Independent Shorts Awards

Escaping from a deadly battle, a wounded warrior discovers a long-forgotten shrine and the ancient spirit that lives there.
Directed by Austin Piko and Taylor Johnston (USA)

A man’s visit with a loved one leads to a shattering revelation.
Directed by Karl Shefelman (USA)

Raheel, an Afghan national, has illegally traveled to Iran to look for her husband, but there comes up some problems that leave her no hope to move ahead.
Directed by Ayat Asadi Rahbar (Iran)

Because homosexuality is still a crime in many parts of the world, people are afraid of taking a stand for their individuality. “Gray” not just touches upon the homosexual aspects of human beings but also take us beyond our gender choices to understand and connect to a human being.
Directed by Preet (India)

A timid character with a wine glass for a head grows larger than his numbered peers while participating in a prosaic cycle of pouring. “Pour 585” is a hand-drawn animated film that visually interprets the individuals’ role in the hierarchy. The conflict occurs when a cycle is interrupted and a new order is established, possibly even more tyrannical than the first.
Directed by Patrick Smith (USA)

As Penelope breaks up another of her friends’ fights, the guys, Rey and Felix, begin to repeat phrases, twitch, and freeze. Shocked, Penelope confronts them about their actions, but they write her off as acting crazy. As more irregularities occur, Penelope is driven to the brink of insanity trying to discover the truth about what’s happening.
Directed by Max Kliman and Jake Daniels (USA)

Eight years after my father’s death, I learned something that shattered the image of my dad into a person I didn’t know. I found out that his priest sexually abused him for several years as a teenager. I soon learned just how deeply this affected his entire life. In this personal investigative documentary, I embark on a journey across the country to meet his friends and family in an attempt to reconstruct his life and put the shattered pieces back together.
Directed by Alex Bell (USA)

John Booker, 43 has a great life, a loving family, and a career. Tragedy strikes a double blow when his 12-year-old daughter Hailey becomes a victim of cyberbullying causing her to end her life and as a result, the suicide of his beautiful wife Sarah. John is at his wit’s end when the girl responsible for his daughter and wife’s demise gets a slap on the risk resulting in his taste for revenge.
Written by Kathryn L. Scurry (USA)

A trio of fruity friends encounters a problem that nearly ruins their day at the fair.
Directed by Caroline Quach (USA)

This is a story of a theater personality, who has written a play which is adapted from a poem. When he is trying to perform it into a stage play, then some influential people, with hidden agendas become his obstacle.
Directed by Shashank Shekar Singh (India)

During the WWII North African campaign, a German sniper of the AfrikaKorps and a U.S. Combat engineer find themselves the sole survivors of a battle. They must reluctantly join forces to escape a marauding band of desert nomads and the unforgiving desolation of the Sahara desert. During their odyssey, the )German relates the destruction of his country due to following their corrupt politicians. He regrets not stopping them before it was too late. It’s a specter from the past that sadly parallels many aspects of our society today. The German soon realizes his own government is the real enemy of his people and struggles to find the courage (Tapferkeit) to stop them.
Directed by Joseph Quinn (USA)

A young married woman and mother of two kids is forced to make a business trip. Behind this room is hiding in fact a big secret. It’s during this day that the curtain will fall and the truth will take place.
Directed by Gazanfer Biricik (France)

A group of friends takes matters into there own hands to help a friend escape her abusive husband. Things go left and the bond that was once tight begins to break turning them against one another when the ultimate betrayal comes to the surface. As these friends turn to foes only one will be left standing. In this Thriller – Suspense – Drama the saying goes “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer”.
Written by Kathryn L. Scurry (USA)