WINNERS & NOMINEES
· 2020 WINTER COMPETITION ·
WELCOME MESSAGE
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Adrian Perez @adrianperezceo
CEO, Film Festival Director, Chief Film Critic @lonelywolffest Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival adrian@lonelywolffilmfest.com |
I am once again lost for words at the astronomical calibre of talent within our expanding global wolfpack of filmmakers and screenwriters, thank you for making this Winter 2020 competition round the toughest to champion yet. You are all winners.
I lead my Lonely Wolf team to help me recognise from our big pool of film project submissions (this round came to 855 to be exact) which filmmakers exhibit the most compelling cinematic storytelling and originality, highest technical standard and cinematographic artistry, experimentalism and innovation, production merit and suspension of disbelief, philosophy and substance, depiction of interiority, virality/share-ability factor, and above all I ask the question: is it "Lonely Wolf"?
Rachel Irene Wilke's The Most Beautiful is our grand winner of the entire round, a film that from its electrifying opening shot depicts the most mundane type of horror any human being, particularly a woman, can live through. Flawlessly executed by a woman student director and her team, please do check out this simple yet bigger than life film and share your thoughts with us on any of our social media platforms or hit me up with an email!
Winter 2020's top films amount to a cinematic microcosm of the real world. Shibil, Lost and Spaced, Ride With The Guilt and Rum Go! boast experimentalism/innovation and provide a rollercoaster spectorial experience full of thrills and suspense. Then, Between Pain And Amen and Alina are formidable historical epics, most hair-raising and visceral to watch, and important reminders of two of humanity's crises we left behind not too long ago, cautionary tales in their own right.
From crises of the past, Streamer depicts the most invisible of global pandemics happening right now, that of loneliness in the digital age. A stellar minimalistic but ambitious film that speaks volumes, be sure not to miss it.
The documentary category has been the most competitive we've hosted so far, four documentaries have stood out, two of them depicting the ongoing issue of women's sexual and domestic abuse and human trafficking/abduction. Be sure to check out: Phone Line 137 and The New Abolitionists.
Last note, I'm thrilled Lonely Wolf finally is receiving films depicting transgender protagonists, and to my relief, they were cinematic spectacles. Be sure to check out Juliet and Roses.
These are but a few highlights, there really is a lot to watch and enjoy. I hope you all enjoy your exclusive access to our private digital cinema (you'll have received your member passwords in one of my emails), now populated with 53 of the top new films from our Winter 2020 round.
Thank you all yet again for making Lonely Wolf a worthy and aspirational worldwide competition, a true test of your film's calibre, and the best, most vibrant and sensational community to be a part of.
We are the best wolfpack there is.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, for 2021 will be a lot better than 2020 (touch wood!).
A
I lead my Lonely Wolf team to help me recognise from our big pool of film project submissions (this round came to 855 to be exact) which filmmakers exhibit the most compelling cinematic storytelling and originality, highest technical standard and cinematographic artistry, experimentalism and innovation, production merit and suspension of disbelief, philosophy and substance, depiction of interiority, virality/share-ability factor, and above all I ask the question: is it "Lonely Wolf"?
Rachel Irene Wilke's The Most Beautiful is our grand winner of the entire round, a film that from its electrifying opening shot depicts the most mundane type of horror any human being, particularly a woman, can live through. Flawlessly executed by a woman student director and her team, please do check out this simple yet bigger than life film and share your thoughts with us on any of our social media platforms or hit me up with an email!
Winter 2020's top films amount to a cinematic microcosm of the real world. Shibil, Lost and Spaced, Ride With The Guilt and Rum Go! boast experimentalism/innovation and provide a rollercoaster spectorial experience full of thrills and suspense. Then, Between Pain And Amen and Alina are formidable historical epics, most hair-raising and visceral to watch, and important reminders of two of humanity's crises we left behind not too long ago, cautionary tales in their own right.
