BEST of the FESTIVAL These titles are the Judges’ Favourites and were screened at our June 24 event in Toronto.
BEST FILM of the FESTIVAL: Nasaan dir Niko Chu, Canada 1st RUNNER UP for BEST FILM: Holy Cow dir Karthik Swaminathan, USA 2nd RUNNER UP for BEST FILM: The Dinner Party dir Jaye Lodhia, Steven Chau, Canada HONOURABLE MENTION for BEST FILM: Eden dir Lester Lubuguin, Canada HONOURABLE MENTION for BEST FILM: Clockwork Tension dir Jon Osei, Canada HONOURABLE MENTION for BEST FILM: In Between The Lines dir Kira L. Wilson, USA
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD: Nasaan dir Niko Chu, Canada
CATEGORY AWARD NOMINEES These titles have been privately screened for the jury. 1:00-5:00 MINUTES
Winners in RED, Nominees in BLACK
Nominees for Best Animation Canada Before You Go dir Nancy Hatoum, Canada The Feast (For My Beloved Son) dir Sara Gonzalez Lopez, Canada The Stargift dir Sydney de Jong, Canada Spark dir Rylie Prentice, Canada Last Summer dir Sophie Eileen Corbett, Canada
Nominees for Best Animation International Jailbreak dir Josephine Aimee Sarayar, Jade Storm Jonathan, Australia Windows from the South dir Eugen Bilankov, Croatia Home Sweet Home dir Eliane Posadas, Helena Gomes, Sophia Lopes, Vanessa Kimura, Brazil Strokes of Wildflowers dir Livvy Seabrook-Wilkins, UK
Nominees for Best Animation USA Internal Embers dir Alec Tufenkjian, USA Roxie dir Kylie Fitzgerald, USA Catchin' Z dir Natalie Constance Baumann, USA The People Will Not Revolt dir John Maslowski, USA Pinhole at the Edge of the Earth dir Julia Curry, USA
Nominees for Best Student Animation Radical Claws dir Sarah Chen, Emily Purdum, Erin Brophy, USA Hide and Seek dir Sophie Ring, USA Phös dir Gus Dana, USA Where Are You, Weird Baby? dir Jaden Lane Black Earl, USA
Nominees for Best Art Film Chaos dir Susanne Layla Petersen, Denmark Humarithms dir Pierre Ajavon, France A DURAS (Dedicated to Marguerite Duras) dir Elisabet Mabres, Spain The Christmas Operation dir Hyun Cheol Park, Korea
Nominees for Best Comedy Way to Fly dir Robert Hicks, USA Final Boarding dir Liam K Schmid, Canada The Dancer? dir Jane Fleiss, USA Low Stakes dir Bryan Patrick Moore, USA
Nominees for Best Crime/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Duct Tape Doesn't Fix Everything dir Larry Rosen, USA Heirs of The Family dir José Vidal Hernández, Canada Sad Psycho dir Chase Goforth, USA Low Stakes dir Bryan Patrick Moore, USA Kalp Fiction dir Siddharth Kumar, India
Nominees for Best Documentary The Art of Mike Messier dir Mike Messier, USA Strokes of Wildflowers dir Livvy Seabrook-Wilkins, UK Haunted Arkansas: Teaser Trailer dir Gavin Webb, USA
Nominees for Best Drama Euphoric dir Lajos Babai, Canada Reaping The Whirlwind dir Nico Cariati, Canada Apple Pie dir Sean Thrawn O'Neil, Canada Sword & Shield dir Minh Nguye, USA Troops in Contact dir Arash Shabany, USA
Nominees for Best Experimental International Zone dir Susanne Layla Petersen, Denmark Fissure dir Pedro Sena Nunes, Portugal Zapping Mortal dir Nano Bot, Argentina Vision dir Susanne Layla Petersen, Denmark
