Couch Film Festival Spring 2023 Edition Winners in RED, Nominees in BLACK Best of the Festival
BEST FILM of the FESTIVAL: The Smile - Dir. by Erik van Schaaik (Netherlands) 1st Runner Up for Best Film: Stationheads - Dir. by Stu Gamble (Hungary) 2nd Runner Up for Best Film:Interviewing Lance Masterson - Dir. by Sohaila Lindheim (Ireland) Audience Choice: The Smile - Dir. by Erik van Schaaik (Netherlands)
Honourable Mentions: The King of Christmas - Dir. by Jacob Hightower (USA) The Master Of Ashes - Dir. by Omar Jamal Aljaber (Jordan) Megaville - After Hours - Dir. by Tim Cürlis, Christian Skibinski (Germany) Riding Down a Moon Bean - Dir. by Bobby Lacer (USA)
Category Award Nominees
Winners in RED, Nominees in BLACK
Best 15-Second Story
Nominees for Best 15-Second Story The Walk-Up - Dir. by Teresa Moore (USA) Reach For The Dead - Dir. by Kevin Lucero Less (USA) Joyful_ - Dir. by Lidia Napoli
1:00-5:00 Minutes
Nominees for Best Animation The Stranger - Dir. by Maria Niazmand, Mandana Niazmand (Iran) The Space Between Us - Dir. by Julianne Martin (USA) Emergence - Dir. by Nick Pascoal (USA) New Life - Dir. by Mark Russel Bernard (Australia)
Nominees for Best Art Film A Carousel in the Rain - Dir. by Jaro Jääskeläinen (Finland) No Invasion - Dir. by Dwayne Jahn (Germany) Posidonies - Dir. by Antis Iakovou, Evie Demetriou (Cyprus)
Nominees for Best Comedy Watercraft - Dir. by Gabriel Auclair-Doucet (Canada) Unmovated - Dir. by Ian Johnston (Canada) Rearranged - Dir. by Heather Hillstrom (USA) The Adventures Of Marg - New Wheels - Dir. by Chloë Clune (Canada) The Drop of Champagne - Dir. by Gautier Piton (France) Man of the Match - Dir. by Umesh Thamotharam (Canada) This Won’t End Well - Dir. by Eric Cerisano (Canada)
Nominees for Best Documentary Alla Prima - Dir. by Madison Kuhns (USA) Hope - Dir. by Roxanne Wright (Canada) When I Met Sangre Negra - Dir. by Miguel Rueda (USA) Building a Community - Dir. by Matthew James Biendara (USA)
Nominees for Best Drama Cheese - Dir. by Nadya Todorova (Bulgaria) A New Strong Spring - Dir. by Luciano D. Urietti, Luca G. Gabriele (Italy) Sisterly Love - Dir. by Thea Balich, Tom Knight (UK) Birds and Nests - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Argentina) The Best Day - Dir. by Isla McKenna (USA)
Nominees for Best Experimental International Assis (Seated) - Dir. by Pierre Yves Clouin (France) The Dark Box - Dir. by Selina Leone, David Valverde (Spain) A Carousel in the Rain - Dir. by Jaro Jääskeläinen (Finland)
Nominees for Best Experimental North America Nothing to See Here - Dir. by Marc Ignacio (Canada) Walking in the Path of Nature Man - Dir. by Nolan Schmidt (USA) Shitfaced - Dir. by Jack E.K. Collier (USA) Excerpt From Home Movie - Dir. by Eva Nel Brettrager (USA)
Nominees for Best Horror Baby Cam - Dir. by Dave Heron (UK) You Have My Heart - Dir. by Rik Langan (UK) Pygmalion - Dir. by Nicholas Bromund (USA)
Nominees for Best Music Video Only Eden - Dir. by Andrea Jean Plamondon (USA) Specimen - Dir. by Didier Mulleras (France) I Miss My Baby - Dir. by Jordan Newkirk (USA) Dümscrolt - Dir. by Jerome Kurtenbach (USA)
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller The Tower - Dir.by Sean Breathnach (Ireland) Kaine - Dir. by Steven Fox (USA) A Little Light - Dir. by Tammy Boyer (Canada)
Nominees for Best One Minute Film A Scent of Red - Dir. by Felicia E. (USA) Nest Delirium - Dir. by Jacob Luke (Canada) Categorical Betrayal - Dir. by Jeff Vande Zande (USA)
