Queens World Film Festival Winners
Queens World reveres innovation and craftsmanship in filmmakers and seeks to recognize and encourage filmmakers who display leadership within the film community.
The Festival names winners in all categories along with recognition through ‘Founder’s Choice’ and ‘Best of the Fest’ awards. Recognition is also given to filmmakers via the Lois Webber Award and other specialty awards given to filmmakers who are forging new pathways within their medium.
BEST FEMALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Ruah Uhlman in Power
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Ryan C. Wilson in Ray Of Sunshine
BEST FEMALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Greta Fernandez in Unicorns
BEST FEMALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Sarah Bitar in Stockade
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Seth Blackstone in Bubbler
BEST ENSEMBLE – NARRATIVE SHORT
A Shattering – Jan Jalenak
Winner of Complimentary 4 month membership with Inktip: Where Everyone goes for scripts and writers.
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE SHORT
Unthinkable Conversations by Emma Richardson
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
An Extraordinary Affair by Benjamin Orifici
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Every Day After – Neal Broffman
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE SHORT
Coda – Marcell Lobenwein
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
The Enchanted Lake – Davide Piazzolla
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – SHORT
Rotten Blood
Special mention for Cinematography for Rabin Acharya
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE
I Want To Live On Mars
BEST ANIMATION
Las Nogas by Catya Plate
BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY
Passenger Seat by Neha Gautam
BEST WEB SERIES
Dose: Episode 1 Psilocybin “Ghost In The Mushroom” by Peter P. Clark
BEST LGBTQ – SHORT
Build Me Through The Image by Paula Hung
BEST LGBTQ – FEATURE
Unicorns by Alex Lora
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
Who To Love by Giorgio Testi
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE IN EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKING
How To Fill The Unfillable Hole Inside You by Dave Canning
FOUNDER’S CHOICE IN EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKING
…In Darkness, There Is Light by Daniel Maldonado & Mike Vernusky
FOUNDER’S CHOICE IN EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKING
Always, Already by Ken Sackheim
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Álvaro Hernández Blanco for Still Here
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Antonio Tibaldi for Gorgona
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Cara Yeates for Gone Before Your Eyes
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Martin Drop for No Tomorrow
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Love Letters by Greta L. Schiller
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Second Chances by Farzin Farzaneh
Read the Review of Second Chances
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
Monica Strambini for Chutzpah – Something About Modesty and Shame
BEST SHORT SHORT (Under 5 Minutes)
In My House by Daniel Sole & Zackary Centrella
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Underground Orange by Michael Tyler Jackson
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Jade by Robert Manning Jr.
BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE
Kampon (Surrogate) by King Palisoc
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Stockade by Eric Mcginty
FOUNDER’S CHOICE
Manu by Shridhar [Samar] Niraula
BEST OF THE FEST
No Tomorrow – Martin Drop
AUTEUR AWARD
Rafael Escolar for Hebe
BEST STORIES OF HEALING FILM
The Wind Girl by Dana Karim
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Boys Clap, Girls Dance by Dena Springer
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Success of Love by Oliverio Pablo
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN STOP MOTION
Noah Rogers for JOE
BEST LGBTQIA+ SHORT
Let’s Do This Again Sometime by Petrus van Staden
OUTSTANDING DANCE FILMS
Wo by Jiemin Yang
Due North by Chantal Caron
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Amber by Sashia Dumont
BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT
Back into your Arms by Behrad Sahebgharani
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
Lessons on Life and Death by Lionel R. Jeffries
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT SHORT
To Be Honest by John Robert Hammerer
OUTSTANDING NARRATIVE SHORTS
BLUE FiRE by Nick Ronan
How She Didn’t Die by Antonio Tibaldi
OUTSTANDING ACTOR MALE NARRATIVE SHORT
Nicolas Calero in The Game by Aldo Vassallo
Raz Fritz and Ryan Emilio Molina in The Valley of the Moon by Luca Massimiliano Pizzoleo
BEST ACTOR FEMALE NARRATIVE SHORT
Olivia Baglivi in Suelta (Loose) by Javier Pereira
BEST ACTOR MALE NARRATIVE FEATURE
Alexander Khachatryan in It’s Spring by Roman Musheghyan
BEST ACTOR FEMALE NARRATIVE FEATURE
Ali Edwards in august at twenty two by Timothy Zwica
BEST ENSEMBLE
Ellie by Fernando Bonelli
Winner of Complimentary 4 month membership with Inktip: Where Everyone goes for scripts and writers.
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE SHORT
North Star by PJ Palmer
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Song of the Fly by Michele Pagano
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
SILENT NIGHT by Barbara Medajska
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE SHORT
Sauerdogs by Guillermo de Oliveira
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Charm Circle by Nira Burstein
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Met Mes by Sam de Jong
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Jiale Hu for Songs for you, Always
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORS – NARRATIVE SHORT
Alexander Spenser for By Way of Water
Marc Acito for MAD / WOMAN
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Thomas Edward Keith for How Does it Feel to be a Problem?
