Grand Jury Prize Winners

Best Feature Film – F20
Best Feature Film – The Imaginary State
Best Documentary Feature – Another Child
Best Short Film – Comedy – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s
Best Short Film – Comedy – Crew 3,14
Best Short Film – Drama – Avec Le Temps (With Time)
Best Short Film – Drama – Tides
Best Short Film – Experimental – Haiku
Best Short Film – Horror – A Strange Calm
Best Short Film – Animation – Cruel Shoes
Best Documentary Short – Across Borders
Best Music Video – SHE

Best Director, Feature Film – Arsen A. Ostojic – F20
Best Director, Short Film – Maria Eva Urrutia – Avec Le Temps (With Time)
Best Actress in a Lead Role – Romina Tonkovic – F20
Best Actor in a Lead Role – Les Martin – Be Good or Be Gone
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Janelle Jones – Good Counsel
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Numan Cakir – Toprak
Best Performance by a Full Cast – Summer Nights
Best Screenplay – Alan Fischer and Daniel Castro – The Imaginary State
Best Cinematography – Chris Hirschhaeuser – Toprak
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Good Grief – Emily Rued
Best Screenplay – Pilot (Unproduced) – The Lighthouse – Daniel Talbott

Source: SOFF

Audience Award Winners

Feature Film – Be Good or Be Gone
Feature Film – Summer Nights
Short Film – Drama – My Hero, Six Nights, & The Giving Key
Short Film – Comedy – Exit Package & Ex-Sisters-In-Law
Short Film – Experimental – The Myth of Winter, UnderSee, & Death Offers Life
Short Film – Horror – Curiosity, Household Demons, & A Strange Calm
Documentary – We Are All In This Together, Shaking a Singapore Spear

Source: SOFF

Filmmakers Award Winners

Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Age of Bryce  
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Seance-ing
Outstanding Director – Comedy – David Feagan, Brian Elliott – Age of Bryce
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – Alix Angelis – Seance-ing
Outstanding Acting, Cast – Comedy – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s
Outstanding Acting, Individual – Comedy – Patrick Tamisiea – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s
Outstanding Acting, Duo – Comedy – Suzan Mikiel, Allison Youngberg – Ex-Sisters-In-Law
Outstanding Cinematography – Comedy – Rachel Dusa – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s

Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Alina
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Planet Earth calling Ana
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Valley
Outstanding Director – Drama – Rami Kodeih – Alina
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Nora Mariana Salim – Alina
Outstanding Acting, Cast – Drama – Valley
Outstanding Acting, Individual – Drama – Laia Manzanares – Planet Earth calling Ana
Outstanding Cinematography – Drama – Matt Schween – Tides

Outstanding Short Film – Experimental – Miniature Chess
Outstanding Director – Experimental – Martin Gerigk – Haiku
Outstanding Screenplay – Experimental – Phil Cheney – Miniature Chess
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Experimental – Miniature Chess
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Experimental – Kennedy Knopf – SHE
Outstanding Performance, Inanimate Object – Experimental – Chip the shopping cart – The Myth of Winter
Outstanding Cinematography – Experimental – Julie Kim – SHE

Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Eleanor
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Household Demons
Outstanding Director – Horror – Austin Rourke – A Strange Calm
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – Chris Dawson – Eleanor
Outstanding Acting, Cast – Horror – A Strange Calm
Outstanding Acting, Individual – Horror – Yael Gonen – Eleanor
Outstanding Cinematography – Horror – Zach Stoltzfus – Household Demons

Outstanding Music Video – Black Metal Romance – Joey Danger, Director

Source: SOFF

Cyber Underground
Fyrvaktaren: Bathtub By The Sea
Grade A
Your Heart Is Mine

A message from SOFF programmer Jeff Howard:

Every year it’s a challenge for me when we look at the votes from the juries and tabulate which films are getting awards.  Invariably I see see some omissions that I cannot abide.  Sometimes it’s that coincidence that a film repeatedly comes in second place for various awards without actually getting an award.  Sometimes it’s the fact that I see every film more than once.  Your opinions change a lot with multiple viewings and this makes my perspective different from other jury members.

How to fix the problem?  I do not want to be a programmer who lobbies jury members to change their votes.  Instead we invented the Programmer’s Prize so that I get to honor films that slipped through the cracks and I sleep a little better at night.

For SOFF 2020, I wanted to have around fifteen of these.  (Part of me wants every official selection to get an award like a children’s soccer league.) As much as it pained me, I narrowed it down to the four you see above.

Source: SOFF