Independent Shorts Awards

A dark comedy that has Trinity coming to terms with her husband Trip’s OCD. But be careful what you wish for, as there are always unseen consequences, unseen by many, does not mean that a pattern does not exist, or does it?
Directed by Jerry Dalton (USA)

Though we generally associate the holidays with merry and bright feelings, let’s face it, a Christmas of blue is certainly familiar to us all, and singer/songwriter Katie Garibaldi does a masterful job conveying a tears-in-your-beer holiday scenario with her new song and music video “Unhappy Holiday.” The video, shot in Nashville, TN, harkens back to the classic honky-tonk, whiskey drinking, and live music playing Music City, and the vintage country aesthetic suits the classic country sound of the tune perfectly. In the video, Garibaldi plays a heartbroken singer, crooning, “So God help me find strength in this lonely, numbing drink ‘cause I don’t want to have an unhappy holiday,” as her bandmates try to console her while the rest of the bar patrons are full of holiday cheer. The scenes also include a magical Christmas tree farm and a cozy nook by the fire. But don’t let the title “Unhappy Holiday” fool you; watch the video through to the end to see the true Christmas spirit take full effect.
Directed by Anna Haas (USA)

32-year-old Becka Smitz is a nurse at Lake General Hospital. One stormy night on her way home after her shift she witnesses a car crash and rescues 33-year-old Mark bridges from his car saving his life. As she nurses him back to health after suffering memory loss they become closer as they begin to fall in love. But life has other plans and throws a wrench when the love of his life Gretta Sams shows up after a six-month search to claim what’s hers forcing Mark to make a choice. In this romance/drama will he choose the love of his life or the new found love that he now knows?
Directed by Kathryn L. Scurry (USA)

Directed by Jingshi Cai (USA)

A girl in post-racial America gets a killer doll for Christmas.
Directed by Matt Wisniewski (USA)

Rudi is a former zombie looking for redemption. The city of Modena was freed from the epidemic and the treated zombies were faced with a choice: going into exile forever or trying to return to society. To help Rudi will be Camilla, a girl in turn eccentric and marginalized.
Directed by Piernicola Arena and Lillo Venezia (Italy)

Sitting alone at night listening to music, a man is disturbed by loud noises. When he removes his headphones, he realizes that all around him his neighborhood is under attack from an unseen entity. One by one, his neighbor’s lights go out, terrifying screams and pandemonium ensue, when no emergency services arrive to help and then when the power begins to fail, it looks like it’s every man for himself. But exactly what is attacking and killing his neighbors and can he do anything to help them or even save himself?
Directed by Ray Brady (UK)

Andrew having marital issues is in desperate need of a scratch on the back. He cannot wait any longer and hires a hooker to get scratched. Chiffon as professional as she could be was ready to do her job until Andrew tells her the news.
Directed by Lea Brandenburg (USA)

Three enslaved girls are immersed in beautiful surroundings, hidden beneath this beauty lies a dystopian society pushing the girls to perfection.
Directed by Emily Haigh (UK)

The story of two swans which fall in love in a place called “Swan Lake”.
Directed by Saeed Mayahy and Hamid Jamali (Iran)