It was a true celebration of cinema at the inaugural Laguna Film Festival while solidifying its place in the world of film festivals. It was in the true spirit of camaraderie as filmmakers from around the world enjoyed welcoming audiences and sharing their films as well as discussing their filmmaking experiences.
“This weekend and this festival have blown me away,” commented Festival Founder Austin Fickman. “To able to provide an environment for filmmakers of short films to have their films screened, meet and talk with other directors and producers, and have a cool experience is a dream come true. The support from the community, people from many branches of the entertainment industry, as well as my family and friends, is truly priceless. Just like when making a film, it takes many people, coming together to realize a vision, we did just that this weekend. We can’t wait for next year’s festival!”
The jury deciding the winning films for the 2015 Laguna Film Festival was comprised of: Andy Fickman (Director/Producer/Writer, Oops Doughnuts Productions), Betsy Sullenger (Producer, Oops Doughnuts Productions), Phillip Raskind (WME, Partner), Michael Wimer (Executive Producer, 2012), Meredith Wechter (Feature Film Agent, WME), Elissa Leeds (Manager, Reel Talent Management), Andrew Miano (Producer, The Golden Compass), Daniel Rappaport (Manager, Management 360), Kimberly Bialek (Literary Agent, WME), Alejandro Monteverde (Writer/Director, Bella), Alonso Alvarez Barreda (Director, Crescendo).
The films competed in the categories of Animation, Comedy, Drama, Documentary, Experimental, Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy, as well as Youth Filmmakers and Film School Students Showcase. In addition, the audiences also voted for the Audience Favorite in each genre.
Festival founder Austin Fickman was joined by actress Shanola Hampton (Shameless) to hand out the awards.
The winner of the Best of the Fest Short Film went to Alzheimers: A Love Story, directed by Gabe Schimmel, Monica Petruzzelli, Amanda Le and Riani Singgih. The documentary follows Greg and Michael as they struggle with a disease eradicating the memory of their relationship 40+ years in the making.
The Best of the Fest Film School Student Short went to The Magic Shoes, directed by Sahand Nikoukar. Nine-year-old Iranian immigrant Kamron can’t seem to fit into the culture of early 90s Los Angeles, forcing him to wonder, is it the shoes?
The two Best of the Fest winning filmmakers will receive a cash prize and industry meetings.
The jury award for Best Animated Short went to Cry of the Fox, written and directed by Jason Ronzani and Ning Xu, about a boy who tries to save a baby fox from two bullies who upset a threatening presence in the forest. Ronzani was present to accept the award.
The jury award for Best Comedy Short went to Twisted (Australia), directed by Stuart Bowen. School reunions are strange for anyone, but especially our socially awkward hero. When the girl of his Middle School dreams makes her appearance known, he will stop at nothing to win her over…even if it means going into a unique and totally bonkers balloon battle with his old bully and school nemesis one last time.
The jury award for Best Documentary Short went to Alzheimer’s: A Love Story (description above).
The jury award for Best Drama Short went to Unspoken, directed by Eric Otten. “Unspoken” is a short film that revolves around a young deaf woman dealing with the hardships of moving her mother with Alzheimer’s into a senior home. Deaf actress Hillary Baack plays Eva who keeps herself closed off to the world. She must learn to connect with others after realizing her mother will not always be by her side.
The jury award for Best Experimental Short went to Effort, directed by Kuesti Fraun. There is always a way.
The jury award for Best Horror Short went to Night of the Slasher, directed by Shant Hamassian. A ‘shot-in-one-take’ slasher film about a teenage girl who must commit horror movie sins by drinking alcohol, doing drugs and having sex in order to lure a masked killer and defeat him.
The jury award for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Short went to Prism, directed by Jackson Miller. In a world where color is used as energy, a color tax collector must decide between living his life by the rules of his occupation or his secret passion for art.
The jury award for Best Youth Filmmaker went to Tree Hugger, directed by Kira Bursky. In search of magic, high school freshman Clara gets involved with Leo, an older boy, but the fantasy world in her head darkens when Leo takes advantage of her.
The jury award for Best Film School Student Film went to Alison and Jeremy, (USA) Directed by Alyxandra Press. Based on a true story, Alison, a 25-year-old artist, is about to be reunited with her childhood love and best friend, Jeremy, whom she hasn’t seen for ten years. After years of dating without success, she is excied to see him. Reailizing that she has never stopped loving him, she believes, as adults they can rekindle those feelings. But things don’t always go according to plan. Unbeknownst to Alison, Jeremy has a deep secret he feels he must share with Alison at this time in their lives. He is also counting on their childhood love and friendship. This story is a sensitive portrayal of two people, who like all of us, are seeking unconditional love and acceptance.
The audience also got to vote for their favorite films in each of the genres, in some cases mirroring the opinions of the industry judges. Those winners are:
Audience Choice for Best Documentary went to Alzheimers: A Love Story (description above).
Audience Choice for Best Animated Short went to Cry of the Fox (description above)
Audience Choice for Drama Shorts went to Unspoken, (description above)
Audience Choice for Sci-fi/Fantasy Shorts went to The Looking Planet, directed by Eric Anderson. During the construction of the universe, a young member of the Cosmos Corps of Engineers decides to break some fundamental laws in the name of self-expression.
Audience Choice forComedy Shorts went to Murphy’s Law, directed by Alexander Fichera. Police officer Tim Murphy is the best negotiator the department has to offer, until his overconfidence gets the best of him. After screwing up one too many times, Murphy must fight for his job, his love and his father’s legacy in this dark, 80s-style cop comedy.
Audience Choice forHorror Shorts went to Don’ Let Them In, directed by David Lawrence. Dan Metzger, a struggling author consumed with the urban legend of the Black Eyed Kids, fears his obsession has led their evil to his door.
Audience Choice forYouth-Produced Shorts went to Tree Hugger. (description above)
Audience Choice forFilm School Student Shorts went to The Magic Shoes, directed by Sahand Nikoukar.