Nominees for Best Experimental North America Mermaid Dreams dir Luke Meneok, Canada Brine dir Laura Herman, USA Vita dir Doyoung Kim, Canada It Seems dir Amin Nakhi, USA
Nominees for Best Horror Dinner Date Night, Tastes Just Right dir Larry Rosen, USA I Feel Pretty dir Christopher Pierantoni, USA Haunted Arkansas: Teaser Trailer dir Gavin Webb, USA
Nominees for Best One-Minute Film The Confession dir Chase Goforth, USA Break the Silence dir Dax Phelan, USA Unoriginal AF dir Laura Herman, USA COMING SOON! Movie Trailer Parody The Man With No Face Satoshi Nakamoto Mystery dir Geo Thelen, USA It Rained That Morning dir Kyle Scott Wilkinson, Canada
Nominees for Best Original Story Taxi dir Donal O'Dea, Ireland Dance of the Flies dir Anders Jay Ravenstad, Josh Thompson, USA It Rained That Morning dir Kyle Scott Wilkinson, Canada #FestLife dir Bryan Patrick Moore, Kira L. Wilson, USA Subliminal dir Ronlad Black, USA
Nominees for Best Romance Duct Tape Doesn't Fix Everything dir Larry Rosen, USA Down Bad dir Catie Thorne, Canada Apple Pie dir Sean Thrawn O'Neil, Canada Tackled Trials dir Jane Fleiss, USA
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural Little Green Folk dir Jonathan Hawes, James Pyle, UK Vita dir Doyoung Kim, Canada The Only Morning Show dir Joe Miles, USA
Nominees for Best Student Film Body Motion dir Lima Lipa, USA Checkmate dir Olivia Bronwyn, Canada Good Night dir Holly Buchanan Haines, Canada The Casting Call dir Rachel Pevsner, Canada
Nominees for Best First-Time Filmmaker Hailey Brittain - The Conversation, Canada Kaleb Fitzpatrick - Disaster, Canada Olivia Bronwyn - Checkmate, Canada Liam K Schmid - Final Boarding, Canada
Nominees for Best Actor Matthew Graham Wagner - Point, USA Daniel David Stewart - Dance of the Flies, USA Joe Miles - The Only Morning Show, USA
Nominees for Best Actress Bärbel Horat - WiRSiNN, Switzerland Khrystyne Haje - I Feel Pretty, USA Sara Hamidia - Disaster, Canada
Nominees for Best Cast Lunchtime dir Jaymes Camery, USA Heirs of The Family dir José Vidal Hernández, Canada The Casting Call dir Rachel Pevsner, Canada
Nominees for Best Cinematography Shelby Parks - Dance of the Flies, USA Arash Shabany - Troops in Contact, USA Jeffrey Martes - I Feel Pretty, USA
Nominees for Best Writer Riu Lohri, Christof Bünter - WiRSiNN, Switzerland Desiree Magotiaux - Umbilical Stain by Paint Drying, Canada Christopher Prinsloo - The Dancer?, USA
Nominees for Best Director Jaymes Camery - Lunchtime, USA Jane Fleiss - Tackled Trials, USA Bryan Patrick Moore - Low Stakes, USA
5:01-20:00 MINUTES
Nominees for Best Animation Saudade, Perhaps... dir José-Manuel Xavier, Portugal The Ringing dir Ishwin Razdan, India Demi-Demons dir Martin Gerigk, Germany Solar Neighbor dir Austin Cole, USA The Boy Who Dreamed Ball and Crafted Dreams dir Myrna de Fátima Gontijo Neiva, Ricardo Edilberto Pereira, Brazil
Nominees for Best Comedy Canada Porch Pirates dir Tarek Jad, Dylan Best, Canada Family Values dir Pooja Sethi, Canada Detectives & Dragons dir Lucas Candelino, Benjamin Kostecki, Evan McDowell, Canada A Robbery in Spanish dir Luis Armando Pacheco Larrea, Canada
