The 2010 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:

JURY AWARDS:

BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD - The winner of this award becomes eligible for Academy Awards consideration. The Gold Mine (La Mina de Oro) (Mexico), Jacques Bonnavent

FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD - Pierre Ferrière, The Story of My Life (Toute ma Vie) (France)

PANAVISION GRAND JURY AWARD – Off Season (Canada/USA), Jonathan van Tulleken

JURY SPECIAL CITATION – The jury presented a special mention to Flawed (Canada) directed by Andrea Dorfman "for the originality of its artistic expression, its genre-defying aesthetic and its emotional resonance."

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT - Wish 143 (UK), Ian Barnes
Runner-up: The Butterfly Circus (USA), Joshua Weigel

AUDIENCE FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT - Born Sweet (Cambodia), Cynthia Wade
Runner-up: Flawed (Canada), Andrea Dorfman

AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION SHORT - Ormie (Canada), Rob Silvestri
Runner-up: The Gruffalo (UK), Jakob Shuh and Max Lang

JURY CATEGORY AWARDS:

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER First Place – The Gold Mine (La Mina de Oro) (Mexico), Jacques Bonnavent
Second Place – Pretty Little Doggie (USA), E. Ivan Infante

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES - First Place – Hermann (Germany/UK), Hana Geissendorfer
Second Place – Aquarium (Norway), Bard Rossevold

BEST ANIMATED SHORT - First Place – Angry Man (Sinna Mann) (Norway), Anita Killi
Second Place – The Lost Thing (Australia/UK), Andrew Ruhemann & Shaun Tan

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - First Place – The Shutdown (Scotland), Adam Stafford
Second Place – Cohen on the Bridge: Rescue at Entebbe (Israel/UK), Andrew Wainrib

Jury Special Citation - The jury presented a special mention to The Lucky Ones (Szczesciarze) (Poland), directed by Tomasz Wolski "for transforming a routine look at bureaucratic procedures into a wry, poignant and subversive exploration of the human experience."

STUDENT CATEGORIES:

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER
First Place – Daughters (China/USA), Chloé Zhao
Second Place – Side by Side (Nebeneinander) (Germany), Christoph Englert

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES
First Place – The Road Home (India/USA), Rahul Gandotra
Second Place – God of Love (USA), Luke Matheny

BEST STUDENT ANIMATED SHORT
First Place – Prayers for Peace (USA), Dustin Grella
Second Place – Urs (Germany), Moritz Mayerhofer

BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT
First Place – The Little Snow Animal (Lumikko) (Finland), Miia Tervo
Second Place – A Moth in Spring (Canada/USA), Yu Gu

KODAK AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY
First Place - Jaron Henrie-McCrea (cinematographer), Sinkhole (USA)
Second Place - Ilyeon Kim (cinematographer), A Scene at the Sea (Gu Yeo-Rum-Eui Ba-da) (South Korea/USA)

The Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker went to Some Boys Don't Leave (USA), directed by Maggie Kiley. Special citation went to A Wink of the Eye (France/USA), directed by Ambarish Manepalli

The Cinema Without Borders Best International Film Award went to War (Uerra) (Italy), directed by Paolo Sassanelli. The Gold Mine (La Mina de Oro) (Mexico) received second place.

This year's jury members were Dan Ireland, director; Lael Lowenstein, President Los Angeles Film Critics Association; and Guinevere Turner, writer, director and actor.

The 2008 Palm Springs International ShortFest & Short Film Market, the largest short film festival and market in North America, announced its Festival award winners on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Setting new records all around, 318 short films screened throughout the Festival along with more than 2,700 filmmaker submissions available in the film market. Held from August 21-27, 2008, the Festival saw a large rise in attendance this year on all fronts, including ticket buyers, filmmakers and film industry delegates.

A total of 27 festival awards in 15 categories and three audience favorites were announced Tuesday evening at the Awards Presentation held at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs, CA, followed by the Closing Night Party at Wang's Restaurant. A total of $14,000 in cash prizes, $7,500 in Kodak film stock, $6,000 in software prizes and a $60,000 Panavision camera package were awarded. Award winners receiving a first place prize in four categories are automatically eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Academy Award® consideration. Over the past 13 years, the Festival has presented 58 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award nominations.