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Shiv C Shetty for Maali
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Ripples Under the Skin by Farha Khatun
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Prediction Of Extreme Events by David Ruf
QUEENS WORLD AUTEUR CINEMA AWARD
TRAP by Anthony Edward Curry
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
It’s Spring by Roman Musheghyan
QUEENS WORLD SPECIAL AWARD FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
Real Fur by Taimoor Choudhry
QUEENS WORLD TRUTH SEEKER
Hate Crime in Howard Beach by Stephen J Woods and Eric Notar
BEST OF THE FEST
The Instinct by Juboraj Shamim
FOUNDERS’ CHOICE
MAD / WOMAN by Marc Acito
Best Narrative Short Short
To Be Honest by John Robert Hammerer*
Filmmaker of the Year
Rachel Koteen for Take the Ice*
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Love Happens by Liza Rafael
BEST ANIMATION
The Girl with the Rivet Gun by Anne de Mare, Kristen Kelly
BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY
Roberto by Carmen Córdoba González
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
Lilies by Joni Renee Whitworth
BEST LGBTQ – SHORT
Doesn’t Fall Far by Joshua Michael Payne
BEST LGBTQ – FEATURE
Lust Life Love by Stephanie Sellars, Benjamin Feuer
BEST SHORT SHORT (UNDER 5 Minutes)
The Doors by Woraphan Klawklat
BEST FEMALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Eve Austin in Confidant by Debra Markowitz
BEST FEMALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Lisa Ludwig in Mother’s Day by Travis Carlson
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Ethan Itzkow in High Score by Serena Ryen & Ethan Itzkow
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Taylor Olson in Bone Cage by Taylor Olson – TIE!
Joel Bernard in Mouse by Adam Engel – TIE!
BEST ENSEMBLE – NARRATIVE SHORT
Orquesta Los Bengalas (The Flares) by David Valero Simón
BEST ENSEMBLE – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Shellfish by Hunter Hopewell
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE SHORT
Fire by Daniele Martinis
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Externo (External) by Jonathan Taub, Leandro Taub
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
From the Ground Up by Trent Zulkiewicz and Will Brenninkmeyer
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars by Johnny Sweet
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE SHORT
Family History by Mark J. Parker
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Latay (Battered Husband) by Ralston Gonzales Jover
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Super by Callie Rose Hanau
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Gosia@Tomek by Christine Jezior
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
El Monstruo Invisible (The Invisible Monster) by Guillermo Fesser Perez de Petinto, Javier Fesser Perez de Petinto
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Forbidden Strings by Hasan Noori
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Following… by Karla Lulic
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Basenji by Ian Scott Clement
BEST COMEDY SHORT
The Dump by Neil Holland
BEST WEB CONTENT
Rockaway by Andrea Ashton
BEST INTEGRATION OF MUSIC AND DANCE
Faces by Charly Wenzel
BEST BLAME IT ON THE PANDEMIC
Henrietta by Jessy Holtermann
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
My Mother Went with the Cows by Maria José Ibarra Valdez
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Bone Cage by Taylor Olson
QUEENS WORLD SPECIAL AWARD FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
SURVIVING THE SILENCE: The Untold Story Of Two Women In Love Who Helped Change Military Policy by Cindy Abel
QUEENS WORLD TRUTH SEEKER: FEATURE FILM
Ultraviolence by Ken Fero
QUEENS WORLD TRUTH SEEKER: SHORT FILM
Before I Die by Iker Esteibarlanda
POETIC CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Ama’ara – The Song of the Whales by Sebastian Jobst
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE FILM
1618 by Luis Ismael
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN – SHORT FILM
The Secret Walls by Anne Charrin, Lise Charrin, Aude Charrin, Jean-Marie Gatin
BEST OF FEST
Mother’s Day by Travis Carlson
FOUNDERS CHOICE – NARRATIVE
Basenji by Ian Scott Clement
AUTEUR CINEMA AWARD