Nominees for Best Comedy USA Double Impact dir Minh Nguyen, USA Lily Lumiere dir Rasmus Toyra, USA Invaders of the Valley Saloon dir Dustin Tidwell, USA Murder, But Epic! dir Alex Greaney, USA Second Language dir Shuojia Sandy Chen, USA
Nominees for Best Coming-of-Age Film Almost Perfect dir Daniel Krastek, USA Unwritten End dir Rishi Babu, India Shayla dir Matthew Shawn Miller, USA
Nominees for Best Crime/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Canada Avarice dir José Vidal Hernández, Canada Shadows dir Joe Lyko, Canada Beneath The Stripes dir Dylan Gregory, Canada RUNNER: Episode 1 - "Good Luck, Jason" dir Justin Gothreau, Canada B&E dir Jamie Robertson, Canada
Nominees for Best Crime/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller International Bloodlines and Betrayal dir Rob Winward, UK The Shedded Skin of a Bounty dir Luke Hawkins, USA Dive dir Victoria Horn, USA Riding Hood dir Dwight Dwayne Mathis, USA The Burden of the Oath dir Calderon-Villarreal Alan, Mexico
Nominees for Best Dark Comedy Rotten dir Telly Bitsakakis, Canada The Devil and His Son dir Lily Andrews, USA Bust and Hustle dir Nick Malakhov, UK The Uninvited Guest dir Benedikt Sebastian, USA
Nominees for Best Documentary The Invisible School dir Isaac Peter Stacey, Canada How to Write a Travel Guide dir Robert Isenberg, USA To the Finish Line dir George Daios, UK Ujvala Jupalli: Asterisk Athlete dir Josephine Harrison, USA Beekind dir Olivia Bronwyn, Canada
Nominees for Best Drama Canada When Love Stood Still dir Noah Trentadue, Canada The Honest Guest dir Jon Osei, Canada Suicide Prevention dir Hunter Scott Amos, Canada Blueberry-Lemon dir Christian Sweeney, Canada
Nominees for Best Drama International What's Right as a Human dir Masahiro Ota, Japan You Never Know dir Vicky Wanless, Australia Astral Journey dir Riccardo Galli, UK Kasit Shay dir Omar Ahmad Al Sarayreh, Jordan
Nominees for Best Drama USA Never Too Late dir Marilyn Chen, USA Girly Boy dir Cole J. Crawford, USA Hitchhiking to Heaven dir Reilly McKay, USA Frangible dir Marie France Louis, USA
Nominees for Best Experimental Demi-Demons dir Martin Gerigk, Germany The Wire dir Jill Kolodka, Canada Solar Neighbor dir Austin Cole, USA Able Time dir Christopher Prinsloo, USA Barthes from Mabres dir Elisabet Mabres, Spain
Nominees for Best Horror Canada Desire dir Mandy Magnan, Canada Harvester dir Eric Porta, Canada Chain Link dir Stephen J. Birtles, Canada The Carousel dir Breanna Mistal, Canada
Nominees for Best Horror International Bad Blood dir Hyeongtae Kim, Korea Old Well dir Andrés Hernández Covarrubias, Mexico To The Water dir Savvy Hanna, Ireland
Nominees for Best Horror USA Are You There dir Jaclyn Fleming, USA Project Moonshot dir Jake Zaleski, Katherine Wang, USA Midnight Tales dir Adam Gorman, USA Collectors dir Brian Pollock, USA Ghosts_alive.mov dir Austin Boggs, USA
Nominees for Best Original Story Canada It Takes Two dir Éric Arsenault, Canada Felt dir Joseph Rossi, Canada Tubers dir Matt Hallworth, Canada Chain Link dir Stephen J. Birtles, Canada
Nominees for Best Original Story International The Dreammaker - You Don't "Play" With Dolls dir Fabio d'Avino, Italy Old Well dir Andrés Hernández Covarrubias, Mexico Victim dir Jiang Chengxuan, Korea Bad Blood dir Hyeongtae Kim, Korea
