Mind Thief

2023 Official Selection: Feature Film – SciFi

A novelist realizes that her neighbors may be under the control of unknown forces, which propels her into a harrowing, darkly humorous journey through the depths of the human psyche.

Director(s): Matt Steinauer
Writer(s): Matt Steinauer & Angelique Pretorius
Producer(s): Matt Steinauer, Angelique Pretorius, Dilip Isaac
Key Cast: Angelique Pretorius, Leslie Miller, Greg Berman, Michael Tighe, Jamie Lynn Concepion, Jason Sims-Prewitt, Alison Martin, Stefanie Estes

Los Angeles Premiere

A trap to control the mind.
A trap to control the mind.

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Fish

2023 Official Selection: Short Film – Drama

When one young man’s estranged dead mother becomes reincarnated in the body of his pet goldfish, he must set aside his grievances to help his fish/mom fulfill her final wish: attending the Mother’s Day dance.

Director(s): Jeremy Hsing
Writer(s): Jeremy Hsing & Patrick Zhang
Producer(s): Jeremy Hsing, Patrick Zhang, Victoria Wang, & Grace Leahy
Key Cast: Patrick Zhang, Rebecca Jensen Uesugi, Jacy Duan

"A young man in a stylish blue suit holds his fish mom" - FISH
“A young man in a stylish blue suit holds his fish mom” – FISH

 

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Abruptio

2023 Official Selection: Feature Film – Horror

A guy down on his luck wakes to find an explosive device has been implanted in his neck, and must carry out heinous crimes in order to stay alive.

Director(s): Evan Marlowe
Writer(s): Evan Marlowe
Producer(s): Kerry Marlowe
Key Cast: James Marsters, Jordan Peele, Christopher McDonald, Sid Haig, Robert Englund, Hana Mae Lee, Rich Fulcher

Everyone's a puppet.
Everyone’s a puppet.

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2022 Awards

Grand Jury Award Winners

Best Feature Film – Comedy – RE-OPENING: A Lockdown Mockumentary
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Conversion
Best Feature Film – Drama – Strangers
Best Feature Film – Experimental/Arthouse – Hallucinations
Best Featurette – Experimental/Arthouse – Spiritual Avail
Best Featurette – Thriller – Jon Law
Best Featurette – SciFi – SUPERNORMAL

Best Short Film – Animation – BomPaPa
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Last marriage
Best Short Film – Documentary – Lydia Emily’s Last Mural
Best Short Film – Drama – The Phoenix
Best Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – if I go
Best Short Film – Horror – Last Orders
Best Short Film – SciFi – Fieldtrip
Best Music Video – Stress Dreams
Best Pilot/Web Series – How to Hack Birth Control

Best Screenplay – Feature – High School Lullaby
Best Screenplay – Short  – Two Anxious Bisexuals
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – The Last Comedian On Earth
Best Screenplay – Animation – Dave’s Lucky Day

Best Director(s), Feature Film – Chris Guerra & Matthew John Koppin, RE-OPENING: A Lockdown Mockumentary
Best Director – Pasquale Marrazzo, Te lo dico Pianissimo
Best Actress in a Lead Role – Sarah Cugini, Bitter Taste of Ginger
Best Actor in a Lead Role – Wyatt Bunce, Killer Whales
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Amanda Lehan, RE-OPENING: A Lockdown Mockumentary
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Andrew Robinson, SUPERNORMAL
Best Performance by a Full Cast – RE-OPENING: A Lockdown Mockumentary
Best Screenplay – Rudy Cimic, Cyber Underground
Best Cinematography, Feature Film – M. Wild, Hallucinations
Best Cinematography, Featurette – Bryant Jansen, SUPERNORMAL
Best Cinematography, Short Film – Soren Bendt & Paul Arion, Fieldtrip
Best Visual Effects – JM Marbach – Sophie Villy, Another Existence

Audience Award Winners

Feature Film – Comedy – Killer Whales
Feature Film – Documentary – Luminous
Feature Film – Drama – Roman Candle
Short Film – Comedy – My Friends The Plants
Short Film – Documentary – Logout of IT
Short Film – Drama – Blue Moon
Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – if I go
Short Film – Horror – Sorry
Short Film – SciFi – Empiricism
Music Video – Syzygy
Pilot/Web Series – How to Hack Birth Control

Screenplay – Feature – The Passage of Sun
Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Nutt To Butt
Screenplay – Short  – Happy Birthday

Filmmakers Award Winners

Outstanding Music Video – Jeff Hilliard – Consensual
Outstanding Director(s) – Music Video – Jeff Hilliard & Joey Danger, Consensual
Outstanding Director(s) – Music Video – Grant Kolton, Stress Dreams
Outstanding Screenplay – Music Video – Grant Kolton, Stress Dreams
Outstanding Performance – Music Video – Jeff Hilliard, Consensual

Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Just A Ghoul
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Mutiny!
Outstanding Director(s) – Comedy – Johan Tappert & Gustav Egerstedt, The Last marriage
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – Jameson DeSantis, Just A Ghoul
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Comedy – The Last marriage
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Comedy – JJ Nolan, Just A Ghoul

Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Greg is Here
Outstanding Director – Documentary – Christoph Green, Lydia Emily’s Last Mural

Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Hedgehog
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Sons of Toledo
Outstanding Director – Drama – Regina Pigsley, The Phoenix
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Regina Pigsley, The Phoenix
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Drama – Sons of Toledo
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Drama – Scarlett Leigh Cowan, Angel

Outstanding Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – DON-O-MITE
Outstanding Short Film – Experimental/Arthouse – The Poet
Outstanding Director – Experimental/Arthouse – Daniel Fries, DON-O-MITE
Outstanding Screenplay – Experimental/Arthouse – Sean Mogridge, if I go
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Experimental/Arthouse – DON-O-MITE
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Experimental/Arthouse – Daniel Amerman, The Poet

Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Best to Share
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Escalation
Outstanding Director – Horror – Jon James Smith, Last Orders
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – Jon James Smith, Last Orders
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Horror – Last Orders
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Horror – Christian Bachini, Escalation

Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Black Hole
Outstanding Director(s) – SciFi – Soren Bendt & Paul Arion, Fieldtrip
Outstanding Screenplay – SciFi – Jamie Parslow, Black Hole
Outstanding Performance, Cast – SciFi – Empiricism
Outstanding Performance, Individual – SciFi – Aaron Moorhead, Black Hole

Outstanding Pilot/Web Series – How to Hack Birth Control
Outstanding Director – Pilot/Web Series – Sassy Mohen, How to Hack Birth Control
Outstanding Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series – Sassy Mohen, How to Hack Birth Control
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Pilot/Web Series – How to Hack Birth Control
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Pilot/Web Series – Xanthe Paige, How to Hack Birth Control

Programmer’s Prize for Uniquely Excellent Filmmaking

Adonai
do you have cigarettes?
Le Winner
The Desire To Live
The Monologue
Two Weeks to 29
We Are All In This Together

Award Definitions/Explanations

Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.
Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.
Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by the Filmmakers Board, a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.
Programmer’s Prize – given to film(s) by festival programmer Jeff Howard, who watches thousands of films every year and might enjoy ‘off the beaten path’ films more than the rest of the jury members. This award was created so that Jeff will never be tempted to override an award jury.

Open Field

2022 Official Selection: Feature Film – Documentary

Meet quarterback Sami Grisafe, San Francisco 49ers coach Katie Sowers and other legends of women’s tackle football who played for the love of the game against all odds.

Director(s): Kathy Kuras
Producer(s): Kathy Kuras, Lyndsay Hailey, Rich Daniel

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