SHORT TO THE POINT – AUGUST 2017 AWARDS
BEST FILM
The Glass Pearl
Director: Tommi Seitajoki
Country: Finland
Duration: 15:00
Synopsis: A 12-year-old boy plunders garbage cans in a suburb, searching for something that might lead to a reward.
BEST DIRECTOR
Songs of Wild Animals
Director: Mara Weber
Country: Mexico
Duration: 12:00
Synopsis: Songs of Wild Animals is the story of a young girl who lost her brother, best friend and mentor. With a lot of fantasy she relives him in another dimension as the eagle he always dreamed to be.
BEST SCREENPLAY
Gray Umbrella
Director: Mohammad Poustindouz
Country: Islamic Republic of Iran
Duration: 08:32
Synopsis: Mr. Maleki has a permanent habit . until a man whit an umbrella enters his life.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
MOTEL
Director: Barbara Dupin, Christina B. Gillet
Country: France
Duration: 30:00
Synopsis: In a valley, a tiny house seems to have dragged itself away from the world. A man lives on the fringe of a society which he only knows trough the many items he collects in the forest. He tries to find them a place and use in his daily routine. Until he finds two teenage girls…
BEST EDITING
Dinner tales of an assassin
Director: Wessel van Wanrooij
Country: Netherlands
Duration: 02:58
Synopsis: A 67-year-old assassin comes home after work. “How was his day?”, you might ask. So does his wife.
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM
Behold, such clown
Director: Jacob Pilgaard
Country: Denmark
Duration: 25:00
Synopsis: On his very last day working as a hospital clown, Elias encounters his past when he meets a dying girl. A meeting which may finally give him redemption for his mistakes.
BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM
Narcis and FIfi
Director: Serban Racoviteanu
Country: Romania
Duration: 28:00
Synopsis: Narcis is in a lot of trouble with some gangsters over a 2.000 euro debt. He has one hour to come up with the money and the only reasonable solution is to “borrow” the money from his mother-in-law without her knowing so.
BEST YOUNG DIRECTOR
Genek
Director: Raushaniya Rakhimov
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 15:00
Synopsis: This is a story of a lone parent, bringing up a 15 years old daughter. He is a policeman and has a rough view of life. Who’s truth will win in fathers and sons’ conflict, that’s a question.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Sound Magician
Director: Zhou Yizhe
Country: China
Duration: 04:40
Synopsis: People who understand the mystery of voice are all the artists of life. The foley art pushes the drama forward without a trace and touches people’s heart deeply.
BEST ANIMATION SHORT FILM
Sunny and Gerd in Spring Cleaning
Director: DaCosta Bayley
Country: Canada
Duration: 05:35
Synopsis: A whistle blows, signalling break time. Gerd sits in his favourite spot to enjoy his break and catch up on some reading. Unbeknownst to Gerd, his best friend Sunny is about to deny him any respite from the day’s grind. Things go from zero to “wha’-tha’?!” when Sunny finds himself in a tight spot and Gerd has to rescue his little buddy. Some quick thinking and a little hacking just might save the day.
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM
Moving Dallas
Director: Jevan Chowdhury
Country: United Kingdom
Duration: 07:50
Synopsis: Moving Dallas is an artistic comment on the city as it stands today. Not the JR Ewing and cowboy hats past portrayed, but as a city that means business. 80 dancers from the Lone Star star city are juxtaposed with the glassy dream that is Dallas.
BEST AMATEUR SHORT FILM
Penny
Director: Louisa Harris
Country: United Kingdom
Duration: 14:57
Synopsis: Penny finds herself getting closer to office colleague Gregg, but her dark secret might get in the way of romance.
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
A MEDITATION
Director: Joe Petricca
Country: United States
Duration: 15:40
Synopsis: A man who is a little lost finds himself connecting with a surprising woman who shows up to buy the DVR he is selling on Craigslist.
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
They Died for Nothing
Director: Ibrahim Koudié
Country: France
Duration: 15:00
Synopsis: Zyed and Bouna , 17 and 15 years old respectively , died in October 2005 in an accident involving a transformer whilst trying to evade a police stop and search . This terrible event led to unprecedented riots in the rundown Parisian suburbs. This short film is a fictional account of the last twenty four hours of these two tragic teenagers.
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Emma, Change the Locks
Director: Julia Hart
Country: United Kingdom
Duration: 04:08
Synopsis: Emma is stepping up to an extreme decision. She is changing the locks. Will she be able to stand by her choice when the knocking begins? From writer Julia Hart in her directorial debut, Emma, Change The Locks presents a powerful performance by Olivia Williams alongside newcomer Madeline Tynan.
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Africa
Director: Anastasia Shahvatova
Country: Russian Federation
Duration: 29:00
Synopsis: After many years Nick returns to his mother. Having not received enough motherly love in her childhood, Nika returned to prove to her mother – she is the most valuable thing she has. But the life of the mother is already full, and it seems that the daughter is no longer in her place. What is Nika ready to do to achieve his goal? And what is this – the true love of an inexplicable female heart?
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Endemic Albert
Director: Zuzanna Sławińska
Country: Poland
Duration: 12:28
Synopsis: Twelve years old Albert, hidden inside his intellectual shell, finds it difficult to relate to his peers. His only friend is a tortoise called Anatol. One day Albert decides to exit his ecological niche and become an alpha male…
