2023 Winners!
Best Student Film Award: The Mirror of Her
(Dir. David Lilien; USA)
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Synopsis: "Struggling to come out to her mother, a teenager is reminded of the beauty that comes with honesty and truth."
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Best Director (College Student) Award: Little Drummer Boy
(Dir. Sam Moore; USA)
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Synopsis: "In this romantic, short film, Donielle is stressed out and tired of the constant flirtation from her co-worker, Terrel and her passive aggressive boss, Mr. Smith. She runs into skater boy, Jake, who takes her on an adventure of a lifetime involving a drum set and breaking into an auditorium. Crazy right? It is, but sometimes crazy helps one set life back on the right beat. Can meeting Jake open Donielle's eyes to know what it truly means to live?"
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Best Director (Youth Student) Award: Emma's Recovery: Journey to Congress
(Dir. Ella Daniel; USA)
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Synopsis: "While fighting an eating disorder herself, high school student and Children's Hospital Ambassador Emma Warford works with members of Congress to create preventative mental health laws."
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Best (Adult) Actor/Actress Award: Tom Ezekiel Ozieli
(for The Florist; UK)
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Synopsis: "The Florist is about the relationship between two young adults, as we watch their love flourish. In a post-pandemic world of doorstep delivery, The Florist looks at modern romance and the possibilities that people have quite literally on their doorstep. Filmed in May 2022, The Florist was shot on doorsteps of houses in Fallowfield, Manchester - owned by students and permanent residents alike. Despite our tiny budget, the generosity of the local community is the sole reason that this production was possible. The Florist is a film which celebrates community, made by the community."
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Best (Youth) Actor/Actress Award: Naomi McLeod
(for The Mirror of Her; USA)
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Synopsis: "Struggling to come out to her mother, a teenager is reminded of the beauty that comes with honesty and truth."
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Female Student Filmmaker Award: RESCUE PAC-WOMAN
(Dir. Pia Mingyue Sun; Germany)
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Synopsis: "Super-Pac received an SOS message from Ms.Pac-Man, who was kidnapped by two internet ghost gangs. The timid Super-Pac decided to engage in the rescue as he saw the generous rewards. But what he never expected was... Ms.Pac-man, the first female game character in-game history, emerged in 1982. With the development of the digital game industry and virtual community, female game characters emerge in an endless stream. However, in terms of even players, designers and game settings, most female characters still appear in the image of the weaker, the sexual seductress, the rescued, the abandoned, and the low-intelligent role. But what if it could be more? The animation highlights the issues of information security, gender equality, also the authenticity and safety of user experience in the virtual world."
Learn more about the film:
Website: https://www.piasmy.com |
First Time Student Filmmaker Award: Killer Krush
(Dir. Izzy Dalton; Ireland)
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Synopsis: "When shy teenager Ben bumps into his crush Caroline at a party, things take a strange turn..."
Learn more about the film:
Website: https://www.emerginglimerickfilmmakers.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emerginglimerickfilmmakers/ |
Fentress Fan Favorite Award: The Florist
(Dir. Maisy Crabtree; UK)
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Synopsis: "The Florist is about the relationship between two young adults, as we watch their love flourish. In a post-pandemic world of doorstep delivery, The Florist looks at modern romance and the possibilities that people have quite literally on their doorstep. Filmed in May 2022, The Florist was shot on doorsteps of houses in Fallowfield, Manchester - owned by students and permanent residents alike. Despite our tiny budget, the generosity of the local community is the sole reason that this production was possible. The Florist is a film which celebrates community, made by the community."
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2022 Winners!
Best Student Film Award: flutterby
(Dir. Oliver Gordon; UK)
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Synopsis: "A young man struggles to find his place in the world. As he tries to rid himself of his curse and integrate himself into society; he battles with the hatred of his own existence, loneliness, and isolation. This film begs the question: Is this character a bad person? You'll have to decide for yourself."
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Best Director (College Student) Award: Mak Fai Insider: Building Culture and Community
(Dir. Han Eckelberg; USA)
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Synopsis: "Established by Grandmaster Mak Hin Fai in 1974, Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon & Lion Dance Association is Seattle's premier lion dance troupe, performing hundreds of shows year-round. Highlighting members of Mak Fai, we learn the importance of martial arts and lion dancing, as well as the culture and community behind it. Through these interviews, we see lion dancing as a tool to teach Asian American youth the importance of preserving tradition, appreciating culture, and building community."
Learn more about the film:
Website: https://www.makfailiondance.com |
Best Director (Youth Student) Award: Father, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
(Dir. Jack Cosgriff; USA)
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Synopsis: "After the death of his father, an Episcopalian priest, a teenage ice skater is lost in grief and god's silence. He begins to form a relationship with a non-binary photographer and starts to find a purpose in life. As he skates memories flow through him in a kaleidoscopic depiction of time and he comes to terms with death, religion, and life."
