SHORT TO THE POINT – AUGUST 2019 AWARDS
BEST FILM
DIVA & ASTRO | United States | 2018 | 09’
Director: Angel Barroeta
Writer: Angel Barroeta
Producer: Angel Barroeta
Cast: Sharle Taule, Sabrina Salvador, Rob Gooman
Synopsis: A streetwise posse idly roams the evening in the hood they call home. Diva and Astro follow parallel paths in real time, hurtling irrevocably toward the consequences of the habits they find hardest to overcome.
BEST DIRECTOR
DIVA & ASTRO | United States | 2018 | 09’
Director: Angel Barroeta
Writer: Angel Barroeta
Producer: Angel Barroeta
Cast: Sharle Taule, Sabrina Salvador, Rob Gooman Synopsis: A streetwise posse idly roams the evening in the hood they call home. Diva and Astro follow parallel paths in real time, hurtling irrevocably toward the consequences of the habits they find hardest to overcome.
BEST SCREENPLAY
EXTRA INNINGS | United States | 2019 | 09’
Director: John Gray
Writer: John Gray
Producers: John Gray, MELISSA JO PELTIER
Cast: Peter Riegert, TJ Thyne
Synopsis: A reporter interviews a major league baseball manager in an attempt to uncover secrets.
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
THE AQUARIUM | Denmark | 2017 | 30’
Actress: Maria Winther Nørgaard
Director: Peter Ahlén
Writer: Andrea Winding
Producers: Anne Falkesgaard Hansen, Sofie Brandt
Cast: Maria Winther Nørgaard, Elias Munk, Jonathan Bergholdt, Peter Aalbæk Jensen
Synopsis: In a dystopian world underneath the ground, a mysterious boss dictates the rules of the young people living and working here. They each work in a club, taking care of dedicated club members day after day. Carla is responsible for the Aquarium Club where her only friends are the fishes. One day things changes, when Carla suspects there is more to this world than living alone in isolation. When she meet the boy Zac, who is in charge of the Motor Club a whole new world opens; a fascinating world which introduce friendship and love. But Carlas discovery comes with consequences, which may be fatal.
BEST LEADING ACTOR
Asan | Kazakhstan | 2018 | 27’
Actor: Azat Zhumadil
Director: Berik Zhakhanov
Writer: Berik Zhakhanov
Synopsis: Asan is a typical teenage boy, who lives by rules of the streets. He fights with age-mates, gets in troubles with the police. His mother raises his alone; they don’t live with their father. One morning they receive the word of Asan’s father’s death. Asan with his mother and uncle goes at his father’s funeral. On the way at the funeral Asan remembers his childhood, his father. Sad and happy moments. The film shows the boy’s internality, his forgotten feelings for his father. The film tells us about a teenage boy who has changed, who grew up and realized, but the most important he has forgiven his father and remembered happy moments of his childhood. On the way at the funeral, Asan doesn’t understand a close link with his father and doesn’t feel anything to him. He argues with his mother and uncle. He doesn’t expect as well as his mother that the meeting with his father will bring up so many feelings. Asan rethinks his behavior and takes the staff from the Elder, which is the symbol of the family name: Asan is a head of the family now.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Asan | Kazakhstan | 2018 | 27’
Director: Berik Zhakhanov
Writer: Berik Zhakhanov
Cast: Azat Zhumadil Synopsis: Asan is a typical teenage boy, who lives by rules of the streets. He fights with age-mates, gets in troubles with the police. His mother raises his alone; they don’t live with their father. One morning they receive the word of Asan’s father’s death. Asan with his mother and uncle goes at his father’s funeral. On the way at the funeral Asan remembers his childhood, his father. Sad and happy moments. The film shows the boy’s internality, his forgotten feelings for his father. The film tells us about a teenage boy who has changed, who grew up and realized, but the most important he has forgiven his father and remembered happy moments of his childhood. On the way at the funeral, Asan doesn’t understand a close link with his father and doesn’t feel anything to him. He argues with his mother and uncle. He doesn’t expect as well as his mother that the meeting with his father will bring up so many feelings. Asan rethinks his behavior and takes the staff from the Elder, which is the symbol of the family name: Asan is a head of the family now.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Ouroboros | United States | 2016 | 9’
Director: Emma Keehan
Writer: Nick Early
Producers: Emma Keehan, Andrew Harrington
Cast: Kyra Renee
Synopsis: One masked dancer threatens the cycle of pursued acceptance met by authoritative rejection when part of her facade falls away and she can truly see.