Externo by Jonathan Taub and Leandro Taub
EMERGING ARTIST
JULIAN GREEN – Elsagate by Julian Green
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
When Fire Flies by Das Fuerst
AUDIENCE AWARD NARRATIVE FEATURE
Mouse by Adam Engel
AUDIENCE AWARD DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Walk with Frank by Ryan Mayers and Matt Mayers
THE LOIS WEBER PIONEER AWARD
Catya Plate
QUEENS WORLD TRAILBLAZER
Opal Hope Bennett
EMERGING ARTISTS
Bubby & Them by Hazel Katz, Je’Jae Daniels
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Ghoul Catchers by Joseph Voce, Thomas Finn
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE BEST STUDENT FILM
Paper Boats by Gonzalo Guajardo-Fajardo
BEST ANIMATION
Embraces & Touch of Skin by Sara Koppel
BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY
Lost Treasure of the Valley by Robert Husted
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
Metamorphosis by Fernanda Parrado
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE
Dia 1 by Rafael Escolar
BEST LGBTQ SHORT
Wonder by Javier Molina
BEST SHORT SHORT
Hard Shadow by Neda Khanifar
OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
About Colonia by Ralph Salazar
Dragonfly by Angela Wong Carbone
BEST FEMALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Zalinia/Outline by Veronika Povalyaeva
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Extended Stay by Drew Starkey
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Chakkar by Avon Raj Upreti
BEST ENSEMBLE – NARRATIVE FEATURE
The Good Day by Juo Hae
BEST ENSEMBLE – NARRATIVE SHORT
The Fever by José María Flores Miranda
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE SHORT
Kiko’s Saints by Manuel Marmier
Dragon Song by David McClister
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
In The Land of Lost Angels by Bishrel Mashbat
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Tofino is a Place by Ryan Struck
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Path of the Daff by Michael Piscitelli
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE SHORT AND INKTIP MEMBERSHIP
Kept by Amber Viera and Patricia Lundy
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE FEATURE AND INKTIP MEMBERSHIP
Seneca by Armando Riesco
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Return by Jon Fish
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Siqueiros: Walls of Passion by Lorena Manríquez, Miguel Picker
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Grandpa Fire by Alfonso O Donnell Gonzalez de Castejon
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Last Sermon by Jack Baxter & Fran Strauss-Baxter
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Troublemaker by Olive Nwosu
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Exit 5 by Khaled Nadershah
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Sixteen Thousand Dollars by Symone Baptiste
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL EFFECTS
The Creeper’s Curse by Blake Rice
Look Further by Sergio Lodolce
BEST COMEDY FEATURE
I Wrote This For You by Jason Zavaleta
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
The Turner Exhibit by Mathew Gregory Bainbridge
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
The Rabbits’ House by Valeria Selinger
BEST OF FEST
Zalinia/Outline by Vadim Dubrovitskiy
THE YASUJIRŌ OZU CINEMA AWARD
Gold Star by Paul Frankl
QUEENS WORLD FILM FESTIVAL GODDARD CINEMA AWARD
Let Them Have Their Way by Dien Vo
QUEENS WORLD FILM FESTIVAL AWARD FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Hanged by Roqiye Tavakoli
LOIS WEBER PIONEER AWARD
Pamela Falkenberg & Jack Cochran
QUEENS WORLD FILM FESTIVAL TRUTH SEEKER
Jack Baxter & Fran Strauss-Baxter for The Last Sermon
QUEENS WORLD AUTEUR CINEMA AWARD
Sourpuss by Conrad Stojak
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION NARRATIVE FEATURE
Gutman’s Alternative by Aleksandrs Mirskis
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION NARRATIVE SHORT
The Lepers by JD Ganz
BEST OF THE BOROUGH
The Taxidermist by Natalie Johnson
POETIC CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Pepper by Jayil Pak
FOUNDER’S CHOICE
The Factory by Max Chicco
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Sammy Sayed for Deeply Absurd lucidity
BEST ANIMATION
My Moon by Eusong Lee
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
