Congratulations to our 2024 Festival Winners!

2024 Jury Awards

For When You Get Lost

directed by Michelle Steffes

Best Narrative Feature

End of the Rope

directed by Charlie Griak

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature

Brian Silverman

Two Lives in Pittsburgh

Best Performance Narrative Feature

LOVELY JACKSON

directed by Matt Waldeck

Best Documentary Feature

Earthbound: Nzambi Matee

directed by Farhoud Meybodi

Best Documentary Short

Still Alive

directed by Santino Martirano

Best Adventure Film

Keepers of the Land (Cxlax kinua qnts waxvwisiqv / Balbaalm áa laxyuup)

directed by Deirdre Leowinata & Douglas Neasloss

Best Native Cinema Film

Blue Hour

directed by J.D. Shields

Best Live Action Narrative Short

Aikane

directed by Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, & Joe Wilson

Best Animated Short

2024 Audience Awards

For When You Get Lost

directed by Michelle Steffes

Audience Award Best Narrative Feature

LOVELY JACKSON

directed by Matt Waldeck

Audience Award Best Documentary Feature

Earthbound: Nzambi Matee

directed by Farhoud Meybodi

Audience Award Best Documentary Short

Barney & Herb

directed by Tommy O’Rourke

Audience Award Best Narrative Short

Dreama Team

directed by Chad Weber & Steve Vanderheide

Audience Award Best Adventure Film

Bones of Crows

directed by Marie Clements

Audience Award Best Native Cinema Film

SWING TO THE MOON

directed by Marie Bordessoule, Adriana Bouissie, & Nadine De Boer

Audience Award Best Family Film

Why Not Us

directed by Misha Schwarz & Jean Zamora

Audience Award Best Reel Learning Film

2023 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Ibiza Blue directed by Jesus Lloveras

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: Gringa directed by EJ Foerster and Marny Eng

Best Performance Male Actor Narrative Feature: Mark Elias, Boy Makes Girl

Best Performance Female Actor Narrative Feature: Anne Ratte Polle, EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE LOVED

Best Documentary Feature: Of Medicine and Miracles directed by Ross Kauffman

Best Documentary Short: American Scar directed by Daniel Lombroso

Best Adventure Film: Between Giants directed by Maxwell Frost

Best Native Cinema Film: OLDER THAN THE CROWN directed by Derrick LaMere

Best Live Action Narrative Short: 17 Minutes with Nora directed by Imanol Ruiz de Lara

Best Animated Short: WHERE THE WINDS DIE directed by Pejman Alipour

2023 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Gringa directed by EJ Foerster and Marny Eng

Best Documentary: If These Walls Could Sing directed by Mary McCartney

Best Documentary Short: Pony Boys directed by Eric Stange

Best Narrative Short: The Stupid Boy directed by Phil Dunn

Best Native Cinema Film: Remember the Children directed by Arlo Iron Cloud

Best Adventure Film: Between Giants directed by Maxwell Frost

Best Family Film: The Blake directed by Courtney Sposato

Best REEL Learning Film: The Drive directed by Dan Karlok

2022 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Ferryman directed by Darren Bender

Best Actor: Peter Callahan, Out and About

Best Actress: Carli Fish, Ferryman

Best Documentary Feature: To Which We Belong directed by Pamela Boll and Lindsay Richardson

Honorable Mention Documentary Feature: Being Thunder directed by Stephanie Lamorre

Best Documentary Short: Between the Lines: Photojournalism in the Crossfire directed by Jan Sonnenmair

Best Adventure Film: A River Out of Time directed by Benjamin Kraushaar and Cody Perry

Best Live Action Narrative Short: OPERATION: CAVITY directed by Alex Morsanutto

Honorable Mention Live Action Narrative Short: ALA KACHUU – Take and Run directed by Maria Brendle

Best Animated Short: ON/OFF directed by Nicolas Villarreal

2022 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Marvelous and the Black Hole directed by Kate Tsang

Best Documentary: To Which We Belong directed by Pamela Boll and Lindsay Richardson

Best Short: ALA KACHUU – Take and Run directed by Maria Brendle

Best Native Cinema: Our Story – The Indigenous Led Fight to Protect Greater Chaco directed by Michael Ramsey and Daniel Tso

Best Adventure: A River Out of Time directed by Benjamin Kraushaar and Cody Perry

Best Family Film: Rocks 4 Sale! directed by David Dibble

Best REEL Learning: Under the Lights directed by Miles Levin

2021 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Omar and Us directed by Maryna Er Gorbach and Mehmet Bahadir Er

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: Take Out Girl directed by Hisonni Mustafa

Best Documentary Feature: The Walrus and the Whistleblower directed by Nathalie Bibeau

Honorable Mention Documentary Feature: Cholitas directed by Jaime Murciego and Pablo Iraburu

Best Documentary Short: Welcome Strangers directed by Dia Sokol Savage

Honorable Mention Documentary Short: USA v SCOTT directed by Ora DeKornfeld and Isabel Castro

