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Saturday, July 26 through
Saturday, August 2, 2025
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2020 Award Winners

Directors’ Choice Awards

Best Cinematography: Short Documentary

• Chris Naum, Lessons From Jeju

Best Cinematography: Short Narrative

• Zeta Spyraki, My Other Suit is Human

Best Cinematography: Feature Documentary

• Ton van Zantvoort, Sheep Hero

Best Cinematography: Feature Narrative

• Chris Hirschhäuser, Toprak

Best Performance: Short Film – Youth

• Sasha Watson-Lobo, Mousie

Best Performance: Short Film – Adult

• Bethany Blake, My Other Suit is Human 

Best Performance: Feature Film – Youth

• Mert Dincer, Zoro’s Solo

Best Performance: Feature Film – Adult

• Numan Cakir, Toprak

Emerging New England Filmmaker

• Megan Lubetkin, Divergent Warmth 

Emerging Documentary Filmmaker

• Karla Murthy, The Place That Makes Us (aka “Youngstown U.S.A.”)

Emerging Narrative Filmmaker

• Sevgi Hirschhäuser, Toprak

Ensemble Cast

• Thank You 5

Fortitude in Filmmaking

• Christopher Smith, Current Sea


Jury Awards

Documentary Short

Winner: Lessons From Jeju, by Nicole Gormley
Runner Up: Nightsongs, by Elizabeth Myer & Matthew Boulton

Dramatic Short

Winner: Feeling Through, by Doug Roland
Runner Up: My Hero, by Logan Jackson
Second Runner Up: Savage, by Denis Dobrovoda

Comedy Short

Winner: I Can Change, by Jim Jenkins
Runner Up: Rigor Mortis, by Charles Kinnane

Animated Short

Winner: Grab My Hand: A Letter To My Dad, by Camrus Johnson & Pedro Piccinini
Runner Up: Beyond Noh, by Patrick Smith

Documentary Feature

Winner: Medicating Normal, by Lynn Cunningham & Wendy Ractliffe
Runner Up: Fish & Men, by Darby Duffin & Adam Jones
Second Runner Up: Raise Your Voice, by Maribeth Romslo

Dramatic Feature

Winner: Toprak, by Sevgi Hirschhäuser
Runner Up: Nowhere, by David Salazar & Francisco Salazar 

Comedy Feature

Winner: Dramarama, by Jonathan Wysocki
Runner Up: Thank You 5, by Michael Barnard & Reid Estreicher


Screenwriting Competition

Comedy Short

Josie’s Date With Death, by Lisa Marie Tedesco

Dramatic Short

Hello I Must Be Going, by Sarah Hallowell

Comedy Feature

Girls On The Run, by Lukas Hassel

Dramatic Feature

This Is Not Revenge, by David Pierotti


Audience Awards

Documentary Short

Winner: As We Are, by Michael R. Faulkner
Runner Up: Name Crew: Tiny Toones, by Arestia Rosenberg
Second Runner Up: Without A Whisper – Konnón:kwe, by Katsitsionni Fox

Dramatic Short

Winner: Under The Lights, by Miles Levin
Runner Up: Transfer, by Sage Mears & Aaron Pagniano
Second Runner Up: The Woman Under The Tree, by Karishma Kohli

Comedy Short

Winner: Boys & Toys, by Kevin P. Alexander
Runner Up: Blocks, by Bridget Moloney
Second Runner Up: Island Queen, by Zackary Grady & Jenn Harris

Animated Short

Winner: Grab My Hand: A Letter To My Dad, by Camrus Johnson & Pedro Piccinini
Runner Up: Beyond Noh, by Patrick Smith
Second Runner Up: Bag, by Robin Frohardt

Narrative Feature

Winner: Give or Take, by Paul Riccio
Runner Up: Zoro’s Solo, by Martin Busker
Second Runner Up: Nowhere, by David Salazar & Francisco Salazar

Documentary Feature

Winner: Public Trust, by David Garrett Byars
Runner Up: Microplastic Madness, by Atsuo Quirk & Debby Lee Cohen
Second Runner Up: Mayor, by David Osit

Best of the Fest

Medicating Normal, Documentary Feature by Lynn Cunningham & Wendy Ractliffe