The Widow by Eva Depoorter
BEST LGBTQ SHORT
Marguerite by Marianne Farley
BEST SHORT SHORT
Welcome to the Ball by Adam Vincent Wright
EMERGING FILMMAKERS
Jingjing Tian for Cowboy Joe
Adonis Williams for Civic Mind
Catalina Jordan Alvarez for Mune
HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Ginger by James C Boratyn
FEMALE ACTOR SHORT
Paola Bontempi in Mask of Sanity by Fran Casanova
FEMALE ACTOR FEATURE
Kim So Min in The Gift of Love by Gyu-min Gim
MALE ACTOR SHORT
Jesse James Keitel in Like Glass by Andrew K. Meyer
MALE ACTOR FEATURE
Joe Martyn Ricke in Palace by Andrew Paul Davis
ENSEMBLE NARRATIVE SHORT
Like Glass by Andrew K. Meyer
ENSEMBLE NARRATIVE FEATURE
Rag Doll by Bailey Kobe
LOIS WEBER PIONEER AWARD
Christina Raia for her tireless work for the Indie Film Community
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY SHORT (A TIE)
Angels Guard Thee by Robert Higgins, Patrick McGivney
Seventy by Ong Jiage
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FEATURE
Bad Bad Winter by Olga Korotko
BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY
Miikshi the Meek Sheep in the Cosmic Potato by Lindsay Lee, Justin T. Lee
SPECIAL JURY AWARD: FOSTERING AND PRESERVING ORAL HISTORY
The Little Fish and The Crockadile by Stefanie Plattner
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY DOC SHORT
The Swimmer by Thomas Beug
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY DOC FEATURE
Harvest Season by Bernardo Ruiz
BEST SCREENPLAY NARRATIVE SHORT
The Apologizers by Yasu Suzuki
BEST SCREENPLAY NARRATIVE FEATURE
Rag Doll by Bailey Kobe
INKTIP MEMBERSHIPS
Adonis Williams and Galia Barkol
BEST DIRECTOR DOC SHORT
For a Better Life by Yasmin Mistry
BEST DIRECTOR DOC FEATURE
Quiet Storm by Johnny Sweet
BEST DOC SHORT
Born in Gambia by Natxo Leuza
BEST DOC FEATURE
The Sweetest Land by Jeffrey Teitler
SPECIAL JURY AWARD: WORLD SOCIAL JUSTICE
Abby Ginsberg And Ken Schnieder for Then They Came For Us
SPECIAL JURY AWARD BEST FIRST FEATURE
Pamela by Kate Mclane
SPECIAL JURY AWARD BROOKLYN FIREPROOF STAGES PRODUCTION PACKAGE
Jean Goto and Adam Lim for Andlife
BEST DIRECTOR NARRATIVE SHORT
Heimlich by Lisanne Sartor
BEST DIRECTOR NARRATIVE FEATURE
Rag Doll by Bailey Kobe
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Best Wishes by Kevin Etherson
BEST COMEDY FEATURE
Poor Greg Drowning by Jeffrey Scott Collins
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Tsar Bomba by Oskar Rosetti
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Bad Bad Winter by Olga Korotko
FOUNDER’S CHOICE
Dot – Marie Jones for Rag Doll
‘Best OF’ and ‘Honorable Mention’ are awarded in all categories along with Screenplay awards, Best Actor, Founder’s Choice, Best of the Fest and three one-year memberships to InkTip.
EMERGING FILMMAKER
Lionel Jeffries for Missionaries
Orges Bakalli for My Name is Somebody
Travis Wood for Kayla in A1
Eva Depoorter for Belgiak
Richa Rudola for Fresh Blood
Ambarien Alqadar for Ayesha
BEST FIRST FEATURE
The Magic Bomb by Randy Gordon-Gatica
BEST STUDENT FILM
The Devil’s Rose by Hannah Delta Butkus
BEST ANIMATION
Panic Attack by Eileen O’meara
Honorable Mention
Our Wonderful Nature – The Common Chameleon by Tomer Eshed
BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY
Do You Want to Buy Some Cookies? by Tomas Griffin
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
Atomic Mother by L.E. Salas
BEST LGBTQ SHORT
Fragments 83 by Richard Millen
Honorable Mention
Pria by Yudho Aditya
Cal & V by Timothy Offor
BEST SHORT SHORT
The Call by Trina Michelle
Honorable Mention
The Stage by Cory Bowles
BEST FEMALE ACTOR-NARRATIVE SHORT
Sadie Fong Dame in Speak by John Appleton
Honorable Mention
Reecha Sharma in Silver Bangles by Roshan Bikram
BEST FEMALE ACTOR- NARRATIVE FEATURE
Magdalena Combes Tillard in Dalia by Rafael Escolar
Honorable Mention
Adelina Amosco in The Fever and the Fret by Cath Gulick
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Daniel Martin Berkey in The Last Visit by Mark Glauburg
Honorable Mention
Andre M. Hennicke in The Peculiar Abilities of Mr. Mahler by Paul Philipp
BEST MALE ACTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Mark Phelan in Besides These Walls by Jules Bishop
BEST ENSEMBLE – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Knowing Nothing Cold by Jeff Kao
Honorable Mention
The the Flame by Alex Webb
