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WINNERS
MONTH OF NOVEMBER
Until the end of time
His father perished in a car accident a year ago, and his mother was left in a coma. On the first anniversary of his father's death, a son pushes his wheelchair-bound mother to his father's tombstone, where he runs into Dr. Li Min, a seasoned specialist who treated his parents and eventually sent his father away. Dr. Li Min unties the knot in his heart and reveals to his son the true cause of his father's death.
Best Film (under40 min) - Directed by Wang Wang
Best Film (under40 min) - Directed by Wang Wang
What Rhymes With Reason
Tragedy ignites a group of teens on a quest to find a legendary landmark hidden in the wilderness. Together, they navigate the quest while confronting the darkness within themselves.
Best Producer (Over 40min) - Kim Dawson, Jacob Snovel & Nathan Gardocki
Best Lead - Gattlin Griffith
Best Director - Kyle Roberts
Best Producer (Over 40min) - Kim Dawson, Jacob Snovel & Nathan Gardocki
Best Lead - Gattlin Griffith
Best Director - Kyle Roberts
The Imposters
Maya has just split from her long-term girlfriend and meets the enigmatic Hattie. Together they travel to Hattie's house, and Maya is impressed with Hattie's success and attitude towards life. They fall for each other, but soon, things begin to unravel as Maya realizes that Hattie is perhaps not who she says she is, and everything is not as it seems.
Best LGBTQ+ Film (over 40 min) - Directed by Nicholas Winter
Best LGBTQ+ Film (over 40 min) - Directed by Nicholas Winter
From Life to Life
The story is set in 1990s Georgia, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Luka is a surgical doctor, who saves lives, but struggles to adapt to the ruthless and corrupt new system and by all available means tries to stay loyal to his profession. However, eventually he has to make a choice between his family and lives of others, which leads to irreversible consequences.
Best Film (Over 40 min) - Directed By Beka Sikharulidze
Best Film (Over 40 min) - Directed By Beka Sikharulidze
Revenge of The Pumpkins
An average pumpkin farmer, Joe, finds himself in an unfortunate situation after he chops and guts his pumpkins for festivities.
Best Animated Film (Under 40 min) Directed by Sena Yacteen
Best Animated Film (Under 40 min) Directed by Sena Yacteen
The Untouchable
The police arrives to control a scene made by a young girl . . .
Best Cinematography(Under 40min ) - Salar Ardestani
Best Cinematography(Under 40min ) - Salar Ardestani
Monday Mourning
"Monday Mourning" delves into the enigmatic journey of Daniel, a man returning home after a long absence under mysterious circumstances. The story begins with a sense of intrigue, as Daniel prepares for a significant day, the nature of which is unknown. This deliberate ambiguity creates a compelling tapestry of unspoken emotions and complex family dynamics.
Throughout the film, the narrative invites exploration into the puzzle of Daniel's life. His interactions with his sister are laden with tension, nostalgia, and unspoken truths. The film captures the essence of a family reuniting, leaving viewers to ponder the reasons behind Daniel's prolonged absence and the nature of the gathering that has brought them together.
"Monday Mourning" is an exploration of emotional landscapes that define human relationships. It challenges viewers to reflect on themes of homecoming, reconciliation, and the unsaid words that linger in family relationships. The film is a poignant reminder of the complexities of coming to terms with one's past and the power of presence in the face of undefined loss. Engaging and thought-provoking, "Monday Mourning" is a cinematic experience, highlighting the delicate balance between what is said and what is left to the imagination.
Best Director (Under 40min) - Dustin Kahia
Best Lead (Male) - Dominic Bogart
Throughout the film, the narrative invites exploration into the puzzle of Daniel's life. His interactions with his sister are laden with tension, nostalgia, and unspoken truths. The film captures the essence of a family reuniting, leaving viewers to ponder the reasons behind Daniel's prolonged absence and the nature of the gathering that has brought them together.
"Monday Mourning" is an exploration of emotional landscapes that define human relationships. It challenges viewers to reflect on themes of homecoming, reconciliation, and the unsaid words that linger in family relationships. The film is a poignant reminder of the complexities of coming to terms with one's past and the power of presence in the face of undefined loss. Engaging and thought-provoking, "Monday Mourning" is a cinematic experience, highlighting the delicate balance between what is said and what is left to the imagination.
Best Director (Under 40min) - Dustin Kahia
Best Lead (Male) - Dominic Bogart
Never Alone
Consumed by the grief of his wife's death, James rejects friend's attempts at company, only to find that when his friends leave, he isn't truly alone.
Best Producer (Under 40min) - Christian Gerring
Best Producer (Under 40min) - Christian Gerring
Metropolis
Discover the hidden wonders of Reef City in "Metropolis," a mesmerizing short film by Luca Keller that takes you into the heart of a coral reef's daily life, showcasing intimate and illuminating wildlife scenes.
From the morning rituals of the Emperor Angelfish to the nocturnal hunts of the Wunderpus, witness and learn about the intricate balance of marine life.
"Metropolis" is a vivid reminder of our role in preserving this underwater world, a captivating journey into the depths of the ocean's most vibrant ecosystem.
Best Short Film on Nature & Wildlife (Under 40 min) - Directed By Luca Keller
From the morning rituals of the Emperor Angelfish to the nocturnal hunts of the Wunderpus, witness and learn about the intricate balance of marine life.
"Metropolis" is a vivid reminder of our role in preserving this underwater world, a captivating journey into the depths of the ocean's most vibrant ecosystem.