From crises of the past, Streamer depicts the most invisible of global pandemics happening right now, that of loneliness in the digital age. A stellar minimalistic but ambitious film that speaks volumes, be sure not to miss it.
The documentary category has been the most competitive we've hosted so far, four documentaries have stood out, two of them depicting the ongoing issue of women's sexual and domestic abuse and human trafficking/abduction. Be sure to check out: Phone Line 137 and The New Abolitionists.
Last note, I'm thrilled Lonely Wolf finally is receiving films depicting transgender protagonists, and to my relief, they were cinematic spectacles. Be sure to check out Juliet and Roses.
These are but a few highlights, there really is a lot to watch and enjoy. I hope you all enjoy your exclusive access to our private digital cinema (you'll have received your member passwords in one of my emails), now populated with 53 of the top new films from our Winter 2020 round.
Thank you all yet again for making Lonely Wolf a worthy and aspirational worldwide competition, a true test of your film's calibre, and the best, most vibrant and sensational community to be a part of.
We are the best wolfpack there is.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, for 2021 will be a lot better than 2020 (touch wood!).
A
BEST FILM OF THE COMPETITION
WINNER - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL. (USA)
· Director: Rachel Irene Wilke
· Director: Rachel Irene Wilke
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·SHIBIL (Bulgaria)
· Director: Nikola Bozadzhiev ·ÎNTRE CHIN SI AMIN “Between Pain And Amen” (Romania) · Director: Toma Enache ·LOST AND SPACED (UK) · Director: Roozbeh Tavakoli ·RIDE WITH THE GUILT (UK) · Director: Dario Bocchini ·KISS THE GROUND (USA) · Directors: Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell ·OPEKA (USA) · Director: Cam Cowan |
·ALINA (USA)
· Director: Rami Kodeih ·RENAIDANCE (USA) · Directors: Zhike Yang, Wenjie Wu, Han Chen Chang ·JULIET (USA) · Director: Irina Storozhenko ·STREAMER (Canada) · Directors: Jared Bratt, Vincent Pun ·LÍNEA 137 "Phone Line 137" (Argentina) · Director: Lucía Vassallo ·TWICEBORN (Japan) · Director: Hiroshi Akabane |
·RUM GO! (USA)
· Director: Markus Thorington ·KILLING SMALL ANIMALS (Sweden) · Director: Marcus Svanberg ·ROSAS "Roses" (Brazil) ·Director: Ivann Willig ·ONLY DEATH NEVER LIES (Islamic Republic of Iran) · Director: Sam Yazdanpanna ·THE NEW ABOLITIONISTS (USA) · Director: Christina Zorich |
BEST FILM - AUDIENCE AWARD
WINNER - MADE IN CHINA (USA)
· Director: Brendan Merrill
· Director: Brendan Merrill
NARRATIVE FILM - MAIN COMPETITION FINALISTS
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BEST FILM - FEATURE
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BEST FILM - MEDIUM-LENGTH
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BEST FILM - SHORT
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BEST FILM - STUDENT
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UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY COMPETITION FINALISTS
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BEST SCREENPLAY - FEATURE
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BEST SCREENPLAY - DRAMA
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BEST SCREENPLAY - HORROR/THRILLER
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BEST SCREENPLAY - SHORT
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BEST SCREENPLAY - COMEDY
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BEST SCREENPLAY - QUEER
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OFFICIAL SELECTION
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A SON'S GIFT
· Writer: Michele Bell AND WE WERE LEFT DARKLING · Writer: Lynn Elliott BORDERLINE JUSTICE · Writer: Lynn Elliott |
