2024 Awards

Best In Fest

Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case
Featurette – Good Girls Get Fed
Short Film – We Have Notes

Grand Jury Award Winners

Best Feature Film – Animation – Home is somewhere else
Best Feature Film – Comedy – Hanky Panky
Best Feature Film – Documentary – King Of The Butterflies
Best Feature Film – Drama – Marco Polo
Best Feature FIlm – Experimental/Arthouse – Nyctophobia
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Quantum Suicide
Best Featurette – Documentary – Culture vs war. Liberov
Best Featurette – Experimental/Arthouse – Cyano Sun Suite
Best Featurette – Horror – White Gaze
Best Featurette – Sci-Fi – Nauru
Best Short Film – Animation – Moving Day
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Word
Best Short Film – Dance – Herbarium
Best Short Film – Documentary – The Bare You
Best Short Film – Drama – Happy Ending
Best Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis
Best Short Film – Horror – Wake
Best Short Film – Sci-Fi – ID EST
Best TV/Web/Streaming Series – Bento Banana 3-4
Best Immersive Short – AR/VR/MR/360 – Vanilla Lily
Best Director – Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case – Colin Best
Best Director – Featurette – Good Girls Get Fed – Kelly Lou Dennis
Best Director – Short Film – We Have Notes – Jordan McKittrick
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Happy Ending – Élodie Yung & Jonathan Howard
Best Screenplay – Feature Film (Unproduced) – Spitting Fire – Angie M. Comer
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series (Unproduced) – Sorta Rican – Eric Rivera
Best Screenplay – Short Film (Unproduced) – Bev and Beauregard Simon – Alysha Haran
Best Lead Perfromer – Feature Film – Look At Me – Taylor Olson
Best Lead Perfromer – Featurette – Cyano Sun Suite – Tawhida Tanya Evanson
Best Lead Perfromer – Short Film – On Earth, as it is in Heaven – Jamie McShane
Best Supporting Perfromer – Feature Film – Look At Me – Stephanie MacDonald
Best Supporting Perfromer – Featurette – Nauru – Alessandra Vitanis
Best Supporting Perfromer – Short Film – We Have Notes – Madeleine Coghlan
Best Cast Perfromance – Feature Film – Hanky Panky
Best Cast Perfromance – Featurette – Good Girls Get Fed
Best Cast Perfromance – Short Film – The Word
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case – Jay Keitel
Best Cinematography – Featurette – Nauru – João Paulo Casalino
Best Cinematography – Short Film – Wake – David Khayznikov
Best Production Design – Feature Film – Quantum Suicide – Rafael Ceppetelli
Best Production Design – Featurette – Nauru – Juh Guedes
Best Production Design – Short Film – On Earth, as it is in Heaven – Amy Vuckovich
Best Sound Design – Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case – Mark Binder
Best Sound Design – Featurette – Cyano Sun Suite – Shae Brossard & Tyler Crawford
Best Sound Design – Short Film – Intertitle – Alex Michael Jones

Audience Award Winners

Best Feature Film – Comedy – All the Wrong Ingredients
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Hong Kong – Final Days of Freedom
Best Feature Film – Drama – Look At Me
Best Short Film – Animation – Hoang the Paper Boy
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Feeling Expert
Best Short Film – Drama – You Look So Good
Best Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – Girl Upstairs
Best Short Film – Horror – Vessel
Best Short Film – Sci-Fi – REVERIE
Best Immersive Short – The Carrier
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – A Nightmare’s Reverie – Lianna Perry Fountain
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Transitions – Rachael CG Cudlitz
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Fear – Noelle Ann Mabry

