The judges wish to recognize the Award of Merit winners for notable
artistic or technical aspects of their project in the categories entered.

Anne Williamson (Ireland), Bridget, Women Theme
Audrey He-Qing Cheng (Taiwan), Chirp Talker, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Candace West and Nick Sagar (USA), From Her, African American Filmmaker
Caris Vujcec (USA), PUSH, Women Theme
Catherine Turmel and Sarah Lajoie-Asselin (Canada), Hanging on by a Sleeve, Women Theme
Don Close and Fiore DeRosa (USA), Evil Insight, Film Feature
Dr. Vertna West (USA), Tibby’s Big Little Discovery, Children / Family Programming, Animation
Ewan S. Henry (United Kingdom), Imperfect Cadence, Actor: Leading (Student) (Ewan S Henry as Rupert)

Goutham Shankar (India), Masai Mara: Kingdom of the Wild, Nature / Environment / Wildlife, Documentary Short
Ilie Stepan (Romania), AnteApocalypse, AI Film
Jay A. Nagle, A Tiny Giraffe Production LLC (USA), Here’s Looking at you, kids (Conversations about growing up on the silver screen), Documentary Feature
Kelly Kimbis (USA), The Hitman’s Laundromat, Women Filmmakers (Student)
Kexin (China),《Reproduce》, Film Short (Student)
Konrad Maximilian Piotrowski (United Kingdom), Tattoo, Script / Writer
Ksenia Tolmazin (USA), The Reserve, Script / Writer
Marcelle Abela (Malta), Whispers From the Core – The Silence We Cannot Speak, Original Score (Marcelle Abela)

Maria Ines Quevedo Stuva (Peru), IDENTITY IN THE DIGITAL ERA, Music Video
Michael Weissman (USA), Quit Laughing God, This is Serious!, Original Score
Rodrigo Espinosa (USA), Nihilism for Dummies by Deaf Club, Music Video
Rosa Costanza (USA), XING, Experimental, Women Filmmakers
Steven James Kilper (USA), Overtime, Film Short
Tom Bahrani (Canada), Endless Journey, Original Score (Arvin Fekri)
Xiaoyi (China), 《Echo, Script / Writer

Adam Wagner (USA), A Fighting Legacy, Documentary Feature
Andre Surya Wiyono (Indonesia), DINDA, AI Film
Andre Surya Wiyono (Indonesia), The Great Battle, AI Film
Andre Surya Wiyono (Indonesia), Earth’s Future?, AI Film
Arlin Godwin (USA), Stop Taking Pictures, Film Short
Bastien Leblanc (France), LUCY, Actress: Leading (Kya Garwood as Suzan), Makeup (Françoise Culioli)
Brett Bower (USA), UNRAVELLED, Movie Trailer, Christian Filmmaker
Caitlin Presberg (USA), Come Out, Wherever You Are, Actor: Leading (Blake De Pastino as Verne), Film Short
Candace West and Nick Sagar (USA), From Her, Concept
Caris Vujcec (USA), PUSH, Direction, Editing
Chengrui (China), Roast Apple¿, Animation (Student)
Chirag Patel, Mushkan Arora and Abhishek Tata (India), Malaal, Actress: Leading (Naosheen Ahmed as Sushma), Original Score (Ramesh Kumar Kannan)
Christopher Flores (USA), WARANGEL, Documentary Short, Women Theme
Christopher Swider (USA), Children in Exile, Documentary Feature, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest

Dan Tarrant (USA), Mercy at the Gates, Christian Filmmaker, Documentary Feature
Dana Dunton (USA), The Bridge Less Traveled, Film Short, Original Score
Dasha (Daria) Shy ( Shylova) (Ukraine), DakhaBrakha – 9 nedilechok, Music Video
Delphine Breyne (USA), Heal avec Delphine, Documentary Short
Deng Weixiong (China), The Higher-Up Says, Film Short (Student)
Dominique Pierre Lüthi (Switzerland), When the Curtain Falls, Actress: Leading (Student) (Tina Kümpel as girlfriend)
Domonic Paris and Damien Paris (USA), DEAD BLOOM, Film Feature
Doreen A. Edemafaka (United Kingdom), My Utopia Episode 2: Deaf Barrier, Disability Issues
Ethan Yamada (USA), Tangerines in Autumn, Animation, Asian Filmmaker
Ewan S. Henry (United Kingdom), Imperfect Cadence, Actress: Leading (Student) (Bella Glanville as Ava)
Gary Null (USA), The Corruption of Science, Documentary Feature
Hirotaka Adachi (Japan), Monkeys Odyssey, AI Film, Experimental
James Livitski (Canada), Lasagna Run, Film Short
James Peter Rowat (United Kingdom), Beyond The Horizon, Nature / Environment / Wildlife, Tourism / Travel

