On Sunday, April 26, 2015, the USA Film Festival announced the Winners of the 37th Annual International Short Film & Video Competition. The awards program took place on Closing Night of the 45th Annual USA Film Festival in Dallas.
Chosen from more than 500 international entries, the winners included:
FIRST PLACE / NARRATIVE
The Way of Tea (Les fremissements du thé), Marc Fouchard, director
FIRST PLACE / NON-FICTION
Boxeadora, Meg Smaker, director
FIRST PLACE / ANIMATION
Soar, Alyce Tzue, director
FIRST PLACE / EXPERIMENTAL
Migration, Fluorescent Hill, directors
STUDENT AWARD
Nabilah, Paul Meschuh, director
THE TEXAS AWARD
Master Hoa's Requiem, Scott Edwards, director
NATIONAL JURY AWARDS
Speed Dating, Meghann Artes, director
War Within the Walls, Courtney Marsh, director
The Answers, Michael Goode, director
Against Night, Stefan Kubicki, director
Through the Breaking Glass (A través del espejo), Iván Mena Tinoco, director
The 2015 National Jury included writer/director/producer John Putch, writer/actor Jamie Rose, writer/director/actor Christina Beck.
This year marks the 45th Anniversary of the Festival, which has awarded more than $350,000 in cash prizes, including prizes to many (then) emerging filmmakers, including Don Hertzfeldt (Lilly and Jim), Bill Plympton (Your Face), Jessica Yu (Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien), Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket), Marlon Riggs (Tongues Untied), Todd Haynes (Superstar), Alexander Payne (The Passion of Martin), George Hickenlooper (Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade), Alan Taylor (That Burning Question) and John Lasseter (Tin Toy).
In addition to the Jury awards, FESTIVAL-AWARDED PRIZES also went to the following Official Selection short works:
In the Clouds (En las nubes), Marcelo Mitnik, director
Election Night, Tessa Blake, director
The Emissary, Rudy Dobrev, director
Caring for the Recently Deceased, Henry Davies, director
The Other Side, Scott Brown, director
Run Fast, Anna Musso, director
Scrabble, Cristian Sulser, director
Deep Dance, Marco Erbrich, director
The Looking Planet, Eric Anderson, director
Day One, Henry Hughes
Mara, Yi Zhong
Between Times, Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter, co-directors
OFFICIAL SPONSORS -- Sponsors of the 45th Annual USA Film Festival include Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Whole Foods Market, Suddenlink Communications, Dallas Film Commission, Texas Film Commission, Magnolia Pictures On Demand, Sidley Austin LLP, HBO, Jackson Walker LLP, SAG-AFTRA, Texas Association of Motion Media Professionals, Alford Media Services and Ticketmaster. The USA Film Festival is supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
ABOUT THE USA FILM FESTIVAL -- The USA Film Festival is a 45-year-old Dallas-based 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the recognition and promotion of excellence in the film and video arts. Year-round events include KidFilm®; monthly screenings; special programs and premieres; and the USA Film Festival, held each spring. Throughout the year, the Festival presents a variety of membership, exhibition, educational, and cultural programs designed to bring together audiences and filmmakers for a "live cinema" experience.