and the winners are…
Best of the Festival
Love.
Homegrown | Jane Ashmore | UK | 19mins
Sun 27 Drama & Awards | Online
Trailer
very well made, beautifully played by Jules Robertson and Gemma Harvey with great use of Mike Skinner’s music
Animation
Desk Defender
Animation, Student | Sebastian Soler | United States | 11mins
Sat 26 Imaginary Worlds | Online
Fun, charming, well-thought-through and technically proficient feel-good stop-motion riff on sci-fi action and contemporary desk collectable culture.
I loved the way this incorporated so many familiar action movie tropes and the twist at the end was really great.
Honourable Mention: The Interrogation
Hand-drawn animation brings to life striking character design. Tonally reminiscent of Peter Chung’s avant garde work on Aeon Flux.
Honourable Mention: Almost Christmas
Charmingly simple feelgood festive tale – interesting technique, great use of music and sound effects
Special Mention: 402 (Road To The Riches)
Animated video for father/son hip hop duo Ish & Ish, visuals are a perfect semi-retro compliment to the audio, calling back to the early days of computer-animated MTV music video.
Special Mention: Spoon
Technically very polished, sharply-designed and cleverly realised computer animated micro-short on the theme of maternal escape
Comedy
Dispensary of Death
Comedy | Simon O’Neill | Ireland | 14mins
Sun 27 Drama & Awards | Online
the acting, script, direction, editing (comic timing in particular) and effects work were all of a very high standard.
the script on “Dispensary of Death” is really strong, the actors and setting are top notch, costumes and colouring of the clips are great and it has been kept fairly brief. It may be more simple in terms of production compared to other films but it works as a short and as a package.
Documentary
Ukraine’s Soul – A Tribute to Heroes
Documentary | Marcelle Abela | Malta | 13mins
Sat 26 Real Worlds | Online
Trailer
This was an inspiring use of home shot video showing human perseverance to keep sone kind of normal in the utter chaos of life, the film comes to a crescendo of complete human compassion as violinists across the globe play together along side those in Ukraine.
Honourable Mention: Malpelo: Mountain of Sharks
Best Cinematography for its wonderful underwater photography
Honourable Mention: Rachel’s Law
an interesting way to tell an important and fairly unknown story
Honourable Mention: Shaking A Singapore Spear
A fun novel way to tackle a traditionally heavy subject there was something very fresh about this film
Experimental
SEE ME: A Walk Through London’s Gay Soho in 1994 and 2020
Experimental | Lee Campbell | UK | 7mins
Sun 27 Drama & Awards | Online
Trailer
It is a true collage of sound and image, with an abstract continuity of the cassette/eyes. Although a personal history it is also a social one, but treated in an inventive and multi-layered technique.
Honourable Mention: Scape Learning
for the coming together of audio and visual ‘movement.’ The film has a life of its own and is very watchable, edited in a strong structural motif.
Honourable Mention: Changing Skin
“Changing Skin” has the most incredible visuals. They evolve gradually and become almost sinister. The visuals in this film are spectacular, with a consistency of vision and the jewel-like amber colour beautifully created.
Honourable Mention: Switch
“Switch” superbly blends an almost-narrative with striking and beautifully filmed images. The tone of the voice-over (audio) counteracting with the picture in unexpected ways. A very strong film indeed. Special mention for the cinematography.
Green Planet
HELP and Saved By Jane
Help
Green Planet | Lesley Manning | UK | 2mins
Sun 27 Drama & Awards | Online
Saved By Jane
Green Planet | Damian Sciberras | Malta | 6mins
Sat 26 Real Worlds | Online
Horror/Suspense
Odds
Horror/Suspense | A. D. Cooper | UK | 3mins
Thu 24 Horror Night | Online
Beautifully simple, delivering everything you want from a horror short in just three minutes: interesting characters, a sense of tension, a comment on creepy male behaviour, a clever, nicely set up rug pull and a killer line of dialogue. Both performances very good too.
Honourable Mention: Magnetic
Narrative Short, Horror/Suspense | Mike Waugh | UK | 14mins
Wed 23 Student Night | Online
Trailer
Enjoyed the dynamic, the performances and the exploration of the central theme, that there is magnetism between abusers and the abused. I especially liked the climax, and the suggestion that the abuser accepted his fate almost gladly.
Homegrown
Love.
