SOFF 2021 Awards

Grand Jury Award Winners

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Bitter Taste of Ginger
Best Feature Film – Comedy – Killer Whales
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Like A Woman
Best Feature Film – Drama – Bone Cage
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Midnight Science

Best Short Film – Animation – The Cat
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – CHIPOKO
Best Short Film – Comedy – Squish (Sprötch)
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Best Orchestra in the World
Best Short Film – Documentary – Tia Gong
Best Short Film – Drama – EXITS
Best Short Film – Drama – Shevolution
Best Short Film – Horror – The Pey
Best Short Film – SciFi – My Roommate the Jedi
Best Music Video – The Sword That Waits
Best Web Series – EP

Best Director, Feature Film – Alek Lev – What?
Best Director, Short Film – Xavier Seron –Squish (Sprötch)
Best Actress in a Lead Role – Kathryne Isabelle Easton – Borrelia Borealis
Best Actress in a Lead Role – Sarah Cugini – Bitter Taste of Ginger
Best Actor in a Lead Role – John Maucere – What?
Best Actor in a Lead Role – Taylor Olson – Bone Cage
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Aadila Dosani – Fall Back Down
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Anthony Goes – Borrelia Borealis
Best Performance by a Full Cast – Bone Cage
Best Screenplay – Eric DePriester – Treason
Best Screenplay – Jonathan Anthony – Midnight Science
Best Cinematography, Feature Film – Kevin A. Fraser – Bone Cage
Best Cinematography, Short Film – Matthias Halibrand – The Best Orchestra in the World

Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – The Passage of Sun by Aaron Braxton
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – Happy Ending Retirement Home by Kirsty Budding
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series (Unproduced) – Hollywood, Arkansas by Darren Coyle

Audience Award Winners

Feature Film – Documentary – Keeping Inn
Feature Film – Drama – What?
Short Film – Animation – Exceptional Minds Pomo – What Is Your Superpower?
Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Lucky
Short Film – Comedy – Guys Weekend
Short Film – Comedy – Lou
Short Film – Documentary – La Cita (The Appointment)
Short Film – Drama – Contact High
Short Film – Drama – Other
Short Film – Horror – Escalation
Short Film – SciFi – My Roommate the Jedi
Music Video – The World’s Gone Nutz
Web Series – EP

Filmmakers Award Winners

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – The Forgotten Floss
Outstanding Short Film – Animation – The Passerby
Outstanding Director – Animation – Mary Apick –  The Cat
Outstanding Screenplay – Animation – Pieter Coudyzer – The Passerby

Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – C A • D E N C E
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – How To End A Conversation
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Lonely Night
Outstanding Director – Arthouse/Experimental – Tafadzwa R Nemarundwe – CHIPOKO
Outstanding Screenplay – Arthouse/Experimental – Sarah Lyddan – Lonely Night
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Arthouse/Experimental – Syd Skidmore – CHIPOKO
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Arthouse/Experimental – Skylar Adams, Sarah Lyddan, Lonely Night

Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Litany for Mister President
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – My Friends The Plants
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – yellow
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Henning Backhaus – The Best Orchestra in the World
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – Xavier Seron – Squish (Sprötch)
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Comedy – Guys Weekend
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Comedy – Jean Le Peltier – Squish (Sprötch)

Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – The Depths of Ningaloo
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – The Forgotten Floss
Outstanding Director – Documentary – Lee Jing Xin Enkainia – Tia Gong
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Documentary – Frederick Taylor – Pre-Existing Freedom

Outstanding Short Film – Drama – HELPER
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – The 5th of April
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Waves
Outstanding Director – Drama – Seidy Lopez – Shevolution
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Minerva Vier – Shevolution
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Drama – Kelly Lou Dennis, Jae Kim, EXITS
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Drama – Elinor McKenzie – The 5th of April

Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Soundproof
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Space Quest
Outstanding Director – SciFi – Byrne Owens – My Roommate the Jedi
Outstanding Screenplay – SciFi – Byrne Owens – My Roommate the Jedi
Outstanding Performance, Cast – SciFi – My Roommate the Jedi
Outstanding Performance, Individual – SciFi – Mikiel Crosby – Soundproof

Outstanding Music Video – Doll Klaw – You Said
Outstanding Director – Music Video – Eric Foss, Doll Klaw – You Said
Outstanding Performance – Music Video – Billy William Keohavong, Doll Klaw – You SaidBroken (The Video)
Outstanding Screenplay – Music Video – Daniel Robert Cohn, The World’s Gone Nutz

Outstanding Web Series – Passport Chronicles
Outstanding Web Series – The Odyssey Book 9
Outstanding Director – Web Series – Pat Campo – EP
Outstanding Screenplay – Web Series – Pat Campo – EP
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Web Series – EP
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Web Series – Chevy Dant’e Douglas – Passport Chronicles

Outstanding Performance, Puppetry & Voice – Ingbert Socke (Puppetry – ?, Henning Backhaus – Voice) – The Best Orchestra in the World
Outstanding Performance, Inanimate Object – Rubber Duck The Actor (David Agustín – Voice) –  yellow

Programmer’s Prize

Uniquely Original Filmmaking That Must Be Acknowledged In Some Way:
Freak Grounds, Jeff Can’t Swim. Me Is You, My OwnThose People, & What Happened.

