LESYK a.k.a. Words of Wisdom – dir. Orr Bortman

(HONORABLE MENTION)

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Original Film Title: LESYK a.k.a. Words of Wisdom

Director’s Name: Orr Bortman

Writer’s Name: Orr Bortman

Producer: Orr Bortman

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 31 minutes 30 seconds

Film Description:

‘LESYK a.k.a. Words of Wisdom’ is a moving portrait of Alexander Lesyk Balaban, an eccentric Ukraine stamp collector living in Astoria, NY for over fifty years. Told across four seasons and spanning over 1,000 years of history, come spend some time with Lesyk, who’s extensive stamp collection is part of the fight for the survival of Ukraine’s identity and history.

Sayonara, Mi Amor – dir. Luis Roberto Alcazar

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: Sayonara, Mi Amor

Director’s Name: Luis Roberto Alcazar

Writer’s Name: Luis Roberto Alcazar

Producer: Luis Roberto Alcazar, Gene Aversa, Alejandro Etcheagaray

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English, Japanese, Spanish

Runtime: 23 minutes 47 seconds

Film Description:

Miguel, an illegal Mexican immigrant, slowly falls in love Yui, a Japanese immigrant, with only one problem: neither of them can speak English or each other’s language.

COURAGE – dir. Eric Michael Hernandez

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: COURAGE

Director’s Name: Eric Michael Hernandez

Writer’s Name: Eric Michael Hernandez

Producer: Cara Jade Myersidal, Eric Michael Hernandez

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 14 minutes 39 seconds

Film Description:

Through learning the sacred art of the Hoop dance, a young Native American boy growing up in Los Angeles uncovers his inner strength and a renewed connection to his cultural heritage.

Lívia’s Journey – dir. Gabriel Panazio

(HONORABLE MENTION)

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Original Film Title: Lívia’s Journey

Director’s Name: Gabriel Panazio

Writer’s Name: Gabriel Panazio, Rebecca Rosa, Mariana Soares

Producer: Sofia Panisset, Carolina Almeida, Larissa Silva, Alexandra Vidal

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming: Brazil

Language: Gujarati

Runtime: 3 minutes 13 seconds

Film Description:

Lívia is a girl who is discovering a universe of feelings and learning to handle them both inside and outside of school. Gradually, she gets to know herself, makes new friends, and builds relationships with her family and teachers. On her journey of transformation, she encounters many challenges, but with a safe, nurturing space provided by the social-emotional education of LIV, she begins to understand herself and her place in the world.

Boxed In – dir. Steve Hunyi

(WINNER)

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Original Film Title: Boxed In

Director’s Name: Steve hunyi

Writer’s Name: Steve hunyi

Producer: Steve hunyi

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: United Kingdom

Language: English

Runtime: 30 minutes

Film Description:

Steve Hunyi’s concise experimental drama unfolds a tragedy within Rufus and Brigitte’s relationship, sparked by a mysterious box. Benjamin Kaye’s compelling portrayal of Rufus and Jemima Knight’s nuanced performance as Brigitte plays out within the evocative setting of a Spanish country house. The film delves into themes such as addiction and grief, delivering raw and emotionally charged performances.
As the storyline unfolds, it skillfully navigates unexpected twists and turns that I hesitate to delve into to avoid revealing spoilers. The plot thickens into something profoundly unexpected and deeply tragic, keeping the audience emotionally engaged.

Lee Pretious’s cinematography captures the couple’s emotional journey with visually striking and well-framed scenes, but the film’s pacing could benefit from a more concise edit for greater impact. While the choice of incidental music enhances the atmosphere, at times, it competes with the actors’ emotions, slightly diminishing the raw authenticity.

Despite these considerations, the narrative remains a beautiful and poignant portrayal of loss, mental anguish and guilt. The emotional resonance of the film, though a streamlined runtime and a more restrained musical approach could enhance its potency. The unexpected developments in the plot keep viewers on the edge of their seats, and the pervasive sense of unease, coupled with haunting visuals, contributes to an unforgettable watch.

