Nominees for the 2021 Annual Awards

All Nominated Films (II): Annual Awards 2021

Best Indie Short

All Blood Runs Red produced by Léa Morel, Paul Mignot, and William Blanc, and directed by Paul Mignot (France)

In Hope of Nothing produced by Frankie Fogg and directed by Peter Hamblin (UK)

Kilter produced by Olivia Hantken and directed by Rob Stanton-Cook (Australia)

Best Drama Short

Hands Up produced by Brittany Mayti, Angela White, and Errol Sadler, and directed by Angela White (USA)

Legacy produced by Jenö Hodi and Gabor Ferenczy, and directed by Jenö Hodi (Hungary)

The Silence produced by Juraj Štepka and Stanislav Mičev, and directed by Juraj Štepka (Slovakia)

Best Documentary Short

Devil’s Gold produced by Ade Darmawan, and directed by Alexander Sworik and Daniel Agre (Canada)

Hou’ley produced by Michael Bechard and directed by Alexander Sworik (Canada)

In the Shadow of the Tugtupite produced and directed by Inuk Jørgensen (Greenland)

Best Romantic Short

On the Mountain produced by Pamela Torrance and Jacqueline Cowgill, and directed by Jacqueline Cowgill (USA)

Star Child produced and directed by Alex Guéry (France)

Tell Tale Signs produced by Ginevra Gentili-Elsworthy and Helga Greggio, and directed by Ginevra Gentili-Elsworthy (UK)

Best Comedy Short

Better Half produced by Joe Calabrese in association with Saturday Morning, and directed by Pete Johnson and Adam Jones (USA)

Something About Bubbles produced by Jean Batthany, Graham Brown, and Mark Cheng, and directed by Mark Cheng and Graham Brown (USA)

Third Time’s A Charm produced by Alice L Walker, Nathan Winfield Wallace, Jason Faircloth, and Lucas Benitez, and directed by Alice L Walker (USA)

Best Dark Comedy Short

A Hole produced by Lissandra Leite and directed by James Solomon (New Zealand)

Jimmy’s Tale produced by Luke Bishop, Daniel Hart Donoghue, and Zander Schaus, and directed by Daniel Hart Donoghue (USA)

Kick produced by Jon Judelson, and directed by Alex Backes and Tanner Boyajian (USA)

Best Action Short

Gunther produced by Joel Wetterstein and directed by Ryan Rowley (USA)

Raze of the Cyborg produced by Young-H. Lee, Peter Huang, Ken Chou, and Alice Guo, and directed by Young-H. Lee (Taiwan)

The Last Pizza produced by Gert Kombate and Lexi Chen, and directed by Gert Kombate (China)

Best Thriller Short

Final Curtain produced by Jack Armstrong and directed by Dan Gifford (Ireland)

Life Was Wonderful produced by Toy Alan and DJ Haye, and directed by Toy Alan (USA)

The Climbing Perch produced by Christian Moldes, Blake Vaz, Rudy Marquez, and Daniel Gomez Bagby, and directed by Daniel Gomez Bagby (USA)

Best Horror Short

Interrupted produced by Giorgio Carlevaro, John Hua, Yuki Katayama, and David Parker, and directed by Giorgio Carlevaro (USA)

Lucky, Lucky produced by Nils Terton and directed by Jonah Lindley (Australia)

Tag produced and directed by Alexander Callens (USA)

Best Mystery Short

A Parable For Winter produced by Rookie Morgan, John Campeau, Noah Lydiard, and Birk Gran, and directed by Conor Soucy (USA)

The Clone… produced by Valerii Petrov and Pavel Gusev, and directed by Valerii Petrov (Russia)

The Fall Line produced by Emily Muhulland and directed by Maryann Lonergan (USA)

Best Film Noir Short

Not Enough produced by Grown Kid, The French accent, Julien Sapience, Gilles Guibert, and Portrait Robot, and directed by Jul & Gil (France)

Place du Trocadero produced and directed by Mathieu Cayrou and Pierre Léon Luneau (France)

The Two Missing Hours produced by Armored Pictures and directed by Jean-Claude Thibaut (USA)

Best Crime Short

@ana produced and directed by Pedro Melo (Brazil)

Aborted Traffick produced by Bea W. Bliss and Brian D. Moody, and directed by Bea W. Bliss (USA)

Two Options produced by Gon Caride, Arturo M. Merelo, Andrés Caride, and Diane Malherbe, and directed by Gon Caride (France)

Best Fantasy Short

Henry Needs a New Home produced by Elizabeth Malcher and directed by Seamus Murphy (Australia)

Straw Man produced by Aditya Vempaty and Erik He, and directed by Alexander Casimir (USA)

Witchin’ produced by Gregory M. Schroeder and directed by Christina Diamantara (USA)

Best Sci-Fi Short

Beached produced by Melanie Burgess and directed by James Renfroe (USA)

Permafrost produced by Aeryn Lee and Gentry Lee, and directed by Aeryn Lee (USA)

Roam produced by Cain Angelle and directed by David Jung (USA)

Best Western Short

Miles To Go Before I Sleep produced by Xiaohan Zhang and Kunqi Yang, and directed by Xiaohan Zhang (USA)

Skitoz produced by Louise Meschini and Fabrice Bensahkoun, and directed by Alexis Perrotte and Diego Perrotte (France)

The Ballad Of Boot Knife Belle produced by Christopher Lantry, Randall Bazin, and Jordan Rego, and directed by Christopher Lantry (USA)

Best Experimental Short

Embodiment produced by Sara Barbara and directed by Ced Pakusevskij (Italy)

