2023 Nominees & Winners
Best Overall:
Winner: “nothing, except everything.” by Wesley Wang, Jericho, NY
“Nos Persiguen” by Paulis Cofresi, San Juan, Puerto Rico
“The Healing Note” by Dre Whitney, Dallas, TX
“Well-dying” by Junhyeok Kim, Suwon Korea
“The Derivative Outlook on Love From the Perspective of Two Sixteen-Year-Olds” by Ella Janes, Oklahoma City, OK
“Agape/Love/” by Claire Bodnar, Springfield, MO
“Hardcore” by Madeleine Case, Calabasas, CA
“Dying to Meet You” by Ava Bounds, Leeds, UK
“American Ball Game” by Teja Mettu & Krish Mysoor, Plano, TX
“Toothpaste” by Theo Baldwin Edwards, New Orleans, LA
Best Direction:
Winner: “Nos Persiguen” by Paulis Cofresi, San Juan, Puerto Rico
“One Night in Squatchtown” by Sam Morgan, Gainesville, GA
“Toothpaste” by Theo Baldwin Edwards, New Orleans, LA
“American Ball Game” by Teja Mettu, Krish Mysoor, Plano, TX
“nothing, except everything.” by Wesley Wang, Jericho, NY
“The Healing Note” by Dre Whitney, Dallas, TX
“Caught Up” by Luke McKinley, Deer Park, TX
“Star Crossed” by Leandra Calvanese, Visalia, CA
“All the Things Jimmy Has Forgotten” by Paolo Florian, New Orleans, LA
“Dying to Meet You” by Ava Bounds, Leeds, UK
Best Drama:
Winner: “The Healing Note” by Dre Whitney, Dallas, TX
“Nos Persiguen” by Paulis Cofresi, San Juan, Puerto Rico
“Nothing, except everything.” by Wesley Wang, Jericho, NY
“Well-dying” by Junhyeok Kim, Suwon, Korea
“Point de Départ” by Tai Sandhu, Woodside, NY
“Swallowing shadows.” by Winston Verdult, San Juan Capistrano, CA
“My Name is Moe” by Kabir McNeely, San Francisco, CA
“The Derivative Outlook on Love From the Perspective of Two Sixteen-Year-Olds” by Ella Janes, Oklahoma City, OK
“Sharing the Floor” by Lily Brooks O’Briant, Burbank, CA
“Star Crossed” by Leandra Calvanese, Visalia, CA
Best Film Invitational - Complete Experience:
Winner: What You Dont Know: A Driver's Story - Saint Mary's Hall
What You Dont Know About Joy - RainCity Productions
What You Don't Know About Cake - Taipei American School
What You Don't Know About The American Dream - West Broward 2
You Don't Know What It Takes To Come Home - Howell HS
What You Don't Know About Karma - Mammaroneck HS
What You Dont Know The Confession - Mountain View HS A
What You Don't Know About Oscar's New Shoes - Providence HS
What You Don't Know About Jess - Cypress Bay HS
What You Don't Know About Me - NSU University School
Best Film Invitational - Claustrophobic Creativity Challenge:
“Bathroom Confessional” by Applause NY, New York, NY
Best Film Invitational - Brand Marketing Challenge:
Westlake High School, Saratoga Springs, UT
Best Experimental:
Winner: “Willy Nilly” by Adriano Roy, Valley Village, CA
“Dear Admissions” by Freya Golden, Brooklyn, NY
“The External-Internal Monologue of an Interdependent Insomniac” by Julian Aaronson, Tulsa, OK
“Average Joe” by Ezra Atkins, New York, NY
“My House is Mine” by Kaiya Jordan, Berkeley, CA
“THE SOUND” by Cole Willis, Dallas, TX
“Magical Lens” by Yoona Lee, Seoul, Korea
