Winners. Finalist. Honorable Mention. 2025
Winner Animation - Orbit
Director,
Margareta F. A. Orkan
Norway,
00:01:50
Margareta is a director and filmmaker based in Norway. She has directed several short films, including The Factory (2017), Tidevann (2018), Poolboy (2019), and Synthbabe (2022). Orbit is her first animation project.
"Orbit (or Varv, as it’s called in Swedish) is my first animated short film. It’s a poetic reflection on the relationship between parent and child and the passage of life. I chose Swedish as the language of the film because my father and grandmother’s side of the family is Swedish. My father also serves as the film’s narrator."
Winner Documentary - Masai Mara
Director,
Andrea Bufi
Italy 0:03:00
Andrea is an Italian filmmaker working in the field of audiovisual production. "This project was born from the simple desire to bring home a meaningful memory of a special vacation. From the beginning, my intention was to capture the atmosphere and sensations of the experience, rather than follow a traditional narrative structure.Meet acclaimed filmmakers, actors and industry professionals as they share their experiences and insights on the film industry."
Winner Narrative - You're Cut
Director,
Samuel Weaver,
USA - 0":02:30
Christopher Nelson, Key Cast"Ken"
Lee Moran, Key Cast"GM"
Original Song/Score by EMM “Cold World"
"As the writer and director, I set out to capture the emotional fallout of a professional athlete's abrupt dismissal — not with a dramatic on-field moment, but with a quiet, corporate coldness that reflects the often unseen side of sports. The story follows a seasoned NFL player who’s unexpectedly called into the office and informed he’s being released. Opposite to how he’s treated by his team — he encounters a sterile transaction that leaves him questioning not just his career, but his identity. Inspired by real-life accounts from former players and my personal experience as a Syracuse Football Tight End, the film explores themes of disposability and the human cost of a billion-dollar industry.
Winner Experimental - A Fashionable Glass of Chardonnay
Director,
Jim Lively
USA 0:03:20
This experimental short film combines the excitement and beauty of fashion with a lovely glass of chardonnay displaying the movie.
Jim is the artist and curator at Martsolf Lively Contemporary. His artwork and art films have been recognized in numerous juried competitions, publications and film festivals. In addition, Jim has exhibited his artwork in several group and solo exhibitions across North America and in Europe.Connect with fellow film enthusiasts and professionals at our community events, which include Q&A sessions and networking opportunities.
Winner Original Score - again I again
DAN WOOL , composer and sound designer for "again I again" is an American composer and sound designer based in San Francisco. He is known for his work across feature films, documentaries, television, themed entertainment, dance, and experimental installations I the performing arts. Dan is San Francisco based with over 25 years experience as an independent contractor.
Finalist Animation - again I again
Director-
Tom (gibby) Gibbons
USA 0:01:55
"What started off as a Test, grew over time into this Single Shot 2min. animation. I just kept going. I'd shoot for a day and then walk away and never strike the Set. Over a year or more i just kept adding to the Shot, another handful of frames here, 3months later, another handful of frames.
Eventually it started to take on a "message" or something like that, and I knew where it wanted to go."
Gibbons is a self-taught animator. He started making stop-motion animated films in 1991, gradually learning the process of machining armatures, animating, lighting, film editing, and sound design. During this period he often worked on experimental collaborations in multi-media and/or animation.
Gibbons has 30 years of professional animation experience (stop-motion and CG), and is widely known as a master in the field. He is currently an animation lead and supervisor at Tippett Studio. In this capacity he travels, interviews, and studies the behaviors and biomechanics of a variety of animals and people. His credits include “James and the Giant Peach,” “Starship Troopers,” “Charlotte’s Web,” the “Twilight” series, “Immortals,” “Enchanted,” and “Ted.” He is also one of the very few stop motion animators who are reviving the art of stop motion in contemporary live action films and series, such as “The Force Awakens,” “The Rise of Skywalker,” “Poker Face,” and “The Mandolorian.” He has received numerous nominations and awards for his professional work.
Finalist Documentary - Listening with Fire
Director -
Kimberly Danek Pinkson
USA 0:01:30
Kimberly Danek Pinkson
"In an intimate fire gathering, on sacred land along the coast of California, our short film invites viewers to reconnect with Grandpa Fire as a source of wisdom, rebirth, and illumination.
For as individual beings and as a global citizenry, we are literally and figuratively fighting for life on a burning planet. In the face of the pains of the world, we actively dull our senses with busy-ness; concurrently terrified of fire and also, yearning for the flame of life to burn more brightly within us."
Kimberly was Inspired by a unique childhood in close relationship with Indigenous elders and ancient-wisdom ways, Kimberly is a mission-driven and multi-hyphenate entrepreneur and producer who has worked across myriad sectors from education to impact. The common thread? Working to help us remember the beautiful and interconnected web of life of which we are all a part. Kimberly founded the EcoMom brand in 2006 (exit 2010), and built a non-profit Alliance of over 20,000 EcoMom influencers throughout North America, Asia Pacific, EMEA, and Latin America (before “influencers” were even a thing). She has developed global social and environmental impact campaigns with partners such as Mercedes Benz, Walmart, Nissan, Stonyfield Farms, and Method; nonprofits such as Sierra Club, the UN, and Environmental Working Group; and with activist celebrities such as Robin Wright, Nicole Richie, George Clooney, and Ben Affleck.
