Directed by award-winning filmmaker and AFI alumni Benjamin Pollack (“Sexart,” Out of Malibu, Hopeful Romantic) and featuring stunning performances from an all-star cast Frank Noon (former British drummer of Def Leppard and Roadhouse, “Weeds,”), Wayne Knight (“Seinfeld,” Jurassic Park), Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, Thirteen Days, I, Robot), Debbie Pollack (Sixteen Candles, “Dirty John”), Michael Patrick McGill (Annabelle Comes Home, Dark Skies), Alexandra Wright (“This Is Us,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Grace and Frankie”), Gary Nohealii (“Criminal Minds,” The Forever Purge, “Hawaii Five-O”), Jeanette O’Connor (“Baskets,” “Ray Donovan”), Fritz Coleman (Glimmer Man, On The Fritz), Margo Parker (“If Walls Could Talk,” “Deadly Girls Night Out”), Rusty Anderson (lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s touring band). Don’t miss out on this heartwarming story and an unforgettable cinematic experience and be among the first to see What Ever Happened To Jonny Faith on the big screen.
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LA Shorts Oscar-Qualifying Film Festival Wraps With Awards Ceremony: Garin Hovannisian’s NOWHERE Wins Top Prize, Three Other Films Also Qualify
Los Angeles-based filmmaker Garin Hovannisian is among a select group of filmmakers to punch their ticket for the Oscar race, after scoring a big win at the LA Shorts Film Festival. Other Oscar qualifying winners are It Takes a Village Best International Film (Armenia) Director: Ophelia Hanutyunyan, The Brave Locomotive Best Animation Director: Andrew Pierce Chesworth, and The Noble Guardian Best Documentary Director: Anna Coren.
Hovannisian’s 11-minute film Nowhere won the Best of Fest at the festival’s awards ceremony on Sunday evening. Set in the city called Nowhere, shadows dream of a life without their human masters.
Los Angeles-based Immaculate Heart Community (see above photo from the red carpet arrivals) bestowed five (5) individual, $1,000 cash prizes onto participating filmmakers whose representative work (respectively) demonstrates enlightenment, inclusivity, and independent spirit. Recipients include Jasmine Bissete, Chloe Campos, Lorena E. Gonzalez, Melika Jamshidabadi, and Tanxuan Shi.
Scroll for full list of winners.
The festival is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences OSCAR®, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA, and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television ACCT Canadian Screen Awards and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain GOYA AWARDS. 66 LA Shorts filmmakers have earned Academy Award® nominations, with 17 taking home the Oscar.
LA Shorts is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles. The festival screens over 350 films and attracts 10,000 attendees each year including Hollywood industry professionals and emerging undiscovered independent filmmakers.
Best of Fest:
Nowhere – Director: Garin Hovannisian
Best International
It Takes a Village… (Armenia) Director: Ophelia Harutyunyan
Best Drama
The Kill Floor – Director: Carlos Avila
Best Comedy
The Avon Lady – Director: Carolina Espiro
Best Animation
The Brave Locomotive – Director: Andrew Pierce Chesworth
Best Experimental
Red Man – Director/Writer: Xinhao Lu
Best Documentary
The Noble Guardian Director Anna Coren
Best Sci-Fi
Dream Maker (Turkey) – Director: Mohsen Mehri Darouei, Milad Kiaei
Best Horror
Get Away – Director: Michael Gabriele
Best Music Video
Pronto – Light Light (Switzerland) Director Maximilian Speidel
Best Web Series
Space Rats (Australia) – Director Darwin Schulze, Basil Scott-Mitchell
Best High School Film
Sharing the Floor – Director/Writer Lily Brooks O’ Briant
Best Actor
Dusan Brown (“All In”)
Best Actress
Janessa St. Pierre (“Hair or No Hair”)
Best Script
Jimmy Prosser (“Korean Shooter”)
Immaculate Heart Community Cash Prizes:
$1,000 CASH PRIZE
Director: Melika Jamshidabadi
$1,000 CASH PRIZE
Director: Chloe Campos
$1,000 CASH PRIZE
Director: Lorena E. Gonzalez
$1,000 CASH PRIZE
Director: Jasmine Bissete
$1,000 CASH PRIZE
Director: Tanxuan Shi
