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La Jolla, CA, April 2024 – The Best Shorts Competition is proud to announce the latest winners. The Best Shorts Competition puts filmmakers first and provides a direct opportunity for recognition and publicity for high quality productions. It is international in scope and has granted awards to producers in Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Mauritius, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

Paul Hendy (United Kingdom), The Choice, Film Short – Paul Hendy’s astute direction brings depth to “The Choice,” a haunting psychological drama about a famous TV personality whose life unravels when confronted by a mysterious visitor. Rita Simons (EastEnders, The Krays) delivers a powerful performance, while BAFTA-nominee Alex Macqueen’s portrayal of pure evil adds chilling depth. The film keeps audiences guessing until the end, making it a compelling and relevant story that explores themes of favoritism, identity, and the consequences of our choices. BAFTA-winner Whitnall’s compelling script, coupled with Hendy’s nuanced direction, creates a captivating narrative that lingers long after the credits roll.

Marko Bosanac (Serbia), New Idea, Animation – A whimsical animated short that dives into the inner workings of creativity. Pensilio, Loopito, and Lensio, embodying creativity, research, and production, embark on a quest for a new idea. Their journey is fraught with obstacles mirroring the creative process – from distractions to self-doubt. The twist comes as the adventure unfolds within a teenage girl’s mind, adding layers to the narrative. With utterly charming characters, brilliant animation and universal themes, “New Idea” is a delightful exploration of creativity’s complexities, leaving audiences inspired and uplifted.

Jaclyn Lehrer (USA), Johnny Johnny, Film Short – A darkly comedic short follows a homeless comedian seeking revenge on those he deems unfunny. It delves into friendship and resilience in a society overlooking those in need. Lehrer’s deft direction blends humor with shocking twists, challenging stereotypes. Engaging performances by Sencere Tucker and Alexandria Sanders add dep

The SXSW Film & TV Festival announces winners across various categories, including Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Design Awards, and Special Awards during the annual Film & TV Awards ceremony. Short Film Program winners, eligible for Jury Awards, and Film and TV categories eligible for Audience Awards, will be certified by Maxwell Locke & Ritter.

Meet the 2024 Jurors for this year’s Narrative and Documentary Feature competitions, Shorts Programs, Music Videos, Poster Design, and XR competitions.

Explore the complete list of 2024 winners for the 31st SXSW Film & TV Festival announced during the Film & TV Awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 13. Stay tuned to sxsw.com for the announcement of Audience Awards winners following the event's conclusion.

SXSW is proud to be an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® Short Film competition. Winners of our Best Animated, Best Narrative and Best Documentary Short Film categories become eligible for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards (Oscars). Any British Short Film or British Short Animation that screens at SXSW is eligible for BAFTA nomination. Films are also eligible for the Independent Spirit Awards.

2024 Winners

FEATURE FILM GRAND JURY AWARDS
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Jury Award Winner: Bob Trevino Likes It
Director/Screenwriter: Tracie Laymon, Producers: Tracie Laymon, Sean Mullin, Edgar Rosa, Felipe Dieppa

Special Jury Award for Performance: Maria Rodríguez Soto, Mamifera

Special Jury Award for Filmmaking: Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, We Were Dangerous

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Jury Award Winner: Grand Theft Hamlet
Directors/Screenwriters: Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Producers: Rebecca Wolff, Julia Ton

Special Jury Award for Bravery and Empathy: Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons, We Can Be Heroes

SHORT FILM COMPETITION GRAND JURY AWARDS
Presented by You42

Jury Award Winner: Dissolution
Director/Screenwriter: Anthony Saxe, Producers: Thomas Lopez, Anthony Saxe

Special Jury Award: Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz, Trapped

Documentary Short Competition
Jury Award Winner: Remember, Broken Crayons Colour Too
Directors/Screenwriters: Shannet Clemmings, Urša Kastelic, Producers: Filippo Bonacci, Gabriel Grosclaude