“Before it Melts” by Ella Cox, Tiburon, CA
“Hear Me Now” Jamie Davis, Carver, MN
“If I Ever Feel Better” by Wren Martin, Austin, TX
Best Cinematography:
Winner: “Recollect” by Eli Akio Williams, Los Angeles, CA
“Willy Nilly” by Adriano Roy, Valley Village, CA
“Crazy for Cane’s” by Teja Mettu, Plano, TX
“Hardcore” by Madeleine Case, Calabasas, CA
“Please Don’t Stand While I’m Falling” by Kyle Ward, San Antonio, TX
“Red Guard” by L-J Shen Filerman, Arlington, MA
“Stand Waiting in the Light” by Ziyu Wang, Hamden, CT
“Sundown” by Jemma Fast, Mina Barnes-Tehrani, Vancouver, British Columbia
“Chasing Shadows” by Alex Wolff, David Du, Irvine, CA
“One Step Forward” by Chenxi Xiang, Simsbury, CT
Best Editing:
Winner: “The Derivative Outlook on Love From the Perspective of Two Sixteen-Year-Olds” by Ella Janes, Oklahoma City, OK
“Tickle Me Terror” by Isa Ebrahimi, Lucas Saxton, Henry Bowles, Zach Thompson, Kay Kupferer, Mikey Graves, Franklin, TN
“Sixteen Going on Forever” by Anika Sejpal, San Diego, CA
“Sister” by Peiwen Xie, Las Vegas, NV
“The Healing Note” by Dre Whitney, Dallas, TX
“Hear Me Now” by Jamie Davis, Carver, MN
“I’M THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A PLANT.” by Orson Ford, Los Angeles, CA
“Joints” by Hadrian Lynn, West Windsor, NJ
“By This Lake” by Zhangyuan Zhao, Natick, MA
“CONTAGION” by Jaerlene Quinto
Best Screenplay:
Winner: “American Ball Game” by Teja Mettu & Krish Mysoor, Plano, TX
“Hardcore” by Madeleine Case, Calabasas, CA
“Light Hearted” by Dylan Scott, Sheffield, UK
“One Night in Squatchtown” by Sam Morgan, Gainesville, GA
“Caught Up” by Luke McKinley, Deer Park, TX
“The Healing Note” by Dre Whitney, Dallas, TX
“Get Up the Nerve” by Angelo Visser, Lake Forest Park, WA
“Watermouth” by Donovan White, Brody Millsaps, Madison, AL
“nothing, except everything.” by Wesley Wang, Jericho, NY
“Nos Persiguen” by Paulis Cofresi, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Best Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy:
Winner: “ANTEROS” by Max Schneiderman, Los Angeles, CA
“Recollect” by Eli Akio Williams, Los Angeles, CA
“I’M THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A PLANT.” by Orson Ford, Los Angeles, CA
“Eclipse” by Elena Jiang, Shanghai, China
“The Seeker” by Bre Jackson, Plano, TX
“The Narcissist” by Gabriel Perez, Redwood City, CA
“A Reel Life” by Giancarlo Zarich, Pembroke Pines, FL
“By The Pond” by Darren Guo, Saratoga, CA
“Chrysalis” by Alexa Jade Blanco, Simi Valley, CA
“V2” by Alex Schroeder, San Antonio, TX
Female Rising Star Award:
Winner: “Hardcore” by Madeleine Case, Calabasas, CA
“The Derivative Outlook on Love From the Perspective of Two Sixteen-Year-Olds” by Ella Janes, Oklahoma City, OK
“Sixteen Going on Forever” by Anika Sejpal, San Diego, CA
“The McNormals - Cinnabun & Porch Pirates” by Millicent Basler, Amesbury, MA
“The Seeker” by Bre Jackson, Plano, TX
“Making ‘She Kills Monsters’” by Abigail Donkor, Norcross, GA
“Dubiety at Dinner” by Ava Dominick, Congers, NY
“Sole Searching” by Colette Samek, Calabasas, CA
“UNITY” by Lexi Clark, Detroit, MI
“Sharing the Floor” by Lily Brooks O’Briant, Burbank, CA
Maverick Award:
Winner: “When You Take a Gas Station Melatonin” by Landon Dunahoe, Colleyville, TX
“Minefield” by Nadia Beechwood-LeFae, Colorado Springs, CO
“Tickle Me Terror” by Isa Ebrahimi, Lucas Saxton, Henry Bowles, Zach Thompson, Kay Kupferer, Mikey Graves, Franklin, TN
“One Two 1” by Sam Taylor, Saugerties, NY
“The Time it Takes to Think” by Gabriel Perez, Redwood City, CA
“American Ball Game” by Teja Mettu, Krish Mysoor, Plano, TX
“Affinity” by Jonah Pagenhart, Berkeley, CA
“Diverge” by Arjun Govind, New York, NY
“If I Ever Feel Better” by Wren Martin, Austin, TX
“I don’t know what to make for video awards” by Sophie Kratter, Anchorage, AK
Best International Film:
Winner: “Dying to Meet You” by Ava Bounds, Leeds, UK
“Light Hearted” by Dylan Scott, Sheffield, UK
“Dirt” by Sofia Hjelmer Nielsen, Hvidovre, Denmark
“Well-dying” by Junhyeok Kim, Suwon, Korea
“The Road of Life” by Felix Wu, Richmond, British Columbia
“Prayer of the Birds” by Yevgeniya Regent, Kyiv, Ukraine
“One Step Forward” by Chenxi Xiang, Simsbury, CT
“Babyface” by Anna Nielsen, Hvidovre, Denmark
“Roll on By” by Lyra Murphy, Vancouver, British Columbia
“Stand Waiting in the Light” by Ziyu Wang, Hamden, CT
Best Visual FX:
Winner: “Some Things Never Change” by Oliver Mutart, Rochester Hills, MI
“Old Supra From The Future Revisits It’s Past” by Michael Venous, Pembroke Pines, FL
“Coming Home” by Riley Harrison, Corona del Mar, CA
“Lookout” by Thomas Leahy, Jackson Heights, NY
“V2” by Alex Schroeder, San Antonio, TX
“Empty Eyes” by Shayan Habibnejad, Miramar, FL
“Disconnect” by Rae Brown, Bronx, NY
“Selfish” by Atticus Lutz, La Crescenta, CA
“Jetpack Dracula” by Quinn Victor, Saugerties, NY
“ANTEROS” by Max Schneiderman, Los Angeles, CA
Best Original Score:
Winner: “Keep on Lovin’” by James Wert, Providence, RI
“Roll on By” by Lyra Murphy, Vancouver, British Columbia
“Pickles by Eleanor” by Priya Oetman, Battle Ground, WA
“SLANCIO” by Joaquin Foster, San Anselmo, CA
“Life of a Mayfly” by David Du, Santa Ana, CA
“Free Parking” by Elijah Segal, Santa Monica, CA
“Look Up” by Arsenii Nevzorov, Kazan, Russia
“Brotherhood” by Riley Harrison, Corona del Mar, CA
“Dance with Death” by Isaiah Brody, Venice, CA
“Split Mess” by Isabella Calderon, Kali Campos, St. Petersburg, FL
Audience Choice Award:
Winner: “My Friend, David” by Alexandra Carson, Joplin, MO
Teacher of the Year Award:
Winner: Catalina Alcaraz-Guzman from Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, CA
Spark Award:
Winner: “Remembering Tyler Lumar” by Kai Contractor, Evan Sato, Oak Park, IL
“My Friend, David” by Alexandra Carson, Joplin, MO
“Living, Day to Day” by Junkai Yang, Dallas, TX
“Mace” by Dane Parsons, Celina, TX
“Starve the Bad Dog” by Amilia Blackcrow, Mitchrena Begay, D'lonte Farrar, Evan Doney, Amy Snyder, Bowie Bettencourt, Robert Haggard, Kaydence Morgan, Evan Seyler, Tre Heath-LaFrombois, Missoula, MT
