“Collisions” won an Imagen Award (known in the industry as the “Latino Oscars”) for “Best Young Actor – Television” (Izabella Alvarez).

In addition, it was nominated for two other Imagen Awards, for “Best Primetime Program: Special, Movie or Limited Series” and “Best Actor – Television” (Jesse Garcia) and a NAMIC Vision Award in the “Original Movie or Special” category.

“Collisions” played 19 festivals, winning 13 awards:

Mill Valley Film Festival: Audience Award, Gold, US Indie Cinema
SF IndieFest: Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature
Brooklyn Film Festival: Spirit Award, Feature Narrative
Brooklyn Film Festival: Best Actor Male (Jesse Garcia)
Sonoma International Film Festival: Jury Prize for Best US Indie
Sonoma International Film Festival: Best Bay Area Filmmaker
DTLA Film Festival: Breakthrough Performance Award (Ana de la Reguera)
Arizona International Film Festival: Best Dramatic Feature
Cine Las Americas (Austin): Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature
Irvine International Film Festival: Best Feature Narrative
Omaha Film Festival: Feature Film Honorable Mention
Chicago Latino Film Festival: Audience Choice Award (Feature/Third Place)
Woods Hole Film Festival: Best Actor Feature Youth (Izabella Alvarez)

Hidden Gems of the Mill Valley Film Festival

“Timely and quietly affecting, this assured feature debut from Bay Area director Richard Levien concerns a young girl and her even younger brother who go on a road trip to retrieve their mother after ICE agents haul the woman away for possible deportation. The acting, cinematography and music all lend the film a gritty and emotional authenticity.”

Mill Valley Film Fest 2018: Your guide to the films to catch

“Collisions”: San Francisco filmmaker Richard Levien’s immigration drama receives a world premiere and it couldn’t be more topical. When 12-year-old Itan Bautista’s mother is taken by ICE, she and her brother reluctantly lean on their unreliable father as they embark on a journey to find her. Levien is a strong storyteller and has strong story to tell. He also draws out impressive performances from his cast.

‘Green Book,’ ‘Roma,’ Included in Mill Valley Fest Lineup

“Film in particular has the unique capability to put the audience inside the lives and experiences of others,” says Levien. “In ‘Collisions,’ I’m trying to present a realistic portrait for what it’s like for one family to go through separation because of immigration enforcement, so that the audience gets a chance to experience that for themselves, rather than just reading headlines or looking at statistics.”