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Anansi the Spider
Outstanding Director – Animation – Moving Day – Sean Mirkovich
Outstanding Screenplay – Animation – Hinter-Land – Christopher Angus
Outstanding Cast Performance – Animation – Anansi the Spider – Daniel Jennings, Elijah Gallimore-Repole & Jared Hall
Outstanding Originality – Animation – Nostalgia Transplant
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – V-Card
Outstanding Director – Comedy – The Word – Rob M. Neilson
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – The Word – Colin Ochs, Rob M. Neilson, Sam Demaris & Billy D. Washington
Outstanding Cast Performance – Comedy – The Word
Outstanding Originality – Comedy – V-Card
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Rites of Passage
Outstanding Director – Drama – On Earth, as it is in Heaven – Michael Cudlitz
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – The Unreliables – Jen Robyn Jacobs & Adam Linkenhelt
Outstanding Cast Performance – Drama – On Earth, as it is in Heaven
Outstanding Originality – Drama – Intertitle
Outstanding Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – PANG
Outstanding Director – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis – Brennan Thomas McGee
Outstanding Screenplay – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis – Brennan Thomas McGee
Outstanding Cast Performance – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis
Outstanding Originality – Experimental/Arthouse – PANG
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – The Wheel
Outstanding Director – Horror – Wake
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – The Wheel
Outstanding Cast Performance – Horror – Vessel
Outstanding Originality – Horror – You’re Dirty Now
Outstanding Short Film – Sci-Fi – OVERCLOCKED : Origins
Outstanding Director – Sci-Fi – ID EST – Shayda Frost
Outstanding Screenplay – Sci-Fi – REVERIE – Kelli Horan
Outstanding Cast Performance – Sci-Fi – REVERIE
Outstanding Originality – Sci-Fi – Somniscience

Programmer’s Prize

Exceptional Filmmaking – Village of Death: Oradour-sur-Glane 1944
Exceptional Filmmaking – The 10,000 Mile Bridge
Exceptional Filmmaking – The Spectacular Absence Of God
Exceptional Filmmaking – At Ten Weeks
Exceptional Filmmaking – I DID
Exceptional Filmmaking – I’ll Be There
Exceptional Filmmaking – Oh My Sweetheart
Exceptional Filmmaking – Talia

Prize Definitions/Explanations

Best In Fest – Determined by the festival’s official selection committee, this category was added because overall awards can help make us eligible to be an Oscar Qualifying festival.  (We learned that our idealistic belief that awards should be divided by genre was getting in the way of that and we’d really like to become an Oscar Qualifying festival.  If you know someone… hook us up!)
Grand Jury Awards – Determined by the festival’s official selection committee.
Filmmakers Awards – Determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years and given only to short films.
Audience Awards – Determined by highly scientific instruments to measure audience satisfaction.
Programmer’s Prize – Determined by festival programmer Jeff Howard as a reward for his hard work.  Importantly, having his own awards means he never has to put his finger on the scale for the other awards.

2024 Best In Fest Winners

Best In Fest

Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case
Featurette – Good Girls Get Fed
Short Film – We Have Notes

Best In Fest – Determined by the festival’s official selection committee, this category was added because overall awards can help make us eligible to be an Oscar Qualifying festival.

(We learned that our idealistic belief that awards should be divided by genre was getting in the way of that and we’d really like to become an Oscar Qualifying festival.  If you know someone… hook us up!)

2024 Screenplay Awards

Grand Jury Award Winners

Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Spitting Fire
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Sorta Rican
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Bev and Beauregard Simon

Audience Award Winners

Best Screenplay – Feature Film – A Nightmare’s Reverie
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Transitions
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Fear

Grand Jury Award Finalists

Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Cuernavaca
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Goodnightmare
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Incubus
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – My Brother The Lion
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – On the Hook
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – The Complex
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – They Eat Their Own
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Whiskey Mountain Days
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Keaton – PILOT
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Monkey InthE Middle
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Vortex Pax
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Short Film – Gasp
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Short Film – Nails
Finalist – Best Screenplay – Short Film – The Revver

