Best Comedy Short -Winner receiveda $1,000 cash prize.
Jury: Jim Cummings (Director), Mia Galuppo (The Hollywood Reporter)
Viktor on the Moon (Denmark), Directed by Christian Arhoff
Viktor Leth has never been on a date. When going on his first date ever, he accidentally sits down at the wrong table with the slightly older and married Rebekka. So begins their weird and wild night.
Jury statement: “We of the jury would like to award Viktor on the Moon for Best Comedy for creating a subtle, well-crafted story that made us not only fall in love with the characters but also the world and love itself.”
Special Mention (for Direction):
Blocks (USA), Directed by Bridget Moloney
An existential comedy about the mother of two young children who begins to spontaneously vomit toy blocks.
Jury statement: “Bridgette Moloney’s vision was executed with such assurance and clarity that it left room for its main character to deliver authenticity in a fantastical story.”
Best LGBTQ+ Short -Winner receiveda $1,000 cash prize.
Jury: Mike Dougherty (Outfest), Andrew Murphy (Inside Out), Alice Royer (Film Programmer)
Kama’aina (USA), Directed by Kimi Howl Lee
A queer sixteen-year-old girl, Mahina, resides in the predominantly Native Hawaiʻian neighborhood of Wai’anae, Oahu. After suffering abuse from her stepfather, Mahina must navigate life on the streets, until she eventually finds refuge at the Pu’uhonua o Wai’anae––Hawaiʻi’s largest organized homeless encampment.
Jury statement: “The award for best LGBT+ Short goes to Kama’aina for its empathetic depiction of Hawaii’s largest houseless community coupled with a gripping portrait of a resourceful queer teenager.”
Special Mention:
La Gloria (USA), Directed by Mary Evangelista
In the days following her suicide attempt, a queer lovelorn teen finds connection and solace with her Abuela through the secret language of dreams.
Jury statement: “Special Mention goes to La Gloria for its thoughtful intergenerational story about a young queer woman finding solace with her grandmother after a suicide attempt.”
Best Midnight Short -Winner receiveda $1,000 cash prize.
Jury: Mitch Davis (Fantasia Film Festival), Kier-La (Spectacular Optical Publications), Peter Kuplowsky (Film Programmer)
The Sleepwalkers (India), Directed by Radhika Apte
Having found themselves in a delusional state, trying to discover if they are sleepwalking, a couple on the cusp of starting a family, dreaming of the perfect future, are made to face the consequences of their willful blindness.
Jury statement: “We’re proud to give the jury award to first time director Radhika Apte for her elegiac folk horror tale Sleepwalkers, with its wonderfully petulant characters and haunted landscapes. We could sense the identity of the filmmaker in every frame and are excited to see what she does next.”
Special Mention (for Best Climax):
The Nights Alone (France), Directed by Olivier Strauss
Graziella, a woman with no history, is hired as a maid by a family of wealthy bourgeois living in a private mansion isolated from the city. A monstrous thing is locked up, an old beast, only waiting for death, even forgetting himself. Their meeting will cause the rebirth of Graziella’s desire.
Tomorrow June 22 will be the final day to view the ShortFest films. ShortFest Festival is designated by AMPAS, BAFTA, BIFA and Goya Awards as an award-qualifying festival, and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest Festival & Short Film Market is one of the most acclaimed short film showcases in the world.
