Category: 2026 WSXA Barcelona

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: Yes We Sail

Director’s Name: Nicholas Simon Tolladay

Writer’s Name: Lucia Burbano

Producer: Nicholas Simon Tolladay

Country of Origin: Spain

Country of Filming: Spain

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 12 minutes 30 seconds

Film Description:

Dani A Catalan Born Sailor went blind in a horrific accident while working on a gas container Ship. This short film tells his story and how he has adapted and is now trying to get the sport back into the Paralympics.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Turmoil

Director’s Name: Dante Fortaleza Trinidad

Writer’s Name: Dante Fortaleza Trinidad

Producer: Dante Fortaleza Trinidad

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes

Film Description:

A zero budget film,real combat Veterans,first time filmaker,shot with a 3 man crew. A Ramsgate Film Festival (BIFA‑accredited)Official Selection, Austin Revolution Film Fest Official Selection and Award (Best U.S feature,writer/director), San Diego Movie Awards Official Selection.San Diego Movie Awards -award winner Award of Excellence Best Comedy/Dramedy. Bangkok Movie Awards Official selection,Critics choice award for Best feature film,Best slapstick comedy,Best Debut film, Best firstime filmaker.Athens International Film Fest- Finalist,Honorable Mention.
Turmoil isn’t just a film—it’s a mission. When a homeless war veteran hits rock bottom, he stumbles into a rundown martial arts gym where bruises become therapy and strangers become family. Through discipline, sweat, unexpected kindness, and comedy, he begins to rebuild what war tried to destroy: his soul.

At its core, Turmoil features real combat veterans—non-actors whose lived experiences bring honesty and weight to every scene. As a combat veteran and registered nurse myself, with no prior filmmaking experience, I approached this project with a deep respect for truth rather than convention. While many films focus solely on the darkness of PTSD, Turmoil is also infused with the military humor that helps soldiers endure. By the end, the message is clear: even in struggle, there is always hope.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Thaye Yashoda

Director’s Name: Sathya Narayanan R

Writer’s Name: Sathya Narayanan R

Producer: Kavitha Sathya Narayanan

Country of Origin: India

Country of Filming: India

Language: English, Tamil

Runtime: 20 minutes

Film Description:

Sathya and Kavitha’s marriage, once filled with joy, has slipped into constant tension after the birth of their first child. While Sathya longs for closeness, Kavitha—juggling work, household duties, and the demands of a newborn—feels overwhelmed and misunderstood. Their arguments escalate, leaving both frustrated and disconnected.

One evening, influenced by his colleagues’ banter, Sathya drives down MG Road, where a chance encounter with a transgender woman, Yashoda, takes him down an unexpected path. Instead of pursuing the advice he was given, Sathya sees in Yashoda a possibility to bring relief and balance back into his home.

Despite Kavitha’s initial shock and mistrust, Sathya persuades her to let Yashoda become their baby’s nanny. Over time, Yashoda’s quiet dedication, warmth, and resilience transform the household—lifting the burden from Kavitha, restoring her joy, and bridging the emotional gap between husband and wife.

Through this journey, Thaye Yashoda explores postpartum struggles, gender acceptance, and the power of empathy. It challenges prejudice by showing how love, trust, and dignity can come from the most unexpected places.

(WINNER)

Original Film Title: Mirage

Director’s Name: Kayshawn Wallace

Writer’s Name: Gigi F. Garcia Diaz, Carlton O. Semple

Producer: Gigi F. Garcia Diaz, Carlton O. Semple

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes

Film Description:

When an artist’s best friend has a life altering diagnosis, he stumbles into a mind-bending spiral of romance, self-discovery, and bewilderment as he tries to hang on to the life he once knew.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Freeing Juanita

Director’s Name: Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers

Writer’s Name: Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers

Producer: Ana Gómez, Tristan Call, Adrián Gutiérrez

Country of Origin: Guatemala, Mexico, United States

Country of Filming: Guatemala, Mexico

Language: Other, Spanish

Runtime: 1 hour 13 minutes 57 seconds

Film Description:

Juanita has been unjustly detained in Reynosa, Mexico for over seven years, accused of a crime she didn’t commit and forced to confess in a language she didn’t understand. This intimate portrait follows Ana and Pedro, Juanita’s aunt and uncle, on their thousand-mile journey from the highlands of Guatemala. With the help of their Maya Chuj community and a network of Maya interpreters, they fight for Juanita’s freedom and demand justice from the Mexican authorities, a cause that became internationally recognized for its defense of migrants’ rights and language justice.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: The Sunshine Dreamer

Director’s Name: Shawn Rhodes,

Writer’s Name: John Alexander, Ryan Benton

Producer: Blake Benton, JC Guest, Christa Rude Vazeos, Brady Haag

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States, Australia, Hungary, Ireland, United States

Language: English, Hungarian

Runtime: 1 hour 19 minutes

Film Description:

A young musician afflicted with a rare incurable disease finds treatment to extend life, but his country’s laws keep it out of reach as time runs out.