2022 Palm Springs International ShortFest winners announced
The 2022 Palm Springs International ShortFest announced its festival winners Sunday night as part of the weeklong event's closing night ceremonies at the Camelot Theatres.
Awards, including five that provide Academy Award eligibility, and cash prizes worth $25,000 were presented to the winners selected from the 300 short films in the festival's official selection.
"Sierra," an Estonian short film directed by Sander Joon about a father and his son in a surreal car racing world, won the Greater Palm Springs CVB Best of the Festival Award — a $5,000 prize courtesy of the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau and eligibility to submit "Sierra" to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
Here are all the night's winners and special mentions.
Best of the Festival Award
Winner receives a $5,000 cash prize and Oscar eligibility.
Winner: "Sierra," (Estonia), directed by Sander Joon
Special Mention: "The Great Abandonment" (India/UK), directed by Shirley Abraham
Special Mention: "The Voice Actress," (Japan/USA), directed by Anna Takayama.
Best Animated Short
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize and Oscar eligibility.
Winner: "The Cave," (South Korea), directed by Kim Jinman and Chon Jiyoung
Special Mention: "The Originals," (USA), directed by Christina Costantini, Alfie Kim Koetter
Best Documentary Short
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize and Oscar eligibility.
Winner: "The Sentence of Michael Thompson," (USA), directed by Kyle Thrash, Haley Elizabeth Anderson
Special Mention: "Haulout," (UK), directed by Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev
Best Live-Action Short over 15 minutes
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize and Oscar eligibility.
Winner: "Further and Further Away," (Cambodia), directed by Polen Ly
Special Mention: "Makassar is a City for Football Fans," (Indonesia/France), directed by Khozy Rizal
Best Live-Action Short 15 minutes and under
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize and Oscar eligibility.
Winner: "The Right Words," (France), directed by Adrian Moyse Dullin
Special Mention: "Madhu," (India), directed by Tanmay Chowdhary, Tanvi Chowdhary
Best Student Animated Short
Winner receives a $500 cash prize
Winner: "The Seine's Tears," (France), directed by Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer, Alice Letailleur
Best Student Documentary Short
Winner receives a $500 cash prize
Winner: "La Prova," (Belgium), directed by Toni Isabella Valenzi
Special Mention: "Love, Dad" (Czech Republic/Slovakia), directed by Diana Cam Van Nguyen
Best Student International Short
Winner receives a $500 cash prize
Winner: "Bug," (Israel), directed by Bar Cohen
Special Mention: "Stained Skin," (Germany), directed by Mandy Peterat and Adam Graf
Best Student U.S. Short
Winner receives a $500 cash prize
Winner: "Foreign Uncle," (USA/China), directed by Sining Xiang
Best International Short
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize
Winner: "Sideral," (France/Brazil), directed by Carlos Segundo
Special Mention: "Some Kind of Intimacy," (UK/France), directed by Toby Bull
Best U.S. Short
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize
Winner: "Act of God," (USA), directed by Spencer Cook and Parker Smith
Special Mention: "Chaperone," (USA), directed by Sam Max
Best Comedy Short
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize
Winner: "The Diamond," (Sweden), directed by Vedran Rupic
Special Mention: "Past Life," (USA), directed by Rose O'Shea
Best LGBT+ Short
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize
Winner: "High Jump," (Belgium), directed by Lennert Madou
Special Mention: "Lucky Fish," (USA), directed by Emily May Jampel
Special Mention: "Tank Fairy," (Taiwan/USA), directed by Erich Rettstadt
Best Midnight Short
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize
Winner: "Your Houseplants Are Screaming," (USA), directed by Benjamin Roberds
Special Mention: "Wild Card," (USA), directed by Tipper Newton
Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award
Winner receives a $2,500 cash prize
Winner: "Freedom Swimmer," (Australia/France/UK/Hong Kong), directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire
Special Mention: "Breakpoint," (France), directed by Nicolas Panay
Local Jury Award
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize
Winner: "BABYBANGZ," (USA/UK), directed by Juliana Kasumu
Special Mention: "El Carrito," (USA), Zahida Pirani
Vimeo Staff Pick Award
Winner receives a $2,500 cash prize
Winner: "Meantime," (USA), directed by Michael T. Workman
Young Cineastes Award
Winner receives a $1,000 cash prize
Winner: "Lucky Fish," (USA), directed by Emily May Jampel
Special Mention: "Picture Day," (USA), directed by Kelly Pike
Shorties! Award
Winner receives a $500 cash prize
Winner: "Cat and Moth," (Canada/UK), directed by India Barnardo
Special Mention: "Lost Brain," (Switzerland), directed by Isabelle Favez
Audience Awards
Each winner receives a $500 cash prize. Awarded to the film that scored the highest on ballots submitted by the audience in its respective category.
Best Live-Action Short: "You’re Dead Helen" (Belgium/France), directed by Michael Blanchart
Best Animated Short: "The Fall" (Canada), directed by Desirae Witte
Best Documentary Short: "The Sentence of Michael Thompson" (USA), directed by Kyle Thrash, Haley Elizabeth Anderson
Best Student Short: "El Carrito" (USA), directed by Zahida Pirani.
Jonathan Horwitz is a staff writer for The Desert Sun. Reach him at jonathan.horwitz@desertsun.com or @Writes_Jonathan.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 2022 Palm Springs International ShortFest winners announced