BEST ENSEMBLE – NARRATIVE SHORT
Paradise Cove by Jack Flynn & Charlotte Lobdell
Honorable Mention
No Kissing by Jacob L Seltzer
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE SHORT
A Long Way Home by Iber Deari
Honorable Mention
(Out)caste by Shilpi Shikha Agrawal
Blackmoor by James Lewis
Silver Bangles by Roshan Bikram Thakuri
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Day Six by Juan Pablo Arroyo Abraham
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
OME: Tales from a Vanishing Homeland by Raul Paz Pastrana
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Thy Father’s Chair by Antonio Tibaldi, Alex Lora
Honorable Mention
Light by Suela Bako, Yllka Gjollesha
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE SHORT
Bricklayer’s Poet by Gino Cafarelli
Honorable Mention
Holy Week by Charlotte Istel
BEST SCREENPLAY – NARRATIVE FEATURE
To the Flame by Alex Webb
Honorable Mention
Yesterday Last Year by Jeff Hanley
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Decoding Darkmatter by Crystal Waterton
BEST DIRECTOR – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Zois by Bujar Alimani
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Teddy Roosevelt and Fracking by Pam Falkenberg, Jack Cochran
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Nothing Changes: Art for Hank’s Sake by Matthew Kaplowitz
Honorable Mention
Open Land – Meeting John Abercrombie by Arno Oehri
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE SHORT
Miracle Maker by Kate Marks
Honorable Mention
Nevada by Javier Kühn
BEST DIRECTOR – NARRATIVE FEATURE
Restraint by Adam Cushman
Honorable Mention
The Fever and the Fret by Cath Gulick
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Handle with Care by Michael Mercadante
Honorable Mention
Honey by Pedro Moreno del Oso
BEST COMEDY FEATURE
Starlit by Andrea Ocampo
KODAK AWARD $1,000
Clayton Dean Smith by Clayton Dean Smith
Off Track Betty by Clayton Dean Smith
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – WORLD SOCIAL IMPACT
Sacrificial Virgins by Andi Reiss
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – POETIC CINEMA
On the Endless Road by Siu Pham
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Miracle Maker by Kate Marks
Honorable Mention
Cal & V by Timothy Offor
Fresh Blood by Richa Rudola
Something in the Darkness by Fran Casanova
(Out)caste by Shilpi Shikha Agrawal
FOUNDERS CHOICE – OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Richard Stables in Wedgetail by Greg Blakey
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Besides These Walls by Jules Bishop
BEST OF THE FEST
Dalia by Rafael Escolar
BEST ANIMATION
Chicka, Die Hündin Im Ghetto (Chicka, the Dog from the Ghetto) by Sandra Schießl
BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY
Dillzilla: Titan of Terror! by Elizabeth Pasieczny
BEST LGBTQ
Mariposas (Butterflies) by Angel Villaverde
Honorable Mention:
To Have You Here by Jen Ackerman
BEST FEMALE ACTOR NARRATIVE SHORT
Julie Kline in The Girl On the Mat by Robert Butler
BEST FEMALE ACTOR NARRATIVE FEATURE
Ai Ai delas Alas in Area by Louie Ignacio
Honorable Mention:
Dorothea Hagena in Mann im Spagat – Pace, Cowboy, Pace by Timo Jacobs
BEST MALE ACTOR NARRATIVE SHORT
Paolo Graziosi in Amore Grande (A Big Love) by Max Chicco
Honorable Mention:
Christopher Dylan Whites in Ways by Alex Lora
BEST MALE ACTOR NARRATIVE FEATURE
Pierre Walters in The Red Effect by Jordan Miller
Honorable Mention:
Brian Smolensky in Searching for Fortune by Joseph Matarrese
BEST ENSEMBLE NARRATIVE FEATURE
Scumbag by Mars Roberge
BEST ENSEMBLE NARRATIVE SHORT
Fata Morgana by Jon Keng
Honorable Mention: Brian Mickler by Michael Taylor Jackson
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY NARRATIVE SHORT
Andrea C. Vannucci for Io Non Devo
Honorable Mention:
Yorgos Karvelas for Limbo
Vahid Buoteh for Building No. 13
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY NARRATIVE FEATURE
Amin Oussar for Pawo
Honorable Mention: Dominik Friebel for Mann Im Spaga – Pace, Cowboy, Pace
EMERGING FILMMAKER
Pat Campo for Swiss Cheez Brain
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Doug Leconte for Fire of the Final Days
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Luise Schröder for Valentina
BEST SCREENPLAY NARRATIVE SHORT
Robert Joseph Butler & Lucie Gillipsie for The Girl on the Mat