BEST EDITING
THE AQUARIUM | Denmark | 2017 | 30’
Director: Peter Ahlén
Writer: Andrea Winding
Producers: Anne Falkesgaard Hansen, Sofie Brandt
Cast: Maria Winther Nørgaard, Elias Munk, Jonathan Bergholdt, Peter Aalbæk Jensen
Synopsis: In a dystopian world underneath the ground, a mysterious boss dictates the rules of the young people living and working here. They each work in a club, taking care of dedicated club members day after day. Carla is responsible for the Aquarium Club where her only friends are the fishes. One day things changes, when Carla suspects there is more to this world than living alone in isolation. When she meet the boy Zac, who is in charge of the Motor Club a whole new world opens; a fascinating world which introduce friendship and love. But Carlas discovery comes with consequences, which may be fatal.
BEST COMEDY
Bloody Mary | Sweden | 2018 | 15’
Director: Erica Elfström
Writer: Lars Klintwall
Producer: Erica Elfström
Cast: Emelia Hansson
Synopsis: Mary tries to score the famous rockstar Julien by pretending she is a famous Swedish music journalist. To her surprise she succeeds to get into Juliens lounge and get invited to his suite. Mary thinks her goal is reached and sex is on, until an unwanted monthly surprise turns up.
BEST DRAMA
To Hell with Codes | France | 2018 | 14’
Director: Léopold Legrand
Writer: Léopold Legrand
Producer: Charlotte Reichenbach
Cast: Olivier Rabourdin, Slimane Dazi, Marouan Idoub
Synopsis: “Despite their high-security building, Death could easily get into their apartment.” Patrick Pelloux, emergency doctor.
BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI
Best fairy for Cinderella | Russian Federation | 2019 | 12’
Director: Alexander Baskakov
Writer: Peter Samoilov
Producer: Alexander Baskakov
Cast: Barbara Borodina, Nikolay Kovbas, Irina Barinova
Synopsis: Once upon a time, in a faroff kingdom, there lived a fair young maiden – Cinderella. She dreamed of getting to the ball. Will meet the beautiful prince. But everything went wrong…
BEST HORROR
Shadow At The Door | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Roshni Bhatia
Writer: Roshni Bhatia
Producer: Andrew Mayne
Cast: Anastasiia Polishchuk
Synopsis: In Roshni Bhatia’s short film, Shadow at the Door, a troubled young woman searches for an intruder in her home unaware that what she’s really looking for may be something she refuses to see.
BEST NARRATIVE
Beyond the river | Italy | 2019 | 15’
Director: Luca Zambolin
Writers: Luca Zambolin, Alessandro Padovani
Producer: Francesco Bonsembiante
Cast: Brixhilda Shqalsi, Marco Paolini, Elisabetta Salvatori
Synopsis: In occupied Italy during the 1940s, Antonia, her mother and a dozen peasant women live on a farm. There are no animals as they have all been seized by the Germans. One day, Antonia wanders to the river that divides the countryside from the city and finds a horse that has escaped from the war. Deciding to keep it, she puts everyone’s life in peril.
BEST STUDENT
Starry Night | Ireland | 2019-05-27 |14’
Director: Emma Smith
Writer: Rachel Moloney
Producer: Caoilinn Handley
Cast: Hazel Clifford, Ciara Ivie, Hannah Smullen, Cameron Barron
Synopsis: With her future hanging in the balance, Cara has a choice to make – abandon her sisters, and pursue her dream in London? Or sacrifice herself, so that one day they too might stand a chance? ‘Starry Night’ was led by a crack team of women both on screen and off, with almost all of the roles – in all departments – filled by incredible young women at the start of their careers.
BEST YOUNG DIRECTOR
Chimera | Greece | 10’
Director: Melpomeni
Writer: Melpomeni
Producer: Maria Laskaridou
Cast: Natasha Rumyantseva, Dimitris Kapetanios
Synopsis: The Creator follows her mature self, her simulation, in a walking misty, hallucinatory. The hesitation and the cowardice itself keep it in the unfinished journey. She senses her escape, she realizes it, in this unfinished journey.
BEST CHILDREN SHORT
The Listies Work for Peanuts-Episode 1 | Australia | 2019 | 07’
Director: Natalie van den Dungen
Writers: Judi McCrossin, Kate Keegan, Matt Kelly, Richard Higgins
Producers: Judi McCrossin, Kate Keegan, Matt Kelly, Richard Higgins
Cast: Matt Kelly, Richard Higgins, Asmara Feik
Synopsis: THE LISTIES are odd couple housemates who love to have adventures. Just staying alive can be a fun challenge for them, literally. Recently, Matt was worried he was dying. He thought his bum was broken – there was a crack down the middle. On top of this their landlady, an impossibly high achieving and quick witted eight year old ABERNATHY PEANUTS, won’t stop hammering on the door with a list of demands – well it’s more a list of DEMAND seeing as there’s only one thing on the list: PAY YOUR RENT! The Listies have got bills, bills, bills so they need to get to werk, werk, werk! The only thing is, they’re not exactly what you would call employable. In fact they’ve been fired from literally every proper job they’ve ever had, (apart from when they were human cannonballs, when they weren’t fired, because they didn’t fire, so they were fired (if you catch my drift). In every episode of THE LISTIES WORK FOR PEANUTS, Matt and Rich have to get a job to pay their rent to their eight year old landlord, Abernathy Peanuts – and if they don’t… they’ll be out on their BEEPs!
BEST ANIMATION
How Méliès flew to the moon | Russian Federation | 2019 | 06’
Director: Alena Kulikova
Writers: Yury Rachmanov, Alena Kulikova, Cecilio Vargas
Producers: Vladimir Malyshev, Fedor Popov
Synopsis: Every evening, Méliès watches the moon. He is so in love and inspired by her that his only dream is to fly to the moon. Once in the sky there is a cosmic collision, which gives rise to several events.
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Year of the robot | France | 2019 | 28’
Director: Yves Gellie
Writer: Yves Gellie
Producer: Alexandre Brachet, Camille Lacharmoise
Synopsis: This film explores the desire and wishes humans may have to form a personal daily relationship with a robot. is a series of archives detailing the first contacts and dialogs with a humanoid robot, equipped with artificial autonomy and humans. It involves elderly people sometimes afflicted with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or young adults with autism or neurological problems. Once past the surprise phase and aware of the artificial nature of the robot’s functioning, the residents try, despite everything,to forge bonds with it. Raise your arms above your head.
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
Home Alone | Romania | 2019 | 14’
Director: Jean-Lorin Sterian
Writer: Jean-Lorin Sterian
Producers: Jean-Lorin Sterian, Monica Istrate
Cast: Marine Leduc, Ana Ioniță, Fabio Gerhold, Alina Tofan, George Dorobanțu, Andreea Lupescu, Radiana Enucă, Mara Căruțașu
Synopsis: We see dwelling as a natural thing we don’t have to think of, but the ability to dwell is conditioned by the environment in which we have developed our personality, interactions with our family and with the society. Any new home rebuilds our first habitation. Through Home Alone, we sought to discover each person’s “abilities” to inhabit. No matter how old or new the space we live in, we are never alone, because all our people with whom we have been involved have lived in our minds. In our turn, we also live in the minds of others. That’s where we’re waving to each other.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Geshem – Telephone | Israel | 2019 | 05’
Director: Kip (Broken Fingaz)
Writer: Kip (Broken Fingaz)
Producer: Kip (Broken Fingaz)
BEST MINI SHORT
UNE VRAI FEMME | United Kingdom | 2019 | 03’
Director: Geoffrey Breton
Writer: Geoffrey Breton
Cast: Aiysha Hart, Michael Lindall
Synopsis: A man repeatedly fails to get closer to the beautiful woman across the road, representing modern male entitlement and female choice.
BEST NO/LOW BUDGET
THE SCHOOL OF INSULTS (L’ECOLE DE L’INSULTE) | Switzerland | 2019 | 05’
Director: Philippe Lawi
Writer: Philippe Lawi
Producer: David Castillero
Cast: Harris Procopiu
Synopsis: This is a fake documentary about a school located in a village called « FuckOff ». Here, Since the Asshole party has come into power, insults are mandatory in any form of communication between residents. However, some individuals suffer from politeness. Consequently, professeur Papillon created the school of insults.
BEST AMATEUR
Monster Under the Bed | United States | 2019 | 08’
Director: Sean Aragon
Writer: Sean Aragon
Producer: Sarah Hawbaker , Sean Aragon
Cast: Grace Smith , Jorge Alvarez , April Hilton-Pegas
Synopsis: When a lonely little girl discovers friendship and bonds with a monster under her bed, she soon realizes that the monster may be hiding his true intentions.
BEST FASHION SHORT
Upcycle | Russian Federation | 2019 | 18’
Directors: Evgenia Zaitseva, Stanislav Phalkov –
Producers: Stanislav Phalkov, Evgenia Zaitseva
Cast: Mikhail Ilyin, Kirill Andreev
Synopsis: The upcycle project is part of a huge collaboration with stylists, musicians and models. An experiment with a form in which you can come up with amazing results. The objectives of recycling are to draw public attention to environmental issues, reduce waste and foster a culture of responsible consumption.
BEST COMMERCIAL/AD/TVC
Z ZEGNA | Italy | 2018 | 02’
Director: Giacomo Boeri
Producer: The Blink Fish, Indiana
Cast: Alexander Zverev
Synopsis: In Z Zegna we see tennis champion Alexander Zverev take on a tennis-playing machine on the courts. When the machine comes to life – shaking with exertion, releasing smoke like sweat and making metallic sounds like breathing – could Zverev have met his match? Prepare for an epic, ironic and surreal match as Zverev, ranked fourth worldwide, faces down the ultimate partner. Luckily his skills don’t disappoint and are as flawless as the Z Zegna Techmerino wash&go suit he’s wearing.