The judges wish to recognize the Award of Merit winners for notable
artistic or technical aspects of their project in the categories entered.
Alex Zarfati (USA), Samsara, Film Short
Alexander McDaniel (USA), Guns and Stuff, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Alexey Kotolevskiy (USA), Bribe, Film Short
Elizabeth Usher (Australia), Please Don’t Turn Away, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest
Jaime Urquiza (Mexico), Black Constellation, Film Short
Janine Molinari (USA), We’re Gonna Come Back, Music Video
Joe McNeal (USA), Angels Do Fly West, Disability Issues, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Joseph Graves (China), SHADOWS AND LIES, Film Feature
Joshua Butler and Brooke Lewis Bellas (USA), Red Rooms, Ensemble Cast
Linda Kudzmas (USA), Misfortune, Animation, Narration / Voice-Over Talent (Meg Arbo)
Luisa Tamara Coronado García (Mexico), Oliver, Film Short (Student), Women Filmmakers (Student)
Nayon Lee (Hong Kong), Smother, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Onur Tukel (USA), That Cold Dead Look In Your Eyes, Actor: Supporting (Alan Ceppos as Dennis), Film Feature
Peter English (USA), The Sun Line – Your Eyes Music Video, Music Video
Richard M. Carrillo and Casey Showalter (USA), Pale Shelter, Film Short
Sanay Saboo (USA), Laddoo, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Tom Jenkins (USA), BED AND BREAKFAST, Ensemble Cast
Tommy Jackson (USA), The Devil’s Whiskey, Cinematography
Adrian Guterman (Argentina), musical liberation, Music Video
Alex Andre (USA), SADA, Actress: Leading (Sheida Rahni as Sada), Direction, Film Short
Alex Martins (USA), Ink & Quill, Script / Writer
Alexander McDaniel (USA), Guns and Stuff, African American (Student), Film Short (Student)
Alexey Chiginsky (Russia), Beyond the Infinity of Lies, Disability Issues
Alexey Kotolevskiy (USA), Bribe, Creativity / Originality
Amber Jones (USA), Brunch, Ensemble Cast (Student), Webisode (Student), Direction (Student)
Amir Hossein Nouri (Iran), NIRVANA – Music Video, Music Video
Andrew M. Volpe (USA), Cat Scratch Fever (The Cat Video), Public Service Programming / PSA
Andy Stapp (USA), DESTINATION MARFA, Film Feature, Narration / Voiceover Talent
Annika Maria Udo Winther (Norway), BomPaPa (text), Animation
Anthony Nelson (USA), Time At Fort Peck, Film Short
Anya Pia Kenner (Australia), Have you heard about Charlie?, Film Short
Arun Bhattarai and Matthew Schuelka (FORA Education Productions) (Bhutan/USA), Dreams of Birds Flying in the Sky, Disability Issues, Documentary Feature, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising
Ben Hirschhorn (USA), Goggles, Film Short, Direction
Carlos Moreno Jr. (USA), Numb, Actress: Leading (Luella Hill as Dr.Lola Enochs), Ensemble Cast, Film Short
Casey Oberhansli (USA), Pony Express, Direction, Film Short
Cate Caplin (USA), Mating Dance, Direction, Film Feature, Script / Writer (Cate Caplin)
Cécile Nordegg and Patryk Senewicki (Austria), BELLARIA, Music Video
Chong Zhang (China), Stones From Other Mountains, Film Short, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising
Chris Hite and Dennis Ford (USA), Firestorm ’77 The True Story of the Honda Canyon Fire, Documentary Short
Dale Fabrigar (USA), THE SAVE, Television – Program / Series
Damir Yaqouti and Hassan Yaqouti (Morocco), Morning flavors, Film Short, Direction
Daniel Bergeson (USA), Hazard, Film Short, African American
Elizabeth Usher (Australia), Please Don’t Turn Away, Music Video
Emerson Little, Whittier College (USA), In Another Place, Experimental (Student)
Film Students at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), Is There Anybody Out There? Young Voices From Inside a Pandemic, Documentary Feature, Editing, Concept
Hernan A. Ancerra (USA), Nonino’s Gift, Film Short, Latin / Hispanic
Huanshuo Wang (China), The Dilemma of Extra-Curricular Institutions in China, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Itamar Isaak (Israel), Down The Rabbit Hole, Music Video (Student)
Jamieson Tabb (USA), Glory & Injustice, Film Short (Student), Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger (Bella Zoe Martinez), Direction (Jamieson Tabb)
Jared Zook (USA), Rocket Dreams: The Story of Sandrock Gaming, Documentary Short
Jørn Nyseth Ranum and Aaslaug Vaa (Norway), Children of Stars, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Joseph Graves (China), SHADOWS AND LIES, Actor: Leading (Joseph Graves as Sonny Ray Briggs), Actress: Leading (Summer Wei as Bobo Lin)
Joshua Butler and Brooke Lewis Bellas (USA), Red Rooms, Web Series, Direction (Joshua Butler)
József Gallai (Hungary), I Hear the Trees Whispering, Film Feature
Kala Shreen (India), ICON – Memoirs of a Master Craftsman, Asian, Women Filmmakers, Religion / Ethics
Kayla Marie Waddleton (USA), The Lily Pad Home, Animation (Student)
Keara Barnes and Brenda Whitehall (Canada), The Stepmom, Direction, Script / Writer
Kevin de la Isla O’Neill (Ireland), Si se llevan se aguantan, Direction
Kozue Nomoto (Japan), Journey of 3653days, Women Filmmakers
Letícia Lopez Rangueri, Lucas Brassanini Flores and Carolina Bonformagio da Silva (Brazil), Beyond Masks, Animation, LGBTQ+
Lindsay Clift (USA), I Would Do Anything For Love, Film Short, Script / Writer
Matthew King (Australia), Henrietta, Film Short
Merete Muenter (USA), Through The Ages, Experimental, Direction
Michael Kumar (USA), REMEMBRANCE, Film Short
Michael Monteiro (USA), To Kill A Cop, African American, Direction
Michael Thoenes and Brannon Hollingsworth (USA), Blissview: Where’s Jake?, Animation, Children / Family Programming
Monece Starling (USA), Mo Pies Commercial – “In Love”, Commercial / Infomercial, African American
Nayon Lee (Hong Kong), Smother, Film Short (Student), Script / Writer (Student)
Nela Wagman (USA), Come Find Me, Film Short (Student)
Nilesh Chandrakant Nevgi (India), The Silent Scream, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest
Niva Ben Hanan, Sapir College (Israel), On the Edge, Actress: Leading (Student) (Niva Ben Hanan as shira84183)
Pelan Le (USA), Bootycall, Film Short, Original Score (Composed by Ben Winfield)
Philippe Demers and Olivier Ste-Marie (Canada), The Cleaners, Film Feature
Ra Ven and Shu Shigemura (Japan), The Legend of Yoshikane: A Tale from Ashikaga, Animation, History / Biographical
Rainer Bartesch, Alexander Kleinrensing and Vincent Wild (Germany), Our World is on Fire – Oratorio for our Future, Nature / Environment / Wildlife, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising
Sally Champlin (USA), Waltzing Mathilda, Music Video
Sasha Salama (USA), Natasha Cvikevich: WWII and Beyond, In Her Own Words., Documentary Short, Women Filmmakers
Victor Dean (USA), Survivors High – The Anthology, Animation, Direction (Victor Dean)
Wilbur W. Henderson (USA), Remember This, Script / Writer
Yufeng Wang (China), Keyboard, Asian, Cinematography