SHORT TO THE POINT – NOVEMBER 2019 AWARDS
BEST FILM
Ria | Germany | 2019 | 20’
Director: Dennis Baumann
Writer: Dennis Baumann
Producer: Till Helldobler
Cast: Valentina Walde, Tobias Kluckert, Thomas Sturmfels, Lena Biallawons, Simone Ritscher, Erik Schäffler, Luke Neite, Peter Seaton-Clark
Synopsis: WWII through the eyes of a child that has never really seen the war. A fantasy-story, about family, growing up and learning to cope with difficult situations. Little Maria lost her father to the war and her mother to the depression in the late 1940s. The only close relative she has left is her hard-working uncle Philipp. Philipp works in a small newspaper publishing house and writes short stories for the Sunday edition of the local newspaper. One day he finds a short story of his niece between his documents. He first discovers a loving, fairy-tale child story – but as he soon finds out, there is much more to it. The story not only helps him to make one of his best adapted works, but also lets him see what Maria is going through at home. She understands much more than one can believe in a ten-year-old, and knows about the deal what it means to grow up. But more importantly, she is the only one who realizes that the family is more important than anything else – especially in times when everything seems to be lost anyway.
BEST DIRECTOR
The tears’ thing | France | 2019 | 25’
Director: Clémence Poésy
Writer: Clémence Poésy ; Eric Forestier
Producer: Nelson Ghrénassia
Cast: India Hair, Sabine Timoteo
Synopsis: Florence is an actress. Preparations for her new role will challenge her in a way she could never have seen coming.
BEST SCREENPLAY
Ria | Germany | 2019 | 20’
Director: Dennis Baumann
Writer: Dennis Baumann
Producer: Till Helldobler
Cast: Valentina Walde, Tobias Kluckert, Thomas Sturmfels, Lena Biallawons, Simone Ritscher, Erik Schäffler, Luke Neite, Peter Seaton-Clark
Synopsis: WWII through the eyes of a child that has never really seen the war. A fantasy-story, about family, growing up and learning to cope with difficult situations. Little Maria lost her father to the war and her mother to the depression in the late 1940s. The only close relative she has left is her hard-working uncle Philipp. Philipp works in a small newspaper publishing house and writes short stories for the Sunday edition of the local newspaper. One day he finds a short story of his niece between his documents. He first discovers a loving, fairy-tale child story – but as he soon finds out, there is much more to it. The story not only helps him to make one of his best adapted works, but also lets him see what Maria is going through at home. She understands much more than one can believe in a ten-year-old, and knows about the deal what it means to grow up. But more importantly, she is the only one who realizes that the family is more important than anything else – especially in times when everything seems to be lost anyway.
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
The tears’ thing | France | 2019 | 25’
Actress: India Hair
Director: Clémence Poésy
Writer: Clémence Poésy ; Eric Forestier
Producer: Nelson Ghrénassia
Cast: India Hair, Sabine Timoteo
Synopsis: Florence is an actress. Preparations for her new role will challenge her in a way she could never have seen coming.
BEST LEADING ACTOR
RESURRECTION | France | 2019 | 10’
Actor: Tony Simonneau
Director: Sabine Crossen
Writer: Nikos El Greco
Producers: Tim Clayton, Christophe Péchoux, Laurent Klug, Sabine Crossen
Cast: Samy Naceri, Tony Simonneau
Synopsis: Max had everything then he lost his most precious possession and life was no longer worth living. After months of dwelling in the streets an encounter with an odd barman who treats him with kindness changes his look on life.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
A High Tide Day | France | 2019 |16’
Director: Timothée Catherine
Writer: Timothée Catherine
Producer: Xavier Lapandry
Cast: Amel Charif, Léa Tissier, Félix Armand
Synopsis: During a weekend beside the sea in Normandy with her partner, Constance has an unsettling meeting with a young woman in a café in the small town of Luc-Sur-Mer. This event, as well as the discovery of a local prophecy, will lead her to enter into a deceptive love triangle.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Ria | Germany | 2019 | 20’
Set Design: Martha Funke, Anna-Luisa Vieregge, Holly Geissner
Director: Dennis Baumann
Writer: Dennis Baumann
Producer: Till Helldobler
Cast: Valentina Walde, Tobias Kluckert, Thomas Sturmfels, Lena Biallawons, Simone Ritscher, Erik Schäffler, Luke Neite, Peter Seaton-Clark
Synopsis: WWII through the eyes of a child that has never really seen the war. A fantasy-story, about family, growing up and learning to cope with difficult situations. Little Maria lost her father to the war and her mother to the depression in the late 1940s. The only close relative she has left is her hard-working uncle Philipp. Philipp works in a small newspaper publishing house and writes short stories for the Sunday edition of the local newspaper. One day he finds a short story of his niece between his documents. He first discovers a loving, fairy-tale child story – but as he soon finds out, there is much more to it. The story not only helps him to make one of his best adapted works, but also lets him see what Maria is going through at home. She understands much more than one can believe in a ten-year-old, and knows about the deal what it means to grow up. But more importantly, she is the only one who realizes that the family is more important than anything else – especially in times when everything seems to be lost anyway.
