The judges wish to recognize the Award of Merit winners for notable
artistic or technical aspects of their project in the categories entered.
Angela Wu (USA), The View, Animation
Ciro Russo (USA), Fake News: The Price of Truth, Script / Writer
Ian Changjae Lee (United Kingdom), The Tree of Blood, Script / Writer
Iara Lee (USA), THE SAMI SONG OF SURVIVAL: Indigenous Activism on the Northern Frontier, Documentary Short
Jocelyn Robert (Canada), The Woman and the Bird, AI Film
Julia Lavretska (Ukraine), Empty Table, Women Filmmakers
Lezhi Niu (China), Habitat, Film Short
Mahya Gholizadeh (Iran), Dark Red, Women Filmmakers
Marcus Mandal (Denmark), I Am a Very Special Being, Disability Issues
Maxim Akbarov (Kazakhstan), The Experiment, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Mohammad Javad Mirolyaee (Iran), The Watchtower No.3, Asian Filmmaker
Molly Powers Gallagher (USA), exception(al), Asian Theme
Noah Berlow (USA), act as if…, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest
Ramel Westry (USA), 305 Fishkill Avenue, African American Filmmaker
AJ Spencer (USA), The SnowRaven Chronicles: The Treasure of Ockra-Bane REDUX, AI Film
Alina Zheng and Alan Zheng (USA), Imagine a World Without Pain, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger, Use of Film / Video for Social Change (Student)
Anthony and Stephen Bevilacqua (USA), Crazy Cat Lady, Script / Writer
Byron Rink (Italy), Cinghia (Belt), Editing
Carol J. Amore (USA), Yellowstone Wild through Time, Editing, Music Video, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Charles Evans, Jr. (USA), REVERENCE, Documentary Short
Charly Delporte (France), Echo, Film Short
Chiara Basile Fasolo (Italy), Double Code, Women Theme, Creativity / Originality
Christian Skibinski and Timo Josefowicz (Germany), True West, Film Short
Danny Pryp (Australia / Colombia / Venezuela), Miami, Music Video
Diogo Varela Silva (Portugal), Punch for Punch, Documentary Feature, Original Score
El Comondear (USA), The Quiet Year, AI Film
Elina Daraklitsa (Greece), The Cherry of Oblivion, Script / Writer
Evelin Fedorova (Serbia), Lilith’s Daughter, LGBTQ+ Theme, Film Short, Women Filmmakers
Fella Cederbaum (USA), Steal Time, Film Short, Original Score
Fella Cederbaum (USA), Hearing Shapes, Cinematography, Original Score
Fruzsina Skrabski and Sándor Kiss (Hungary), Inherited Shame, Women Theme, History / Biographical, Women Filmmakers
Haihong Lin (China), After COVID-19, Asian Filmmaker
Jeff Macolino (USA), Thanksgiving, Again?!, Film Feature, Ensemble Cast
Jiayi (China), Toy, Film Short (Student)
Jihan K (Libya), My Father and Qaddafi, Documentary Feature
Jim Menza (USA), EnAbeling Cain, Film Feature
Joshua Pitney (USA), Hi, Dad, Filmmaker with Disability
Julia Ulbrich Horta (Brazil), The Other One, Women Filmmakers
Koos Baaij (Netherlands), As Time Goes By, Documentary Feature
Kumar Raj (Rajendrakumar M. R.) (India), TARA-The Journey of Love & Passion, Women Theme
Lorenzo Freglio (Italy), The Leap of Success, Film Short
Lyn Caudle (USA), A Day in the life of Lawrence (a delivery robot), Animation
Maedeh Abdi (Iran), Reflection, Women Filmmakers
Magdalena Cundrič (Slovenia), Child Nr.32-g, Script / Writer
Manuel Navarro (USA), Garden Valley, Latin / Hispanic Filmmaker
Marina Maria Melnik (Russia), Melnikov, Documentary Feature
Mark A. C. Brown (United Kingdom), Landlord of the Flies, Script / Writer
Mohsen Rabiei (Turkey), It Wasn’t Cloudy That Day, Film Feature
Mya Viets and Dani Bowman (USA), MeloRaka and Her Autistic Friend Blobblot, Disability Issues
Natasha Smith-Hazzard (USA), Natural Born Queen, Script / Writer
Nathaniel P. Claridad (USA), 11 Blocks To Go: The Bet, LGBTQ+ Filmmaker
Nishant Bhardwaj (USA), Honeymoonay Namah, Film Feature
Parya Ghaderi (Iran), My Color Changed, Documentary Feature
Prabhaat Autar Mam (India), Blink, Script / Writer (Student)
Robert Jimenez (USA), Sounds of War, Script / Writer
Roberto Villafane (Panama), La Historia de Tilo, Animation
Rostam Nazari (Iran), Sayad Capello, Documentary Short
Rubina Faisal (Canada / Pakistan), Kalisa Meray Aagay (A Church Ahead of Me), Islamic Filmmaker, Islamic Theme
Ryan Neil (USA), Mirai in the Wild: The Sierras, Documentary Short, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Sara Silvia Kochen (Argentina), Now, The Women Play!, Women Theme
Sergey Vasilievich Tereshchuk (Russia), That’s All The Love, Actor: Leading (Mikhail Shilov as Vasily)
Shaun Rylee (France), À Volonté, Experimental
Shigeto Rage Sayama (United Kingdom), The Mosquito Man, Experimental, Asian Filmmaker
Shin Eunsoo (South Korea), Happiness, AI Film
Siana Bangura (United Kingdom), The Waves, Women Filmmakers, Art Direction
Susan Muranty and Elizabeth Usher (Australia), Wild For The Country, Music Video, Original Song, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Tushar Shahi (India), Toxic, Actor: Leading (Priyanshu Verma as Arnav), Film Short
Vincent Zheng (China), Ceramic Utopia, Asian Filmmaker
Wanchen Cai (China), An Illusion, Asian Theme
Yazzer Plasm (USA), Kurry: A Love Story, Animation, Experimental
Yunus Şevik (USA), Kulyas 2: Zikr-i Ayin, Script / Writer (Esma Şevik)
Award of Recognition winners click below:
Award of Excellence and Best of Show winners click below:
