The judges wish to recognize the Award of Merit winners for notable
artistic or technical aspects of their project in the categories entered.
Anaïsa Visser (Canada), Bordered, Film Short
Chris Y. Beal, Chris Beal Productions (USA), Emma Rae, Film Short
Cubbie Fink (USA), Red Flags, Film Short
Daniel Oramas (USA), Ditched, Film Short
David Zbirka (United Kingdom), Wasteman, Film Short (Student)
Don Wen-Bin (Taiwan), Sniffer Dogs, Documentary Short
Doug Criddle (USA), The Hammonton Boys, History / Biographical
Gaetano Vastano (USA), Connect with Art, Disability Issues
Hannah Elless (USA), Nora Ephron Goes To Prison, Actress: Leading (Hannah Elless as Ally)
Hongyu Li (China), HANK, LGBT (Student)
James Rogers (USA), FELIX, Animation
Jennifer Tennican (USA), Hearts of Glass — A Vertical Farm Takes Root in Wyoming, Disability Issues
Jeremiah Kipp (USA), Mommy Mafia, Television – Pilot Program
Jonathan Avigdori and Rani Sa’ar (USA), America, Television – Pilot Program
Jonathan Holbrook (USA), BELOVED BEAST, Actress: Supporting (Joy Yaholkovsky as Erma)
Keith Reimink (USA), Day of the Western Sunrise, Documentary Feature
Laura Lopez (USA), The Sea of Hemingway, Documentary Short
Lorena Duran (USA), The Fisherwoman, Film Short
Manfred Waffender (Germany), John Cousins & The University of the Waves, Documentary Feature
Mark Banks and Ele Berrie (United Kingdom), Pictures of Lily, Film Feature
Nicole Campbell (USA), Shining Ashes, Film Short (Student)
Patrick Sanderson (USA), Unintentional Community, Television – Pilot Program
Sean Bloomfield and Cimela Kidonakis (USA), Where There is Darkness, Documentary Feature
Aaron Gervich (USA), Claire Means Well, Film Short
Adam Williams, ADCY Media Inc (Canada), Suffering In Silence, Music Video
Akin Omotoso, Branwen Okpako and Nwakaego Boyo (Nigeria), A Hotel Called Memory, Experimental
Alex Arabian (USA), Dave’s Last Night on Earth, Film Short
Amanda Sayeg (USA), Blind Dreams, Documentary Short (Student)
Andrew Jasperson (USA), A Commercial Interlude, Experimental
Anita Gurnani and Selina Sen (India), The Art of Shantiniketan – Masters in the footsteps of Tagore, Documentary Short
Antonio Rotunno (Mexico), Let’s Play, Children / Family Programming
Austin Hobart and Talia St. Clair (USA), CUNTY, Documentary Short
Beyond Empathy (Australia), Protection, Children / Family Programming
Bijan Mottahedeh (USA), If We Meet Again, Experimental
Bill Redding (USA), Bob and Edgar, Film Short
Bob Wasson (USA), Underneath the Same Moon, Actor: Leading (Anderson Davis as Tom Miller), Actress: Supporting (Meg Cashel as Holly Miller), Film Feature, Movie Trailer, Original Score (Underneath the Same Moon composed by Valor Chase Wasson)
Brad Vance (USA), A Little Too Broken, LGBT
Brandan Haskell (USA), Saved By Grace, Actor: Leading (Spencer Trinwith as Francis)
Brian Huckeba and Aric Cushing (USA), Shot to the Heart, Actor: Leading (Aric Cushing as Edward Tartarus)
Caspar Seale (United Kingdom), To Tokyo, Film Feature
Cesar Abella (USA), The Price of Getting High, Film Short
Charles D Benson (USA), Along The Beds Edge Sitting, Film Short
Chelsea London Lloyd (USA), Or Die Trying, Actress: Leading (Jenny Austin as Amelia Tinsley)
Chen Lu (USA), Ash, Film Short (Student), Cinematography (Student)
Chris Y. Beal, Chris Beal Productions (USA), Emma Rae, Actress: Leading (Sarah Jolly as Emma Rae)
Christopher Sandberg (USA), Last Ride to Liberty High, Film Short
Chunyu Bao and Guanchun Hu (China), Fish Out of Water, Asian (Student)
Courtney Lloyd and Ali Ivosevich (USA), Vaseline, Film Short
Cristiano Saturno (Canada), Sarapanta – Chasing the Northern Lights, Documentary Short
Daniel Oramas (USA), Ditched, Actress: Leading (Madison Thompson as Morgan)
David Fresina (USA), When The Witches Came To Town, Documentary Short
Derek Frey (USA), PANGEA, Music Video
Dhriti Borah (USA), Fighter, Film Short (Student), Cinematography (Student)
Divyansh Sharma (USA), GRAFFITI, Actor: Leading (Divyansh Sharma as Michael Dawson), Film Short
Doina Harap (Canada), ZAVEN VS GOLIATH, Documentary Short
Doug Criddle (USA), The Hammonton Boys, Documentary Feature, Special Purpose Productions
Eileen Abarrca and Jordan Auten (USA), GRIT, Film Short
Eli Batalion (Canada), APPINESS, Actor: Leading (Eli Batalion as Eric Newman), Film Feature, Jewish
Eric Stanze (USA), In Memory Of, Actress: Leading (Jackie Kelly as Amber Sheridan), Film Feature