BEST EDITING
Fine Dying | Turkey | 2019 | 15’
Editor: Erkan Erdem
Director: Umut Evirgen
Writer: Umut Evirgen
Producer: Umut Evirgen
Cast: Burak Yamantürk, Hazer Amani, Seda Akman
Synopsis: Chef Arthur, who is very sensitive to nature, is entertaining an important jury for dinner. Arthur who does yoga and kisses his flowers every morning turns into another character when he puts the chef apron on. He turns the kitchen into a battlefield while trying to cook the best food for the juries. There is no trace of this naïve man anymore. Arthur who is not even able to hurt a fly does not keep away from murdering animals and sacrificing anything for flavour when he steps into the kitchen.
BEST NARRATIVE
august. september. | Canada | 2019 | 15’
Director: Ludovic Dufresne
Writer: Ludovic Dufresne
Producer: Audrey Fallu
Cast: Daniel D’Amours, Pascale Marineau, Sandrine Bisson, Audrey Fallu
Synopsis: Boris, a meteorology student, has always suffered from a rare condition that condemns him to short-lived relationships with girls.
BEST COMEDY
Short Calf Muscle | Netherlands | 2019 | 13’
Director: Victoria Warmerdam
Writer: Victoria Warmerdam
Producer: Trent
Cast: Henry van Loon, Beppie Melissen, Raymonde de Kuyper, Sieger Sloot, Wieger Windhorst, Bert Hana, Rogier Schippers, Bart Klever, Rein Mulder, Loes Schnepper, Michiel Kerbosch
Synopsis: Short Calf Muscle is an absurdist black comedy about Anders. And Anders is different. But he doesn’t know that. Yes, he’s also gay, but that’s not the point here. There is also this thing that others see but he doesn’t.
BEST DRAMA
The Hen Man | France | 2019 | 15’
Director: Thiebault Guérin
Producer: Jeanjean Films (indie)
Cast: Jean Lacroix, Meryl Mourey
Synopsis: John has the feeling that he belongs to the poultry world and meticulously crafts himself a hen costume. Marginalised by society but supported by his loving sister he remains true to his vision.
BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI
AMARA | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Ethan Chancer
Synopsis: “AMARA” is a short film in which the titular protagonist, spurred on by a cataclysmic celestial event, must embark on a pilgrimage through her barren and desolate world. Battling doubt and fear of the unknown, her courage and strength become her only guides on a journey to salvation.
BEST HORROR
Once Upon A Time In…Sai Wan | Hong Kong | 2019 | 23’
Director: Nate Ki
Writer: Nate Ki
Producer: Mani Man
Cast: Raymond Chiu, Wong So Fun, Zeno Koo, Brian Thomas Burrell
Synopsis: In 1989, there were rumors saying money became joss papers when a delivery guy returned to his restaurant after delivering food order to Room 4E of Sau Lai Building which was to be disassembled. Such rumors horrified restaurant staff members nearby as they all afraid that they would receive call from the ghost someday. Shui, who was a staff member from Chiu Fat Restaurant, however, manipulated people’s superstition, claiming that he received order from the ghost. He stole all the money after delivering food orders while replacing the money with joss papers. His boss and colleagues were shocked as they had never thought that their restaurant was chosen and cursed! Shui found that his trick succeed and thus decided to cheat money using the same tactics again and again…
BEST STUDENT
GRENADINE | United States | 2019 | 15’
Director: Corentin Leroux
Writer: Corentin Leroux
Producer: Dimitri Lazarashvili
Cast: Hunter Fisher, Elijah Reyez, Xavier Reyes, Cole Zampas-Klean, Leilene Stewart
Synopsis: How do three brothers change when their parents inexplicably disappear?
BEST YOUNG DIRECTOR
Sad Girl Weekend | Greece | 2019 | 16’
Director: Dimitris Tsakaleas, Lida Vartioti
Writers: Dimitris Tsakaleas, Lida Vartioti
Producers: Iro Aidoni, Dimitris Tsakaleas, Maria Laskaridou, Sotiris Petridis
Cast: Elsa Lekakou, Giorgina Liosi, Natasa Exidaveloni
Synopsis: Three best friends are spending their last weekend together, since the two of them are leaving to study abroad. Sooner or later, they realize that goodbyes are hard.