“Transforming Media” by Amber Young, Colorado Springs, CO
“Making ‘She Kills Monsters’” by Abigail Donkor, Norcross, GA
“Talk to Your Fish” by Stella Fife, Los Angeles, CA
“S’s Story” by Audrey Maxon, San Rafael, CA
“6 Minutes: For a Lifetime of Honor” by Samuel Gassaway, Argyle, TX
Best Comedy:
Winner: “When in Poughkeepsie” by Noah Goldsmith, Los Angeles, CA
“Caught Up” by Luke McKinley, Deer Park, TX
“A Wheely Big Mistake” by Lily Citron, Interlochen, MI
“All the Things Jimmy has Forgotten” by Paolo Florian, New Orleans, LA
“Crazy for Cane’s” by Teja Mettu, Plano, TX
“The Film” by Andrew Lyons, Jet Yard, Carmel, CA
“Harry’s Slip Up” by Trygg Johnson, Wales, WI
“Monkeysnake” by Alexander "Pip" Morrison, Alexander Chapman Chen, Vancouver, British Columbia
“Ovaryacting” by Jordan Held, Santa Ana, CA
“Death Relief” by Rose Akbari, Irvine, CA
Best Documentary:
Winner: “Agape /Love/” by Claire Bodnar, Springfield, MO
“Grandpa Cherry Blossom” by Maddox Chen, Hermosa Beach, CA
“My Friend, David” by Alexandra Carson, Joplin, MO
“Prayer of the Birds” by Yevgeniya Regent, Kyiv, Ukraine
“Glass-Steagall: Reexamined” by Timothy Kunken, Oceanside, NY
“Origins of Feminine Hygiene” by Ava Skye Barton, Wilmington, DE
“Please Don’t Stand While I’m Falling” by Kyle Ward, San Anthonio, TX
“Living, Day to Day” by Junkai Yang, Dallas, TX
“Remembering Tyler Lumar” by Kai Contractor, Evan Sato, Oak Park, IL
“Long Island: A Maritime Exploration” by Fallin Swan, Savannah, GA
Emerging Talent Award:
Winners:
“Get Up the Nerve” by Angelo Visser, Lake Forest Park, WA
“The Incongruent Congruent Outlook of Two Insecure Teenage Boys.” by Santiago Salazar, Pembroke Pines, FL
“Macy’s Messy Monday” by Ella Musto, Troy, MI
“Sixteen Going on Forever” by Anika Sejpal, San Diego, CA
“Mother, May I?” by Willow Stromer, Chatsworth, CA
“ROOM” by Ian Dani Kim, Tenafly, NJ
“Clomipramine” by Ian Novoselac & Marc Novoselac, Mamaroneck, NY
“My Dinner with Dean” by Nico Rivera, Hopkins, MN
“Irina or Monica” by Sara Maria Ghimpu, Bucuresti, Romania
“Eye of the Beholder” by Will Hays, Brody Gibbs, Glendale, CA
Best Animation:
Winner: “Overcast” by Aleksandar Mindov, Modesto, CA
“Cloud Racers” by Chase Olivera, Castiac, CA
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Max Hendrickson, Dublin, Ireland
“The Road of Life” by Felix Wu, Richmond, British Columbia
“The Mystery at Madison Manor” by Lily Tucker, St. Petersburg, FL
“When You Take a Gas Station Melatonin” by Landon Dunahoe, Colleyville, TX
“My Sisters in the Stars: The Story of Lee Yong-Soo” by Ian Kim, Glendale, CA
“The McNormals - Cinnabun & Porch Pirates” by Milicent Basler, Amesbury, MA
“Lifeline” by Caroline Cabral, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
“Lift” by Michael Soler, Giovanni Spampinato, Prosper, TX
Best Music Video:
Winner: “Water Lullaby” by Piotr Kaźmierczak, Sochaczew, Poland
“Don’t” by Owen Nielson, Kaysville, UT
“Nine 2 five” by Sam Lenkov, Hidden Hills, CA
