Jonathan Singer-Vine’s LICKS Wins Big at the Chelsea Film Festival

One of the surprises we saw at SXSW this year was Jonathan Singer-Vine‘s powerful urban drama Licks.  Fortunately, others are recognizing this film for just how good it is and it just picked up four awards at the Chelsea Film Festival including The Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Actor (for Stanley Doe Hunt), and Best Supporting Actor (for Devon Libran and Koran Streets).

The film is currently scheduled for a batch of West Coast screenings, however there hasn’t been any word on a VOD or DVD release just yet.  Be sure to check out our review here and hit the jump for the trailer and synopsis.

LICKS is a chilling urban drama following the story of a young man, D, as he returns to his Oakland neighborhood after serving two years in prison for a robbery gone wrong. In the days after his release, we are taken into D’s world while he navigates the harsh realities that plague his inner city community. His judgment is tested by the insidious influences around him, forcing D to decide what direction to take his life.