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural Bunnygirls Meet The Void - Dir. by Cherelle Ann Sarah Higgins (Canada) SMRT Services - Dir. by Jeff Vande Zande (USA) Happyverse - Dir. by Benjamin Buckley (Canada) Conjecture - Dir. by Manuel Hai (Colombia)
Nominees for Best Student Film Professional Intern - Dir. by Stokes Harvey (USA) Two Stoners - John Angell Grant (USA) You Should See Other People - Dir. by Uriel Cruz (USA)
Nominees for Best First-Time Filmmaker Chris A. Iraheta - The Tone of Alone (USA) Nick Pascoal - Emergence (USA) Stokes Harvey - Professional Intern (USA)
Nominees for Best Actor James Boutcher - The Grave Apology (Canada) Dallas Mahan - Professional Intern (USA) Gautier Piton - The Drop of Champagne (France)
Nominees for Best Actress Chloë Clune - The Adventures Of Marg - New Wheels (Canada) Ashna Sharan - Rearranged (USA) Claudia Côté - What Do Ghosts Dream Of? (Canada)
Nominees for Best Cast Rearranged - Dir. by Heather Hillstrom (USA) What Do Ghosts Dream Of? - Dir. by Jules Nerestant (Canada) Bunnygirls Meet The Void - Dir. by Cherelle Ann Sarah Higgins (Canada)
Nominees for Best Cinematography Evangelos Desborough - Watercraft (Canada) Hristin - Cheese (Bulgaria) Steven Fox - Kaine (USA)
Nominees for Best Writer Nadya Todorova - Cheese (Bulgaria) Roxanne Wright - Hope (Canada) Austyn Van de Kamp - Man of the Match (Canada)
Nominees for Best Director Olivier Roca - Chef's (France) Christopher Francis - Only A Rat (USA) Didier Mulleras - Specimen (France)
5:01-20:00 Minutes
Nominees for Best Animation Advanced Delvonics - Dir. by M. Taylor Hensley (USA) Letters to Parkkimäentie - Dir. by Mika Koskinen (Finland) The Orange Horse - Dir. by Joshua Heineman (USA) out of control - Dir. by bellopropello (Switzerland) Tears of Metal - Dir. by Etienne Adam (Canada) Will Ye No Come Back Again? - Dir. by Deb Ethier (Canada)
Nominees for Best Comedy Canada Bake Sale - Dir. by Kirby Sloan, Ben Fudge (Canada) The Midnight Retaliator - Dir. by Peter Hajdu (Canada) Down To Earth - Dir. by Ryan McNeill (Canada) The Bauvilliers - Dir. by Abhishek Majumder (Canada)
Nominees for Best Comedy International In The Loop - Dir. by George Butterworth (Australia) Loose Change: A Memoir of Childhood - Dir. by Andrew Bateman (USA) Half - Dir. by A.J. Ogilvie (USA) Just a Kiss - Dir. by Brandon Alexander Cela (USA) Men in Cars - Dir. by Molly Vernon (USA) The Bots Will Get It - Dir. by Adam P. Murphy (USA) Sticks and Stones - Dir. by Jason Kelly Lee (USA)
Nominees for Best Documentary North America Trapped In The Hood Documentary Series Episode 1 - Dir. by Robert Boyd, Lucinda Boyd (USA) What Did You Say? - Dir. by Oscar Li (USA) Her Drive - Dir. by Avery Huitikka Wilton (Canada) Prophecy in Action - Names Hidden in Warnings - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (USA) Prophecy in Action - Nostradamus on Turkey Quake - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (USA)
Nominees for Best Documentary International The Future in Our Hands - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Taiwan) Celebrating Chinese New Year - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Taiwan) Robert Stewart - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Taiwan) Inside Talk II - Dir. by Parker Brothers (UK) Shiringa: Amazon White Gold - Dir. by Oscar Akamine, Joseph Neyra (Peru) The Hyper & Hope of Argentina - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Argentina) Stuck with Virus on Board - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Falkland Islands, Malvinas)
