Sometimes a film comes to us and we are at a loss to predict what the reaction will be from K+S festival attendees. Benoit Mariage's film Scouting for Zebras was one such entry.

A powerful, darkly comedic take on the shady side of trafficking in young African talent, Zebras starredBenoit Poelvoorde, a relative unknown in North America, and the film didn't attract much attention among our New York fans before the festival. A Belgian film about an aging agent and his trip to the Ivory Coast? Didn't sound like a winner to American audiences.

But even so, the screening sold out. And after, it was the talk of the festival. It is impossible not to admire Zebras' ambition and its power to reveal the ugliness of global soccer even while putting a human touch on it all.

For those reasons, Scouting for Zebras was named the 2014 winner of the Golden Whistle Award at the 6th annual Kicking + Screening Soccer Film Festival, presented by Budweiser. Awarded annually to the festival's best film, the Golden Whistle as determined by the K+S film jury.