The Global Film Village: 2009 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORTFEST ANNOUNCES WINNERS by Marla Lewin

We have attended the Palm Springs International Shortfest through the years, and it is one of the best short film festivals in the world.   Award winners receiving a first place prize in four categories are automatically eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Academy Award® consideration. 

Over the past 14 years, the Festival has presented 64 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award nominations.

The  Palm Springs International ShortFest & Short Film Market, is the largest short film festival and market in North America. The Festival  announced its award winners on Sunday, June 28, 2009.  315 short films screened throughout the Festival along with more than 2,200 filmmaker submissions available in the film market. Held from June 23-29, 2009, the Festival saw a large rise in attendance this year on all fronts, including ticket buyers, filmmakers and film industry delegates.

A total of 27 festival awards were announced Sunday evening at the Awards Presentation held at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs, CA, followed by the Closing Night Party at Ace Hotel.  A total of $100,000 in cash and production prizes was awarded, including $14,000 in cash prizes, $7,500 in Kodak film stock, $6,000 in software prizes, five days of free studio time and a $60,000 Panavision camera package. 

Festival Director Darryl Macdonald cited the collective talent of the young filmmakers attending this year’s event, stating “We’ve never had such a large and accomplished group of young filmmakers gathered together at this event at one time, and the positive critical and audience acclaim for the films on view at ShortFest this year is a testament to the wealth of new film talent emerging around the world right now.”

The 2009 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:

JURY AWARDS

BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD - The Dinner (Vacsora) (Hungary), Karchi Perlmann (also won an award at the Venice Film Festival)

FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD - Katie Wolfe, This is Her (New Zealand)

PANAVISION GRAND JURY AWARD - Jonathan’s Home (Japan/Singapore), Nathanael Carto

AUDIENCE AWARDS

AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT: Dandelion Dharma (USA), Veronica DiPippo

AUDIENCE FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Claiming the Title: Gay Olympics On Trial (USA), Jonathan Joiner, Robert H. Martin

AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION SHORT: Lost and Found (UK), Philip Hunt(CG animated film)

JURY CATEGORY AWARDS

First place winners in the Animated and Live Action categories will be eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for Oscar consideration.

BEST Live Action short UNDER 15 minutes: The Stars Don’t Twinkle in Outer Space (UK), Peter Thwaites

BEST Live Action short over 15 minutes: The Taxidermist (UK), Bert & Bertie

BEST Animated short: Cages (Mexico), Juan José Medina

BEST Documentary short: Irene (Scotland), Lindsay Goodall

STUDENT CATEGORIES

BEST STUDENT Live Action short UNDER 15 minutes:Cigarette Candy (USA), Lauren Wolkstein

BEST STUDENT Live Action short over 15 minutes: The Lunch Box (USA), Lubomir Mihailo Kocka

BEST STUDENT Animated short: The Incident at Tower 37 (USA), Chris Perry

BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY short: Waiting for Women (Esperando Mujeres) (UK), Estephan Wagner

KODAK AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY: Alexa Caravia (cinematographer), Rare Fish (Indonesia)

Three special awards were presented at this year’s Festival.  

The Alexis Award for Most Promising Student Filmmaker went to A Son’s War (Czech Republic), directed by Steven Edell.

The Hard C High Five to Lo Fi Award for Most Entertaining Low Budget Short went Marry, F***, Kill (USA), directed by Douglas Lamore.  

The Cinema Without Borders Best International Film Award went to Kingsland #1 The Dreamer (UK), directed by, Tony Grisoni. 

This year’s jury members were Kim Adelman, author and IndieWire contributor; Nigel Daly, Vice President Screen International; and Henry Sheehan from KPCC-FM’s “Film Week.”

Designated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an award-qualifying Festival and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market, are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America.  The Festival and its concurrent 2,700-film Film Market continues to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and is well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films. 

The Palm Springs International ShortFest is supported by an ever growing number of new and long time sponsors with local, national and international prominence.  The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun, Spencer’s and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.  Major Sponsors include MAKE, Panavision, The Bottom Line, Kodak, KPSP, the Kaiser Restaurant Group and the Ace Hotel.  

The Palm Springs International Film Festival will be held January 5-18, 2010.