Best Live Action Short: Rent Due directed by Gavin Michael Booth

Honorable Mention Live Action Short: Groom. Bride. Herring. directed by Dmitriy Endaltsev

Best Animated Short: Malakout directed by Farnoosh Abedi

Honorable Mention Animated Short: Kapaemahu directed by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Joe Wilson, and Dean Hamer

2021 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Elephant in the Room (L’Elefante nella stanza) directed by Kartik Singh

Best Documentary Feature: Picture Of His Life directed by Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin

Best Documentary Short: USA v SCOTT directed by Ora DeKornfeld and Isabel Castro

Best Adventure Film: Cholitas directed by Jaime Murciego and Pablo Iraburu

Best Family Film: Dani Burt directed by Brian Olliver

Best Native Cinema Film: One Word Sawalmem directed by Natasha Deganello Giraudie and Michael “Pom” Preston

Best Short Film: Alina directed by Rami Kodeih

Best REEL Learning Film: BECOLORED directed by Maurizio Forestieri

2020 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Last Call directed by Gavin Michael Booth

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: Lupe directed by Andre Phillips and Charles Vuolo

Best Documentary Feature: Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War directed by Kerry David

Best Documentary Short: Ashes to Ashes directed by Taylor Rees and Renan Ozturk

Best Live Action Short: To The Muse directed by Jacob Brooks

Best Animated Short: Two Balloons directed by Mark Smith

2020 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Last Call directed by Gavin Michael Booth

Best Documentary: Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War directed by Kerry David

Best Adventure Film: The Weight of Water directed by Michael Brown

Best Family Film: Superpower Dogs directed by Daniel Ferguson

Best Native Cinema Film: Common Ground: The Story of Bears Ears directed by Paige Sparks

Best Short Film: The Neighbors’ Window directed by Marshall Curry

Best REEL Learning Film: Osama & Ayman directed by Sam Price-Waldman, Chris Cresci, & Ben Mullinkosson

2019 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: I May Regret directed by Graham Streeter

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: For Izzy directed by Alex Chu

Best Documentary Feature: Letter from Masanjia directed by Leon Lee

Honorable Mention Documentary Feature: This is Home directed by Alexandra Shiva

Best Documentary Short: Unforgiveable/
Imperdonabile directed by Giosue Petrone

Honorable Mention Documentary Short: Glen Canyon Rediscovered directed by Taylor Graham

Best Narrative Short: Swagger Back directed by George Kenyon

Honorable Mention Narrative Shorts: Masquerade directed by Andrew Hawkins and Raceland by Scott Bloom

Best Animated Short: The Fruits of Clouds directed by Katerina Karhankova

2019 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: DOE directed by Justin Foia

Best Documentary: Ascending Afghanistan: Women Rising directed by Erik Osterholm

Best Adventure Film: Ascending Afghanistan: Women Rising directed by Erik Osterholm

Best Family Film: Wild Toddler Chronicles: Motivations directed by Brian Lewis

Best Native Cinema Film: Spider Woman’s Web directed by Larry Ruiz

Best Short Film: The Fruits of Clouds directed by Katerina Karhankova

Best REEL Learning Film: Imagination: Tom Wallisch directed by David Mossop

2018 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Butterfly Caught directed by Manny Rodriguez, Jr.

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: DriverX directed by Henry Barrial

Best Documentary Feature: Skid Row Marathon directed by Mark Hayes

Best Documentary Short: Fix and Release directed by Scott Dobson

Best Live Action Short: Night Call directed by Amanda Renee Knox

Honorable Mention Live Action Short: Watu Wote: All of Us directed by Katja Benrath

2018 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Butterfly Caught directed by Manny Rodriguez, Jr.

Best Documentary: Bears of Durango directed by Dusty Hulet

Best Adventure Film: Altai Frontier directed by Vivienne Smith

Best Family Film: 18 Frames directed by Aiden Hurley

Best Native Cinema Film: United by Water directed by Derrick LaMere

Best Short Film: Watu Wote: All of Us directed by Katja Benrath

Best Animated Short: Pittari directed by Patrick Smith

Best REEL Learning Film: Light Sight directed by Seyed M. Tabatabaei

2017 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: The Happys directed by John Serpe and Tom Gould

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: Bastards y Diablos directed by A.D. Freese

Best Documentary Feature: Real Boy directed by Shaleece Haas

Honorable Mention Documentary Feature: Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the World directed by Nicholas Edwards

Best Documentary Short: Pickle directed by Amy Nicholson

Honorable Mention Documentary Short: Out There directed by Greg Cairns

Best Live Action Short: Eden Hostel (Hostal Eden) directed by Gonzaga Manso

Honorable Mention Live Action Short: The Orchid (La Orquidea) directed by Ferran Navarro-Beltran

Best Animated Short: Wave Arp directed by Andres Restrepo

2017 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Bastards y Diablos directed by A.D. Freese

Best Documentary: My Love Affair with the Brain: The Life and Science of Dr. Marian Diamond directed by Gary Weimberg and Catherine Ryan

