Independent Shorts Awards

A story in the 1980s about a girl trying to be Madonna (Candy Simmons) encounters problems as her drunken manager gives her demo tape to her rival singer’s executive. Her rival then takes her music and makes it her song which is the latest radio single. Candy is also wrapped up thinking an poser she recently met is a famous pop star.
Directed by Brittney Renee (USA)

Based on a true story, “Postal” is set in one of the few places that we’re all forced to face each other. A film on mental illness, and the madness of those who don’t understand.
Directed by Naaji Adzimah (USA)

In traditional Russian culture we are afraid of the face of death, we are afraid to talk about it, to think, to avoid the possibility of becoming a witness or to disturb the memories of loss. But this is a natural, important part of our life, which we all have touched or will face across one day. It seems to us that then everything will go out, lose color, meaning. But it is not.
Directed by Oleg Trofim (Russia)

“Mobius Dream” is a story about a high school girl, whose monotony school life is disturbed by the encounter of a purple-hair stranger in her dream. The fact that they have the exact same earrings in the shape of mobius boosts the girl’s curiosity. This incident drives her onto a journey of self-realization.
Directed by Jinmeng Li (China)

Lizzie Boredom is a reclusive sociopath who has convinced herself she’s a television star. Following a traumatic childhood event, Lizzie locked herself away in a rickety old house that she later inherited after her parents mysteriously disappeared.

For 25 years, Lizzie’s only escape is through her own nightmarish delusions, where she’s the star of her own ghastly sitcom.
Directed by Elizabeth Theis (USA)

Based on a true story, a little girl named Jen moves to Germany where despite miscommunication and bullying, she finds a friend in the most unexpected place.
Directed by Venetia Ellis (USA)

Kids see more than adults can due to how they still have the belief that anything is possible, even the most evil and extreme.
Directed by Mia Lauren Internoscia (USA)

A hitman wants to show his grandma he’s in love. He skips out on his last job, meets a stripper at a motel and tells her to play the role of girlfriend. He takes the money, and heads towards grandma’s. His location is discovered and two hitman show up to take him out. Discovering it’s his birthday they play along, waiting for the right time to kill him, unaware that their target isn’t the most dangerous one in the room. 
Directed by Christian Madsen (USA)

How would you define life and death when a piece of frozen beef is saying “I am still alive?”.
Directed by Xiuyuan Chen (USA)

In her quest to become a high powered Hollywood agent, a young woman ends up working at a small-time agency where she’s forced to manage a bunch of “Influencers” and crazy YouTube stars… not all of them are cats.
Directed by Katie Burris (USA)