COINRUNNERS
· Writer: Lisa N. Edwards GIRL ON A SWING · Writer: Shanna Reed |
HARPER HIGH
· Writer: Stephen John Beyer MERCY · Writer: Madeleine Weatherhead |
NEW MOON 5280
· Writer: Dean Harakas THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF THE ELEVATOR · Writer: Katy Regnery |
NARRATIVE FILM - GENRE COMPETITION FINALISTS
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BEST FILM - DRAMA
DOUBLE WINNER
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BEST FILM - ROMANCE
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BEST FILM - COMEDY
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BEST FILM - ACTION/SCI-FI/FANTASY
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BEST FILM - HORROR
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BEST FILM - THRILLER
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BEST FILM - QUEER
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BEST FILM - POETIC
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BEST FILM - EXPERIMENTAL
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BEST FILM - LOCKDOWN
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NARRATIVE FILM - INDIVIDUAL MERIT FINALISTS
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BEST DIRECTOR
WINNER - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL. (USA)
· Director: Rachel Irene Wilke
BEST NEWCOMER
DOUBLE WINNER
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
DOUBLE WINNER
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BEST ORIGINAL CONCEPT
BEST FILM EDITING
BEST SOUND DESIGN
BEST ORIGINAL
SCORE/SOUNDTRACK DOUBLE WINNER
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
DOUBLE WINNER
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BEST MAKEUP/HAIR & SFX
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BEST COSTUME DESIGN
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ANIMATION & VISUAL EFFECTS COMPETITION FINALISTS
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BEST ANIMATED FILM
WINNER - RENAIDANCE (USA)
· Directors: Zhike Yang, Wenjie Wu, Han Chen Chang |
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
DOUBLE WINNER
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·HALF A SABA (Israel) · Director: Ben Molina
·THE INCREDIBLY SHORT LIFE OF PETER PANTIES (USA) · Director: Daniel Abril ·THE BUTTON (USA) · Director: Kim Yuan Xu ·BENCH (UK) · Director: Rich Webber |
·LEA'S SECRET (Philippines) · Director: Rico Gutierrez
·PEDAL TO THE METAL (USA) · Directors: Ben Acevedo, Andrew Benson, Sabrina Demers ·REFLECTION (Norway) · Director: Martin Ristvedt ·THE MANDRAKE (USA) · Director: Quincy William Baltes |
·GHOST IN THE GUN (USA) · Director: Andrew Chen
·SILENT ENEMY (Ecuador) · Director: Gustavo Arguello ·ALINA (USA) · Director: Rami Kodeih ·DARIA (Czech Republic) · Directors: Michal Theer, Matěj Pichler & Patrik Kettner |
·TWICEBORN (Japan) · Director: Hiroshi Akabane
·FLEX (Sweden) · Directors: Josefin Malmen, David Strindberg ·KILLING SMALL ANIMALS (Sweden) · Director: Marcus Svanberg ·THE WITCHES OF BUSHWICK (USA) · Directors: Joe Pardavila, Catherine Delaloye |
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BEST CHARACTER DESIGN
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BEST CREATED ENVIRONMENT
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DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION FINALISTS
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BEST DOCUMENTARY - FEATURE
WINNER - LÍNEA 137 "Phone Line 137" (Argentina)
· Director: Lucía Vassallo
BEST DOCUMENTARY - NATURE
WINNER - OCEAN SOULS (UK) · Directors: Philip Hamilton, Scott Wilson
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BEST DOCUMENTARY - SHORT
WINNER - NACIÓN MARGINADA "Marginalised Nation" (Colombia)
· Director: Francisco Alberto Galan S.