Best Adventure Film: Dodo’s Delight directed by Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Josh Lowell, Nick Rosen, and Peter Mortimer

Best Family Film: The Sled directed by Olesya Shchukina

Best Native Cinema Film: Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things directed by Mark Kenneth Woods and Michael Yerxa

Best Short Film: Killed in Action directed by Christine Weatherup

Best REEL Learning Film: The Present directed by Jacob Frey

2016 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Texas Heart directed by Mark David

Honorable Mention Narrative Features: Superior directed by Edd Benda and Fools directed by Benjamin Meyer

Best Documentary Feature: Since: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 directed by Phil Furey and Spencer Averick

Honorable Mention Documentary Feature: Children of the Arctic directed by Nick Brandestini

Best Documentary Short: Dreaming Against the World directed by Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello

Honorable Mention Documentary Short: The Gnomist directed by Sharon Liese

Best Live Action Short – Drama: Till Then (Bis Gleich) directed by Benjamin Wolff

Honorable Mention Live Action Short – Drama: Ronnie BoDean directed by Steven Judd

Best Live Action Short – Comedy: Dad in Mum (Papa Dans Maman) directed by Fabrice Bracq

Honorable Mention Live Action Short – Comedy: What’s Eating Dad directed by Michael Goldburg

Best Animated Short: Canis directed by Marc Riba and Anna Solanas

Honorable Mention Animated Short: The Story of Percival Pilts directed by Janette Goodey and John Lewis

2016 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Texas Heart directed by Mark David

Best Documentary: Revival: The Sam Bush Story directed by Wayne Franklin & Kris Wheeler

Best Adventure Film: First Ascent – Kunyang Chhish East directed by Matteo Vettorel, Alessandro Bandinelli and Milena Holzknecht

Best Family Film: The Story of Percival Pilts directed by Janette Goodey and John Lewis

Best Native Cinema Film: Children of the Arctic directed by Nick Brandestini

Best Short Film: Till Then (Bis Gleich) directed by Benjamin Wolff

Best REEL Learning Film: The Little Bird and the Squirrel directed by Lena von Dohren

2015 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Wildlike directed by Frank Hall Green

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: White Lies directed by Dana Rotberg

Best Documentary Feature: Wanda the Wonderful directed by Carolyn Macartney

Honorable Mention Documentary Feature: Paradise Garden directed by Ava Leigh Stewart

Best Documentary Short: Duk County: Peace is in Sight in the New South Sudan directed by Jordan Campbell

Honorable Mention Documentary Short: Daughters of Emmonak directed by Samantha Andre

Best Live Action Short: Aban + Khorshid directed by Darwin Serink

Honorable Mention Live Action Short: Pilato, Pilato… directed by Roberto Russo

Best Animated Short: The Sense of Touch directed by Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo

Honorable Mention Animated Short: The Dam Keeper directed by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi

2015 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: White Lies directed by Dana Rotberg

Best Documentaries: Duk County: Peace is in Sight in the New South Sudan directed by Jordan Campbell and Bounce (This is not a Freestyle Movie) directed by Guillaume Blanchet

Best Family Film: Cowboy Dream directed by Lars Hegdal

Best Native Cinema Film: Indian Relay directed by Charles Dye

Best Short Film: Intersection directed by Jason Honeycutt

Best REEL Learning Film: Bounce (This is not a Freestyle Movie) directed by Guillaume Blanchet

2014 Jury Awards

Best Narrative Feature: Putzel directed by Jason Chaet

Honorable Mention Narrative Feature: One Small Hitch directed by John Burgess

Best Documentary Feature: Rafea: Solar Mama directed by Mona Eldaief and Jehane Noujaim

Honorable Mention Documentary Feature: Uranium Drive-in directed by Suzan Beraza

Best Documentary Short: The Apothecary directed by Helen Hood Scheer

Honorable Mention Documentary Short: Can’t Stop the Water directed by Jason and Rebecca Ferris

Best Adventure Film: Spice Girl directed by Nick Rosen

Honorable Mention Adventure Film: High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 directed by David Morton and Jake Norton

Best Live Action Short: Natives directed by Jeremy Hersh

Honorable Mention Live Action Short: The Last Border directed by Daniel Butterworth

Best Animated Short: A Tangled Tale directed by Corrie Francis Parks

Honorable Mention Animated Short: Estefan directed by Jeff Call, Lauren Taylor, and Lauren Oppenlander

2014 Audience Awards

Best Narrative Feature: One Small Hitch directed by John Burgess

Best Documentary: Beautiful Faces directed by Russell Martin

Best Adventure Film: Spice Girl directed by Nick Rosen

Best Family Film: Estefan directed by Jeff Call, Lauren Taylor, and Lauren Oppenlander

Best Native Cinema Film: Shhh! directed by Steven Paul Judd

Best Short Films (Tie): Butterfly Dreams directed by Venkat Krishnan and The Boy and the Bus directed by Simon Pitts

Best REEL Learning Film: The Numberlys directed by Moonbot Studios

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