Every year, K+S awards the Golden Whistle for the best film, as decided by the K+S film panel. It was a tough decision, but one film stood out.

This year's winner of the K+S Golden Whistle is Foosballers, directed by Joe Heslinga.

“Within the film’s first 45 seconds and first glimpse of Tony Spredeman, I was riveted—and so was our audience,” says Rachel Markus, co-founder of K+S. “The Golden Whistle celebrates the feature film which captivates and takes us on a journey like the best soccer match—not risking averting our eyes and compelled to watch until the final whistle, still wanting more. Director Joe Heslinga allowed us to share in the fascinating world of pro foosball and the heroes of the table. Impossible to look at a foosball table the same, again.”

And the new Player Pass Award goes to...

For our 11th annual K+S in NY, we launched a new honor: the Player Pass Award, which is determined by a vote by K+S Player Pass (our full-festival ticket package) attendees unaffiliated with any of the films. The inaugural Player Pass Award winner is Soccertown USA, directed by Robert Penzel.

Congratulations to both films and filmmakers!