Honorable Mention:
Debra Markowitz for By Blood
BEST SCREENPLAY NARRATIVE FEATURE
Brian Smolensky for Searching for Fortune
BEST DIRECTOR DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Margaret Lambert Story by Nina Horowitz
BEST DIRECTOR DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Bullish Farmer by Ken Marsolais
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Dutee by Vanessa Hudson
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Valentina by Maximilian Feldmann
Honorable Mention:
Undocumented by Patricia Shih
BEST DIRECTOR NARRATIVE SHORT
The Suitor by Alvaro Congosto
BEST DIRECTOR NARRATIVE FEATURE
Lotte by Julius Schultheiß
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT SHORT
The Last Tip by Patrick Chen
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
After School by Alec Tibaldi
Honorable Mention:
Rabie Chetw (Wintery Spring) by Mohamed Kamel
The Surface by Jordan Berger
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Pawo by Marvin Litwak & Sonam Tseten
AUDIENCE AWARD NARRATIVE FEATURE
Adam Green’s Aladdin
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: WORLD SOCIAL IMPACT
Positive Hell
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: MUMBLECORE VÉRITÉ
Children of Hip Hop
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: SARDONIC LAMPOON
Cake
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: MOST OUTRAGEOUS COMEDY
Tight Pants
FOUNDERS CHOICE: FEATURE
Tarde en el Abismo (Afternoon at the Abyss)
FOUNDERS CHOICE: DOCUMENTARY
Between Neighborhoods
FOUNDERS CHOICE: SHORT
Amore Grande (A Big Love)
BEST ANIMATION
Lima by Afshin Roshanbakht & Vahid Jafari
Honorable Mention
The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead & Roundhead by Elliot Cowan
BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY
Mr. Ready by John Galvin
BEST LGBTQ
Life’s a Drag by Robin Royce Queree
Honorable Mention
Die Ballade Von Ella Plummhoff (The Ballad of Ella Plummhoff) by Barbara Kronenberg
BEST ACTRESS IN A SHORT
Marisa Vitali in Grace by Chris Ordal
Honorable Mention
Belén Rueda in Broken Basket by Roberto Ruiz Céspedes –
BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE
Sareh Bayat in Oblivion Season by Abbas Rafei
Honorable Mention
Jennifer Gegan for Desire in New York by Ed Ziari
BEST ACTOR IN A SHORT
Calvin Smith for Better Man by Amelia Mathews
Honorable Mention
Joseph A. Halsey for Junkie Heaven by Steve Sage Goldberg
BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE
Timothy Neil Williams in Read Me by Fred Zara
Honorable Mention
Marcus Carl Franklin in But Not for Me by Ryan Carmichael
BEST ENSEMBLE
Piper De Palma, Ali Aroyan, Roxane Depardieu for Ride or Die by Alec Tibaldi
Honorable Mention
The Blood in Our Veins by Mateo Marquez
BEST SHORT COMEDY
RSVP by Nicolas Billon
Honorable Mention
Mother of the Week by Lee Davis
BEST FEATURE COMEDY
Dirty Beautiful by Tim Bartell
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A SHORT
Yana Karin for City of Dreams
Honorable Mention
Dhawal Deepak Mangrulkar for Quira
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A FEATURE
Dipankar Sikder/Rabin Acharya for Dying Candle
Honorable Mention
John Defazio for She Sings to the Stars
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A DOCUMENTARY
Gerardo Puglia for God Knows Where I Am
SPECIAL PRIZE FOR MOTION GRAPHICS
Eddy Falconer for Hoppla!!!!!
SPECIAL PRIZE FOR FIRST FEATURE
Nothing Serious by John Appleton
SPECIAL PRIZE FOR SOCIAL IMPACT IN DOCUMENTARY
Julio of Jackson Heights by Richard Shpuntoff
AUDIENCE AWARD: DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Saving Jamaica Bay by David Sigal
AUDIENCE AWARD NARRATIVE FEATURE
Pop Meets the Void by William Cusick
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
With Love by Christopher Ludgate
Honorable Mention
Last Day of the House by Lourdes de los Santos
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
God Knows Where I Am by Todd & Jedd Wider
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
In the Hollow by Austin Bunnr
Honorable Mention
Reviving Nepal Bhasa by Sam Shakya
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Maria, My Friend by Kirsi Mattila
Honorable Mention
I am Haiti by Raúl de la Fuente
BEST SHORT NARRATIVE DIRECTOR
Queen Kong by Monica Lisa Stambrini
Honorable Mention
A Gringo Honeymoon by Alexandra Debricon
