SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

BEST FEATURE:

I am Fine, Thanks

Director Biography - Ernestas Jankauskas
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Ernestas Jankauskas directed over 40 award-winning commercials. His short film “The Queen of England Stole My Parents” won the best short movie award at the National Film Awards. His first feature film “Sasha Was Here” premiered at Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn and was selected for Shanghai, Les Arcs, Odesa Film Festivals, and 15 more.

Film Overview
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Successful scientist hides her breakdowns that manifest as crazy hallucinations in order to maintain her socially perfect image.

BEST SHORT:

Crush

Director Biography - Hunter R. Adams
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Hunter R. Adams is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. He is a graduate of Missouri State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Digital Film and Television Production as well as a minor in screenwriting.A writer from a very early age, Hunter has always been engrossed in the art of storytelling on page and screen. He began to study screenwriting during his college career, and has since been constantly improving his craft. After coming out as transgender in 2020, Hunter began to dedicate much of his work to showcase the stories of people like himself. He directed his first original short film, "CRUSH", a year later, and immediately fell in love with the creative freedom and independence of being a writer/director. Hunter continues to tell stories that deal in queerness, neurodivergence, and the midwestern lifestyle.

Film Overview
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A transgender teen becomes reacquainted with his childhood best friend.

BEST PERSONAL STORY:

Junkin'

Director Biography - Andy Heck

Andy Heck is a filmmaker from East Troy, WI. He earned his degree in Multimedia from UW-Whitewater where he pursued his passion for film. After a history of making videos for action sports, events, and businesses, he found his career as a videographer for a corporation that moved him to Charlotte, NC. After moving to Charlotte and competing in local competitions and working crew on several films, Andy has found himself filling the Director of Photography role on current projects.

Film Overview
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Mike Heck seeks redemption after suffering most of his life with alcoholism, depression, and hoarding disorder.

BEST ORIGINALITY/ CREATIVITY:

The Spectators

Director Biography - Nikita Liu
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Nikita Liu is an American filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist. She began her career as a self-portrait artist and model. This allowed her to gain the experience of working with multiple aspects of image creation: photography, editing, set design, wardrobe, hair, and makeup. A desire to apply this experience to cinema led her to create her first short film, The Spectators, in 2022.

Film Overview
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For her birthday, a 1920s enthusiast receives an immersive silent film experience.

BEST ANIMATION:

Middle Watch

Director Biography - John Stevenson and Aiesha Penwarden
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Based in Los Angeles, John Stevenson is an English / American director probably best known for his work with Pixar and Dreamworks. In 2008, he won an 'Annie' and was nominated for an Oscar for directing Kung Fu Panda.

​Based in London, Aiesha Penwarden is an Indonesian-English Animation graduate of Falmouth University, Cornwall. She works as a story artist, production designer and film director. Middle Watch is her first film.

Film Overview
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A sailor must come to terms with the trauma of war and the mysteries of the deep, as he endures another shift on the Middle Watch.

BEST TRAUMA:

Petals of a Rose

Director Biography - Dylan Crumpler
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Dylan Crumpler is a 2022 graduate of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts where he studied Film Production with an emphasis in Directing. His passion toward filmmaking began at a young age through the love and encouragement of his Grandma Minnie, who enthusiastically introduced him to many classics on TCM. Since then, he has focused on creating unique stories through a variety of genres that both entertain and spark a new sense of wonder, hope, or belonging in his audience.

Film Overview
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A woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder struggles to prevent her parts from getting triggered on Valentine's Day.

BEST DEPRESSION/ SUICIDE:

STAY

Director Biography -  Felisha Norman
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Felisha Norman is known for Just Jackie (2017), Stay (2022) and Awww Nuts (2005).

Film Overview
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A married mother with two children is desperate to find relief from the infinite days of nothingness. Will she find the will to stay?

BEST DOCUMENTARY

The Call We Carry: Confronting PTSD in Fire Service

Director Biography - Cody Shea

Cody Shea is a Firefighter Paramedic at Medic 5 on Tacoma’s Eastside and joined the Tacoma Fire Department in 2018. Cody also contributes photos and videos for the department’s social media and has a previous photo and film background prior to becoming a Tacoma Firefighter. He comes from a firefighting family with both parents currently retired from the Seattle Fire Department. Cody also works as an independent contractor under his company C. Ray Shea Media.

Film Overview
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Four Tacoma Firefighters share an intimate glimpse into their lives as they tell stories of pain, sacrifice, and resiliency in the midst of an unprecedented call volume increase.

BEST SCREENPLAY:

Last Stop

Written by: Tommy McInnis
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Tommy McInnis was born in Staten Island, NY to working class parents. His mother worked in banking, and his dad worked as a real estate agent. Tommy got his first taste of the arts in the 6th grade. His teachers noticed that he could actually carry a tune, so he was called upon to sing solos in school music pageants. His next venture wouldn't come until he was a young adult. Having no stage experience, but having a desire to be of service, he became part of a theater group that was formed to raise funds for a church in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Writing sketches and performing as various characters, the show was very well received, with the performance being sold-out. So, they put on another one a year later, playing to three sell-out crowds. It would then be a very long time, about 25 years, before the arts would call upon him again. Tommy's close friend and former coworker decided to approach him about a book idea. Having a questionable past, but coming out of it, and building a career based upon his own past experiences, this became the subject of their book, Last Stop: A Survivor's Story. For Tommy it was a healing and sometimes painful look at a past he thought he'd rather soon forget. But, with things the way they are, he has been trying to move his story from the page to the screen, so he wrote a screenplay. Right now, the screenplay based on his homelessness is in the hands of several people, including his agent, several other agents of actors he thought would fit certain roles, and two production companies. (Crossed fingers.) Since the beginning of 2012, he has returned to acting. Having landed several roles in films and television, it makes him wonder why he hadn't gone back into it sooner. Tommy currently has his own project in the works. The short comedy, "Mafia's Anonymous," taken from the stage show he wrote and performed in many years ago and rewrote it for the screen, and a second feature film which he wrote and is negotiating now with the producers.

Film Overview
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Tommy McInnis, formerly homeless, works for New York City's mental health looking for and helping homeless who live in the subway tunnels under NYC.