First time feature filmmaker, STEPHANE GAUGER, walked away last night with the coveted Audience Award for his amazing film OWL AND THE SPARROW at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival which took place from June 21 - July 1 in Los Angeles.

OWL AND THE SPARROW competed with over 200 films at this year's festival and emerged as the award winner for Narrative Film Audience favorite.

GAUGER has made some shorts before and he's crewed many of his friends' films - and with OWL AND THE SPARROW - this truly establishes him as one of the outstanding emerging filmmakers coming up now.

Congrats to Gauger and to his amazing cast and crew.