Special Jury Award Winner: David Gauvey Herbert, Frank

Midnight Shorts Competition
Jury Award Winner: Transylvanie
Director: Rodrigue Huart, Screenwriters: Rodrigue Huart, David Alexander Cassan, Axel Würsten, Producer: Lucie Vigier

Special Jury Award Winner: Eros V, Meat Puppet

Animated Shorts Competition
Jury Award Winner: Wander to Wonder
Director: Nina Gantz, Screenwriters: Nina Gantz, Simon Cartwright, Daan Bakker, Stienette Bosklopper

Special Jury Award Winner: Phoebe Jane Hart, Bug Diner

Music Video Competition
Jury Award Winner: Célen - 'Mom told you so'
Director/Screenwriter: Cécile Cournelle

Special Jury Award for Technical Wizardry: Joe Nicolosi, The Burning Hell - 'All I Need'

Texas Shorts Competition
Jury Award Winner: Jedo's Dead
Director/Screenwriter: Sara Nimeh, Producers: Michael Mittelstaedt, Jeff Walker, Ellyn Church

Special Jury Award: Fatima Wardy, Hair Care

Independent TV Pilot Competition
Jury Award Winner: Marvin Is Sorry
Showrunners/Screenwriters: Brett Morrow, Alex Gehrlein, Jack Gacek, Director: Clint Pang

Special Jury Award: Zeke Nicholson, Halfrican American

Poster Design Competition
Jury Award Winner: 7 Beats Per Min

With its striking visuals inspired by Studio Ghibli, Planet of Lana is a platforming video game featuring a girl and her cat which achieved positive notices on its release in 2023. Notable to readers of this website is its stirring music composed by Takeshi Furukawa, one of my favourite scores of the year. It starts off with a very Thomas Newman-like main theme in “Progeny” (the kind that Newman himself doesn’t really do any more – orchestral, warm, a whimsical melody) but from there Furukawa engineers a full-blooded orchestral adventure score. The theme briefly appears again at the start of the second cue, “Tailo Village”, before a wonderful, sweeping secondary theme emerges. The pair of themes go on to dominate the score but never in a way that feels repetitive: the composer does a lot with them, and there’s always some standalone set-piece just around the corner.

The first of these is the pretty intense action cue “Invasion”, based around a catchy little motif which endlessly repeats as the orchestral forces grow around it. “Peculiar Encounter” is like a playful variant on the sand people music from Star Wars, and then there’s a delightful theme for the cat in the brief “Meet Mui”. “Cave Murals” is a great cue, contrasting ethereal vocals with much darker orchestral colours; then there’s a film noir (specifically, Goldsmith noir) feel in the mournful “Shipwreck”. There are a couple of songs on the album too, blending seamlessly with the score, Siobhan Wilson’s beautiful voice complementing Furukawa’s orchestra very nicely. The best cue, the one which people are going to play a lot, is “Desert Chase” – it begins innocuously enough with a gentle rendition of the main theme before the orchestra soars away and treats us to a rousing action/adventure cue. Really though, the whole album is a delight – the best game soundtrack I’ve heard in quite a while – its 55 minute run time seeming to disappear in no time really. It’s a gem.

Buy from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3woxcdk

The post Planet of Lana first appeared on movie-wave.net.

Music Video

It’s a visual storytelling journey in which Şam recounts his life’s evolution, weaving a narrative that bridges his past and present. The music video serves as a captivating visual companion, enhancing his stories with metaphors and wordplay, creating an engaging and vivid experience.

Short Film

With global tourism on the rise, the short film “CITIZEN TOURIST” tries to look at the tourist as a species with exotic and particular quirks, inviting us to look at ourselves and our group behaviours when we fill that role. The theme is explored in a whimsical fashion, turning the spotlight on an industry that is shaping entire cities and cultures in profound ways.

A young woman writes a letter to the person who sexually abused her. As she types she reflects on her healing journey, her trauma, the scars left by the abuse and the metamorphosis that took place as a result of it.

Entangled is a short winter climbing film exploring the relationship between climbers and their connections to the Scottish landscape. We find ourselves in an intimate relationship with the climbers, looking through the lens at the micro, and the expansive moments.