Nominees for Best Drama North America Disregard - Dir. by Mike Messier (USA) Solitarity - Dir. by Melissa Bronski, Shanna Riker (USA) The Bridge - Dir. by Arya Ashoori (Canada) The Aftermath - Dir. by Callie Carpinteri (USA) Enter the Room - Dir. by Harry Waldman (USA) The Breakdown - Dir. by Clarence Williams IV (USA) Ginny's Enterprise - Dir. by Suzanne Marie Moreau (Canada) Apart - Dir. by Pierre Marais (USA) The Sea Never Forgets - Dir. by Thomas Pace (USA)
Nominees for Best Drama International Footsteps - Dir. by Hamed Bahrami (Iran) The Forbidden Fruit - Dir. by Vlad F. Dumea, Sebastian Andro (Romania) Horizon - Dir. by Daniele De Muro (Italy) Náiade - Dir. by Rogerio Troiani Barbosa (Brazil) The Favor - Dir. by Henry Bruno (France) Arrivederci Paris - Dir. by Louis Salvatore Bellanti (France) The Voice of My Suspect - Dir. by Christiaan Ackermann (South Africa) Starry Eyed - Dir. by Jessica Orcsik (Australia) Last Dance - Dir. by Ezequiel Casamada Arnella (Spain) Before the Dreams - Dir. by Şehmus Özek (Turkey) Time to Fly - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Argentina)
Nominees for Best Experimental In Other Words, In Other Images - Appropriate(d) - Dir. by Susan Kouguell (USA) Egress - Dir. by Ethan Vale (Australia) Lacrime di Vento - Dir. by Damiano Rossi (Italy) The Secret History of Tardigrades in Early Soviet Cinema - Dir. by Jeffrey Turboff (USA) Book X - Dir. by Daniel Krastek (USA) AnonyMonster - Dir. by Tony Gaud (USA)
Nominees for Best Horror Incognizance - Dir. by James Lessard (Canada) The Soul of the Lake - Dir. by Mathieu Chéreau (USA) Special Broadcast: A SkinWalker Story - Dir. by Nick Luna (USA) Baby Shifter - Dir. by MJ Dixon (UK) Noman - Dir. by Matt Robb (USA) Doll in the Dark - Dir. by Grey Rich (USA) The Bauvilliers - Dir. by Abhishek Majumder (Canada) Temple - Dir. by Shahab Saeidi (Canada) And Now Our Next Guest... - Dir. by Gee Stewart (Canada) Irritación - Dir. by Diogo dos Santos Oliveira (Portugal)
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural The Flare - Dir. by James Boutcher (Canada) Life REBORN - Dir. by Marcel Barragán (Panama) Kaliderson Melody - Les Dormeurs de Samhain - Dir. by Laurent Combaz (France) The R Word - Dir. by Michael Riley (Australia) The Abracadabrante Family - Dir. by Nancy Morin (Canada) Oblivious - Dir. by Rafael Star (Australia)
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Dóttir - Dir. by Steven Fox (USA) Sunny - Dir. by Ramin Sohrab (USA) Glovebox - Dir. by Joseph Matarrese, Phillip Matarrese (USA) Shotgun - Dir. by Ross Langill (Canada) Don't Mess With Levinski 60 - Dir. by Tamar Schwarz (Israel) The Long Wait - Dir. by Alizay Rizwan (UAE) The Cadaver - Dir. by Volkan Özgümüş (Turkey)
Nominees for Best Student Film International First Snow - Dir. by Anton Sytnik (Ukraine) Ransom Video - Dir. by Michael Riley (Australia) Raphaëlle - Dir. by Eléonore Aguillon (France) Last Year - Dir. by Jack William Harold Twell (UK) Let Go - Dir. by Chia Chi Huang (Taiwan)
Nominees for Best Student Film North America Mitchell and Marnie - Dir. by Ben Frondorf (USA) Suburbia Swamp - Dir. by Nicole Flores (USA) King of the Ducks - Dir. by Daniel Martinez Perez (Canada) Forwards - Dir. by Sebastian Eguiarte (Canada) Be Your Feminine - Dir. by Benny Berry-Wolfenden (Canada)