BEST FEATURE NARRATIVE DIRECTOR
She Sings to the Stars by Jennifer Corcoran
BEST SHORT NARRATIVE
A Warm Spell by Toshimichi Saito
Honorable Mentions
Unhappy Endings by Steven Benson & Wayne Benson
Tom in America by Flavio Alves
A Gringo Honeymoon by Alexandra Debricon
BEST FEATURE NARRATIVE
H.O.M.E. by Daniel Maldonado
Honorable Mention
The Inquisition of Camilo Sanz by John Marco Lopez
SPECIAL PRIZE FOR WORLD SOCIAL IMPACT
Oblivion Season by Abbas Rafei
FOUNDERS CHOICE FOR SHORT FILM
Alles Wird Gut (Everything Will Be Ok) by Patrick Vollrath
FOUNDERS CHOICE FEATURE FILM
She Sings to the Stars by Jennifer Corcoran
BEST OF THE FEST
Pop Meets the Void by William Cusick
Best LGBT Short
ROXANNE by Paul Frankl
Best Comedy Short
DIWALI DREAM GARAGE by Johnny Pik
Honorable Mention: THE SHED by Brian Mcgleenon
Best Animation
DIRTY LAUNDRY DAY by Jamil Lahham
Best Actress In A Narrative Short
Miranda Wilson for BENEATH WATER
Best Actor In A Narrative Short
Tomas Pozzi for MARIONETA CIEGA (BLIND PUPPET)
Best Actress In A Narrative Feature
Nicole Hayden for THE PARK BENCH
Best Actor In A Narrative Feature
Ricardo Pinto for EL MAL TRATO (MALTREATMENT)
Best Ensemble
EULOGY by Don Capria
Emerging Filmmaker
Ralph Sepe for THE HIGH
Alexandra Jackman, Mike Jackman for A TEEN’S GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE WITH AUTISM
Best Cinematography In A Narrative Short
LILY IN THE GRINDER by Michael Morgenstern
Best Cinematography In Narrative Feature
ADAGIO by Rafael Escolar
Best Director Documentary Short
Antonio Tibaldi & Àlex Lora Cercós for GODKA CIRKA (HOLE IN THE SKY)
Best Director Documentary Feature
Werner Schweizer for VERLIEBTE FEINDE (ENEMIES IN LOVE)
Honorable Mention: Rebecca Kenyon for SOMETHING YOU CAN CALL HOME
Best Director Narrative Short
Lisa Melodia for BIG GIRL
Honorable Mention: Max Chan for OUR BLOOD
Best Director Narrative Feature
Rafael Escolar for ADAGIO
Honorable Mention: Daniel Vivanco for EL MALTRATO (MALTREATMENT)
Community Award
Lydia Darly and Patrick Xi Hao Chen
Best Documentary Short
GASPER & SON by Hannah Jayanti, Jen G. Pywell, Miguel A. Rodriguez
Honorable Mention: COMIC BOOK HEAVEN by E.j. Mcleavey-Fisher
Best Documentary Feature
WOMEN OF 69’ UNBOXED by Peter Barton
Honorable Mention: TRUTH HAS FALLEN by Sheila M. Sofian
New Voices
MILLENNIAL by Colin Shields and Frank Anderson
Best Narrative Short
CARRY ON by Yatao Li, China
BORDER TRAFFICKING by Peter Rautek
Honorable Mention: ABRIENDO PUERTAS (OPENING DOORS) by Tomás Bases
QWFF 2015 Filmmaker Award
Rachel Mason for THE LIVES OF HAMILTON FISH
Cinema Of Cruelty
DEATH DRIVE by L.E. Salas
Best Narrative Feature
THE PARK BENCH by Ann LeSchander
Audience Award
THE DRIFTER by Craig Calamis
Founder’s Choice
ORIGINAL I.Q. TESTER by Alan Arrivée
FOUNDERS CHOICE
RECURSION by Sam Buntrock
Audience Award
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT by Henry Barrial
Best Narrative Feature
TU SERAS UN HOMME by Benoit Cohen
Best Director Narrative Feature
Henry Barrial for THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT
Honorable Mention
Joseph Israel Laban for NUWEBE
Best Domestic Documentary Feature
FREELOAD by Daniel Skaggs
Honorable Mention
FORGIVE US by Anthony Haden-West
Best Int’l Documentary Feature
KATIA by Anna Shishova
Best Director Documentary Feature
Becca Roth for ONE: A STORY OF LOVE AND EQUALITY
Best Domestic Narrative Short
RECURSION by Sam Buntrock
Honorable Mention
PERFECT DAY
Best Int’l Narrative Short
THE NAKED LEADING THE BLIND by Wim Vanacker
Honorable Mention
HESHTJE by Bekim Guri
Best Director Narrative Short
Alex Lora for SOLO SOY SOLOMON
Best Domestic Documentary Short
JAIPUR MAHOUTI by Deborah Harse
Honorable Mention
BENEATH THE TREES by Iker Esteibarlanda
Best Int’l Documentary Short
CRISALIDA by Alonso Estrella, de Rothschild, Mendez Gonzalez, Costa Cantal
Best LGBT Feature Documentary
A SELF MADE MAN by Lori Petchers
Best LGBT Short
SHIFT by Juan Carlos Zaldivar
Best Actor Male Feature
Robert Nolan in MOURNING HAS BROKEN by Brett Butler & Jason Butler
Best Actor Male Short
Rob McClure in RECURSION by Sam Buntrock
Honorable Mention
Kevin Thomas Costiganin KILLER byMichael Turney
Best Actor Female Feature
Tina Holmes in BUOY by Steven Doughton
Honorable Mention
Victoria Murdoch in UNHAPPY HAPPY by Rob Shaw
Best Actor Female Short
Marina Kovalskya for ISTORIYA M.
