2021 Award Winners
JURY AWARDS
Best Documentary Short
WINNER • A Concerto is a Conversation by Kris Bowers & Ben Proudfoot
Runner Up • R.I.P. T-Shirts by Kate Davis & David Heilbroner
Best Comedy Feature
WINNER • The Daphne Project by Zora Iman Crews & Alec Tibaldi
Runner Up • Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball Game by Ted Stenson
Best Dramatic Feature
WINNER • Small Town Wisconsin by Niels Mueller
Runner Up • Everything in The End by Mylissa Fitzsimmons
Best Dramatic Short
WINNER • Ruwatan by Ernest Lesmana
Runner Up • Synthetic Love by Sarah Heitz de Chabaneix
Best Documentary Feature
WINNER • YOUTH v GOV by Christi Cooper
Runner Up • Storm Lake by Jerry Risius & Beth Levison
Special Humanitarian Award • For the Left Hand by Gordon Quinn & Leslie Simmer
Best Comedy Short
WINNER • Photo Op by Dava Whisenant
Best Animated Short
WINNER • Lines by Claire Fleming
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Best Animated Short
WINNER • Lines by Claire Fleming
Runner Up • Souvenir Souvenir by Bastien Dubois
2nd Runner Up • Annah la Javanaise by Fatimah Tobing Rony
Best Comedy Short
WINNER • GraceLand by Bonnie Discepolo
Runner Up • Brief Survey by Dava Whisenant
2nd Runner Up • Numb by Natasha Jatania
Best Documentary Short
WINNER • A Concerto is a Conversation by Kris Bowers & Ben Proudfoot
Runner Up • Eddy’s World by Lyn Goldfarb
2nd Runner Up • Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color by Cheri Gaulke
Best Dramatic Short
WINNER • Hook and Chain by Shay Hayden
Runner Up • Victim No. 6 by Nancy Menagh
2nd Runner Up • Cassandra by Lia Lenart
Best Documentary Feature
WINNER • YOUTH v GOV by Christi Cooper
Runner Up • For the Left Hand by Gordon Quinn & Leslie Simmer
2nd Runner Up • The First Step by Brandon Kramer
Best Narrative Feature
WINNER • Peace by Chocolate by Jonathan Keijser
Runner Up • This Is Not A War Story by Talia Lugacy
2nd Runner Up • Last Night in Rozzie by Sean Gannet
Best of the Fest
WINNER • YOUTH v GOV by Christi Cooper
DIRECTORS CHOICE AWARDS
Best Acting: Feature Film (Adult) • Zora Iman Crews (The Daphne Project)
Best Acting: Short Film (Adult) • Lucia Sawh (Gabriela)
Best Acting: Feature Film (Youth) • Cooper J. Friedman (Small Town Wisconsin)
Best Acting: Short Film (Youth) • Isabella Haddock (Leylak)
Best Ensemble Cast • Events Transpiring Before, During, and After a High School Basketball Game
Emerging Filmmaker • Alana Waksman (We Burn Like This)
Emerging Filmmaker • Ryan McDonough (Last Night in Rozzie)
Best Cinematography
Documentary Feature • Martin Benoist (The Crab Season)
Narrative Feature • Josh Kundert-Gibbs (DimLand)
Documentary Short • Daniel Principe (Last Meal)
Narrative Short Winner • Aram “Spike” Bauman (Victim No. 6)
Narrative Short Runner-Up • Lee Man-Oh (Pit-A-Pat)
Fortitude in Filmmaking • Beth Balaban & Beth Murphy (Son of Fukushima)
Sound Design
WINNER • Dennis Lee & Lars Bo Kjær (A Beautiful Curse)
Runner Up • Matt Drake (Monkey Beach)
2nd Runner Up • Luc Bouchard (Peace by Chocolate)
SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Short Comedy
WINNER • “Argie Bergman” by Suzy Stein and Fernando Perez
Short Dramatic
WINNER • “37th Floor” by Steve Spremo
Feature Comedy
WINNER • “Loonatoona” by Shockadelic
Feature Dramatic
WINNER • “The Orchestra” by Curtis Matzke