Finalist Experimental - Social Media & Trust
Director -- Social Media Delivers People...
Brandon Bauer
USA 0:02:43
"This is a video art piece that critically examines the role of social media in the commodification of users. Drawing inspiration from Richard Serra and Carlotta Schoolman’s 1973 work Television Delivers People, this piece reimagines the critique for the digital age, exposing how social media platforms transform users into products for advertisers. Through a blend of AI spoken text, calm visuals, and bland corporate motivational instrumental music, the video reveals the unseen mechanics of surveillance capitalism—where engagement is monetized, data is harvested, and attention is the ultimate currency. Social Media Delivers People confronts viewers with their own complicity in a system that trades connection for profit. The work serves as both a warning and an invitation to reclaim digital agency, urging audiences to rethink their participation in the social media economy.oin our team and help make the festival a success. Gain valuable experience and meet new people."
Brandon Bauer is an artist, educator, curator, and Associate Professor of Art at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin. His work critically examines democracy, nuclear abolition, terrorism, and the climate crisis through photography, video, graphics, and installation, often utilizing archives and ephemera as a lens for ethical inquiry. His work has been exhibited and screened internationally.
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Director TRUST
John Michael Corcoran
Student entered
USA 0:02:34
"Provoking thought through questions in order to better understand your own feelings and trust in them"
John Corcoran is from Malvern Pennsylvania and grew up in a household with 8 other siblings! John has always been incredibly captivated with nature and the beauty of the world. This is what got him into filmmaking when he bought his first camera in 7th grade! He then started a videography business in his second year of high school and began to develop his skills even further! His passions lie mostly on the cinematography end, capturing moments that catch his unique eye. He then went to University Of Hawaii at Manoa and studied film for a year. During this year he connected with everything that he loved; the ocean, animals, nature and the camera. He mostly filmed surfing in this year and continued to dive deeper into film. Now he lives in Malibu, CA as a 20 year old entrepreneur who started a company called "Happy to be here" and makes films for the company along with his own!
Finalist Narrative - Tinder Trap & Long Way Away
Tinder Trap
Director,
Emily Dejesus
England 0:01:00
"A micro-short about the hilariously frustrating trials and tribulations of online dating apps.
The Tinder Trap is for every modern-day single woman who has tried dating apps, or dating in this age in general, and given up due to how frustrating and ridiculous it feels."
Emily DeJesus is a director and producer who is fairly new to the indie film scene. She started her directing career back in 2024 with the Christmas drama "Our First Christmas" before going on to write and direct a new micro-short comedy "The Tinder Trap": having produced several comedies and comedy-dramas previously, this was a natural direction for her to take for her first writing project.
Emily is a member of Staffordshire Film Collective, a not-for-profit collective of filmmakers from the Staffordshire region in the U.K. She produces most of the projects the company makes and has so far produced and directed 2 of her own films under the collective.
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Long Way Away
Director,
Juliet Lucas
USA 0:01:48
A young woman writes a letter to her husband at war, communicating across time and distance.
Garry Moore Writer Cinematographer
Kayla Reiss Key Cast
Natalia-Rose Giovanni Key Cast
"I strongly believe that cinema encompasses some of the best experiences human nature has to offer, and shares stories that otherwise would be overlooked or forgotten in a silver screen format. I strive to bring stories to light that will inspire and immortalize. I am a director with a focus in cinematography, and a love for a strong character that can bring an audience on a journey of discovery."
Juliet's newest film, 2025 It is a theme from typical romantic comedies or friendship dramas, yet it is creating a relationship built on correspondence rather than face-to-face interaction. It arrived on "VOD and DVD July 11th, representing exactly the kind of character-driven independent dramedy that major studios have largely abandoned."
Honorable Mention Student Films- Christmas Presence, Secret Recipe.
Student films are a necessity in festivals -- they are a guide to the future in cinema. Here are two we feel are good examples of a range of ages and different cultures.
Christmas Presence
Director Amelie Zazik
USA 0:01:59
Narrative
"A little girl learns the consequences of leaving her room too early on Christmas morning."
Amelie Zazik is a 12 yr old first-time filmmaker and a huge fan of horror movies. As an actress, she appeared as Young Marilyn Monroe on Season 10 of "American Horror Story." She is a sixth grader from Orange County, California.
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The Secret Recipe
Director
Xinyu Liu
China/UK. 0:03:07
Animation
A girl undergoes an imaginary journey when she is making cookies.
"The Secret Recipe is a short animation about a girl with Down syndrome who undergoes a magical journey while baking cookies. Through her imagination, we explore her pure and joyful spirit and the beauty of her inner world. This film is dedicated to Qingyang Special Primary School and Lisa’s Cakes and Bake. Moreover, this film aims to encourage a more inclusive working environment for individuals with intellectual disabilities."
Amber Liu is an undergraduate student at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, majoring in animation.