Awards Show
Regal LA Live, March 15th 2025
Honoring excellence in independent filmmaking across 43 competitive categories, Indie Short Fest celebrated 33 outstanding films selected from a remarkable pool of 4,054 submissions representing 64 countries—placing the winners among the top 0.8% of the year.
Best Experimental Short
Epinephrine by Crosbie Theodora Roper (USA)
Director and lead actress Crosbie Theodora Roper and co-producer Alex Highsmith
Best Music Video
Pretty Please by Vanessa Zamarripa (USA)
Singer Peng Peng and director Vanessa Zamarripa
Best Screendance Short
Somber Tides by Chantal Caron (Canada)
Director Chantal Caron and Emie-Liza Caron St-Pierre, on behalf of producer Fleuve | Espace danse
Best Original Screenplay
Vanessa Leqi Kong and Joe Juanyao Zheng for July 4th, 2020 (China)
Co-writer Vanessa Leqi Kong, director and co-writer Joe Juanyao Zheng, and co-producer Yaxing Lin
Best Action Short
Punjabi Protector by Daniel Locicero (USA)
Co-writer Jaron Christenson and lead actress and producer Keeran Panesar
Best Film Noir Short
Pascal Ball by Ai Xin (China)
Vivien Ai, on behalf of Ai Xin
Best Thriller Short
Just For Now by Victor Kuchmaner and Elliot Wilks (USA)
Cinematographer Kevin Gjetley, lead actress Jennifer Adams, and director and producer Victor Kuchmaner
Best Documentary Short
We Are Flying Stars by Todd Antony (UK)
Director and cinematographer Todd Antony
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
Pike by Charles Delaney (UK)
Producer and lead actor Charles Delaney
Best Fantasy Short
Two Breaths by Kateryna Kurganska (USA)
Producer Don John, on behalf of Kateryna Kurganska
Best Western Short
Unforgiven by Justin Suttles, Bryan Tan, and Jesse Scimeca (USA)
Producer Yoav Goren, on behalf of Justin Suttles, Bryan Tan, and Jesse Scimeca
Best Student Female Director
Yuzhu Lan and Yutong Wang for Slough (UK)
Writer Jiu Yan, on behalf of Yuzhu Lan and Yutong Wang
Best Student Male Director
Mateo Sicilia for Casa Paraíso (USA)
Writer and director Mateo Sicilia
Best Animation Short
New Idea by Marko Bosanac (Serbia)
Producer and director Marko Bosanac
Best Children Short
Paper Flowers by Todd Lien (USA)
Writer and director Todd Lien
Best Women Short
Giselle by Lauren Goetzman (USA)
Co-producer Jonathan Goetzman, on behalf of Lauren Goetzman
Best Romantic Comedy Short
Blue Marks by Gal Salomon (Israel)
Lead actress Noya Tsur, on behalf of Gal Salomon
Best Young Actress
Sylvia Ye for Paper Flowers (USA)
Director Todd Lien, on behalf of Sylvia Ye
Best Young Actor
Jackson Abram for Hoteling (USA)
Best Supporting Actor
Hovhannes Babakhanyan for Nerot Shel Shabbat (USA)
Best Supporting Actress
Eileen Dietz for Beverly Hills Exorcist (USA)
Best Acting Duo
Pamela Portnoy and Jack Norris for Harbor (USA)
Best First Time Female Director
Lital Mizrahi for Nerot Shel Shabbat (USA)
Best First Time Male Director
Michael Raymond-James for The Missing Peace (USA)
Best Dark Comedy Short and Best Ensemble Cast
Still Scattered by Dominic Burgess and Jeff Lorch (USA) | O-T Fagbenle, Colleen Giddings, Jeff Lorch, Hannah Simone, and Sonal Shah for Still Scattered (USA)
Co-director and actor Jeff Lorch, co-producer Lexi Sloan, and actress Colleen Giddings
Best Horror Short, Best Male Director, Best Actress, and Best Editing
Wake by Sean Carter (USA) | K Steele for Wake (USA)
Writer and director Sean Carter
Best Drama Short and Best Cinematography
Satya by Naveen Vijay Krishna (India) | Balaji Subramanyam for Satya (India)
Sruthi Dhulipala, on behalf of Naveen Vijay Krishna and Balaji Subramanyam
Best Indie Short
The Missing Peace by Michael Raymond-James (USA)
Producer and director Michael Raymond-James and lead actor Tye Alexander
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