Jay A. Nagle, A Tiny Giraffe Production LLC (USA), Here’s Looking at you, kids (Conversations about growing up on the silver screen), Original Score
Jeff Nesmith (USA), The Tiger Cages, Documentary Short
Jian Cao (China), Lost Youth, Film Short
Joe Scappaticcio (Italy), PARIVARA – The Last Families, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Josh Martin and Alex Raban (USA), Salty, Film Short
Kavan Cardoza (USA), Echo Hunter: A Memory Too Far, AI Film
Kazuo Okada and Yuki Suzuki (Japan), IRABŪ of the Kudaka Island, Okinawa, Documentary Feature
Kevin Michael Irvine (USA), THE GREENSTONE narrated by Orson Welles, Film Short, Children / Family Programming
Ksenia Tolmazin (USA), Sixty Nine, Script / Writer
Lena Sandberg (Australia), Curing Consciousness (the proof of concept), Webisode, Women Filmmakers
Lenny Gatto (USA), Love Lives On, Film Feature
Liam Lui Martin (USA), Through the Shadows, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Luke Ollerton (United Kingdom), Walker’s Game – Proof of Concept, Film Short
Marcel Weiß (Germany), Dragon and Eagle – The Story of a Friendship, Documentary Short
Maria Ines Quevedo Stuva (Peru), TOMBS OF STONE, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest, Music Video

Melvin Abercrombie (USA), Avalon Ministry, Script / Writer
Michael Magee (Switzerland), All Because of Hitch, Documentary Feature, Script / Writer (Bettina Stemmler)
Michael Weissman (USA), Quit Laughing God, This is Serious!, AI Film, Christian Filmmaker, Christian Theme
Nicholas Nicastro (USA), Hell’s Half-Acre: Sojourn, Film Short
Nim Stant (USA), UNPROTECTED THE FINAL ROUND, Documentary Short
Noah Kurdi Kara (Sweden), Nice to Meet You, Film Short
Paul Wollman Preston (USA), EMDRama!, Animation
Primal Empire Studios (United Kingdom), Compulsion, Actor: Leading (Charlotte Kirk as Diana)
Reginald Butler (USA), Last Year, Script / Writer
Richard Gonzales and Morgan Wood (USA), MORGAN WOOD, EVERYTHING ALWAYS HAPPENS SO MUCH, Documentary Feature, Latin / Hispanic Filmmaker, Women Theme
Rupert Poeschl (Germany), Tumaini Festival, Documentary Short
Samantha Pillay (Australia), The North Pole’s Got a Brand New Beat, Music Video, AI Film
Sean Cavanda (Germany), Sunshine, LGBTQ+ Theme (Student)
Sean Zhao (USA), How Did You Like the Book?, Asian Filmmaker, Art Direction

Seun Akinseloyin, Nextape Studios (Nigeria), Naked Lies, Film Feature
Shaun Peter Cunningham (USA), A Boy Called Josh, Documentary Short
Steven James Kilper (USA), Overtime, Editing
Szilvia Szakács (Hungary), MIRROR ME, AI Film
Szilvia Szakács and Barbara Fritz (Hungary), Dark Skies All Around, AI Film
Tom Bahrani (Canada), Endless Journey, Documentary Feature
Tom Ingrassia and Anna Walsh (USA), One Door Closes: Korey’s Courage, Documentary Feature, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Wang Heran (China), 《Scar, Direction
Xiaotong (China),《Char Siu, Direction (Student)
Yam Presberg (USA), Float, Film Short (Student), Jewish Filmmaker (Student)
Yamal Duryea (USA), JACK O’NEILL’S LEGACY, Documentary Short, Asian Filmmaker
Yunqing (USA), Hushaby, O-Hushaby, Film Short
Zhiyang Hu (USA), Bang?, Direction (Student)

Award of Recognition winners click below:

Award of Excellence and Best of Show winners click below: