2023 Awards

Best In Fest

Best in Fest – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best in Fest – Featurette – Blue Square Heart
Best in Fest – Short Film – Backlog

Grand Jury Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Feature Film – Documentary – REAL
Best Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown
Best Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Foil
Best Feature Film – Thriller – Off Ramp
Best Featurette – Drama – A Way Home
Best Featurette – Drama – Blue Square Heart
Best Featurette – Horror – Drawn
Best Featurette – Horror – Scratch
Best Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb”
Best Short Film – Animation – Moving Day
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – The Sacred Bees
Best Short Film – Comedy – Men Grieving
Best Short Film – Comedy – Wiener
Best Short Film – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Best Short Film – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Best Short Film – Drama – Backlog
Best Short Film – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Best Short Film – Horror – Oddities
Best Short Film – SciFi – Homecoming
Best Director – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape
Best Director – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Director – Short Film – Backlog – Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal
Best Lead Performer – Feature Film – American Meltdown – Jacki Von Preysing
Best Lead Performer – Featurette – Scratch – Brian Palatucci
Best Lead Performer – Short Film – What Dictators Dream About – Rick Segall
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Scott Turner Schofield
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown – Nicolette Sweeney
Best Supporting Performer – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – Jessica Lea Risco
Best Supporting Performer – Short Film – Room 107 – Winter Andrews
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Performance by a Cast – Featurette – A Way Home
Best Performance by a Cast – Short Film – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Peter Jason & Jonah Ray Rodrigues
Best Performance by a Duo – FOIL – Zach Green & Devin O’Rourke
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Club Illusion The Movie – Christine Elizabeth Bridges, David Brent Parris, & Vivian Paul Suter
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape & Tim Cairo
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her – Selina Ringel
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis – Pirie Martin
Best Screenplay – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Screenplay – Sereies/TV (Unproduced) – Badger – Anna Elizabeth Ross
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – The Ballad of River Kendricks: da prologue – Jason Mendoza
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Manifesto – Mike Sorce & Matthew Kic
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – Black Mold – Robert Patrick Stern
Best Cinematography – Featurette – Drawn – Stephen Tringali
Best Cinematography – Short Film – Homecoming – Skyler Bocciolatt
Best Production Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – John Wong
Best Production Design – Featurette – Scratch – Michael Trainotti & Jim Ward
Best Production Design – Short Film – The Unquiet Dead – Julia Vela
Best Sound Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – Robert Patrick Stern
Best Sound Design – Featurette – Scratch – Stephen Tringali
Best Sound Design – Short Film – Homecoming – Skyler Bocciolatt

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – A Brush With Death
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood
Outstanding Short Film – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Kneel
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Manifesto
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Room 107
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – The Unquiet Dead
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Pleroma
Outstanding Director – Animation – Moving Day – Sean Mirkovich
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier
Outstanding Director – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Isaiah Shinn
Outstanding Director – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Outstanding Director – Drama – Room 107 – Steve Anderson & Leandro Imaz
Outstanding Director – Horror – The Unquiet Dead – John Thomas Gray
Outstanding Director – SciFi – Homecoming – Garrett Johnson & Ben Nicholson
Outstanding Director – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Pefromances – Animation – Moving Day
Oustanding Pefromances – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier & Lucas Brahme
Oustanding Pefromances – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Oustanding Pefromances – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Oustanding Pefromances – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Oustanding Pefromances – Horror – Oddities
Oustanding Pefromances – SciFi – Test Drive
Oustanding Pefromances – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Screenplay – Animation – Ingolstadt – Mike Harris
Oustanding Screenplay – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood – Jason Lee Segal
Oustanding Screenplay – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Kendra Willis
Oustanding Screenplay – Drama – What Dictators Dream About – Christian Shapiro
Oustanding Screenplay – Horror – Oddities – Tyler Savage
Oustanding Screenplay – SciFi – Entrainment – Bill Prokopow
Oustanding Screenplay – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Creativity – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Creativity – Comedy – Wiener
Outstanding Creativity – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Outstanding Creativity – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Creativity – Drama – Sunflower Nicky
Outstanding Creativity – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Creativity – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Creativity – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay

Audience Awards

Best Feature Film – Drama – Kikum Spirit (The Untold African Story)
Best Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Mind Thief
Best Featurette – Horror – Strawberry
Best Short Film – Animation – Austin Karimloo
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice
Best Short Film – Dance – Perennial
Best Short Film – Documentary – Resurgence
Best Short Film – Drama – Homologies
Best Short Film – Drama – Rock Bottom
Best Short Film – Horror – The Night Editors
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice

Programmer’s Prize

For Exceptional Filmmaking
Death Doula
Gummies
Hell of a Child
Homologies
I Want to Live on Mars
Just Passing Time
Lena
Mickey Dogface
Moonlight Sonata, with Scissors
Reseda
Robert & Billie
Sally Chooses Adventure
Sinigang
Something Good Coming
Swish
Tax Time
The Bytes Dreams are Made of
The Island

Prize Definitions/Explanations

Best In Fest – determined by the festival’s official selection committee, this category was added to pander to important organizations that demand a festival give out awards not specific to genre/category.
Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.
Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.
Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.
Programmer’s Prize – given by festival programmer Jeff Howard as a reward for his hard work. Also, having his own awards means he never has to put his finger on the scale for the other awards.