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BEST DOCUMENTARY - INTERACTIVE
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BEST DOCUMENTARY - PERFORMATIVE
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BEST LIVE-RECORDED THEATRE FILM
BEST DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
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BEST EDITING/ARCHIVAL USAGE & ASSEMBLY
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BEST DOCUMENTARY SUBJECT/PRESENTER
AWARD OF HONOUR
Awarded for outstanding and enduring contribution to documentary filmmaking WINNER - Stephanie Castelete-Tyrrell ·LIVING IN FEAR (UK) |
SEMI-FINALISTS
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·AFRO (USA)
· Director: Jenn Shaw ·BLUEBELLS ON THE MOUNTAIN (UK) · Directors: Louis Turner, Jarrad Ellis-Thomas ·DEAD TALKS (USA) · Director: Chukwudi "Chuck" Anakwenze ·DEUTSCHLAND IM WINTER "Germany In Winter" (Germany) · Director: Phoebe Ammon ·FIRST LESSON (USA) · Director: Mathieu Di Muro ·FORUM (USA) · Director: J. Michael Kallet |
·GAIA (USA)
· Director: Juan Zuloaga Eslait ·LOST TREASURE OF THE VALLEY (USA) · Director: Robert Husted ·LUPA (UK) · Director: Ellen Francis ·MAN ON THE TOWER (USA) · Director: Karl Shefelman ·MISS YOU, DAD (USA) · Director: Neera Zaveri ·PROOF OF LOSS (USA) · Director: Katherine Fisher ·SKITOZ (France) · Directors: Alexis Perrotte, Diego Perrotte (as The Perrotte Twins) |
·SPLIT APART (Greece)
· Directors: Zina Papadopoulou, Petros Papadopoulos ·STOP KILLING US (USA) · Director: Kiana Woodson ·TAHZ (USA) · Director: Nepal Arslan ·THE FALL LINE (USA) · Director: Maryann Lonergan ·THE MARE (Sweden) · Director: David Jazaee ·THE SHADOW BOXER (Thailand) · Director: Tom Hand ·THE SNOW MAZE (UK) · Director: Sam Cadman |
·THREE PILLS (Finland)
· Director: Christian Wenger ·UNOFFICIAL SELECTION (Denmark) · Director: Kristoffer Bjerg ·VINE POR TI "Here For You" (Panama) · Director: Angel Hepburn ·Wes Restless - Nie przychodź za wcześnie "Don't Come Too Early" (Poland) · Director: Dorota Fórmanowska ·He Ceйчac"Not Now" (Ukraine) · Director: Andrew Liulko ·속 "In" (Republic of Korea) · Director: Kim Sun-Woo |
QUARTER-FINALISTS
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·A PORTRAIT (UK)
· Director: Carlotta Beck Peccoz ·AMY'S GIFT (USA) · Director: Drew Ann Rosenberg ·ARCANUS (Spain) · Director: Fernando Ruiz ·BODY AND SOUL (Costa Rica) · Director: Aarón Acuña ·BUCKO & JUNIOR (USA) · Director: Jordan Rader ·CALLBACK (USA) · Director: Sheri Sussman ·CONDOR DOS ANDES "Andean Condor (Brazil) · Director: William Mazzola ·COVID-19 PREVENTION FEATURING BAMBOONI'S. · Director: Charlie Hargett ·CRACKS (USA) · Director: Ece Cakiroglu ·DOWN IN THE DUMPS (USA) · Director: Evan Owens |
·EMBER (USA)
· Director: Timothy Ryan Lahr ·EXPULSION (USA) · Director: Jonathan Welch ·FINAL MOMENTS (USA) · Director: Dax Phelan ·FIRST BORN (USA) · Director: Justin Bruce Lee ·GO BACK 3 SPACES (Italy) · Director: Stefano Schiavone ·HANDS (UK) · Director: Rob Ayling ·HAZLA "Take It" (Spain) · Director: Txemi Pejenaute ·HINDSIGHT (USA) · Director: Ian Thomas Kent ·HUMAN SPECTRUM (USA) · Director: Eduardo Ramirez ·KISMET (USA) · Director: Billy Wirth |