Homegrown | Jane Ashmore | UK | 19mins
Sun 27 Drama & Awards | Online
Trailer
Music Video
NEOSHIN
Music Video, Student | Sebastian Selg | Germany | 4mins
Sat 26 Imaginary Worlds | Online
Trailer
The Blade Runner, science fiction look of the clip looks highly professional and involves skills that would surely be in demand by any of the major gaming developers. The perspective, movement and detail of the clip synch with perfection together with the music which is the key criteria for selection in the music video clip category.
The storyline and plot is clear, imaginative and chilling. The highlight is the gig scene towards the end of the clip featuring the main character who has signed up to a cryogenic service, albeit a little too soon for her age. The musical crescendo combined with the outer body emergence of the subjects brain receptors indicate that this particular cryogenic future may not be the way to go.
Honourable Mention: Dana Gavanski – I Kiss The Night
The video’s strength sits in its being a complete package as a song + video clip. The video uses what is presumably stop-motion animation to present an eye-catching presentation that draws the attention of the viewer and helps absorb the music from the song. This in my view is the key function of a music video. Perhaps, the video is slightly reminiscent of a well-known “Aha” video but it’s a technique that works well and deserves to be repeated.
Honourable Mention: A Moveable Feast
Perhaps, on first viewing this video seems simplistic as does the music. However, its storyline and progression conveys the message of how nature and resources are being managed, by everybody on a global basis. The message and this film can be understood universally by adults/children of all nationalities. It’s a clip that deserves to be considered in a dedicated ‘animated’ category aside from being a music video.
Honourable Mention: China In A Box
As a pop video this piece merits a mention as it provides strong narrative for accompanying song. Great location shots, thought about story and cinematography/colouring that frame the sentiment of the track. Love the placemaking shots of the classic music neighbourhood that is Camden.
Narrative Drama
Press Key 5
Narrative Short | Lipa Hussain | UK | 10mins
Sun 27 Drama & Awards | Online
Trailer
Very truthful performances on a very sensitive subject matter
Honourable Mention: Fish Out Of Water
Impressionistic, very well shot
Honourable Mention: Walkies
Very well shot and directed. Intriguing storyline, looking below the surface of a little village community.
Honourable Mention: 30 Meetings 30 Days
Great performance from the lead character. Active protagonist. Interesting character arc. Confidently directed. Good use of sound design. Scene lengths are nice & short.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Can’t Go Home Again
Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Anthony J. Cook | UK | 11mins
Sat 26 Imaginary Worlds | Online
Trailer 1 | Trailer 2
Nice concept, well-played, tautly directed, stripped-down production design that serves the narrative (wonderful use of the Thames Barrier) and an excellent standout lead performance from Victoria Smith that sells the whole thing.
Honourable Mention: The Wait
Very well made, nice concept, nicely filmed & scored – the whole narrative is lifted by a wonderful lead performance, full of emotional truth, from Allan Emrys as Simon.
Honourable Mention: Solus
Extremely well made and beautifully assembled by Jonathan Brooks and his team from the NASA Public Domain archive. Slick and ingenious.
Special Mention: The Star Who Fell To Earth
Slight but perfectly-formed, excellent production value and two strong lead performances from Ben Easterbrook and Camille Koefoed that sell writer/director Alessandro Magnabosco’s central romantic conceit.
Smartphone
Backbone of the Urals (Хребет Урала)
Smartphone | Mark Krivoshein | Russian Federation | 5mins
Sat 26 Real Worlds | Online
Beautifully shot, very impressive. Great music
Student
All my life (Całe moje życie)
Student | Jędrzej Gorski | Poland | 18mins
Sat 26 Laughter & Tears | Online
Trailer
Honourable Mention BEST WRITER
Baillie Braund, Gloves Up
Honourable Mention BEST DIRECTION
Xinyuan Zhao, Almost Christmas
Honourable Mention BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Adam Plucinski, All My Life
Honourable Mention BEST ACTRESS
Henley Adams, Harper
Audience Award
Wolf
Narrative Short, Student | Nicolas Mouren | France | 20mins
Online
Wolf received 21% of the Audience Award Vote
Honourable Mention: West Hill
West Hill received 20% of the Audience Award Vote
Honourable Mention: Can’t Go Home Again
Can’t Go Home Again received 10% of the Audience Award Vote