Highlights from this year's Festival included actor Bill Pullman serving on the Festival's jury and teaching a Master Class on Acting for aspiring filmmakers. Actresses Jessica Biel and Kirsten Dunst attended the screening of their films, part of the Shooting Stars program. Biel starred and produced Hole in the Paper Sky, directed by William Purple and Dunst directed, wrote and produced Welcome starring Winona Ryder.

Commenting on the success of this year's Festival and Market, Festival Director Darryl Macdonald said, "Packed theatres, enraptured audiences, delighted filmmakers and a hyper-active film market with multiple buyers chasing the same film in many instances -- what's not to like? I got an email this morning from a filmmaker who told me he'd been trailed out of the theatre by several film festival directors wanting to invite his film to their events. It was a banner year for ShortFest, and an exceptionally good year for newly emerging filmmaking talent."


The 2008 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:

JURY AWARDS

BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD: $2,000 & Showbiz Software Package. The winner of this award is eligible to submit their film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
"6.5 Minutes in Tel Aviv" (Israel) Mirey Brantz
Lovers parting, families traveling, businessmen commuting -- a Tel Aviv bus station is the setting for an unexpected confrontation brought on by fear and panic in this part of the world where it only takes a minute for the landscape to become completely unrecognizable.

FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD: $2,000, Showbiz Software Package & Ultimate Stock Footage Collection
Marçal Forés for "Friends Forever" (UK)
Returning to school following the death of his closest friend, Chris, young George is bedeviled by his friend's ghost, who seems to follow him everywhere. But who is doing the following?
Honorable mention for this award went to Nicolas Brault for "Hungu" (Canada).

PANAVISION GRAND JURY AWARD: Panavision Camera Package valued at $60,000 & two days studio time courtesy of Casablanca Studios, Palm Springs, CA.
"A Good Day for a Swim" (Romania), Bogdan Mustata
This harrowing short film, winner of the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival, follows the trail of a trio of young sociopaths as they pick up a young woman they find at the side of the road and take her to the beach for a day of amoral pursuits. Not for the squeamish.

AUDIENCE AWARDS
All first place winners in these categories will receive a Showbiz Software package.

AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT
"Toyland" (Germany), Jochen Alexander Freydank
When a young boy's mother, responding to her son's question about the whereabouts of his best friend (whose family has been put on a train for the camps), tells her son that his friend has been sent to "Toyland," the boy sneaks off to join him.
Runner up: "On the Road to Tel-Aviv" (Israel), Khen Shalem

AUDIENCE FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT
"The Witness: The View from Room 306" (USA), Adam Pertofsky
This riveting short documentary recounts the incidents leading up to, during and immediately after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, utilizing archival footage and photos, first-hand accounts, and interviews with a number of the people who participated in the events of that time.
Runner up: "One Bridge to the Next" (USA), Kim Snyder

AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION SHORT
"This Way Up" (UK), Adam Foulkes, Alan Smith
Two undertakers run into a number of slight problems delivering a body for burial.
Runner up: "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Ireland), Nicky Phelan

JURY CATEGORY AWARDS
All first place winners in these categories received a cash award of $2,000, Showbiz Software
Package. First place winners in the Animated and Live Action categories will be eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for Oscar consideration. Second Place recipients received a $500 cash prize.

MINI MOVIE CHANNEL AWARD for BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT UNDER 15 MINUTES
First Place($2,000): "A Good Day for a Swim" (Romania), Bogdan Mustata
This harrowing short film, winner of the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival, follows the trail of a trio of young sociopaths as they pick up a young woman they find at the side of the road and take her to the beach for a day of amoral pursuits.
Second Place ($500): "È Finita la Commedia" (Belgium), Jean-Julien Collette, Olivier Tollet

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES
First Place ($2,000): "Cairn" (Norway), Hanne Larsen
Young Johan wants to be accepted by the cool guys at school, so he joins them in a cruel prank, shutting another boy from their class in a cold, dark cairn underground. When a series of circumstances cause him to leave the boy in the cellar, his actions have consequences that he could never have anticipated.
Second Place ($500): "The Radiant City" (France), Romain Raynaldy