·KOSELIG (NOUN/VERB) (USA)
· Director: Cassie LeFevre ·L’OBSERVATRICE DÉTACHÉE “The Detached Observer” (UK) · Director: Serena Marija ·LIKE DAUGHTER, LIKE MOTHER (USA) · Director: Clyde Baldo ·MAGGIE (USA) · Director: Ben Hess ·MINIATURE CHESS (USA) · Director: Phil Cheney ·PIECE OF ME (USA) · Director: Bruna Cabral ·pri-mal (Germany) · Director: Samuel Heigl ·REVIENS "Come Back" · Directors: Alban Pauly, Aurore Klein ·SALSA MIA (Colombia) · Director: Angie Castro ·SAVE ME (USA) · Director: New Hero (Christopher Jones) |
·SMOKING GUN (USA)
· Director: Pablo Bobadilla ·SUPER BOIS (USA) · Director: Jon Mancinetti ·TALK FOR LIFE: ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (Australia) · Director: Amel Tresnjic ·THE AUDITION (USA) · Director: Natasha Kaminsky ·THE PLAYDATE (UK) · Directors: Jonty Toosey ·THE SQUIRRELS IN THE ATTIC (USA) · Director: Rachel S. Thomas-Medwid ·THE WIDOW (Australia) · Director: Brendan Young ·TICK (USA) · Director: Jack Settipane ·TOO BLUE TO BE BLACK, TOO BLACK TO BE BLUE (USA) · Director: Mikhail A. Gershteyn ·TORINAOSHI (Japan) · Director: Yusuke Kitaguchi ·ΦΥΣΙΚΑ "Naturally" · Director: Dimitrios Stasinopoulos |
OFFICIAL SELECTION
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·25 DE OCTUBRE "25 October" (Chile)
· Directors: Camila Ortega, Ignacio Tapia ·2ND SIGHT (USA) · Director: Frank Lugo ·3 COUPS "Last Call" (France) · Director: Mathieu Baillargeon ·A HOME FOR CURIOSITIES (USA) · Director: Ben Tobin ·A LOW CARBON FUTURE FOR CHINA'S FURNACE CITIES (UK) · Director: Monika Koeck ·ABHAY (South Africa) · Director: Bronwin October ·AN EYE FOR AN ARTISAN (UK) · Director: Guy Nicholls ·AN INSTA(NT) STORY (UK) · Director: Matteo Valentini ·AUDITION ROOM 2 (USA) · Director: Jette Newell ·AUGUST, 2000 (USA) · Director: Marta Bagratuni ·BONGO (USA) · Director: Jacob Lallas ·BUNKERS (USA) · Director: Oliver Ryan Anderson ·BY THE LIGHT OF DAY (Chile) · Director: Diego Costa Melgar ·CAFÉ POR LA MAÑANA "Coffee In The Morning" (Mexico) · Director: Rogelio Rodríguez ·CATONSVILLE: MUSIC CITY MARYLAND (USA) · Director: JD Barth ·CHARLIE (USA) · Director: Kari Kennon ·CHASING (UK) · Directors: Steven Calvert, Thomas Blackburne ·Chuck Wonderland - Free Like A Bird (France) · Director: Hervé humbert ·CNUT (Australia) · Director: Courtney Westbrook ·COASTAL FIRE: A COMMON DIARY (USA) · Director: Susan Maughlin Wood ·DAR(k)WIN PROJECT (France) · Directors: Loris Lamunière, Charles Mercier |
·DEADME (USA)
