Award of Merit March 2025

Past winner sub pages color

Award of Merit Special Mention

Alvin Taemin Ji (Korea), Mr. B’s Original Sin, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Caleb Jeremiah Walker (USA), Attribute of the Strong, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Chloé Boutet (Canada), Abstory – Season 1 (6 episodes), Web Series
Dayse Amaral Dias (Brazil), A saga, Direction, Film Short, Latin / Hispanic Filmmaker
Glenn Robert Sweitzer (USA), Trail Mix, Documentary Short
Headed Home(USA), Belly Button – Chapter 2 Mezcal, Cinematography (Simon Reinert), Documentary Short
Ilya Noyabrev (Ukraine), The Last Wish, Film Short
Jake Skelly (Ireland), Mina, Animation

BEST SHORTS MERIT Color

Joey Milberg (USA), Physique, LGBTQ+ Theme (Student)
Josh Peterson (USA), Your Rose Garden, Music Video (Words and music by Alexis Harte)
Julie Anne Burch (USA), Tiny Teaching Tales, Direction
Lauren Allen (USA), Promposal, Actress: Leading (Student) (Issa McKnight as Peyton), Direction (Student), Film Short (Student), Women Filmmakers (Student)
Maddie Willamina Taylor (USA), Karenosaurus Wrecks, Animation
Matt Conn (USA), Personal Storage, Film Short
Metecan Erol Duren (Germany), Verwegenheit, Special Purpose Productions, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

BEST SHORTS MERIT Color

Randy Dersham (USA), Oregon’s Boat: the McKenzie River Drift Boat, Documentary Short
Reggie Davis (USA), Swimming The Psalm of Seas, African American Theme
Robbie C. Ward (USA), Animal Math, Animation
Teagan Stewart (USA), Boys Club, Original Song
Thomas Block (USA), Across the Aisle, Actress: Leading (Shannon Spangler as Jane)
Vicente Alvarado (Japan), Blank Paper, Christian Filmmaker, Christian Theme
Victoria Xie (Canada), Building Bridges, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger
Wang Wang (China), Cutting Edge, Film Short, Actor: Leading (ZhongQi Tong as Doctor.Guo), Original Score (Shuo Zhang), Actor: Leading (Wang Wang as Hu Wang)

award of merit words

Adriana Teresa Letorney (USA), Disrupt(ed), Documentary Short, Latin / Hispanic Filmmaker, Women Filmmakers
Alex Edwards (USA), The SW, Nature / Environment / Wildlife
Alvin Taemin Ji (Korea), Mr. B’s Original Sin, Experimental (Student)
Anne Augusta Haugsgjerd (Norway), Flow, Documentary Short
Arshia Rahaee (Iran), Cold Turkey, Cinematography (Benyamin Banaeinezhad)
Behzad Majidi (Iran), Moral, Film Short
Birke Raymond Duncan (USA), Chicken, The Lunchroom, and Mr. Birke, Children / Family Programming (Sara Mossman and Birke Duncan)
Bongiwe Kopolo (USA), The Trip, Actress: Leading (Student) (Tullia Ferraro as Tullia)
Camilla Martini (Italy), In a Tamasic World, Music Video
Carlos Gonzalez and Cory Patterson (USA), Project to Save Mankind: The Plan Begins, Costume Design
Chih-Chung Wang, Taipei Hakka Affairs Commission (Taiwan), Little Flower, Animation

BEST SHORTS MERIT Color

Chris Byrne (USA), Only We Know, Film Short, Ensemble Cast
David Andrew Terrell (France), Flourishing, Actress: Leading (Pauline Malinet as Margaux)
David Bercovici-Artieda (Canada), The Fast Runner, Cinematography, Direction, Film Short, Jewish Filmmaker, Jewish Theme, Latin / Hispanic Filmmaker
David Marsh (USA), The Legend of the Statue, Documentary Short
Dayse Amaral Dias (Brazil), A saga, Actress: Leading (Emanuelle Anne as Maria Flor), Editing, Actor: Supporting (Thiago Fernandes as Zé Firmino)
Emily Anderson and Elizabeth Usher (USA/Australia), Summer Wonderland, Original Song
Giancarlo Mici (Italy), S. PER. AN. ZE. – Un futuro a 5G, Christian Theme, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising
Gregory Christopher Snelgar (Japan), You Light the Stars, Original Score
Ilya Noyabrev (Ukraine), Until the Last Minute, Music Video
Jeffery Herman and Rick Owen (USA), I Could Tell You, Film Short

BEST SHORTS MERIT Color

Jose “Cheo” Tapia (USA), CHEO – Concept of Artificial Intelligence, Animation
Julie Anne Burch (USA), Tiny Teaching Tales, Narration / Voiceover Talent
Keira Moon (Korea), CHERISH, Asian Filmmaker (Student), Creativity / Originality (Student)
Keith Leon S. (USA), Navigating the Clickety-Clack: How to Live a Peace-Filled Life in a Seemingly Toxic World, Narration / Voiceover Talent, Television – Program Series
Lauren Allen (USA), Promposal, Original Score (Student)
Lenka Zhang (China), GIFT, Animation (Student), Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising (Student), Film Short (Student)
Linda Marian (USA), SURVIVORS, Music Video
Lingyan Yang (China), Perfect One, Women Filmmakers
Metecan Erol Duren (Turkey), Bittersweet, Movie Trailer
Mina Hoseini Moghaddam (Iran), The Blisters, Film Short

BEST SHORTS MERIT Color

Myeshia Babers (USA), Fowl Play: A Gameday Love Story, African American Filmmaker, Narration / Voice-Over Talent (non-acting)
Nan Xi (China), Vital  Essence, Children / Family Programming
Navid Ghiasi (Iran), In an Impasse, Direction
Osama Elolemy (United Arab Emirates), The Whirling Dervish, Film Short, Islamic Theme
Over Forty Films (USA), LIKE STARS, Women Theme
Remon Johnson (USA), Resolution, Documentary Short, Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational
Rick Miller (USA), Mom, I Have Something To Tell You, LGBTQ+ Theme
Sema Güler (Turkey), THE SHELL, Film Short
Sondra Hicks (USA), Goodbye Friend, Contemporary Issues / Awareness Raising

BEST SHORTS MERIT Color

Soore Vahe (Iran), Zaxme, Women Theme
Susan Mey Lee Lim and Christina Teenz Tan (Singapore), Cosmic Rhapsody – A Journey of Hope, Documentary Short, Film Short, Narration / Voiceover Talent
Teagan Stewart (USA), Boys Club, Music Video
Terryl Daluz (USA), Transference, Film Short, Actor: Leading (Terryl Daluz as Kareem Jeffries)
Tracey Washington-Bagley (USA), NIKO NEWARK, African American Theme, Drama Program / Series
Troy Smith (USA), Unconditional: Zahara’s Journey, Documentary Short
William R. Andrea (USA), The Raven (Nic Andrea & The Verdict), Music Video
Zohra and Isaias Pérez (USA), An Outfit, Women Theme

BEST SHORTS MERIT Color

Click below for Award of Recognition winners:

Award of Recognition Film Festival

Click below for Award of Excellence and Best of Show winners:
Award of Excellence