“The Everlasting Dance” by Victoria Luong, Sean Jensen, Huntington Beach, CA
“Take Me Away” by Quinten Franks, Huntington Beach, CA
“Field of Dreams” by Grace Wong, Doral, FL
“After We Play” by Sam Lenkov, Hidden Hills, CA
“A Rose for You” by Levi Mulder, Andrea Reyes, San Juan, Puerto Rico
“TVC-15: The Return of Major Tom” by Alexsys Giraud, Matthew Wilson, Detroit, MI
“Blindside” by Sophie Harasha, Yezy Suh, Kyra Reilley, Anika Sejpal, San Diego, CA
Best mxmtoon Music Video:
Winner: “Prom Dress” by Ella Janes, Oklahoma City, OK
“Sad Disco” by Sam Morgan & Mandy Baker, Gainesville, GA
“Mona Lisa” by Kat Dubrow & Emma Evanson, San Juan Capistrano, CA
“Prom Dress” by Lane Marquette, Arlington Heights, IL
“Plastic Pony” by Johnny White & Harry White, Evergreen, CO
“Plastic Pony” by Francesco Di Mauro, San Diego, CA
“Plastic Pony” by Nathan Rodriguez, Pembroke Pines, FL
“Mona Lisa” by Joseph Lawrence Terry, Allie Peterson, Cedar Hills, UT
“Plastic Pony” by Emma Boere, Mesa, AZ
“Sophia’s Prom” by Patricia Liu, San Ramon, CA
Best Adventure/Travel:
Winner: “¡Que Viva El Salvador!” by Wilson Bryant, Phoenix, AZ
“Travel Utah” by Matthew Greer, Highland, UT
“Presence” by Katelynn Wu, Valencia, CA
“50” by Roan Milelli, Key West, FL
“Flashbacks” by Lamont Harris, South River, NJ
Best Broadcast Journalism - Feature Story:
Winner: “Skating Beyond Sight” by Tosh Carr, Sebastian Hrisanthopoulos, Carlsbad, CA
“Patriots TV Christmas” by Drew Bank, Ty Holifield, Andrew Rollins, Patriots TV Crew, Plantation, FL
“Infectious Smiles Here and There” by Melina Silvestro, Mamaroneck, NY
“Pickin’ Patch” by Emerson Ella Smith, Springfield, MO
“Dia De Los Muertos” by Adrian Perez, Miami, FL
“The Last Straw” by Daniel Medina, Miami, FL
“A World of Pink” by Jacqueline Franco, Armonk, NY
“Climb Higher: Lyza Bull’s Story” by McKay Grange, Lehi, UT
“Temporary pandemic SNAP benefits end in New York” by Hanna Schiciano, Dobbs Ferry, NY
“Sarah Bolja: The Artistic Dream” by Alexa Cepero, Kirra Reid, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Best Sports Feature:
Winner: “Cowboy” by Lucas Figueroa, Miami, FL
“Cowhide 67” by Nikko Gutierriez, Visalia, CA
“Love. Each. Other” by Alexander Jones & Braden Bedford, McKinney, TX
“Ocean Therapy” by Levi Mulder, Santa Cruz, CA
“iCRYO Cryotherapy offers recovery services to Maize athletes” by Melanie Coombs, Sarah Conner, Maize, KS
“Champions” by Jake Kirby, Jack Norton, Lehi, UT
“Tuna Dreams” by Roan Joseph Milelli, Key West, FL
“Sk8 provo” by Sophia Hanks, Provo, UT
“From Grace to Pace” by Leo Rangel, Richland, WA
“Off the Field” by Sebastian Broche, Miami, FL
Best Middle School:
Winner: “American Dream” by Renee Shi, McLean, VA
“Friends” by Diana Gimeno, Lorca, Spain
“Library Heist” by Students from San Domenico Middle School, San Anselmo, CA
“A Reason for Hope” by Mason Mirabile, Arlington, VA
“Rose Tinted Glasses” by Duckish
“The Anthem” by Jack Archer, Houston, TX
“MEschievous” by Hale Muir, Houston, TX