Bubbling Synapses – dir. William Eguienta

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: Bubbling Synapses

Director’s Name: William Eguienta

Writer’s Name: William Eguienta

Producer: William Eguienta

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: French

Runtime: 3 minutes 52 seconds

Film Description:

An idea… needs space, time & love to grow…
But, at what cost? Your friends ? Your wife ? Your kids ?
Of course not, it needs to be set aside, in a bubble, waiting for the right moment…
The wait is long, too long… This must emerge from its bubble, it must come to life, now !

Angel’s Tide – dir. Zeph E Daniel

(WINNER)

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Original Film Title: Angel’s Tide

Director’s Name: Zeph E Daniel

Writer’s Name: Zeph E Daniel

Producer: Anne Charmillot

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 29 minutes 33 seconds

Film Description:

Diane Collier, a woman of the 90’s who has achieved almost everything a career woman could want, is stricken with a terminal illness that even her good credit cards cannot protect her from. As she balances denial and acceptance, she tries to “hold on” to her world through indulgence in sex and chocolate and consumption of material goods while trying to make peace with her father after years of self-imposed exile. Her father, a painter who never forgave Diane for going into the commercial art field, tries to welcome her back, but their personalities are on a crash collision course, and he is unable to be the willing ear for her secret, that she will soon die. The image of time slipping by is accentuated for Diane when she meets a wise clock-shop owner who rents her an apartment near her parents’ house, while a mysterious angel, a cherubic little girl appears to Diane alone, calling her, inspiring her to paint a portrait of the angel and to face her destiny. Friends and family are not enough to lead Diane to acceptance of her fate, and she becomes kleptomanic in an effort to hold onto it all, culminating in a bank hostage crisis. Once her father realizes that he has held onto his own dreams for Diane instead of letting her explore her dreams, he relents and tries to assist her in “stealing” her life back. But it is the little angel who finally leads her to the tides and the realm beyond.

The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep – dir. Mykel Salazar

(HONORABLE MENTION)

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Original Film Title: The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep

Director’s Name: Mykel Salazar

Writer’s Name: Lindsay Jaeger

Producer: Keagan Karnes, Kelsey Landon

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 19 minutes 55 seconds

Film Description:

Anjelica reluctantly returns to her childhood haunt under grim circumstances. Her estranged Aunt Fern lies unconscious in a hospital, forcing Anjelica to stay in her aunt’s secluded cabin nestled among towering trees on an island near Seattle. Roarke, a friend from her past, remarks on how the relentless forest would reclaim everything if not constantly cut back. As days pass, Anjelica begins experiencing eerie visions and sounds that blur the line between reality and delusion. With her aunt’s condition deteriorating, the encroaching forest seems to mirror Anjelica’s own unraveling sanity, threatening to consume her entirely.

Diary of an unexpected journey – dir. Paco Álvarez

(HONORABLE MENTION)

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Original Film Title: Diary of an Unexpected Journey.

Director’s Name: Paco Álvarez

Writer’s Name: Paco Álvarez, Antonella Samaniego

Producer: Paco Álvarez, José Luis Montaño

Country of Origin: Mexico

Country of Filming: Mexico

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes 51 seconds

Film Description:

A superficial young woman, receives as an inheritance from her father a newspaper where he tells her that she must make a trip to Chiapas to be able to access all her assets, otherwise she will lose all the inheritance

Follow Your Heart – dir. Liyu Qin

(FINALIST)

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Original Film Title: Follow Your Heart

Director’s Name: Liyu Qin

Writer’s Name: Liyu Qin, Tiecheng Yan, Boling Zhang

Producer: Chunlei He, Tao Huang, Jiashuo Zhang

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes

Film Description:

The film tells the story of Yu Hongwei, an engineering supervisor. After losing his wife, he brings his daughter to the countryside to supervise a road of hope leading to the outside world in the mountains. Due to his daughter’s maladjustment to school and various problems encountered by Yu Hongwei at work, the already estranged father-daughter relationship is further deepened. Eventually, through the efforts of both parties, the concepts of honesty, kindness and purity are established, and the bad social reality is severely punished. Through the psychological journey of the growth of children from single-parent families, it not only shows the affection between father and daughter, but also shows the integrity and justice of positive social energy, reflecting many social reality problems in the current environment of the great era.