34th Festival Awards
Audience Award - Best Feature Film
Winner - Summer of 85
Audience Award - Best Short
Winner -Sheer Qorma
Runner Up: I Know Her
Jury Award - Feature Film
Winner - Sublet
This story about two very different people from very different worlds having a profound effect on one another is a tonic for our time. Sublet checks all the boxes for a brilliant film: an intelligent script that deftly weaves between comedy and drama, outstanding acting, nuanced character development, and emotional impact. It’s a crowd pleaser with substance.
Special Mention - Summer of 85
This beautifully photographed, taut thriller went well beyond the typical coming-of-age story to create a captivating world of love, obsession, and betrayal.
Jury Award - Best Documentary
Winner - P.S. Burn This Letter Please
An overlooked yet important piece of LGBTQ history is brought to life in a unique and imaginative way. The voices of our past recreate a fascinating world that is long gone and almost lost to the ages.
Jury Award - Best Short Film
Winner - The Night Train
Mostly wordless, this compact masterpiece uses stunning cinematography, knowing glances and indelible visual images to tell an exquisitely sensual story.
Patricia Vidal Delgado (La Leyenda Negra)
The inaugural Rising Star Award, in memory of recently deceased festival volunteer and supporter Pam Connelly, highlights and rewards new talent in the independent film industry. The gritty and gripping story about an undocumented teen’s life on the edge demonstrates that Delgado is a filmmaker on the rise. We look forward to seeing what lies ahead for this gifted storyteller.
Wes Hurley (Potato Dreams of America)
Wes Hurley brought a unique perspective and fresh vision to his first feature film, demonstrating his ability to transform a serious, autobiographical story into a comic masterpiece.