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
First Place ($2,000): "Hungu" (Canada), Nicolas Brault
A deeply moving meditation on migration, traditions and family are visually imprinted in striking black and white animation.
Second Place ($500): "Skhizein" (France), Jeremy Clapin

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
First Place ($2,000): "The Witness: The View from Room" 306 (USA), Adam Pertofsky
This riveting short documentary recounts the incidents leading up to, during and immediately after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, utilizing archival footage and photos, first-hand accounts, and interviews with a number of the people who participated in the
events of that time.
Second Place ($500): "Springtime in Sant Ponç" (Switzerland), Eugenia Mumenthaler, David Epiney

STUDENT CATEGORIES
All first place winners in these categories will receive $1,000 in Kodak film stock. Second Place recipients receive $500 in Kodak film stock. All student filmmakers in Festival competition are eligible for these awards.

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT UNDER 15 MINUTES
First Place ($2,000): "6.5 Minutes in Tel Aviv" (Israel), Mirey Brantz
Lovers parting, families traveling, businessmen commuting -- a Tel Aviv bus station is the setting for an unexpected confrontation brought on by fear and panic in this part of the world where it only takes a minute for the landscape to become completely unrecognizable.
Second Place ($500): "Small Change" (Australia), Anna McGrath

BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES
First Place ($2,000): "James" (Northern Ireland), Connor Clements
Young James struggles as the outsider kid at his school; his teacher Mr. Sutherland the only person James feels he can connect with. However, when James can finally put voice to the feelings he's been having, Mr. Sutherland's response isn't at all what James had hoped for.
Second Place ($500): "Friends Forever" (UK), Marçal Forés

BEST STUDENT ANIMATED SHORT
First Place: "Procrastination" (UK), Johnny Kelly
This winner of the Best British Animated Short at the London Short Film Festival is an amusing and visually lively meditation on the subject of inertia.
Second Place: "For the Love of God" (UK), Joe Tucker

BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT
First Place: "A Different Color Blue" (USA), Melanie Levy
Charles Curtis Blackwell, a semi-blind artist, lost most of his eyesight in an accident during his youth, but this adversity has only heightened his artistic gifts.
Second Place: "A Great Silence" (Germany), Eva Kosmas

KODAK AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY
First Place ($1,000 in Kodak film stock): Eduard Grau (cinematographer), "Friends Forever" (UK)
Returning to school following the death of his closest friend, Chris, young George is bedeviled by his friend's ghost, who seems to follow him everywhere. But who is doing the following?
Second Place ($500 in Kodak film stock): DeClan Keeney (cinematographer), "James" (Ireland)

Three special awards were presented at this year's Festival. The Alexis Award for Most Promising Student Filmmaker went to "Open Your Eyes" (USA), directed by Susan Cohen. In the film, a young wife going through the trauma of breast cancer finds her relationship with her husband strained by her inability to open up to him, until a chance meeting with an irreverent young woman casts everything in a different perspective. The recipient will receive a Final Cut Pro package, courtesy of Apple Computer valued at $2,500.

Presented by Jason Reitman's production company Hard C Productions, The Hard C Hi Five to Lo-Fi Award for Best Low Budget Short went to "My Rabit Hoppy" (Australia), directed by Anthony Lucas, where young Henry's Show and Tell school project about his pet rabbit goes horribly awry. The Cinema Without Borders Best International Film Award went to "Angels Die in the Soil" (Iran), directed by Babak Amini. On the border between Iran, Kurdistan and Iraq, a headstrong young woman who survived Saddam's chemical warfare attacks during the Iran/Iraq war encounters an American soldier, who's been shot and left for dead by his terrorist captors.

Jury members include actor Bill Pullman; Eileen Arandiga, Festival Director of the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto; Dana Harris, editor Variety.com; Sydney Levine of Film Finders; and Dragan Milinkovic, Serbian film academic and producer.

The Closing Night party on August 28th!

the 200 8 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival doesn't disappoint!