Prize Definitions/Explanations

Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.
Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.
Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.
Programmer’s Prize – given to film(s) that festival programmer Jeff Howard cannot bear to see go without an award. These films are generally off the beaten path and break conventions of format and genre.

Source: SOFF

213. Chris McElroy & Corey Schmalzle “American SciFi”

Corey and Chris with Jeff on Zoom for their DIF interview

I first met filmmaking team Chris McElroy & Corey Schmalzle when they brought their feature film “Ghostland Boys” to Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2016.  That was the first film festival that I ever programmed and I loved this charming, zero budget comedy.  They came back four years later with “American SciFi” in 2020.  They showed in that film how much they learned and grown as filmmakers, as they managed to still work with almost no budget but make something a thousand times more sophisticated than their first outing.  “American SciFi” is a must see, but at the moment you cannot watch it.  If that changes, we will add the link right here.

This interview was a long time coming, but it finally happened!  Hope you enjoy!

Comments are blocked on this website. To discuss Discover Indie Film podcasts or TV episodes, visit the Facebook Page.

You can listen to the podcast using the media player below or on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Podcast

Source: Discover Film

212. 4Qs with Joe Basla

If you’re gonna do a DIF interview & 4Qs, you gotta stay lubricated

What are the 4Q’s?

  • Name your favorite films of all time (limit 3)
  • Name a film you think is underrated
  • Name a film you think is overrated
  • Name a lesser-known film that you think people should seek out

Joe Basla brought his comedy short “Grade A” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2020 and it took home the Programmers Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking.   You can watch this hilarious film on the Discover Indie Film TV Series on Amazon Prime Video!  Just go to season 4, episode 10.

Joe did a DIF interview so of course I also had to get him to answer the 4Qs!

Comments are blocked on this website. To discuss Discover Indie Film podcasts or TV episodes, visit the Facebook Page.

You can listen to the podcast using the media player below or on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Here are Eric’s 4Qs answers:

  • Favorites: Blade Runner, Doctor Strangelove or How I Learned How To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb, Taxi Driver
  • Underrated: Green Book
  • Overrated: Joker
  • Seek Out: Hardcore 1979

Podcast

Source: Discover Film

211. Joe Basla “Grade A”

Joe hopped onto Zoom for his DIF interview

Writer, director and producer Joe Basla brought his comedy short “Grade A” to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2020.  And it rocked, taking home the Programmers Prize for Exceptional Filmmaking.   You can watch this hilarious film on the Discover Indie Film TV Series on Amazon Prime Video!  Just go to season 4, episode 10.

Joe moved from Los Angeles to Nashville since making “Grade A,” so we had to hop onto Zoom to do the interview.  Joe’s the nicest guy and you can tell in this interview how his dedication to screenwriting and filmmaking is the sole reason there is a thirty minute film called “Grade A” for you to enjoy.  Hopefully you watch the film and then listen to the interview!

Comments are blocked on this website. To discuss Discover Indie Film podcasts or TV episodes, visit the Facebook Page.

You can listen to the podcast using the media player below or on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Podcast

Source: Discover Film

210. 4Qs with Eric Foss

Eric answers the DIF 4Qs on FactTime

What are the 4Q’s?

  • Name your favorite films of all time (limit 3)
  • Name a film you think is underrated
  • Name a film you think is overrated
  • Name a lesser-known film that you think people should seek out

Eric Foss wrote, directed and produced the comedy short “How To Save A Marriage” that was one of my faves at Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2020.  Good news!  You can watch this sweet, hilarious film on the Discover Indie Film TV Series on Amazon Prime Video!  Just go to season 4, episode 3.

After Eric’s DIF interview we took a few minutes for him to answer the 4Qs.  Enjoy his list and if you want to learn more about Eric, go to notaserioushuman.com or @ercifosssucks.

Comments are blocked on this website. To discuss Discover Indie Film podcasts or TV episodes, visit the Facebook Page.

You can listen to the podcast using the media player below or on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.

Here are Eric’s 4Qs answers:

  • Favorites: Fight Club, SLC Punk!, West Side Story
  • Underrated: I Heart Huckabees, Thank You For Smoking
  • Overrated: The Dark Knight
  • Seek Out: Dancer in the Dark

Podcast

Source: Discover Film