Nominees for Best Original Story USA Your Last Wishes dir by Mason Beck, USA The Booth dir Ryan Christopher, USA The Purr-ge dir Kim Best, USA Spooniverse dir Xander Brzezinski, USA
Nominees for Best Romance What If Something Goes Wrong? dir Kayla Neves, Canada Power Chord dir Jedric Villar, USA Heartdrop dir Daniel Yaqo, Canada The Wingmen dir Lucas Swangard, Canada
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural Canada Waking David dir Kyle Graham, Canada Zero O'Clock dir Noah Landry, Canada Paid In Pieces dir Justin Egan-Costello, Canada Love from the Machine? dir Maxence Harbour, Canada
Nominees for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Supernatural USA The Last President dir Bin He, USA SLEEP|WALKING dir B. A. Carroll, USA Solar Neighbor dir Austin Cole, USA Psycho-Pass: Mass Division dir Minh Nguyen, USA Invaders of the Valley Saloon dir Dustin Tidwell, USA
Nominees for Best Student Film Creatively Challenged dir The Fox, USA Letters Home dir Adrian Campbell, Wayne Elliot, Clara Ballena, Brazil, Canada The Voice dir Ana Iacovleva, Canada Blockbuster dir Nathan Wright-Edwards, Canada Brains! dir Kai Fernandez, Mason Edwards, USA
Nominees for Best First-Time Filmmaker Milad Ahmadi - Shadow Department, Iran Arwen Saleah Mercado - Shadow Boxing, Canada Winston Schroeder - Terror in the Toilet, Canada Lucas Swangard - The Wingmen, Canada
Nominees for Best Actor Anthony E. Brown - The World of James Gagmy, USA Mackenzie Donohue - State of Mind, Canada Jake Merrick - To Kill a Character, Canada Sam Tarasco - Chain Link, Canada Wesley Clark - In The Passenger's Seat, USA
Nominees for Best Actress Panayiota - You Never Know, Australia Reyna Jeanelle - Frangible, USA Jaclyn Fleming - Are You There, USA Saoirse Carey - To The Water, Ireland Sydney Kaiser - It Takes Two, Canada
Nominees for Best Cast Canopy dir Massimo Russo, Canada Anonymous dir Ryker Sixkiller, Colby Luper, USA I Know What You Did dir Hanan Berei, Nathaniel Pantola, Canada Family Values dir Pooja Sethi, Canada Unwritten End dir Rishi Babu, India
Nominees for Best Cinematography Danny Lau - Canopy dir Massimo Russo, Canada Michael Hou - I Know What You Did, Canada Moath Ahmed - To Kill a Character, Canada Samarika Dhiman - Family Values, Canada Ryan Torrens - What If Something Goes Wrong?, Canada
Nominees for Best Writer Diya Chabria - Anaphylaxis, USA Lar Collicott - Tucked In, Canada Joshua Liang, Jake Zaleski - Project Moonshot, USA Lucas Candelino, Benjamin Kostecki, Evan McDowell - Detectives & Dragons, Canada Savvy Hanna - To The Water, Ireland
Nominees for Best Director Lon Takiguchi - The World of James Gagmy, USA Mark Herbrand - Prism, Canada Ana Iacovleva - Through His Eyes, Canada Julie Langlois - The Pink House, Canada Calderon-Villarreal Alan - The Burden of the Oath, Mexico
20:01-45:00 MINUTES
Nominees for Best Long Short Film The Pluto Theory dir Greyson Wayne Duncan, USA Nobody Sleeps at Night dir Max Presement, Canada Spooky Wednesday on Kiruna Radio 97.3 dir Magnus Fredriksson, Daniel Ojanlatva, Sweden Birchwood dir Peter Ropek Hewson, UK Redefining Impossible dir Matthew John Biggar, UK
