SHORT TO THE POINT APRIL 2021 AWARDS
BEST FILM
A Little Circus | Japan | 2021 | 27’
Director: Yoshiro Osaka
Writer: Yoshiro Osaka
Producer: Ryan Barton
Cast: Nov Lyheng
Synopsis: In the town of Battambang: Birthplace of Cambodian circus, bombastic virus and news bedevil an innocent young circus boy, Theara. His best friends unite and play a circus for him.
BEST DIRECTOR
A Little Circus | Japan | 2021 | 27’
Director: Yoshiro Osaka
Writer: Yoshiro Osaka
Producer: Ryan Barton
Cast: Nov Lyheng
Synopsis: In the town of Battambang: Birthplace of Cambodian circus, bombastic virus and news bedevil an innocent young circus boy, Theara. His best friends unite and play a circus for him.
BEST SCREENPLAY
Barrier | Netherlands | 2020 | 09’
Writer: Paul Bontenbal
Director: Niels Bourgonje
Producer: Joris Vorselaars
Cast: Walt Klink, Bill Barberis, Craig Stott
Synopsis: September 1944. Two Canadian soldiers find a boy washed up on the Dutch beach.
Where did he come from and can he be trusted?
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
I Am | Germany | 2020 | 27’
Actress: Melodie Wakivuamina
Director: Jerry Hoffmaann
Writer: Florens Huhn
Producer: Stella Flicker (Creative Producer)
Cast: Melodie Wakivuamina, Sheri Hagen
Synopsis: One day, the withdrawn Noé finds a motionless android in the forest, takes it with her and reactivates it. It’s the beginning of a strange relationship. Far too late, Noé realizes that the android is about to copy her personality.
BEST LEADING ACTOR
A Little Circus | Japan | 2021 | 27’
Actor: Nov Lyheng
Director: Yoshiro Osaka
Writer: Yoshiro Osaka
Producer: Ryan Barton
Cast: Nov Lyheng
Synopsis: In the town of Battambang: Birthplace of Cambodian circus, bombastic virus and news bedevil an innocent young circus boy, Theara. His best friends unite and play a circus for him.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Woodland Cemetery | Netherlands | 2020 | 10’
Cinematographer: Rasmus Eriksson
Director: Niels Bourgonje
Writer: Niels Bourgonje
Producer: Niels Bourgonje
Cast: Josefin Asplund
Synopsis: A photographer has the assignment to shoot Skogskyrkogarden, a cemetery located in the woods of Stockholm. There she sees an old woman placing a lantern on a grave. When the photographer shoots a picture of this very private moment, she soon finds out that this haunting image is more haunted than she bargained for.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
I Am | Germany | 2020 | 27’
Production designer: Iris Trescher-Lorenz
Director: Jerry Hoffmaann
Writer: Florens Huhn
Producer: Stella Flicker (Creative Producer)
Cast: Melodie Wakivuamina, Sheri Hagen
Synopsis: One day, the withdrawn Noé finds a motionless android in the forest, takes it with her and reactivates it. It’s the beginning of a strange relationship. Far too late, Noé realizes that the android is about to copy her personality.
BEST EDITING
Woodland Cemetery | Netherlands | 2020 | 10’
Editor: Nils Rensen
Director: Niels Bourgonje
Writer: Niels Bourgonje
Producer: Niels Bourgonje
Cast: Josefin Asplund
Synopsis: A photographer has the assignment to shoot Skogskyrkogarden, a cemetery located in the woods of Stockholm. There she sees an old woman placing a lantern on a grave. When the photographer shoots a picture of this very private moment, she soon finds out that this haunting image is more haunted than she bargained for.
BEST NARRATIVE
Knock 3 times | Lithuania | 2020 | 14’
Director: Klaudija Matvejevaitė
Writer: Klaudija Matvejevaitė
Producers: Urte Emile Askeloviciute, Baltic Productions
Cast: Karolis Vilkas
Synopsis: Young blind priest serves his first week in an old city church undergoing restoration. While the priest is getting familiar with the church space and its visitors, they also need to get accustomed to the new priest.
BEST DRAMA
IT’S MORE RELIABLE THIS WAY | Russian Federation | 2021 | 30’
Director: Sophie Salman
Writers: Sophie Salman, Raisa Mironova
Producer: Raisa Mironova
Synopsis: A woman over 50-years old escapes loneliness on a dating site. She goes on a date out of curiosity. However, this one results in her making a hard life decision.
BEST HORROR
Statues | France | 2020 | 27’
Director: Thomas Gallo
Writers: Marie Palinacci, Julie Béguet, Thomas Gallo
Producer: Association APIA
Cast: Ewan Bogart, Casimir Szymczak, Pierrette Chambellan, Lily Gera, Antoine Routard
Synopsis: Two municipal police officers respond to the home of an elderly woman screaming in terror and pain. Upon arriving in front of the house, the two policemen break down the door. Once the door is wide open, silence reigns. The two officers enter and discover a dirty and dusty house. The old lady seems to be living as a recluse in the house. During their search, the two officers are intrigued by the abnormally large number of dolls and statues present, turning their backs on them. Having been persuaded to intervene in a case of domestic violence, the two agents will very quickly find themselves confronted with things that are beyond their control.
BEST ADVENTURE/ACTION
Evolutionary | United Kingdom | 15’
Director: Oliver Crawford
Writer: Oliver Crawford
Producer: James Player
Cast: Tim Bentinck, Sean Knopp, Stephanie Siadatan
Synopsis: A military-led government sends out a Special Forces team to track down an unknown creature in an abandoned warehouse.
BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI
I Am | Germany | 2020 | 27’
Director: Jerry Hoffmaann
Writer: Florens Huhn
Producer: Stella Flicker (Creative Producer)
Cast: Melodie Wakivuamina, Sheri Hagen
Synopsis: One day, the withdrawn Noé finds a motionless android in the forest, takes it with her and reactivates it. It’s the beginning of a strange relationship. Far too late, Noé realizes that the android is about to copy her personality.
BEST THRILLER/MYSTERY
444 | Canada | 2020 | 17’
Director: Alexandre Nachi
Writers: Alexandre Nachi, Félix-Antoine Cantin, Shaun Gauthier-Vu
Producers: Alexandre Nachi, Shaun Gauthier, Laurent Allaire
Cast: Félix-Antoine Cantin
Synopsis: Inside a house he doesn’t recognize, with a family he doesn’t know, a young man tries to make some sense of what is happening to him. Everything keeps changing, his mind is sick. ”Trust the protocol” is all he can do.
BEST DANCE/MUSICAL
TANG’O | France | 2020 | 04’
Director: BASTIEN SOLEIL
Writer: BASTIEN SOLEIL
Producer: BASTIEN SOLEIL
Cast: ARIADNA HAFEZ
Synopsis: Sometimes, art is doing something simply because we know it will be beautiful. With the combination of water, lighting and dancer Ariadna’s talent, TANG’O offers the viewer an innovative take on underwater videography and art in general. In my eyes, beauty and joy are related. This is why we choose such powerful, dynamic and lively music and choreography. During these 3 minutes, I would like the viewer to be transported far away from daily routine, into a mesmerizing dreamlike world. The dancer and cameraman freedived 120 times to complete filming.
BEST STUDENT
And after | Belgium | 2020 | 15’
Director: Marine Follonier
Synopsis: Mute and almost motionless behind a two-way mirror, Gilles and Vanessa, a couple in their thirties, watch their daughter being interrogated. Agathe, 6 years old, explains the sexual touching of which she was a victim.
BEST YOUNG DIRECTOR
And after | Belgium | 2020 | 15’
Director: Marine Follonier
Synopsis: Mute and almost motionless behind a two-way mirror, Gilles and Vanessa, a couple in their thirties, watch their daughter being interrogated. Agathe, 6 years old, explains the sexual touching of which she was a victim.
BEST CHILDREN
Ole, Benni und der Rest des Universums | Germany | 2020 | 23’
Director: Anna Ludwig
Writer: Anna Ludwig
Producer: Anna Ludwig
Cast: Leopold Schill, Frederik Dahnk, Helena Prison, Ferdinand Ranninger
Synopsis: Oles Freund Benni hat das Down-Syndrom. Doch das hat Ole nie gestört. Bis die große Schwimmfreizeit bevorsteht und die anderen Kinder im Verein nicht wollen, dass Benni mitkommt. Denn jetzt muss Ole sich für eine Seite entscheiden. Dass Ole zum ersten Mal verliebt ist, macht die Sache auch nicht leichter… That his friend Benni has the Down syndrome, Ole (11) has never disturbed so far. But now – on the threshold of childhood to youth – their friendship is changing. Ole is in love for the first time and suddenly it’s no longer easy to stand by his friend …
BEST ANIMATION
Reflection | Switzerland | 2021 | 05’
Director: Mathilde Heu
Producer: Mark Kelly
Synopsis: En: In ‘Reflection’, metamorphosis, weightlessness, change of scale and spaces challenge our apprehension. Similarly to waves’ ebb and flow, its loop brings us back to a dream space, as if everything could start again.
Fr: Dans ‘Reflection’, métamorphose, apesanteur, changements d’échelles et d’espaces bouleversent notre appréhension. “À l’instar du ressac des vagues, sa boucle nous renvoie à l’espace du rêve, comme si tout pouvait recommencer sans fin.”
BEST DOCUMENTARY
URBANO | Germany | 2021 | 08’
Directors: Ken Kamara, Arianna Marin
Producer: Cinque alpha
Cast: Urbano Taquecher Ruiz
Synopsis: URBANO is a ride through the charming streets of old Havana and a glimpse into the life of one of her bicitaxi riders. Pedalling alongside majestic buildings, reminiscent of a crumbling past that seems to be haunting this vibrant city, Urbano takes us on a journey where struggle and hope, harshness and tenderness, music, rum and love mix together in an honest portrait of the Cuban capital and the spirit of her people.
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
DUET | United States | 2020 | 21’
Director: Mika Orr
Writer: Mika Orr
Producer: Hila Ben Shushan
Cast: Talia Kadoury, Hili Levy , Alex Moshe , Michal Eliassaf , Golan Azulai , Adi Gilat
Synopsis: Duet is the story of one fateful day in the lives of 8-year-old girls May and Shadmit, who dislike each other but learn that their lives have become oddly intertwined forever. Duet is a multidisciplinary project, uniquely integrating film and music. The story raises questions about loneliness, regret, subject memory and fate that ties two children together for a lifetime.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
All I want is here | Spain | 2021 | 04’
Director: Marc Lesperut
Producers: Max de Rosselló, Maria Granell
Cast: Jorel E. , Lucia Fernández, David García, Carla Serrat
Synopsis: All I Want Is Here is a sonic mantra that levitates with a subtle but incessant crescendo that manages to abduct the viewer, leading them into a hazy and introspective tale about the search for essence. The video has an almost mystical force and depth that invites you to go on a journey, eyes-closed.
BEST MINI SHORT
The posh mums are boxing in the square | United Kingdom | 2021 | 03’
Director: Helmie Stil
Writer: Wayne Holloway-Smith
Producers: Poetrycinema, The Healthy Scepticism Project
Cast: Adele Carlsen, Katie Fried
Synopsis: ‘The posh mums are boxing in the square’ is a short film based on the poem by Wayne Holloway-Smith. The film poem is about a mother reimagined into life and given boxing gloves to fight off cancer.
BEST LOW/NO BUDGET
Kid dreams | Chile | 12’
Director: Benjamín Leiter Henriquez
Writer: Benjamín Leiter Henriquez
Producer: Carolina Gutierrez
Cast: Victor Varela
Synopsis: A lost soldier at the end of the war, remembers as a child his motivation to go to combat. Disappointed by reality, he wanders alone, causing his death.
BEST DEBUT
BLACKOUT | Ukraine | 2021 | 10’
Director: Ilya Mikhaylus
Writer: Ilya Mikhaylus
Producer: Ilya Mikhaylus
Cast: Slava Babenkov
Synopsis: An infantile web designer surrounded by modern gadgets finds himself locked in an apartment without electricity. Finding a way to survive the blackout, he recalls a forgotten childhood dream. But will he stay true to himself when the electricity returns?
BEST SERIES
Abadai | Israel | 2020 | 30’
Directors: Sivan Malca , Vladimir Dzyackevich, Orit Nahari Tzipkin
Writers: Sivan Malca , Vladimir Dzyackevich, Orit Nahari Tzipkin
Producers: Binyamin Gurevich , Tzachi Sharon
Cast: Gil Desiano Bitton, Sivan Malca, Eyal Cohen, Eyal Ciobanu
Synopsis: Shlomi is a taxi driver who thinks he can solve his problems and return to his family with money he doesn’t have. Sadly, the opposite is true.
BEST FASHION
The Secret Garden | Ukraine | 2021 | 02’
Director: Anastasia Kovalchuk
Producer: Olga Tretyakova
Cast: ANNA SETTAROVA, TOMA RUBKA, YASYA CHUHMANENKO, ELIZABETH GRINENKO
Synopsis: ‘The Secret Garden’ is a fashion film about the bohemian life of 4 girls in a beautiful garden. There are no hidden ideas in this video. We just want you to enjoy this wonderful atmosphere.
BEST COMMERCIAL
Sen Soy. Sense Asia | Russian Federation | 2020 | 01’
Director: Denis Gulyar
Writers: Denis Gulyar, Roman Salakhutdinov, Alexey Stasyuk, Alexandra Mityushova
Producers: Alexey Stasyuk, Liza Lavrova
Synopsis: A visitor to the restaurant ordered a dish from Pan-Asian expert Sen Soy. The aroma of cooking has started its incredible adventure, which transforms the everyday life of the city into something fantastic.
BEST TRAILER
Charlie & Yip | United Kingdom | 2014 | 02’
Director: Alexander williams
Writer: Tim Lebbon
Producer: Nathan Erasmus
Cast: Lizzie Waterworth
Synopsis: Charlie brings his pet to school for Show and Tell – with unfortunate results