2024 Grand Jury Award Winners

Grand Jury Award Winners

Best Feature Film – Animation – Home is somewhere else
Best Feature Film – Comedy – Hanky Panky
Best Feature Film – Documentary – King Of The Butterflies
Best Feature Film – Drama – Marco Polo
Best Feature FIlm – Experimental/Arthouse – Nyctophobia
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Quantum Suicide
Best Featurette – Documentary – Culture vs war. Liberov
Best Featurette – Experimental/Arthouse – Cyano Sun Suite
Best Featurette – Horror – White Gaze
Best Featurette – Sci-Fi – Nauru
Best Short Film – Animation – Moving Day
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Word
Best Short Film – Dance – Herbarium
Best Short Film – Documentary – The Bare You
Best Short Film – Drama – Happy Ending
Best Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis
Best Short Film – Horror – Wake
Best Short Film – Sci-Fi – ID EST
Best TV/Web/Streaming Series – Bento Banana 3-4
Best Immersive Short – AR/VR/MR/360 – Vanilla Lily
Best Director – Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case – Colin Best
Best Director – Featurette – Good Girls Get Fed – Kelly Lou Dennis
Best Director – Short Film – We Have Notes – Jordan McKittrick
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Happy Ending – Élodie Yung & Jonathan Howard
Best Screenplay – Feature Film (Unproduced) – Spitting Fire – Angie M. Comer
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series (Unproduced) – Sorta Rican – Eric Rivera
Best Screenplay – Short Film (Unproduced) – Bev and Beauregard Simon – Alysha Haran
Best Lead Perfromer – Feature Film – Look At Me – Taylor Olson
Best Lead Perfromer – Featurette – Cyano Sun Suite – Tawhida Tanya Evanson
Best Lead Perfromer – Short Film – On Earth, as it is in Heaven – Jamie McShane
Best Supporting Perfromer – Feature Film – Look At Me – Stephanie MacDonald
Best Supporting Perfromer – Featurette – Nauru – Alessandra Vitanis
Best Supporting Perfromer – Short Film – We Have Notes – Madeleine Coghlan
Best Cast Perfromance – Feature Film – Hanky Panky
Best Cast Perfromance – Featurette – Good Girls Get Fed
Best Cast Perfromance – Short Film – The Word
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case – Jay Keitel
Best Cinematography – Featurette – Nauru – João Paulo Casalino
Best Cinematography – Short Film – Wake – David Khayznikov
Best Production Design – Feature Film – Quantum Suicide – Rafael Ceppetelli
Best Production Design – Featurette – Nauru – Juh Guedes
Best Production Design – Short Film – On Earth, as it is in Heaven – Amy Vuckovich
Best Sound Design – Feature Film – The Man With the Silver Case – Mark Binder
Best Sound Design – Featurette – Cyano Sun Suite – Shae Brossard & Tyler Crawford
Best Sound Design – Short Film – Intertitle – Alex Michael Jones

Grand Jury Awards – Determined by the festival’s official selection committee.

2024 Audience Award Winners

Audience Award Winners

Best Feature Film – Comedy – All the Wrong Ingredients
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Hong Kong – Final Days of Freedom
Best Feature Film – Drama – Look At Me
Best Short Film – Animation – Hoang the Paper Boy
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Feeling Expert
Best Short Film – Drama – You Look So Good
Best Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – Girl Upstairs
Best Short Film – Horror – Vessel
Best Short Film – Sci-Fi – REVERIE
Best Immersive Short – The Carrier
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – A Nightmare’s Reverie – Lianna Perry Fountain
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Transitions – Rachael CG Cudlitz
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Fear – Noelle Ann Mabry

Audience Awards – Determined by highly scientific instruments to measure audience satisfaction.

2024 Filmmakers Awards Winners

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Anansi the Spider
Outstanding Director – Animation – Moving Day – Sean Mirkovich
Outstanding Screenplay – Animation – Hinter-Land – Christopher Angus
Outstanding Cast Performance – Animation – Anansi the Spider – Daniel Jennings, Elijah Gallimore-Repole & Jared Hall
Outstanding Originality – Animation – Nostalgia Transplant
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – V-Card
Outstanding Director – Comedy – The Word – Rob M. Neilson
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – The Word – Colin Ochs, Rob M. Neilson, Sam Demaris & Billy D. Washington
Outstanding Cast Performance – Comedy – The Word
Outstanding Originality – Comedy – V-Card
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Rites of Passage
Outstanding Director – Drama – On Earth, as it is in Heaven – Michael Cudlitz
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – The Unreliables – Jen Robyn Jacobs & Adam Linkenhelt
Outstanding Cast Performance – Drama – On Earth, as it is in Heaven
Outstanding Originality – Drama – Intertitle
Outstanding Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – PANG
Outstanding Director – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis – Brennan Thomas McGee
Outstanding Screenplay – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis – Brennan Thomas McGee
Outstanding Cast Performance – Experimental/Arthouse – Wesley Loses His Penis
Outstanding Originality – Experimental/Arthouse – PANG
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – The Wheel
Outstanding Director – Horror – Wake
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – The Wheel
Outstanding Cast Performance – Horror – Vessel
Outstanding Originality – Horror – You’re Dirty Now
Outstanding Short Film – Sci-Fi – OVERCLOCKED : Origins
Outstanding Director – Sci-Fi – ID EST – Shayda Frost
Outstanding Screenplay – Sci-Fi – REVERIE – Kelli Horan
Outstanding Cast Performance – Sci-Fi – REVERIE
Outstanding Originality – Sci-Fi – Somniscience

Filmmakers Awards – Determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years and given only to short films.