After witnessing her people suffer cruelty and oppression at the hands of Roman invaders, a young tribal woman named Énna takes up spear and shield in hopes of saving her family and homeland. What follows is a desperate last stand that gives rise to myth and legend.

During a family argument, a teenager flees to the garden to find some relief from the noise and conflict inside, but the argument follows them out and cannot be escaped. Feeling hopelessly fed up, they begin to grow into the grass and are swallowed by the ground. When they wake, they are in a world beneath the garden floor where they have transformed into a cryptid creature, a green man, an escape from being human. What seemed at first a magical escapism becomes a burden as the house and conflict still plagues them.

A young Nubian girl embarks on a journey back in time to reconnect with her drowned homeland. Guided by the Nile egret, she travels underwater within the lake created by the Aswan High Dam to visit Nubia’s mountains and palm trees, water wheels and houses, men and women. She bids farewell to her people as they board the boats that will take them to their resettlement villages. Returning to her own time, she carries the strength of knowing that Nubia will always live on inside her.

“Pugilistic Soul” is a short boxing drama, starring Patrick Walker, that

Emmy Award-winning French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo is delighted to announce the launch of a new feature film division, Dandelooo Cinéma.  This strategic expansion marks a significant milestone in Dandelooo’s commitment to providing unparalleled entertainment to audiences worldwide.

Based at the company’s Paris headquarters, Dandelooo Cinéma is spearheaded by Luna Sirvin, International Sales & Acquisitions Manager (feature films).  With experience in the French and international markets, Luna Sirvin will oversee and expand Dandelooo Cinéma’s activities by acquiring, developing, producing, and marketing animated films for kids and families. 

Commenting on the launch of Dandelooo Cinéma, Emmanuèle Pétry, Co-Founder said, “Entering into the cinema space is a natural progression for Dandelooo.  We are passionate about delivering exceptional entertainment and Dandelooo Cinéma allows us to take this commitment to new heights and build and strengthen our content for global audiences”.

Luna Sirvin, International Sales & Acquisitions Manager added, "Despite the challenging environment we feel the need to offer uplifting and meaningful stories.  We believe that the quality of an animated film and its message is revealed through the passionate work of local distributors.  This in-depth work is the key to meeting today’s biggest challenge: to keep inviting children into movie theaters.  As an international sales agent, our mission is to offer ambitious animated films which will inspire and enrich the lives of kids around the world".

Dedicated to curating groundbreaking projects and exceptional animated content that inspires and captivates kids and families, Dandelooo Cinéma has a roster of projects in the pipeline for its cinema line up and has just signed the international theatrical rights for three new animated feature films:

Targeted at 5- to 9-year-olds, Hola Frida! a 75-minute feature currently in production is the fictional childhood story of Mexico’s greatest artist.  Set for delivery in September 2024, the film is produced by Haut et Court Distribution (France), Tobo Media (Canada), Du Coup Studio Production (Canada), and directed by Karine Vézina and André Kadi.  It's the story of a little girl who is different.  Her world is Coyoacan, Mexico City.  Sparkling, vibrant, everything interests her and when difficulties arise, she faces them with an overflowing imagination.  This little girl is called Frida Kahlo.

Currently in production and set for delivery in May 2025, Born in the Jungle (70 minutes), for upper preschool and families is produced by Atom Art (Latvia), Letko (Poland), Hausboot (Czech Republic) and directed by Edmunds Jansons.  During the school summer break, nine-year-old Elisabeth joins her family in the Venezuelan rainforest far away from their Latvian homeland.  When Mum and Dad fly their plane to the city, Elisabeth volunteers to look after her four-year-old brother Leo.  But soon Leo disappears in the thick dark jungle and Elisabeth must bring him back home before their parents return.

Directed by Annecy Jury Prize Winner Hugo de Faucompret and produced by Laïdak Films (France, Germany), Dandelooo (France) and Doghouse Films (Luxembourg) Granny is a Tree! (70 minutes), targeted at the 7+ age group is in development and set for delivery in December 2025.  Granny Onion, Jane’s whimsical grandmother,

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