Nominees for Best Actor Ruggiero Abbruzzese - Nobody Sleeps at Night, Canada Sebastian Greene - The Pluto Theory, USA Marsel Avdic - Ardent Suitor, Canada
Nominees for Best Actress Lina Brännström - Spooky Wednesday on Kiruna Radio 97.3, Sweden Marina Seccatto - There She Goes, Brazil Tara Kennedy - Ardent Suitor, Canada
Nominees for Best Cast Emergency Broadcast dir Holden Charles Conner, USA Strange World dir Nomdian, Korea RED: Beast Huntress dir Benjamin Maublanc, France
Nominees for Best Cinematography Matthew John Biggar, Ganesh Thapa - Redefining Impossible, UK Jackson Adams - Nobody Sleeps at Night, Canada John P Martinez - The Days of Knight: Chapter 1, USA
Nominees for Best Writer Алексей Митягин - Garbage, Russia Seamus Smyth - Silvergirl & the Planet Chokers, Ireland Daniel Ojanlatva - Spooky Wednesday on Kiruna Radio 97.3, Sweden
Nominees for Best Director Ronald Black - Swine and Dine, USA Benjamin Maublanc - RED: Beast Huntress, France Peter Ropek Hewson - Birchwood, UK
45:01-120:00 MINUTES
Nominees for Best Narrative Feature Film First Friday dir Joshua Ojeda, USA 49 Miles More dir Oliver Cox, UK The Solution dir Andrew J. Bullard IV, USA What Really Happened dir Simon Stockdale, USA Red Bird dir Alexandre Laugier, Thomas Habibes, Houssam Adili, France
Nominees for Best Documentary Feature Film Wounds – Veterans’ Stories dir Ping Hai Wu, Taiwan Forgiveness dir Roisin Clarke, Canada, Ireland The Resilience Tour dir Geoff Guich, Canada Matarife, The Real Movie dir Daniel Mendoza Leal, Colombia
Nominees for Best Actor Thomas Habibes - Red Bird, France Matthew Svoboda - StartUp Movie, USA Palmer Ashe III - What Really Happened, USA
Nominees for Best Actress Sh'Neil Gaskin-Kerr - The Solution, USA Candace Joy - First Friday, USA Victoria Harrington - What Really Happened, USA
Nominees for Best Cast StartUp Movie dir Shane Michael Konicki, USA The Resilience Tour dir Geoff Guich, Canada The Solution dir Andrew J. Bullard IV, USA
Nominees for Best Cinematography Romain Reboul - Red Bird, France Eron Rawson - StartUp Movie, USA Ben Walters, Nathan Walters - The Solution, USA
Nominees for Best Writer Oliver Cox, Michael Guthrie - 49 Miles More, UK Logan Stover - The History of Las Vegas, USA Joshua Ojeda, Elijah Fuchs, Jemell Lewis, John Wherry - First Friday, USA
Nominees for Best Director Daniel Mendoza Leal - Matarife, The Real Movie, Colombia Geoff Guich - The Resilience Tour, Canada Yair Qedar - Outsider. Freud, Austria, Germany
15-SECOND STORY
Nominees for Best 15-Second Story Dear Friend dir Surapong Wetsuwanmanee, Nigeria Cyclops dir Mari Watson Walker, USA Underneath dir Kevin Lucero Less, USA Kavi AI Lab: 1st Advertisement Showcasing the Power of AI dir Kavi Chua, Malaysia The AI You'll Actually Want To Be Friends With dir Kavi Chua, Malaysia Kavi AI Lab’s 水族馆 Showcase: Aquarium Animation Ads dir Kavi Chua, Malaysia Unveiling the Future Through Design: The Kavi AI Model Festival 2024 Poster dir Kavi Chua, Malaysia Knock Knock dir Chen Zhan, Canada Flooding in Memphis dir Levi Frazier III, USA Baker's Dozen dir Lucy Craig Cameron ..Fleeting Love.. dir Txus Angulo, Spain