2024 Programmer’s Prize Winners

Programmer’s Prize

Exceptional Filmmaking – Village of Death: Oradour-sur-Glane 1944
Exceptional Filmmaking – The 10,000 Mile Bridge
Exceptional Filmmaking – The Spectacular Absence Of God
Exceptional Filmmaking – At Ten Weeks
Exceptional Filmmaking – I DID
Exceptional Filmmaking – I’ll Be There
Exceptional Filmmaking – Oh My Sweetheart
Exceptional Filmmaking – Talia

Programmer’s Prize – Determined by festival programmer Jeff Howard as a reward for his hard work.  Importantly, having his own awards means he never has to put his finger on the scale for the other awards.

2023 Awards

Grand Jury Award Winners

Best Feature Film – Drama – Donut
Best Feature Film – Horror – Abruptio
Best Feature Film – Thriller – Mind Thief
Best Featurette – Comedy – What Else Is On?
Best Featurette – Horror – Strawberry
Best Short Film – Animation – When Mama & Me Lived Outside
Best Short Film – Comedy – Priding Oneself
Best Short Film – Documentary – Full of Wonder: the art of Angie DeBord
Best Short Film – Drama – Let’s Pretend I’m Talking About You
Best Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – A Part of You
Best Short Film – Horror – D.O.D.
Best Short Film – Sci-Fi – Solus
Best Web Series – SLOANE and the COSMIC SCHLEP
Best Music Video – CROOKS – Heart Of Vengeance
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Scoot
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Zits
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Goofy Foot
Best Director – Feature Film – Evan Marlowe, Abruptio
Best Director – Featurette – Jordan Pfeifer, Strawberry
Best Director – Short Film – Daniel Pradilla De Bedout, Let’s Pretend I’m Talking About You
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Evan Marlowe, Abruptio
Best Screenplay – Featurette – Jordan Pfeifer, Strawberry
Best Screenplay – Short Film – D.O.D.
Best Performance by a Full Cast (Including Puppeteers) – Abruptio
Best Performer in a Lead Role – Comedy – Andrew Saunders, Priding Oneself
Best Performer in a Lead Role – Drama – Anaïs Noveras, Good Filipino Kids
Best Performer in a Lead Role – Horror – Faye Tamasa, Terror Firma
Best Performer in a Lead Role – Thriller – Angelique Pretorius, Mind Thief
Best Performer in a Supporting Role – Comedy – Regina Melzer, Annie and the Scar
Best Performer in a Supporting Role – Drama – Pavli Serenetsky, Donut
Best Performer in a Supporting Role – Horror – Burt Thakur, Terror Firma
Best Cinematography – Sebastián Rodríguez, Let’s Pretend I’m Talking About You
Best Cinematography – Alex Wohlin, The Call of Water

Filmmakers Award Winners

Outstanding Music Video – A Beautiful Escape
Outstanding Director – Music Video – Snorre Fuglsang Ruhe, CROOKS – Heart Of Vengeance
Outstanding Screenplay – Music Video – Snorre Fuglsang Ruhe, CROOKS – Heart Of Vengeance
Outstanding Performance – Music Video – Hayley Wen, A Beautiful Escape
Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Robots Don’t Tell Jokes
Outstanding Director – Animation – Kelli Caldwell, Robots Don’t Tell Jokes
Outstanding Screenplay – Animation – Tiny Gray-Garcia, When Mama & Me Lived Outside
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Hey Alexa
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Margot’s Off the Market
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Peter Macaluso, Priding Oneself
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – Peter Macaluso, Priding Oneself
Outstanding Acting – Cast – Comedy – Margot’s Off the Market
Outstanding Acting – Individual – Comedy – Ammanda Brooke Perrin, Margot’s Off the Market
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – The Funeral Photographer
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – The Story of This Life
Outstanding Director – Drama – Ashley Thompson, The Funeral Photographer
Outstanding Director – Drama – Alex Jiang, The Story of This Life
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Mark Strauss, The Funeral Photographer
Outstanding Acting – Cast – Drama – The Funeral Photographer
Outstanding Acting – Individual – Drama – Andy Sun, The Story of This Life
Outstanding Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – BREARTH
Outstanding Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – The Examination of a Species
Outstanding Director – Experimental/Arthouse – A Part of You
Outstanding Screenplay – Experimental/Arthouse – Seejon Thomas, The Examination of a Species
Outstanding Acting – Cast – Experimental/Arthouse – The Examination of a Species
Outstanding Acting – Individual – Experimental/Arthouse – Kibrea Carmichael, A Part of You
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Mamu
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – The Erl King
Outstanding Director – Horror – Kaya Tone, The Call of Water
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – Jim Vendiola, Pretty Pickle
Outstanding Acting – Cast – Horror – The Call of Water
Outstanding Acting – Individual – Horror – Abi Van Andel, Bad Trails
Outstanding Director – SciFi – Jonathan Brooks, Solus
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Pleroma
Outstanding Screenplay – SciFi – Pleroma
Outstanding Acting, Cast – SciFi – Hey Alexa
Outstanding Acting, Individual – SciFi – Stevie Lynn Jones, Hey Alexa