Best Cinematography Narrative Feature
SILENCIO by Luis Camara
Best Cinematography Documentary
KATIA by Anna Shishova
Best Cinematography Short
UNFOLD by Steven Daly
Best Unique Vision
HOMOSTRATUS by Siu Pham
Best Emerging Filmmaker
Hena Ashraf for SMALL DELIGHTS
Sebastian Rea for LONE PROPHET
Best Animation
MY ART IS NOT DEAD by Savannah Steiner
Honorable Mention
DAY 6011 by Raf Wathion
Perseverance Award
THE GRAND HOTEL
Best LGBT Short Film
A SON by Andre Gaumond from Canada
Best Animation
PLANET UTERO by Faiyaz Jafri from USA
Best Short Documentary
MOTORBIKE MIDWIFE by Masumi Higashi from UK/Ghana
Best Feature Documentary
FROM QUEENS TO CAIRO by Sherif Sadek from USA
Best Narrative Short
POLLICINO by Cristiano Anania from Italy
Best Narrative Feature
UOMO by Rafael Escolar from Argentina
Audience Award
MIKEY BOY by Christopher Berkenkamp from USA
Emerging Filmmaker
ANDREW CANNIZZARO for A GIRL AND HER GUARDIAN from USA
Best Actress
JUDITH ROBERTS for MY DAY from USA
Best Actor
HEIKO PINKOWSKI for HEAVY GIRLS from Germany
Founders’ Choice
WELCOME TO NOWHERE (BULLET HOLE ROAD) by William Cusick from USA
LONELY EROS by Ellen Andries from Belgium
2013 HONORABLE MENTION
Documentary
RETURN TO THE SEA by Genevieve McGill from Ireland
Narrative Short
SILENT RIVER by Anca Miruna Lazarescu, David Lindner from Romania
LE TETTE DI UNA DICIOTTENNE by Luca Gennari from Italy
OF GUILT AND GRIEF by Tom Van Den Broek from England
HEADS UP by Alex Merkin, Robert Krakovski from USA
BEST OF FESTIVAL
QUEEN by Adam Rose
Founders Choice
CAN’T DANCE by Richard Uhlig
The Directors Prize
MR BRICKS by Travis Campbell
Best Actor-Male
RYAN EGGOLD for QUEEN
Best Actor-Female
MARLYN MASON for MODEL RULES
Best Narrative Feature
DAVID DIXON IS DEAD by David Dixon
Best Documentary Feature
FAMBUL TOK by Sara Terry
Best Documentary Short
THE WORD NEVER MENTIONED by Elliot Bassman
Best Int’l Documentary Feature
THE SISTERHOOD by Roger Horn
Best Narrative Short
EASY STREET by Russell Greene
Best LGBT
COFFEE & PIE by Douglas Horn
Best Animation
SOMETHING LEFT, SOMETHING TAKEN by Max Porter & Ru Kuwahata
Best Young Filmmaker
BENJAMIN TRAN for DUALITY
Emerging Filmmaker
ELLIOT LOBELL for ANDREW, STORY OF A CLOSET MONSTER
Best Going Rogue
CHRONICLES OF A PROFESSIONAL EULOGIST by Sarah Jane Lapp
Audience Award – Narrative Feature
THE MONKEY GANG by Montaigne P. “Logic” Massac
“Woody”
EMMANUELLE IN WONDERLAND by Rolfe Kanefsky
2012 HONORABLE MENTIONS
Narrative Feature
THE DUCK HUNTER by Egidio Vernonesi
Documentary Feature
MAKING MISTAKES by Hiroshi Sunairi
Documentary Short
THE ART OF REMEMBRANCE by Raúl Paz Pastrana
THE MAKING OF LIBERTY JAYNE by Charles W. Davidson
Int’l Documentary Feature
PROJECTING THE BODY by Walter McIntosh
Narrative Short
THERE IS NO GOODBYE by Pablo Bullejos
SWEET by Iván Ruiz Flores
STAYED FOR by Devereux Milburn
LGBT
SLATE by Eric La Barr
THE PERFECT MAN by Rubén Prieto
Going Rogue
ETHEREAL CHRYSALIS by Syl Disjonk
Animation
HELLO BAMBI by Faiyaz Jafri
Young Filmmaker
ANY THOUGHTS? by Evan Berger
IMPETUOUS by Tanner Cusumano
BEST OF FESTIVAL
ASHES by Ajay Naidu
Founders Choice
THE ECLIPSE OF TAREGNA by Rakesh Chaudhary
Best Actor-Male
SURENDRA RAJAN for THE ECLIPSE OF TAREGNA
Best Actor-Female
APHRODITE NIKOLOVSKI for THE SPIRIT OF ISABEL
Best Narrative Feature
THE GADARENE SWINE by Brian Smolensky
Best Documentary Feature
SHEPHERDS OF HELMAND by Gary Mortensen
Best Documentary Short
VERA KLEMENT: BLUNT EDGE by Wonjung Bae
Best Int’l Documentary Feature
HAULING by Sean Walsh
Best Narrative Short
WYLDFLOWER by Justin K. Staley
Best Animation
DRAT by Farin Farzaneh
Best Young Filmmaker
MICHAEL CUSUMANO for AMANDA
Best Going Rogue
PERSONAL REVOLTS by Eddy Falconer
Audience Award – Narrative Feature
MAGGIE MARVEL by Dan Brennan
Audience Award – Documentary
DJ ROB SWIFT by Rodolfo Duran