Congrats to Alrick Brown and his feature film debut Kinyarwanda, which won the Audience Award in the World Cinema section at AFI Fest 2011, as announced earlier today in Hollywood, CA.

The Rwandan genocide drama tied with a documentary called Jiro Dreams Of Sushi (about an 85-year old Japanese sushi Chef) for the award.

And in case you're one of the few still unaware, Kinyarwanda will be the second film released theatrically by the African American Film Festival Release Movement (AFFRM), and will make its debut on December 2nd, in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle and Washington (DC).

An S&A livecast interview with director Brown is forthcoming, so stay tuned for details on that.

Full list of winners below:

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Breakthrough Section (award accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize) WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT by Alexandra-Therese Keining

New Auteurs Section BULLHEAD by Michaël R. Roskam

World Cinema Section A tie: JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI by David Gelb and KINYARWANDA by Alrick Brown

Young Americans Section WUSS by Clay Liford

LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED SHORT FILM SECTION JURY AWARDS

Live Action Short Film Section Grand Jury Prize: FROZEN STORIES from Grzegorz Jaroszuk

Honorable Mention: BABYLAND by Marc Fratello

Animated Short Film Section Grand Jury Prize: THE EAGLEMAN STAG by Michael Please

Honorable Mention: THE VOYAGERS by Penny Lane

NEW AUTEURS SECTION CRITIC’S PRIZE

Grand Jury Prize: THE LONELIEST PLANET by Julia Loktev

Special Jury Prize: ATTENBERG by Athina Rachel Tsangari

Acting Award Prize: BULLHEAD’s Matthias Schoenaerts