Audience Award Winners

A Brush With Death
A Little Help?
Annie and the Scar
Fish
Gnaw
Matched
Spirits

Programmer’s Prize

Back Home
Backwoods
Bro Code
Estate Sale
Exercised
Flakkus
Good Filipino Kids
Magic Box
Noman
Tax Time
Test Drive
Watcher

Award Definitions/Explanations

Grand Jury Awards – decided by the festival’s official selection committee.
Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are decided by the Filmmakers Board a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.
Audience Awards – decided by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.
Programmer’s Prize – festival programmer Jeff Howard, who watches thousands of films submitted to multiple festivals every year, needs to acknowledge that this festival’s official selections represent the top 8% of the films submitted and that it is truly ridiculous to give not give awards to films that truly represent the cream of the crop.

FILA 2023 Complete Schedule

FILA 2023 Screening & Events Schedule

All events take place at:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas
128 Artsakh Avenue
Glendale, California 91206

Click to Purchase Tickets

Wednesday, June 21 @ 8 PM
FILA 2023 Opening Night Mixer
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas – Main Bar

Thursday, June 22 @ 6 PM
Program 1 – Visionary & Shocking
What Else Is On?
Crooks – Heart Of Vengeance
A Part of You
The Erl King

Thursday, June 22 @ 7 PM
Program 2 – Truth & Revelation
When Mama & Me Lived Outside
Bad Trails
The Story of This Life
Pretty Pickle

Thursday, June 22 @ 9 PM
Program 3 – Comedy & Calamity
Tax Time
Matched
Sloane and the Cosmic Schlep

Friday, June 23 @ 6 PM
Program 4 – Dynamic & Futuristic
Pleroma (Trailer Only)
Estate Sale
Back Home
Solus

Friday, June 23 @ 8 PM
Program 5 – Bold & Haunted
A Beautiful Escape
Spirits
Test Drive
Good Filipino Kids

Friday, June 23 @ 10 PM
Feature Film – Drama
Donut

Saturday, June 24 @ 6 PM
Program 7 – Magical & Fanciful
Margot’s Off the Market
Annie and the Scar
Fish
D.O.D.

Saturday, June 24 @ 8:15 PM
Program 8 – Terror & Flair
Exercised
Flakkus
Strawberry

Saturday, June 24 @ 10 PM
Feature Film – SciFi
Mind Thief

Sunday, June 25 @ 2 PM
FILA 2023 Screenplay Awards Ceremony

Sunday, June 25 @ 3 PM
Program 10 – Satire & Style
A Little Help?
Hey Alexa
Priding Oneself

Sunday, June 25 @ 4:30 PM
Program 11 – Avant-garde
Backwoods
The Examination of a Species
Let’s Pretend I’m Talking About You

Sunday, June 25 @ 6 PM
Feature Film – Horror
Abruptio

Sunday, June 25 @ 8 PM
FILA 2023 Closing Night Mixer
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas

Sunday, June 25 @ 8 PM
Virtual Screening Program Begins

Virtual Exclusives
A Brush With Death
BREARTH
Full of Wonder: the art of Angie DeBord
Gnaw
Magic Box
Mamu
Noman
Robots Don’t Tell Jokes
The Call of Water
The Funeral Photographer
Watcher

Sunday, July 1 @ Midnight
Virtual Screening Program Ends