Fareed Kairon (France), Drawn, Film Short
Firdaus Kharas (Canada), Whispers With Stones, Use of Film / Video for Social Change
Greg Ivan Smith (USA), Glasgow, Film Short
Guido De Craene (Belgium), Don’t get mad, …, Film Short
Hannah Elless (USA), Nora Ephron Goes To Prison, Women Filmmakers
Hortense Lingjaerde (USA), The Blood of a Woman, Women Filmmakers (Student)
Jason Perez (USA), Black Coffee, Television – Pilot Program
Jeff Stewart and Brian Johnston (United Kingdom), A Date With Shillelagh, Actress: Leading (Eleanor Burke as Jo), Actress: Supporting (Lauren Cornelius as Karen), Film Short
Jenn Liu and Susan-Kate Heaney (USA), SK & J, Webisode
Jon Dorais (USA), Wacky Towns, Animation (Student)
Jonathan Holbrook (USA), BELOVED BEAST, Actor: Leading (Earl Gray as Ash)
Joshua M.G. Thomas (USA), The End of the World, Film Short, Women Filmmakers
Jude Okwudiafor Johnson (USA), Freshman Year, African American
Jun Shimizu and Becca Park (USA), Speak Easy, B, LGBT
Kara Criscione (USA), With Joy, Women Filmmakers (Student)
Katie Anne Moy (USA), On Ice, Film Short (Student)
Kevin Molony (France), NIGHT LIGHT, Experimental
Kshitij Sharma (India), Devil (Maupassant’s Le Diable), Actor: Leading (Kshitij Sharma as Dev Bhramar)
Marcus Williams (USA), LIFELINE, Film Short
Lamont Wilkins (USA), The Abused, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest
Laurence Brahm (China), Searching for the Lotus-Born Master, Documentary Feature
Lena Lenzen (Timor-Leste), The Road to Acceptance, LGBT
Lynn Malmberg, Elizabeth Nunziato and Karen Pollard (USA), Girl Mess, Special Purpose Productions
Marc C. Waszkiewicz (USA), Vietnam: An Inner View, Documentary Feature
Marc Tamres (USA), Nerd Cool, Documentary Short
Marcelo Presotto (Brazil), 2, Film Feature, Latin / Hispanic, Direction, Actor: Leading (Naomi Nero as Miguel)
Marcia Haufrecht and Ashton Clay (USA), Full Moon and High Tide in the Ladies Room, Women Filmmakers
Mark Bochsler (Canada), SURVIVING BOKATOR, Asian, Documentary Feature
Matan Portnoy and Roy Maayan (Israel), Hayelala-Getting Older, Music Video
Mathew Carr (USA), Punch the Coyote, Film Short
Mayur Katariya (Australia), Ek Aasha, LGBT
Miles Triplett (USA), In The Moment, African American
Mira Hamour (USA), Syria’s Tent Cities, Documentary Short
Natacha Antonellou Achcar (Lebanon), Helen of war…of love, Experimental
Nawzad Shekhany (Germany), TOREN, Film Feature
Nour Oubeid (USA), Amal, Women Filmmakers
Nyasha Hatendi (USA), Moving On, Actor: Leading (Elvis Nolasco as Steve)
Pascal Pernix (Cayman Islands), We Will Live, Film Short
Paul Kampf (USA), Me Too, Actor: Leading (Paul Kampf as Father)
Phillips Payson and Zoe Eisenberg (USA), STOKE, Film Feature
Phoebe Cavise (USA), Take Two, Web Series
Raanan Rosenbaum (Israel), SHMELKY, Jewish (Student)
Rafael Resende (Brazil), #NOFILTER, Film Short
Richard Tavernaro (USA), Writer’s Block, Film Feature
Ruth Elliott-Hilsdon and Dani Bowman (USA), Somebody NEEDS You, Children / Family Programming, Animation, Disability Issues
Sarah Prikryl (USA), Family: A Love Story, Documentary Short
Sathapranavan (France), Friday and Friday, Film Feature
Sergio Barbasso, Tuttipazzi, Inc. (USA), SuperHillCool, Animation
Shiva Kumar (USA), Living Yoga: The Life and Teachings of Swami Satchidananda, Documentary Feature
Simo Liu (USA), Geometry, Animation
Sondra Sottile and Dianna M. Young (USA), Think Like Your Dog and Enjoy the Rewards, Women Filmmakers
Sophie Harris (USA), The Condition of My Son, Documentary Short
Spencer Currie (USA), Modern Slave, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest
Stefen Harris, Dark Horse Films New Zealand Limited (New Zealand), Blue Moon, Film Feature
Susan Cohen and Daniel Kantor (USA), Beyond the Borders, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest, Music Video
Takashi Ui and Koji Matsumoto (Japan), Heart to Heart, Documentary Feature
Tamra Paselk (USA), Chronicles of a BLEEP Year Old Woman – Ballet Class, Webisode
Tommy Duncan 3rd (USA), Wandering Mind, Film Short
Tony Schweikle (USA), Rum & Hot Peppers, Film Feature
Trevor Neuenswander (USA), HOTFLAKES, Actor: Leading (Student) (Adam Gilmore as Willie), Film Short (Student)
Trivelle Simpson (Canada), Disintegrate, Film Feature
Vanesa Wilkey-Escobar (USA), Amigo Skate, Cuba, Documentary Feature
Winslow Perry (USA), New Conversation: A Mental Health PSA, Public Service Programming / PSA (Student)