Paradoxical Dream produced and directed by Mohammad Khaki (Iran)

Residue produced by Nela Khalfieva and directed by Kai Lendzion (USA)

Best Student Short

Aquatic Bird produced by Chuhong Lian and directed by Nan Zhang (China)

Funeral in Chongqing produced by Zeng Kaicheng and directed by Zeng Kaixin (China)

Señor produced by The London Film School, Masha Clark, and Conrad Clark, and directed by Masha Clark (UK)

Best Animation Short

Lea’s Secret produced and directed by Rico Gutierrez (Philippines)

Stick To Manual produced by UCF SVAD and directed by Christian Antonini, Tanice Arnold, and Heather Knott (USA)

Winter produced by Guodong Yu and Bradley Hawkins, and directed by Guodong Yu (China)

Best Children Short

Calf Rope produced by Sarah Hawkins and directed by Bradley Hawkins (USA)

Ole, Benni und der Rest des Universums produced and directed by Anna Ludwig (Germany)

Time & Days produced by Massimo Belluzzo and directed by Alessia Buiatti (Italy)

Best Women Short

Away produced by Xiao Yixin and directed by Zhou Weijia (China)

On a Whim produced by Asya Nikolaeva and Unique Cooper, and directed by Asya Nikolaeva (Ukraine)

The Blood Bride produced by Humphrey Gibbs, Jesse Algranti, Hannah McKibbin and Caspar Leopard, and directed by Hannah McKibbin and Caspar Leopard (UK)

Best LGBTQ Short

No Entry produced by Jia Yuqing and directed by Guo Dongxun (Japan)

On The Floor produced by Collin Medford, Jonathan Peck, and Corey Koepper, and directed by Corey Koepper (USA)

Red Giant produced by Olha Kaly, Alyssa Schroeter, and Jessica Pinfield, and directed by Leven Rambin (USA)

Best Microfilm

Notebook produced by Mattia Fiumani and Marco Vescovo, and directed by Mattia Fiumani (Italy)

The Little Thief produced by Jervis Li and directed by Nicole Vanden Broeck (USA)

White Lines, Orange Pill Bottles produced by Tanner Gordon and Alena Savostikova, and directed by Tanner Gordon (USA)

Best Music Video

Ankobo+Kaboo Wakangenei produced by Galina Kolchina, Ruslan Bikbaev, and Mikhail Goglov, and directed by Felix Umarov (Russia)

Circle of Salt produced by Mikhail Marizov and Samat Yuzeev, and directed by Kirill Novikov (Russia)

Looking For a New Place to Begin produced by Nicole Gullane, Rafael Nascimento, and Barbara Ohana, and directed by Henrique Sauer (Brazil)

Best Director (Female)

Angela White for Hands Up (USA)

Asya Nikolaeva for On a Whim (Ukraine)

Ginevra Gentili-Elsworthy for Tell Tale Signs (UK)

Best Director (Male)

Jenö Hodi for Legacy (Hungary)

Juraj Štepka for The Silence (Slovakia)

Peter Hamblin for In Hope of Nothing (UK)

Best Student Director (Female)

Masha Clark for Señor (UK)

Nan Zhang for Aquatic Bird (China)

Zhou Weijia for Away (China)

Best Student Director (Male)

Jonah Lindley for Lucky, Lucky (Australia)

Toy Alan for Life Was Wonderful (USA)

Zeng Kaixin for Funeral in Chongqing (China)

Best First Time Director (Female)

Aeryn Lee for Permafrost (USA)

Bea W. Bliss for Aborted Traffick (USA)

Christina Diamantara for Witchin’ (USA)

Best First Time Director (Male)

Dan Gifford for Final Curtain (Ireland)

Daniel Hart Donoghue for Jimmy’s Tale (USA)

Saleh Khataybeh for Truce (Jordan)

Best Actress

Maria Maegdefrau for Marie-Luise (Germany)

Sophia Del Pizzo for On a Whim (Ukraine)

Yin-Shang Liu for A Trip with Mom (Taiwan)

Best Actor

Karel Dobry for Maestro (USA)

Tom Mardirosian for Better Half (USA)

William Baldwin for Talk (France)

Best Supporting Actress

Dragana Varagic for When I’m at Home (Serbia)

Hervine De Boodt for Marie-Luise (Germany)

Ronnie Farer for Better Half (USA)

Best Supporting Actor

Bruno Henry for All Blood Runs Red (France)

Jay Lay for The Garage (USA)

Paudge Behan for Final Curtain (Ireland)

Best Child/Young Actress

Charity Rose for Straw Man (USA)

Emily Gateley for Run Rabbit Run (USA)

Tinja Damnjanović for Señor (UK)

Best Child/Young Actor

Frederik Dahnk for Ole, Benni und der Rest des Universums (Germany)

Leopold Schill for Ole, Benni und der Rest des Universums (Germany)

Lukas Barnett for Calf Rope (USA)

Best Acting Duo

Ági Gubík and Tibor Szervét for Legacy (Hungary)

Alissa Filoramo and Amick Viccellio for On the Mountain (USA)

Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton for A Glimpse (UK)

Best Ensemble Cast

Michal Kubovčík, Ondrej Hraška, Robert Ritter, and Lubos Kostelny for The Silence (Slovakia)

Mike Falkow, Cokey Falkow, and Celyn Jones for In Hope of Nothing (UK)

Nakia Dillard, Alfred Lewis, Tamika James, Dhakirah Darrell, Todd Wilson, Jeff Hoover, Yarc Lewinson, and Victoria Spencer Smith for Hands Up (USA)