Award Winners: January 2025

Best Short of the Season (Special Jury Award)

Flirtologist by Madeline O’Leary (USA)

Best Foreign-Language Short of the Season (Special Jury Award)

Not Bad by Zoe Peng (China)

Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)

Come and Find Me by Carmine Carpenito (Switzerland)

Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)

Little Planet: A Tale of Frogs by Suhas Premkumar (India)

Award of Excellence (Special Jury Mention)

Tallulah Park by David Guillermo Borges (USA)

Best Short of the Season (Runners-up)

Fuel by Marc Cleary (USA)

Ksms by Ula Warzeé (Brazil)

Liminal by Janelle Christa (USA)

Obolus by Kim Fabienne Hertinger (Germany)

Polemos by Evgen Brooks (Ukraine)

Praying Mantis by Mack Breeden (USA)

The Hard R by Adad Warda (USA)

Platinum Awards

Best Indie Short: Fuel by Marc Cleary (USA)

Best Drama Short: Flirtologist by Madeline O’Leary (USA)

Best Documentary Short: Little Planet: A Tale of Frogs by Suhas Premkumar (India)

Best Romantic Short: Touch by Sam Pallach Robinson (USA)

Best Comedy Short: Errand by Nicholas Goodwin Hutchison (USA)

Best Dark Comedy Short: Attempted Murder by Gavin J. Konop (USA)

Best Action Short: Polemos by Evgen Brooks (Ukraine)

Best Crime Short: The Hard R by Adad Warda (USA)

Best Mystery Short: Come and Find Me by Carmine Carpenito (Switzerland)

Best Horror Short: Praying Mantis by Mack Breeden (USA)

Best Fantasy Short: Obolus by Kim Fabienne Hertinger (Germany)

Best Experimental Short: Liminal by Janelle Christa (USA)

Best Student Short: Dadda by Aimee Hoffman (USA)

Best Animation Short: Retrieving Roadie by Luke Stone (USA)

Best Microfilm: Overdressed by Kendri Rodriguez (USA)

Best Music Video: Not Bad by Zoe Peng (China)

Best Web Series/TV Pilot: Flirtologist by Madeline O’Leary (USA)

Best Web and New Media: Anima Ex Machina by Nico Mastorakis (USA)

Best Female Director: Zoe Peng for Not Bad (China)

Best Male Director: Marc Cleary for Fuel (USA)

Best Student Male Director: Angel Rodriguez for Feliz Cumpleaños (USA)

Best First Time Female Director: Ula Warzeé for Ksms (Brazil)

Best First Time Male Director: Carmine Carpenito for Come and Find Me (Switzerland)

Best Young Filmmaker: Brooklynn Prince for Happy Thanksgiving (USA)

Best Actress: Rachel Alig for For All I Know (USA)

Best Actor: Austin Spacy for Fuel (USA)

Best Supporting Actress: Mariana Rodriguez for Feliz Cumpleaños (USA)

Best Supporting Actor: Manu Marquez for For: LiLa (USA)

Best Young Actress: Dallas Knight and Alexandra Rooney for Happy Thanksgiving (USA)

Best Young Actor: Fflyn Edwards for Come and Find Me (Switzerland)

Best Acting Duo: Wil Crown and Ezekiel Ajeigbe for The Hard R (USA)

Best Ensemble Cast: Edoardo Miranda, Adele Marie Ruiz, Jose Eduardo Ramos, Andrea Meireles, Manu Márquez, and Rich Orlow for For: LiLa (USA)

Best Cinematography: Suhas Premkumar for Little Planet: A Tale of Frogs (India)

Best Editing: Daniel Reich for Come and Find Me (Switzerland)

Best Production Design: Nahla Zenati and Luke Antonio for The Midnight – Days Of Thunder (USA)

Best Sound Design: Apurv Prasanna for Little Planet: A Tale of Frogs (India)

Best Original Score: Caleb Liu for Attempted Murder (USA)

Best Original Story: Carmine Carpenito for Come and Find Me (Switzerland)

Best Short Script: Mystic Masala by Sadhana Singhal (USA)

GOLD AWARDS

SILVER AWARDS

BRONZE AWARDS

HONORABLE MENTIONS

FINALISTS

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