Nominees for Best First-Time Filmmaker Rebecca Duran - Radio Silence (USA) Carlos Da Costa - Wake Up (UK) Dana Blouin - Khao Yai National Park: Thailand's First (Thailand) Raphael Kichenama - ORIGINE-Z (France) Stefan Langer - Haircut (USA)
Nominees for Best Actor Ivaylo Grancharov - Mr. Self (Bulgaria) Marcus Jahn - Spaceman (USA) Massimiliano Nugnes - The Forbidden Fruit (Romania) Peter Mastne - Enter the Room (USA) Kevin Mounce - Thinking of You (USA) Marcel Barragán - Life REBORN (Panama)
Nominees for Best Actress Nikki Apostolidis - The Cost Of Money (USA) Adelia Nazarchuk - First Snow (Ukraine) Justiene Lindholm - The Bridge (Canada) Summer Marie Thomas - The Breakdown (USA) Emily Murphy - And Now Our Next Guest... (Canada) Hannah Lawrence - Joyriders (USA)
Nominees for Best Cast Solitarity - Dir. by Melissa Bronski, Shanna Riker (USA) Sympathy For The Devil - Dir. by Corbin Eaton, Michael Bentley (USA) The Immortals - Dir. by Ross Langill (Canada) The Mighty Beam! - Dir. by Adam Rebora (USA) A Bag Full of Loot - Dir. by David J. McDonald (Canada) Santa Ruins Christmas - Dir. by David Nguyen (Canada)
Nominees for Best Cinematography Marcus Armstrong - The Bridge (Canada) Daniele De Muro - Horizon (Italy) Jodi Savitz - Solitarity (USA) Șerban Dinescu - The Forbidden Fruit (Romania) Jonathan Salazar - Glovebox (USA) Stu Gamble - Stationheads (Hungary)
Nominees for Best Writer Liz Whitmere - Up To Here (Canada) Rik Langan - The Wait (UK) Natalia Cricri - Two Dollars (Australia) Sabrina Knappett - Santa Ruins Christmas (Canada) Gary Cohoe - Hero Squad (Canada) Alvin Sloan - The Logo (USA)
Nominees for Best Director Anne Mueller - Cooking with Kyssara (Canada) Kirby Sloan, Ben Fudge - Bake Sale (Canada) Marion Battaglia - The INsiders (UAE) Shanna Riker - Spaceman (USA) David Nguyen - Santa Ruins Christmas (Canada) Tamar Schwarz - Don't Mess With Levinski 60 (Israel)
20:01-45:00 Minutes
Nominees for Best Comedy Going Nowhere (Pilot Episode) - Dir. by George Walker (UK) Small Cars - Dir. by Andrei Egorov (Belarus) Conspiracy Cases: The Wasp Woman - Dir. by Jeffrey Paul Agosta (USA)
Nominees for Best Documentary Growing with Our Family Tree - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Taiwan) Decode the Mystery - A YouTuber Turned Filmmaker - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (Taiwan) Nudo - Dir. by Gabriele Donati (Italy)
Nominees for Best Drama Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes - Dir. by Pat Mitchell (USA) The American Dream - Dir. by Norbert Valade (France) Odd Birds - Dir. by Georg Arne Kästle, Valentin Marian Bolte (Germany) Organic Dosti - Dir. by Sanjay Rawal (India) Mampatti - Dir. by Srikrishnan Narayanaswami (India) Shashthi - Dir. by Jude Peter Damian (India)
Nominees for Best Horror The Prowler - Dir. by Tanguy Pochoy (France) Dark Web - Dir. by Tyler Appian (USA) Fish - Dir. by Mike J. McAllister (USA)
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller The Million Dollar Game - Dir. by Adam Michael (USA) Valedictory - Dir. by Graeme James Williamson (UK) The Lazarus Game - Dir. by Kate Ward (USA) LSD : The William Brake's Movie - Dir. by Julien Tenfiche (France)