The Opening Party kicked off the festival on August 21st at the Hilton Hotel.

The first of many filmmaker parties was held at Hotel Zoso on August 22nd

The Kodak party was held at Tropicale on August 23rd.

Another filmmaker party was held on August 24th at Azul

The Gay!LA party rocked the house at Toucan's on the 25th

... and each one the crowd was exuberant!

A truly visionary panel Iinspires a crowded room of filmmakers who look to the future of New media and Mobile distribution opportunities.
If you're a WiFi-generation filmmaker, you're already thinking of making films for cell phones and Internet sites. Kim Adelman of indieWIRE, Michael Kernan of NuMedia Studios & Management, Mark C. Miller of Famous Frames Mobile Interactive, Mark Poggi of Metacafe, and Orly Ravid of Senator/Autobahn-US and Wolfe Releasing offered their Hollywood insider take on the fast-changing digital landscape and suggest strategies for evaluating new media opportunities available to you today and in the future.

Having watched thousands of movies over the course of their careers, David Ansen of Newsweek and Claudia Puig of USA Today have seen more than their share of cinematic blunders. During this ShortFest Forum, Ansen and Puig will reveal how they and their fellow critics watch films, what they take into consideration when writing reviews, and common pitfalls they wish all filmmakers would avoid.

The Shooting Stars Program showcases a stellar group of today's stars take themselves out of the limelight to go behind or in front of the camera -- writing, directing, producing or acting in this selection of ambitious new short subjects. Kate Hudson, Jessica Biel, Matthew Modine, David Arquette, Kirsten Dunst, Tony Shalhoub, Jordan Belfi and Winona Ryder are among those who lent their considerable talents to this eclectic and entertaining group of films.

Held at the Palm Springs Hilton Resort, PSISFF hosted Swimming Upstream: A Life Saving Guide to Short Film Distribution:

Brimming over with the collective wit, wisdom and insights of the most important players in the world of short films, Sharon Badal's book, Swimming Upstream, tells everything you need to know about the making and marketing of short films, from original concept to international sales. Tribeca Film Festival Short Film Programmer Sharon Badal invited several of her collaborators to join her for this extremely rare gathering and discussion.

Kodak hosted STOP BY. SHOOT FILM on August 22 at the Hilton Palm Springs Resort, followed up the next day with One-On-One Meeting opportunities for filmmakers meet Kodak professionals, discuss current trends, exchange ideas and ask questions.

The 2008 Palm Springs International ShortFest was held from August 21-27, 2008 at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs, CA.

Now in its 14th year, ShortFest screened 317 films, selected from a record of more than 2,700 worldwide entries, including 53 World Premieres, 47 North American Premieres and 24 U.S. Premieres. The selection of films for screening and competition featured star-studded casts as well as award-winning films from 40 countries around the world. All selections are structured into 51 themed programs covering a wide array of issues for specific and general audiences to enjoy.

Festival Director Darryl Macdonald commented, "This year's ShortFest line-up reflects a return to more personal themes in the world of short film storytelling, and a move away from the 'big issue' themes of recent years, like the Iraq War, immigration and 9/11. That and the increasingly sophisticated use of technical innovations in the short filmmaking process are the two big stories that emerge from the short film world this year."

"The quality of work from these films has been remarkable to watch, especially from countries where film production is on the rise," said ShortFest Film Curator Kathleen McInnis. "For example, we have strong and vital narrative stories from more African countries than we've ever seen before. Filmgoers will be inspired by the wealth and breadth of storytelling from the global diversity in our film line-up."

The selected short films were organized into 51 themed programs covering a variety of genres -- including thrillers, horror, animation, documentaries, and comedies -- and themes, including boy meets girl, siblings, security issues, crime, sins, romance, lust, friendship, parenthood, culture clashes, performance, travel, the Jewish experience, gay and lesbian lifestyles, and the event featured a special focus on films from France. ShortFest viewers experienced shorts from Kenya, Colombia, Romania, Chile, Burkina Faso, the Philippines, Malaysia and other exotic locales. This year's opening night screening on Thursday, August 21 at 6:30 p.m. will be highlighted by award-winning live-action and animated films including Life's Hard (Romania), Manon on the Asphalt (France), Procrastination (U.K.), Sikumi (On the Ice) (USA), Tadeo Jones and the Basement of Doom (Spain) and The Wednesdays (Ireland).

