LA Independent Film Festival

Director Chris Roe's documentary Pop & Me, scored the Audience Award, the top honour at the fifth annual Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, last night. Chronicling a global trek by the filmmaker and his father, the picture is a sly examination of tension and bonding that crosses generations. It's the first non-fiction feature to be given the event's audience prize. LAIFF's closing ceremonies included the world premiere of The Big Brass Ring,'' a tale of an ambitious political candidate and his mentor, based on a script by Orson Welles. Director George Hickenlooper adapted the script with local film critic F.X. Feeney. William Hurt, who attended, stars with Nigel Hawthorne, Miranda Richardson and Irene Jacob in the Millennium Film production. Additional awards included a director's prize to Ed Radtke for his teen road movie The Dream Catcher,'' and to Jaffe Cohen and Chris Livingston for their comedy script ``Hit and Runaway,'' a spoof about indie filmmaking.