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy House of Ra: The Legend of Reo - Dir. by Antoine M. Dillard (USA) Conspiracy Cases: The Wasp Woman - Dir. by Jeffrey Paul Agosta (USA) Carolina Shag - Dir. by Adam Newman (USA)
Nominees for Best Actor Sylvain Pierre - LSD : The William Brake's Movie (France) Sam Strickland - Going Nowhere (Pilot Episode) (UK) Cal Waldau - Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes (USA)
Nominees for Best Actress Cat Yudain - The Million Dollar Game (USA) Naomi St.Hill - House of Ra: The Legend of Reo (USA) Skye Marie Sena - Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes (USA)
Nominees for Best Cast Credits Among Friends - Dir. by Alexis Ramirez (USA) Organic Dosti - Dir. by Sanjay Rawal (India) Odd Birds - Dir. by Georg Arne Kästle, Valentin Marian Bolte (Germany)
Nominees for Best Cinematography Franck Brett - The Prowler (France) Igbal Ashmi - Mampatti (India) Gabriele Donati - Nudo (Italy)
Nominees for Best Writer Adam Michael - The Million Dollar Game (USA) Tyler Appian - Dark Web (USA) Michael Obiora - Joe Kerr: Laughter Is Therapy (UK)
Nominees for Best Director Ken'ichi Kurokawa - Homecoming Hitchhike (Japan) Graeme James Williamson - Valedictory (UK) Adam Newman - Carolina Shag (USA)
45:01-120 Minutes
Nominees for Best Action Lion of Judah Legacy Movie - Dir. by June Daguiso (USA) Piercing Wounds - Dir. by Andrew Jacob Brown (USA) The Full Moon Fathers - Dir. by Sean Cranston (USA) Alex Fernandez's Sasha 2 - Dir. by Alex Fernandez (USA)
Nominees for Best Drama Chaappakuthu - Dir. by Ajaish Sudhakaran, Mahesh Manoharan (India) Antique Clock, Copper Basin and Cat - Dir. by Mingxuan Wang (China) Rose to Crown - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (USA) Rage, Fear, Love - Dir. by Charles Stanley (USA) This Couch is Too Big for My Trunk - Dir. by Victor Toth (Brazil)
Nominees for Best Documentary Mekong Apocalypse - Dir. by Michael Buckley (Canada) Cruising with Virus on Board - Dir. by Shihyun Wang (New Zealand) Dad Rock - Dir. by Eshani Chakrabarti (USA) Beloved Youth of Many Days: Stories about Mlimani Park Orchestra - Dir. by Frank Gunderson (USA) And Outside Life Goes On - Dir. by Daniel Maurer (Switzerland)
Nominees for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Sin Apple - Dir. by Kenya Cagle (USA) The Woman With The Cough - Dir. by Alex George (USA) Guardian - Dir. by Kayser Foyz (UK) Summer of the Wolf - Dir. by Nicki Harris (USA)
Nominees for Best Actor Frank Cisco Anderson - Lion of Judah Legacy Movie (USA) Gabriel Guaraciaba - This Couch is Too Big for My Trunk (Brazil) Pedro Garutti - This Couch is Too Big for My Trunk (Brazil)
Nominees for Best Actress Manya Muse - Natura (France) Anna Anderson - Summer of the Wolf (USA) Geeta Gerardo Vij - Guardian (UK)
Nominees for Best Cast The Full Moon Fathers - Dir. by Sean Cranston (USA) Rage, Fear, Love - Dir. by Charles Stanley (USA) Happy Ending - Dir. by Akira Iwamatsu (Japan)
Nominees for Best Cinematography Pierre Pascalie - Natura (France) Gamael Thercio - Summer of the Wolf (USA) Jim Powers - The Full Moon Fathers (USA)
Nominees for Best Writer Andrew Jacob Brown - Piercing Wounds (USA) Alex George - The Woman With The Cough (USA) Ajaish Sudhakaran, Mahesh Manoharan - Chaappakuthu (India)
Nominees for Best Director Akira Iwamatsu - Happy Ending (Japan) Frank Gunderson - Stories About Mlimani Park Orchestra (USA) Mingxuan Wang - Antique Clock, Copper Basin and Cat (China)