Festival attendees saw a roster of films featuring familiar faces in front of and behind the camera, including Kate Hudson directing Cutlass (USA) starring Dakota Fanning, Virginia Madsen, Kurt Russell and Chevy Chase; Kirsten Dunst directing Welcome (USA) starring Winona Ryder; and Matthew Modine directing and starring in I Think I Thought (USA). Other star-studded shorts include past Palm Springs International Film Festival Rising Star recipient Jessica Biel who stars in and produced Hole in the Paper Sky (USA); Dana Delany in Flying Lessons (USA) directed by Janet Grillo; David Arquette in Nosebleed (USA) directed by Jeff Vespa; Jordan Belfi and Rainn Wilson in Missing Pieces (USA); Tony Shalhoub in LA Actors (USA); Whoopi Goldberg narrating The Descendant (Germany); Sir Ian McKellan voicing a character in the animated For the Love of God; and Robert Redford narrating The New Environmentalists (USA).

A jury of five industry professionals will screen this year's short films selected for competition in eighteen categories including Best Animation, Best Documentary, Best Live Action, Best of Festival and the Future Filmmaker Award. A total of $86,000 in money and production prizes, including $14,000 in cash awards were given out. The Panavision Grand Jury Award winner will receive a digital or film camera package valued at $60,000 and two days studio time courtesy of Casablanca Studios. An additional $7,500 in Kodak film stock was presented to the film winners in the student award categories. Other prizes included copies of filmmaking software from Showbiz Software Store and Entertainment Partners, Apple Final Cut Studio 2, and the Ultimate Stock Footage Collection.

The illustrious Jury was comprised of Bill Pullman; Eileen Arandiga, Festival Director of the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto; Dana Harris, editor Variety.com; Sydney Levine of Film Finders; and Dragan Milinkovic, Serbian film academic and producer. First place winners will automatically become eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a possible Academy Award nomination. Over the course of its first 13 years, the Festival has presented 58 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award nominations.

Designated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an award-qualifying Festival and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market, are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America. The Festival and its concurrent 2,700-film Film Market continues to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and is well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films. Companies attending this year's Market include Mini Movie Channel, Kodak, Nickelodeon, Panavision, Famous Frames Mobile Interactive, Metacafe, Big Film Shorts, Hollywood Shorts, Echo Lake Entertainment, Moviela, Current TV, Atom Films, Shorts International, Senator Films and more.

Several seminars and panels comprised of industry representatives were assembled to discuss trends and provide advice on short filmmaking. The Festival will feature three separate master classes, one with actor Bill Pullman and another with Academy Award nominated cinematographer William Fraker presenting and discussing their work with filmmakers. The third master class will be taught by film critics David Ansen (Newsweek) and Claudia Puig (USA Today) on film criticism. Tribeca Film Festival Short Film Programmer Sharon Badal will attend to discuss her new book Swimming Upstream along with several of her collaborators.

Workshops included Kodak Presents "Stop By. Shoot Film.," a hands on experience in using Super 16 mm film; Taking Your Short to Market; and Investigating New Media Opportunities. The Nickelodeon Writer's Lab is an invitation only event that will prepare applicants for submission to the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship. For those who prefer a more personal environment, the Festival will continue its popular "One-on-One Program," an opportunity for participants to meet individually with publicists, agents, distributors, producers, exhibitors and festival programmers to answer any questions filmmakers may have.

The Palm Springs International ShortFest was supported by a growing number of sponsors with local, national and international prominence. The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun, Spencer's, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and Wessman Development Company. Major Sponsors include Mini Movie Channel, Kodak, Nickelodeon, Panavision, Famous Frames Mobile Interactive, The Bottom Line, Metacafe, CBS2 and the Kaiser Restaurant Group. Supporting foundations include the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The official host hotel and media center is located at the Hilton Palm Springs Resort.