· Director: Paul Hart-Wilden ·EMBRACE YOUR PLEASURE (USA) · Director: Keely Liles ·ESCAPE: HEART CONDITIONS (USA) · Director: Quantieshia Brown ·FALLING SPARROW (USA) · Director: Justin Wang Powell ·FAST FORWARD STYLE (USA) · Director: Kari Kennon ·FAUNA (USA) · Director: Davide Fiore ·FLASH DRIVE (USA) · Director: Nigel Ball ·GLASS (USA) · Director: Brionne Davis ·GOLEM (Australia) · Director: Ryan Cauchi ·HAY QUE INTENTARLO "You Have To Go For It" (USA) · Director: Julio Mendez, Kristy Espinoza ·HERE FOR A GOOD TIME (USA) · Director: Esme Auster ·HUNNYBUNS (USA) · Director: John Connor Hammond ·I CAN'T BREATHE EITHER: A History of White Supremacy (USA) · Director: Marc Siciliani ·I'M A CHILD (USA) · Directors: Kaitlin McQueeney, Eliézer Ojeda, Barbara McQueeney ·IN CHINA (USA) · Director: Les Owen ·JP Leppäluoto’ - Piilevää Pimeää (Finland) · Director: Eevamaija Virtanen ·KENYA'S SYMPHONY (USA) · Director: Carlos Douglas Jr ·KHUSHI (UK) · Director: Niraj Jadav ·LAB DOG (USA) · Director: Noemi Durivou ·LIFE... (USA) · Director: Mirlande Amazan ·LIVING IN CRIME ALLEY (UK) · Director: Rob Ayling |
·MAJOR ROBINSON (USA)
· Director: Andrew Klein ·MAKING THINGS RIGHT (USA) · Director: Logan Garrett ·MALINCHISTA (USA) · Director: Flora Rees-Arredondo ·MAZLOOM (USA) · Director: Marium Khalid ·MRS. OSBOURNE (USA) · Director: Gregory Bergeron ·ONE NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD (USA) · Director: Sheri Sussman ·OPEN MIC (USA) · Director: Jaime Torres ·OUTCAST (USA) · Director: Royce Adkins ·PEOPLE IN LANDSCAPE (UK) · Director: Ben Rider ·PSEUDO (USA) · Director: Steven Chan ·S.P. DINSMOOR, ED ROOT AND ME (USA) · Director: Perry Schwartz ·SALSERO IN PURGATORY (USA) · Director: Antonio De La Cruz ·SINGFEST: The Literacy of Music (Australia) · Director: Amel Tresnjic ·STALKERS (USA) · Director: Dongjun Kim ·STILL TRYING (USA) · Director: Nicole N. Nequinto ·SWEATING SAND (USA) · Director: Derek Johnson II ·SYNTH (USA) · Director: Scott Wheeler ·THE ASSISTANT (USA) · Director: Peter Calvin ·THE BARBER (Ukraine) · Director: Sergiy Pudich ·THE CHRISTMAS MASTERPIECE (USA) · Director: Wayne Goodrich ·THE COLLEGE LIFE (USA) · Director: Andretti Dante |
·THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM (USA)
· Director: Jonathan Bucari ·THE ERL KING (UK) · Director: Callum Windsor ·THE MAGIC WALLET (Canada) · Director: Florian Potra ·THE MONSTER'S CLUB (USA) · Director: Federica Alice Carlino ·THE RUNNING SHOW (Norway) · Director: Casper Schack ·THE TERMS OF US (USA) · Director: Roberto Sanchez ·THE WAY THAT I AM (USA) · Director: Kaleigh Fitzgerald ·THE WOLF DELIVERS (USA) · Director: Thomas Crouser Jr ·TRANSPO (USA) · Director: Parker Ronan ·UNLUCKY NUMBER 7 (UK) · Director: Adrian McGaw ·ANOTHER LIFE (USA) · Director: Victor Warren ·WAITING FOR A RIDE (USA) · Director: Joshua Nazaroff ·WHAT WE SAY, WHAT WE MEAN (UK) · Director: Abigail Parmenter ·WHAT'S IN THE WOODS (USA) · Director: Michel Dominguez Beddome ·WHEN 2 WRONGS (USA) · Director: Clinton Phillips ·YOU (USA) · Director: Jess Carson ·YOURS SINCERELY (UK) · Director: Craig Bingham ·ZENOBIA'S LOST ONES (USA) · Directors: Skyy Cannon, Sierra Williams, Stefon Greene ·220 METERS (USA) · Director: Michael Mares Mendoza ·IN SPAIN (Republic of Korea) · Director:Ahn Sangwook ·TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL (USA) · Director: Peter Calvin ·THE HITMAN'S BROTHER (USA) · Directors: Alex Stathis, Devin Bauer |