Source: SOFF

2023 Best In Fest Awards

Best In Fest

Best in Fest – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best in Fest – Featurette – Blue Square Heart
Best in Fest – Short Film – Backlog

Prize Definition/Explanation

Best In Fest – determined by the festival’s official selection committee, this category was added to pander to important organizations that demand a festival give out awards not specific to genre/category.

Source: SOFF

2023 Grand Jury Awards

Grand Jury Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Feature Film – Documentary – REAL
Best Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown
Best Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Foil
Best Feature Film – Thriller – Off Ramp
Best Featurette – Drama – A Way Home
Best Featurette – Drama – Blue Square Heart
Best Featurette – Horror – Drawn
Best Featurette – Horror – Scratch
Best Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb”
Best Short Film – Animation – Moving Day
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – The Sacred Bees
Best Short Film – Comedy – Men Grieving
Best Short Film – Comedy – Wiener
Best Short Film – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Best Short Film – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Best Short Film – Drama – Backlog
Best Short Film – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Best Short Film – Horror – Oddities
Best Short Film – SciFi – Homecoming
Best Director – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape
Best Director – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Director – Short Film – Backlog – Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal
Best Lead Performer – Feature Film – American Meltdown – Jacki Von Preysing
Best Lead Performer – Featurette – Scratch – Brian Palatucci
Best Lead Performer – Short Film – What Dictators Dream About – Rick Segall
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Scott Turner Schofield
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown – Nicolette Sweeney
Best Supporting Performer – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – Jessica Lea Risco
Best Supporting Performer – Short Film – Room 107 – Winter Andrews
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Performance by a Cast – Featurette – A Way Home
Best Performance by a Cast – Short Film – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Peter Jason & Jonah Ray Rodrigues
Best Performance by a Duo – FOIL – Zach Green & Devin O’Rourke
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Club Illusion The Movie – Christine Elizabeth Bridges, David Brent Parris, & Vivian Paul Suter
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape & Tim Cairo
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her – Selina Ringel
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis – Pirie Martin
Best Screenplay – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Screenplay – Sereies/TV (Unproduced) – Badger – Anna Elizabeth Ross
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – The Ballad of River Kendricks: da prologue – Jason Mendoza
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Manifesto – Mike Sorce & Matthew Kic
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – Black Mold – Robert Patrick Stern
Best Cinematography – Featurette – Drawn – Stephen Tringali
Best Cinematography – Short Film – Homecoming – Skyler Bocciolatt
Best Production Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – John Wong
Best Production Design – Featurette – Scratch – Michael Trainotti & Jim Ward
Best Production Design – Short Film – The Unquiet Dead – Julia Vela
Best Sound Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – Robert Patrick Stern
Best Sound Design – Featurette – Scratch – Stephen Tringali
Best Sound Design – Short Film – Homecoming – Skyler Bocciolatt

Prize Definition/Explanation

Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.

Source: SOFF

2023 Filmmakers Awards

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – A Brush With Death
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood
Outstanding Short Film – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Kneel
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Manifesto
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Room 107
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – The Unquiet Dead
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Pleroma
Outstanding Director – Animation – Moving Day – Sean Mirkovich
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier
Outstanding Director – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Isaiah Shinn
Outstanding Director – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Outstanding Director – Drama – Room 107 – Steve Anderson & Leandro Imaz
Outstanding Director – Horror – The Unquiet Dead – John Thomas Gray
Outstanding Director – SciFi – Homecoming – Garrett Johnson & Ben Nicholson
Outstanding Director – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Pefromances – Animation – Moving Day
Oustanding Pefromances – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier & Lucas Brahme
Oustanding Pefromances – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Oustanding Pefromances – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Oustanding Pefromances – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Oustanding Pefromances – Horror – Oddities
Oustanding Pefromances – SciFi – Test Drive
Oustanding Pefromances – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Screenplay – Animation – Ingolstadt – Mike Harris
Oustanding Screenplay – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood – Jason Lee Segal
Oustanding Screenplay – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Kendra Willis
Oustanding Screenplay – Drama – What Dictators Dream About – Christian Shapiro
Oustanding Screenplay – Horror – Oddities – Tyler Savage
Oustanding Screenplay – SciFi – Entrainment – Bill Prokopow
Oustanding Screenplay – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Creativity – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Creativity – Comedy – Wiener
Outstanding Creativity – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Outstanding Creativity – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Creativity – Drama – Sunflower Nicky
Outstanding Creativity – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Creativity – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Creativity – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay

Prize Definition/Explanation

Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.

Source: SOFF

2023 Audience Awards

Audience Awards

Best Feature Film – Drama – Kikum Spirit (The Untold African Story)
Best Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Mind Thief
Best Featurette – Horror – Strawberry
Best Short Film – Animation – Austin Karimloo
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice
Best Short Film – Dance – Perennial
Best Short Film – Documentary – Resurgence
Best Short Film – Drama – Homologies
Best Short Film – Drama – Rock Bottom
Best Short Film – Horror – The Night Editors
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice

Prize Definition/Explanation

Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.

Source: SOFF