Learn more about the film:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_cozgriff/ |
Best (Adult) Actor/Actress Award: Alex Britt
(for flutterby; UK)
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Synopsis: "A young man struggles to find his place in the world. As he tries to rid himself of his curse and integrate himself into society; he battles with the hatred of his own existence, loneliness, and isolation. This film begs the question: Is this character a bad person? You'll have to decide for yourself."
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Best (Youth) Actor/Actress Award: Gala Bichir
(for What Lies Ahead (El Porvenir); Spain)
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Synopsis: "Claudia, a 40-year-old Colombian woman, leaves behind her hometown, Bogotá, to cross the pond for the first time to Spain, specifically to Alicante. There she intends, after almost half a year, to meet her husband and father of her daughter, Ani. As soon as she arrives, she realizes that her partner does not want to know anything about them and she, the only thing she has from her, is her strength and will. Her love for her daughter, among other things, will be what makes her move forward and not give up despite her difficulties."
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Female Student Filmmaker Award: Lights Out
(Dir. Edie Dahlander; USA)
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Synopsis: "Attempting to turn off the light switch with a nerf gun from his bed, a kid becomes a character in a retro shooting game."
Learn more about the film:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eedee_creations/ |
First Time Student Filmmaker Award: The Butler and the Ball
(Dir. Andrew Chan-Possemato; Canada)
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Synopsis: "An urban fairy tale about Ashton, a lonely boy with neglectful parents, who embarks on a global adventure when he enters a contest to become the new butler of Bob Chan, a grieving, reclusive singer. The first film by nine-year-old writer/director Andrew Chan-Possemato."
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Fentress Fan Favorite Award: 21st Century Love Story
(Dir. Ethan McKellar; USA)
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Synopsis: "New York college student Sammy Callahan is asked one simple question; 'do you believe in love?' Over the course of five years, we explore Sammy's concept of love and realization and that perhaps the question wasn't as simple as she thought."
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2021 Winners!
Best Student Film Award: Short
(Dir. Sam Chuck; USA)
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Synopsis: "After Adam is rejected from his promposal because he's too 'short'."
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Best Director (College Student) Award: Painting By Numbers
(Dir. Radheya Jegatheva; Australia)
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Synopsis: "When we look at great art, do we realise it is looking back? With eyes that see more clearly than we do? In a mysterious gallery imbued with strange life, shadows of the past and unresolved futures collide when a child's vision peels away the layers of what we call 'reality'... join a journey through the masterpieces you thought you knew as their hidden souls are finally given a voice. As layers of contemporary 'reality' are stripped away, art's unseen soul brings a challenge we can neither ignore nor escape. Or can we? Will their message be heard in time? The door is open. The masters' works await us. Who will enter ?"
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Best Director (Youth Student) Award: See (Ver)
(Dir. Jorge R. Lezama Dutton; Mexico)
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Synopsis: "It is a summer of yesteryear, when Cris, a young man characterized by his naughtiness, is "trapped" in what seems like a sanctuary of boredom or, in other words, the house of Jorge, a distant blind cousin. Talking with his cousin, they came up with a great idea that was going to completely change his vacation and the rest of his life. They set out on an adventure that only barbaric enough people like Cris could think of. Together, they learned a lesson that would change the way they face the problems to come."
Learn more about the film:
Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7v6b-bYw0TcvnIhgsfmxKg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/films_jl/ |
Best (Adult) Actor/Actress Award: Tashan Thornton
(for SUNDOWN TOWN; USA)
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Synopsis: "Bryce & Mitchell's trip home is disrupted after making a pit stop in a mysteriously unwelcoming town."
Learn more about the film:
Website: https://mylobproductions.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundown_town_film/ |
Best (Youth) Actor/Actress Award: Ava Muzila
(for Sunshine; USA)
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Synopsis: "Sunshine follows mother and daughter, Scarlett and Millie, as they navigate the complex changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Scarlett wants nothing more than to protect her daughter from this scary new world, while Millie craves more independence and control."
Learn more about the film:
Website: https://abikarlfilms.wixsite.com/abikarl |
Female Student Filmmaker Award: My Atom, My Everything
(Dir. Olivia Nam; USA)
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Synopsis: "Cam is a nerdy, teenage boy who is on a quest for love. Once he musters up the courage to ask his crush, Sarah, out, he is determined to make everything perfect. He confides in his best friend, Julia, to plan the perfect event. However, everything goes wrong when he follows Julia's advice. Cam has to decide whether to stick to their plan or follow his heart."
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First Time Student Filmmaker Award: When the World Closed
(Dir. Ryan Range; USA)
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Synopsis: "Amidst a global pandemic and in the middle of major renovations, Kearney's historic World Theatre finds itself struggling to stay afloat. A loving community came together to support its cherished movie house."
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Fentress Fan Favorite Award: Painting the World
(Dir. Pavitra Kansal; USA)
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Synopsis: "A story about two unhatched chicks inside an egg. Upon receiving a letter from their mother, one wants to leave while the other wants to stay."
Learn more about the film:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pavisarts/ |