Annual Award Winners 2022/2023

Best Indie Short: Mother in the Mist by Kay Niuyue Zhang (USA)

Best Drama Short: The Crossing by Tomas Simonsen (Norway)

Best Student Short: Like Cloud by Chengyang Xie (China)

Best Documentary Short: Ocean Mother by Miko Lim (USA)

Best Comedy Short: Queer Fish in God’s Waiting Room by Adrian Pasdar (USA)

Best Romantic Comedy Short: Holy Sh!t by Jacob Meszaros (USA)

Best Dark Comedy Short: Call It A Front by Ricky Staffieri and Ben Fout (USA)

Best Crime Short: Purple Case by David Sarian and Kostya Yezagelian (USA)

Best Film Noir Short: Hot Take by Arthur Glover (USA)

Best Mystery Short: Phantom Pain by Henry James (USA)

Best Thriller Short: Familial by Catherine Schetina (USA)

Best Horror Short: Fog of War by Steven Lundgren (USA)

Best Sci-Fi Short: Callisto’s End by Nathan Schiele (USA)

Best Fantasy Short: Ratavoloira by Giulio Maria Cavallini (Italy)

Best Animation Short: Sina ma Tinirau by Vilsoni Tausie Hereniko (USA)

Best Children Short: Bellyful by Alison Yardley (USA)

Best Women Short: I Have Dreamed Carthage by Cyril Nehmé (France)

Best LGBTQ Short: Impetus by Benjamin Knoebl (Austria)

Best Microfilm: Zero by Tim Hamilton (New Zealand)

Best Experimental Short: Sounds by Andrew Michael Frescas (USA)

Best Music Video: Skin by Jesse Samos Leaman (Australia)

Best Screendance Short: The Glimpse of Present Moment by Nataliya Tkachuk (Ukraine)

Best Web Series/TV Pilot: How Did We Get Here? by Matt Frierdich and J.N. Mackey (USA)

Best Female Director: Lauren Himmelvo for Fault Line (USA)

Best Male Director: Benjamin Knoebl for Impetus (Austria)

Best Student Female Director: Kay Niuyue Zhang for Mother in the Mist (USA)

Best Student Male Director: Chengyang Xie for Like Cloud (China)

Best First Time Female Director: Shelley Delaney for Truck Fishing in America (USA)

Best First Time Male Director: Mario Theodosio Gallegos for Tecata (USA)

Best Actress: Riccarda Richter for Cord of Three (Germany)

Best Actor: Stefan Rollins for Dream A Little Dream (USA)

Best Supporting Actress: Talia Martin for Enclosed (USA)

Best Supporting Actor: Greg Kriek for Trust (USA)

Best Child/Young Actress: Kaya McLean for Bellyful (USA)

Best Child/Young Actor: Ashton Miramontes for Enclosed (USA)

Best Acting Duo: Jake Sabinsky and Neal Adelman for Truck Fishing in America (USA)

Best Ensemble Cast: Markus Freistätter, Felix Stichmann, Johannes Seilern, Simone Fuith, Valentina Waldner, Uli Pleßmann, and Daniel Seniuk for Impetus (Austria)

Best Original Screenplay: Yuwei Du for Mountain (China)

Best Cinematography: Sebastian Thaler for Impetus (Austria)

Best Original Score: Ronen Landa for Trust (USA)