoken.

And at wrap party Saturday for the Heineken Audience Awards in New York City, festival entries in the feature film and documentary categories were celebrated with top honors (as well as a pair of $25,000 cash prizes).

“Chef,” an indie drama starring, written and directed by Jon Favreau -- best known for mega-budget studio fare such as “Iron Man 2” and “Cowboys & Aliens” -- landed TFF’s Narrative Award for best feature. And “Keep On Keepin’ On,” a Kickstarter-financed effort directed by drummer-turned-first-time filmmaker Alan Hicks, scored the festival’s Documentary Award.

PHOTOS: Box office top 10 of 2013

On Thursday, Hicks was honored with Tribeca’s Best New Documentary Director prize. His film follows legendary octagenarian jazz-musical legend Clark Terry as he mentors Justin Kauflin, a blind 24-year old piano prodigy who suffers from crippling stage fright.

Also on Saturday, Radius-TWC announced that it had acquired worldwide distribution rights to “Keep On Keepin’ On.”

“Mate, that’s unbelievable,” the Australian director said Saturday at the awards ceremony. “I was just honored to get into the festival in the first place. Never would have imagined coming away with the audience award and the Best New Director award. I’m stoked!”

ALSO:

Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson circling ‘Jungle Book’

‘The Other Woman’ called a dimwitted faux-feminist comedy

‘Jem and the Holograms’ announces main cast, led by Aubrey Peeples

[email protected]

Twitter: @__chrislee