2024 Palm Springs International Shortfest Announces Festival Winners

The 2024 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival announced its juried and audience award winners Sunday morning. The brunch took place inside the Renaissance Hotel in Palm Springs at 10:00 a.m., and ran until noon.

Several awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 were presented, including five Academy Award® qualifying awards. They were all selected from the 310 short films that were part of the Official Selection.

Awards for the 2024 festival include:

Oscar-Qualifying Awards:

The winner of these awards may be eligible to submit their short to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar® consideration.   

Best of the Festival Award - Winner received $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Harold Matzner, Palm Springs International Film Society’s Immediate Past Chairman 

Jury: Monique Avila (Sundance Institute); Tracey Lincoln (Imagine Entertainment); Sudeep Sharma (Sundance Film Festival)

• Winner: Bogotá Story (Colombia/USA), Directed by Esteban Pedraza
• Special Mention: Basri and Salma in a Never-Ending Comedy (Indonesia), Directed by Khozy Rizal

Best Animated Short - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: David Ansen (Independent); Katie Bignell (Festival Formula); Dea Vazquez (Independent)

• Winner: The Car That Came Back from the Sea (Switzerland), Directed by Jadwiga Kowalska
• Special Mention: Wander to Wonder (Netherlands/France/Belgium/United Kingdom), Directed by Nina Gantz

Best Documentary Short - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: Sam Bisbee (Park Pictures); Larry Laboe (NFMLA); Sav Rodgers (Filmmaker)

• Winner: Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr (USA), Directed by Kimberly Reed
• Special Mention: Frank (USA), Directed by David Gauvey Herbert
• Special Mention: Kowloon! (USA), Directed by Mona Xia and Erin Ramirez

Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes presented by V Channels Corp - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.

Jury: Rachel Lambert (Independent); Peryn Reeves-Darby (Fifth Season); Katcy Stephan (Variety)

• Winner: Oyu (France/Japan), Directed by Atsushi Hirai
• Special Mention: Making Babies (Canada), Directed by Eric K. Boulianne

Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: Kate Chamuris (Independent); Branton Choi (AGBO Films); Olivia Mascheroni (Verve Talent and Literary Agency)

• Winner: Complications (Norway), Directed by Ivar Aase
• Special Mention: Favours (Sweden/France), Directed by Agnes Skonare Karlsson

Student Short Awards:

Best Student Animated Short & Best Student International Short - Each winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: Jack Begert (Independent); Doménica Castro (271 Films); Graciela Garcia (Cinetic Media)

Student Animated Short

• Winner: On the 8th Day (France), Directed by Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, Théo Duhautois
• Special Mention: Bug Diner (USA), Directed by Phoebe Jane Hart

Student International Short

• Winner: Where Insects Hide at Night (Brazil/USA), Directed by Lucas Acher
• Special Mention: Jellyfish and Lobster (United Kingdom), Directed by Yasmin Afifi

Best Student U.S. Short & Best Student Documentary Short - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: Constanza Castro (271 Films); Shams Mohajerani (75East); Helena Sardinha (Independent)

Student U.S. Short

• Winner: Primos (Puerto Rico/USA), Directed by Ricardo Varona
• Special Mention: Bita Joon (USA), Directed by Sara Boutorabi

Student Documentary Short

• Winner: Remember, Broken Crayons Colour Too (Switzerland), Directed by Urša Kastelic, Shannet Clemmings
• Special Mention: Jardines (Mexico), Directed by Alfredo Torres
• Special Mention: Outside Center (Canada/Germany), Directed by Eli Jean Tahchi

Special Jury Awards:

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

Jury: Amman Abbasi (Independent); Satinder Chhokar (2AM); Diego Nájera (Independent)

• Winner: The Real Truth About the Fight (Croatia/Spain), Directed by Andrea Slaviček
• Special Mention: A Bird Called Memory (Brazil/United Kingdom), Directed by Leonardo Martinelli

Best U.S. Short - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: Lamar Chase (Sony Pictures Television); Kara Durrett (Pinky Promise Films); Evan O'Brien (Neon)

• Winner: Trapped (USA), Directed by Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz
• Special Mention for Direction: Jedo’s Dead (USA), Directed by Sara Nimeh

Best Comedy Short - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: José Acevedo (Brooklyn Comedy Collective); Nicholas Ducassi (Los Angeles Times); Ahbra Perry (Drafthouse Films/Giant Pictures)

• Winner: Favourites (Australia), Directed by Nick Russell
• Special Mention: The Bullfighter (USA), Directed by Giselle Bonilla

Best LGBT+ Short - Winner received a $1,000 cash prize. 

Jury: Jenna Dufton (Inside Out); Sam Intili (Kindred Spirit); Nick McCarthy (NewFest)

• Winner: Honeymoon (Greece/France/Cyprus), Directed by Alkis Papastathopoulos

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

Jury: Sujata Day (Independent); Alison Foreman (IndieWire); Jean Anne Lauer (Fantastic Fest); Laura Moss (Independent)

• Winner: Wander to Wonder (Netherlands/France/Belgium/United Kingdom), Directed by Nina Gantz
• Special Mention for Worst Nightmare: Dream Creep (USA), Directed by Carlos A.F. Lopez

Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinemas Without Borders and 360 Media - Winner received a $1,500 cash prize.  

Jury: Keely Badger; Susan Morgan Cooper; Alberto Di Mauro; Vladek Juszkiewicz; Yegane Moghaddam; Chale Nafus; Rachel O'Meara; Bijan Tehrani

• Winner: Palestine Islands (France/Palestine), Directed by Nour Ben Salem, Julien Menanteau
• Honorary Mention: Don’t Leave Home! (Georgia/Estonia), Directed by David Japaridze

Local Jury Awards 

Desert Views Award Sponsored by Silvercrest – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.    

Jury: Tanisha Alston; Soheila Crane; Jose Macias; Margaret Quirante; Matt Ramirez

• Winner: Then Comes the Body (USA/Nigeria), Directed by Jacob Krupnick
• Special Mention: Madeleine (Canada), Directed by Raquel Sancinetti

Young Cineastes Award – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.  

Jury: Victor Gonzalez; Stephanie Lopez; Joseph Manjarrez; Lyla Sofia Valentine 

• Winner: Guts (USA), Directed by Margaux Susi
• Special Mention: Hello Stranger (Canada), Directed by Amélie Hardy

Kids’ Choice Award – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize. 

Jury: Kayla Beltran; Kaileia Faleafaga-Castaneda; Vivian Milanovich-Hill

• Winner: Mog’s Christmas (United Kingdom), Directed by Robin Shaw
• Special Mention: Shellfish (France), Directed by Justine Aubert, Cassandra Bouton, Grégoire Callies, Maud Chesneau, Anna Danton, Loic Girault, Gatien Peyrude, Justine Raux

Audience Awards
Best Animated Short - Winner received a $600 cash prize.

• And Granny Would Dance (United Kingdom), Directed by Maryam Mohajer

Best Documentary Short - Winner received a $600 cash prize.

• Then Comes the Body (USA/Nigeria), Directed by Jacob Krupnick

Best Live-Action Short - Winner received a $600 cash prize.

• The One Note Man (United Kingdom), Directed by George C. Si

Best Student Short - Winner received a $600 cash prize.

• Allégresse (Belgium), Directed by Gillie Cinneri