Palm Springs ShortFest Prizes Go to ‘Sierra,’ ‘The Cave,’ ‘The Sentence of Michael Thompson’

Pat Saperstein
·2 min read

The Palm Springs International ShortFest wrapped Sunday with juried prizes going to Estonia’s “Sierra” for Best of the Fest ($5000 prize), South Korea’s “The Cave” for best animated short ($1000 prize) and “The Sentence of Michael Thompson” for best documentary ($1000 prize), in both juried and audience categories. Cambodia’s “Further and Further Away” took the best live action short over 15 minutes prize ($1000 prize) and “The Right Words” from France won the best live action short 15 minutes and under category ($1000 prize).

The winners of the top awards are eligible to submit their shorts to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration. Many of the awards also come with the cast prizes listed.

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Additional prizes included:

Student Animated Short ($500)

●     Winner: The Seine’s Tears (France)

Student Documentary Short ($500)

●     Winner: La Prova (Belgium)

Best Student International Short – Winner received a $500 cash prize.

●     Winner: Bug (Israel),

Best Student U.S. Short

●     Winner: Foreign Uncle (USA/China)

Special Jury Awards:

Best International Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.

●     Winner: Sideral (France/Brazil)

Best U.S. Short ($1000)

●     Winner: Act of God (USA)

Best Comedy Short ($1000)

●     Winner: The Diamond (Sweden)

Best LGBT+ Short ($1000)

●     Winner: High Jump (Belgium)

Best Midnight Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.

●     Winner: Your Houseplants Are Screaming (USA)

Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award ($2500)

●     Winner: Freedom Swimmer (Australia/France/UK/Hong Kong)

Local Jury Award ($1000)

●     Winner: BABYBANGZ (USA/UK)

Vimeo Staff Pick Award – Selected by Vimeo curators. Winner received a $2,500 cash prize.

●     Winner: Meantime (USA)

Young Cineastes Award ($1000)

●     Winner: Lucky Fish (USA)

Shorties! Award ($500)

●     Winner: Cat and Moth (Canada/UK)

AUDIENCE AWARDS ($500 each)

●     BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT – You’re dead Helen (Belgium/France),

●     BEST ANIMATED SHORT – The Fall (Canada)

●     BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT – The Sentence of Michael Thompson (USA)

●     BEST STUDENT SHORT – El Carrito (USA)

 

 

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