“Stand Up for What You Believe” by Veer Walia, Michalis Christakis, Jack Boasberg, New Orleans, LA
“What If” by Julian Fellah, Detroit, MI
“Going for Gold” by Annie Swanson, Zoe An, Houston TX
Best PSA:
Winner: “Brightside” by Anabelle Corneau, Calabasas, CA
“Sorry” by Nicole Pasto, Detroit, MI
“The Unseen Battle” by Leo Rangel, Richland, WA
“The Murder” by Jake Williams, Shylah Stewart, San Antonio, TX
“Eat Healthy, Be Healthy” by Hannah Johnson, Visalia, CA
“Trapped” by Hunaina Hirji, Yorba Linda, CA
“Don’t Be Toxic” by Samantha Wendling, Kensington, MD
“Nobody” by Lila Caruso, Armonk, NY
“Peer Pressure” by Santiago Salazar, Pembroke Pines, FL
“The 5th Mass Extinction - BHS Paleontology Promo” by Aleksey Circilo, Matthew Wilbur, Butler, MO
Best Micro-Movie
Winner: “Is this ForReal?” by Sam Morgan & Michael Light, Gainesville, GA
“Some Things Never Change” by Oliver Mutart, Rochester Hills, MI
“Late Night Morning Shift” by Naomi Mohn, Los Angeles, CA
“The Dentist” by Emily Robb, Springfield, MO
“We Had a Plan” by Angelina Diaz, Key West, FL
“Unsaved” by Jason Davies, Huntsville, AL
“Bomb Defusing for the Abducted Adolescent: An Instructional Demonstration” by Thomas Brandt, Culver City, CA
“Finals” by Hunaina Hirji, Yorba Linda, CA
“MEschievous” by Hale Muir, Houston, TX
“Breathe” by Charlie Peachey, Charlie Reyes, Dublin, CA
Best Podcast:
Winner: “AAPI Entertainment's Future: Everything Everywhere All at Once?” by Kim Song, Sarah Yee, Granite Bay, CA
“Two Girls, Double ADHD, One Braincell” by Ashlyn Jo Strutz, Prosper, TX
“D.O.S.E.: Teen Takeaways | Everything Happens for a Reason, or Does It?” by Ayami Cole, Dallas Douglas, Colin Dowse, Carmel, CA
“Big Girls Don't Cry” by Abby Shockley, Estrella Flores, Rome, GA
“A Delicious Discovery” by Darla Bauer, Springfield, MO
“Tea Time Episode 3” by Nathan Wituk, Damian Cabrales, Maize, KS
“High School Feud” by Amber Lindemann, Liberty McCreary, Rome, GA
“You Are What You Eat” by Lemo Sekiguchi, Los Altos, CA
“‘Spotlight’ Season 3 Episode 4 with WSU track runner Nate Vann” by Lakin Zamorano, Ruven Funchelle, Maize, KS
“Levittown Gothic” by Indigo DeRousie, Richland, WA
“Female Factor Podcast Interview with Bodhi Mathur, Artist & Activist” by Shreya Prabhu, Riverside, CT
Best Tutorial:
Winner: “Warp Bubble Effect Tutorial [After Effects]” by Titan Williams, Highland, UT
“Research 101” by Karsten Erskine, Madison, AL
“How to SFX” by Kathryn Morgan, Madison, AL
“How to Make a Short Film” by Alida Dufrene, Luling, LA
“Side Profile Tutorial” by Ellen Walker, Muscle Shoals, AL
“Caprese Mac & Cheese Tutorial” Anna Petitjean, Davie, FL
“Makeup Tutorial” by Ashley Desarro, Madison, AL
“How to Set Up a Camera” by Kayla Molkner, San Diego, CA
Best Vlog Life:
Winner: "A Day in the Life of Emma" by Emma Boere & Macy Van Tiem, Mesa, AZ
“The Flying Machine” by Nathan Corcoran, Rocky Hill, CT
“Pat’s Run” by Ashley Gebhard, Mesa, AZ
“Ice Ice Baby” by Alexis Vivanco, Miami, FL
“CV Unlimit'd” by Addison Sullivan & Selena Craig, Waddell, AZ