BEST CHILDREN SHORT
Cazando Gamusinos | Spain | 2019 | 06’
Director: Silvia Mañes Velasco
Writer: Silvia Mañes Velasco
Producer: Máster de Animación UPV
Cast: Gamusino Cazado
Synopsis: Humans possess a totem that gives them control of their imagination. When a gamusino steals Ruben’s totem, his son Hugo goes on a quest and will confront the creature to restore his father’s vitality.
BEST ANIMATION
Am I a wolf? | Islamic Republic of Iran | 2018 | 09’
Director: Amir Houshang Moein
Writer: Amir Houshang Moein
Producer: Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults, KANOON, Iran.
Synopsis: Children perform the familiar story of the wolf and yeanlings in school as a puppet theater. The nanny goat in the grief of its yeanlings and the angry wolf in its solitude, face each other. As usual, the wolf defeats, but…
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Campesinos | Australia | 2019 | 10’
Director: Matias Bolla
Producer: Matias Bolla
Synopsis: A glimpse into the secluded lives of Patagonian cowboys (Gauchos) living at the end of the world in isolation.
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
S T O P | Austria | 2019 | 12’
Director: Marieli Froehlich
Writer: Marieli Fröhlich
Producer: Marieli Froehlich
Synopsis: We are all almost uninterruptedly exposed to countless unfiltered events, both near and far. Reflecting this kind of overwhelming situations the idea for STOP came up. The project can be understood as an action of deceleration, a call for slowdown from a state of sensory overload, a flood of stimuli, that consequently leads to a restriction of our original perception. Contemplation or meditation, an exercise that has had its place in all cultures, offers people the opportunity to experience oneness within themselves and further leads to a feeling of unity with their fellow men. Referring to this project, people from all walks of life, of all ages, religions and race from around the world were and are invited, to take on a sort of meditative sleep state without preparation or artificial setting in their personal environment and stand still for a few minutes, allowing me to record them. During their brief pause the world keeps turning and the grass still grows. The participants are turning towards silence experiencing a gentle stillness spreading throughout themselves. The goal of that continuing project is to collect as many people as possible to participate in the experiment. Experiencing the projection of an “entire world” of people in contemplation also creates a feeling of oneness and inclusion for the viewers. Division and prejudice, whether racial, religious, gender, class or political believes, are thus consequently eliminated in this moment.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Spend My Dayz | United States | 2019 | 05’
Director: Agni Raj Singh
Writer: Agni Raj Singh
Producers: Agni Raj Singh, Patrick Manning
Synopsis: An impressionistic portrayal of an artist obsessively chasing his vision & inspirations, as he journeys from Los Angeles’s gritty urban jungle to its delicate floral paradises.
BEST MINI SHORT
Peer | United States | 2019 | 03’
Directors: Shayna Strype , Ada Defriez
Writers: Shayna Strype, Ada Defriez
Producer: Ruth Lichtman
Cast: Kyra Tantao, Emma Wiseman, Rowan Magee , Eleanore Pienta, Kittie Walsh , Matthew Onorato, Michael Halwagy , Matthew Shovlin , Caroyln Kettig, Spencer Lutvak , Dane Manary, Gabe Fine, Alex Mullen, Alex Difiglia, Malina Leslie, Anne Symons
Synopsis: A child imagines the progression and eventual unraveling of her parents’ marriage. Through use of puppetry, movement and humor, this continuous-shot film explores the ways in which society’s prescriptive structures may lead to the eventual corrosion of the structure itself. This film was made with an all female-identified team on a micro-budget. Original music is composed and performed by Grace McLean (Lincoln Center LCT3: In The Green, Broadway: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812).
BEST NO/LOW BUDGET
Afterglow | Costa Rica | 2019 | 05’
Director: Ariana Bolaños Guevara
Writer: Ariana Bolaños Guevara
Producer: Jose Rodriguez Synopsis: A pessimistic teenager girl re-encounters with an old friend. This re-encounter result in a life changing experience for her.
BEST FASHION SHORT
Brut. | United States | 2019 | 04’
Director: Blackout
Cast: Claudia Marsh
Synopsis: Two opposing forces…The age of technology & brutalism has ended and nature has begun to restore herself. A young woman traverses the lonely landscapes. This is Cara, she is a replicant from the past and is one of the very few things that remain from the old world.