Best Short Film on Nature & Wildlife (Under 40 min) - Directed By Luca Keller
Markings of Murder
Donald Brubaker Jr, a habitual sleepwalker and son of a famed serial killer, suspects himself of committing murders at night in his neighborhood without his knowledge.
As an eulogist for the Evergreen Journal his job is to write obituaries for his potential victims and the body count continues to rise as time goes on. He begins to try and take per-cautions at night but can’t seem to fight off the feeling that he is out of control. Vivid nightmares of brutal killings haunt his dreams and prevent Donald from ever feeling rested. The line between dream and reality becomes even more blurry.
A strained relationship with his wife, a son who is curious about his murderer grandfather and occasional daytime blackouts compound his situation as Donald tries to unravel mess that is his mind. Although he publicly claims innocence, all the signs seem to point to a dark secret in his family.
Best Screenplay(over 40min) - Jarvis G & Brandon Rhiness
As an eulogist for the Evergreen Journal his job is to write obituaries for his potential victims and the body count continues to rise as time goes on. He begins to try and take per-cautions at night but can’t seem to fight off the feeling that he is out of control. Vivid nightmares of brutal killings haunt his dreams and prevent Donald from ever feeling rested. The line between dream and reality becomes even more blurry.
A strained relationship with his wife, a son who is curious about his murderer grandfather and occasional daytime blackouts compound his situation as Donald tries to unravel mess that is his mind. Although he publicly claims innocence, all the signs seem to point to a dark secret in his family.
Best Screenplay(over 40min) - Jarvis G & Brandon Rhiness
Shafted
Joel and Rafi are in what seems to be a standard romantic comedy. What do you do when you find yourself alone in an elevator with your gym crush? For Joel, with his floor fast approaching, he throws caution to the wind and asks the guy out. Rafi pauses a second too long, Joel is desperate to escape, and the elevator comes to a sudden halt – they are stuck! They awkwardly begin getting to know each other, thanks to Joel’s “contingency plan for this sort of thing,” wine. The connection between the two of them grows and as it reaches its hopeful climax, the fourth wall doesn’t break – it shatters completely. Mat, the filmmaker, playing “Joel,” steps out of the elevator fantasy set and into the harsh reality of his own wish fulfillment. Is he foolish for making this film to tell a story he’s not sure he believes in?
Best LGBTQ+ Film (Under 40min) Directed by Emerson Collins, Del Shores
Best LGBTQ+ Film (Under 40min) Directed by Emerson Collins, Del Shores
Black Sugar Red Blood
Anna... She doesn't know if that's her real name. Because apart from the vague memory of the sound of this name, she only associates one thing with her early childhood: horrible fear. Of doctors, of injections and the bitter-sweet taste of a piece of sugar on liberation day. Anna Strishkowa is a toddler when she stands on the ramp of Auschwitz on 4 December 1943. She neither knows the names of her parents nor where she was born.
For Luigi Toscano, Anna Strishkowa is the first Auschwitz survivor he portrays for the exhibition of his project "Against Forgetting" in Kyiv. He has photographed more than 500 other survivors since then, but Anna's fate never lets him go. Luigi wants to help Anna decipher her identity.
But shortly before filming begins, Putin invades Ukraine. The bombs falling on Kiev catapult Anna back to the horror of her childhood. Luigi offers to bring her from Kyiv to Mannheim. But Anna refuses. Hitler robbed her of her identity, and she doesn't want to let Putin take her home away from her. There is confirmation of Anna's prisoner tattoo, that she was registered in Auschwitz. But further research came to nothing. The adoptive father had the tattoo removed shortly before Anna started school. To protect her, Anna believes.
A Soviet propaganda film showing Anna shortly after liberation raises doubts about the previously assumed prisoner number. Against all expectations, Luigi discovers the decisive clue in a yellowed medical file in the Auschwitz archive.
The new clues point to relatives who are still alive. They lead from Auschwitz to Belarus, from the Potulice-Lebrechtsdorf camp to Kyiv and Drohobytsch, all the way to Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Anna's search links the darkest chapter of the twentieth century with our own history: How much do we need to understand the past in order to understand our present?
Special Jury Award - Luigi Toscano
For Luigi Toscano, Anna Strishkowa is the first Auschwitz survivor he portrays for the exhibition of his project "Against Forgetting" in Kyiv. He has photographed more than 500 other survivors since then, but Anna's fate never lets him go. Luigi wants to help Anna decipher her identity.
But shortly before filming begins, Putin invades Ukraine. The bombs falling on Kiev catapult Anna back to the horror of her childhood. Luigi offers to bring her from Kyiv to Mannheim. But Anna refuses. Hitler robbed her of her identity, and she doesn't want to let Putin take her home away from her. There is confirmation of Anna's prisoner tattoo, that she was registered in Auschwitz. But further research came to nothing. The adoptive father had the tattoo removed shortly before Anna started school. To protect her, Anna believes.
A Soviet propaganda film showing Anna shortly after liberation raises doubts about the previously assumed prisoner number. Against all expectations, Luigi discovers the decisive clue in a yellowed medical file in the Auschwitz archive.
The new clues point to relatives who are still alive. They lead from Auschwitz to Belarus, from the Potulice-Lebrechtsdorf camp to Kyiv and Drohobytsch, all the way to Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Anna's search links the darkest chapter of the twentieth century with our own history: How much do we need to understand the past in order to understand our present?
Special Jury Award - Luigi Toscano
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