The 2023 Palm Springs International ShortFest announced the Festival juried and audience award winners.
Oscar-Qualifying award winners at the festival included The Old Young Crow won Best of the Festival, Way Better won Best Animated Short, Will You Look At Me won Best Documentary Short, Sèt Lam won Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes and Mystic Tiger won Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under..
Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 including the five Academy Award® qualifying awards were presented to the winners selected from the 299 shorts films that were part of the Official Selection. The festival took place June 20-26, 2023.
Oscar®Qualifying Awards:
The winner of these awards may be eligible to submit their short to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar® consideration.
Best of the Festival Award – Winner received $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Harold Matzner, Palm Springs International Film Society’s Immediate Past Chairman
Winner: The Old Young Crow (Japan/USA), Directed by Liam LoPinto
Special Mention: 48 Hours (Iran), Directed by Azadeh Moussavi
Special Mention: Away (Hungary/Belgium/Portugal), Directed by Ruslan Fedotow
Best Animated Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Way Better (Lithuania), Directed by Skirmanta Jakaitė
Special Mention: Ashkaska (Spain/Argentina), Directed by Lara Maltz
Special Mention: Eeva (Croatia/Estonia), Directed by Lucija Mrzljak and Morten Tšinakov
Best Documentary Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Will You Look At Me (China), Directed by Shuli Huang
Special Mention: Birdsong (UK/Laos), Directed by Omi Zola Gupta and Sparsh Ahuja
Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Sèt Lam (France), Directed by Vincent Fontano
Special Mention for Performance: Brenda Cullerton in Endless Sea (USA), Directed by Sam Shainberg
Special Mention: The Newt Congress (Switzerland/Germany), Directed by Matthias Sahil and Immanuel Esser
Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Mystic Tiger (Spain), Directed by Marc Martínez
Special Mentions: I Have No Legs, and I Must Run (China), Directed by Yue Li
Student Short Awards:
Best Student Animated Short & Best Student International Short – Each winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Student Animated Short
Winner: The Rainbow Dung Beetle (USA), Directed by Ellen Moway and Cole Dupzyk
Student International Short
Winner: A Dead Marriage (Poland), Directed by Michel Toczek
Special Mention: Between Her (Israel), Directed by Bar Cohen
Best Student U.S. Short & Best Student Documentary Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Student U.S. Short
Winner: SULAM (Ladder) (USA), Directed by Noam Argov
Special Mention: Invasive Species (USA), Directed by Annie Ning
Student Documentary Short
Winner: Kaamoksen Valossa (Finland), Directed by Niko Väistö
Special Mention: Still Waters (USA), Directed by Aurora Brachman
Special Jury Awards:
Best International Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Soleil de nuit (Canada), Directed by Fernando López and Maria Camila Arias
Special Mention: Infantry (Spain), Directed by Marc Martínez
Special Mention: Nocturnal Burger (India/USA), Directed by Reema Maya
Best U.S. Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Closing Dynasty (USA), Directed by Lloyd Lee Choi
Best Comedy Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Flail (USA), Directed by Ben Gauthier
Special Mention: Pennies From Heaven (USA), Directed by Sandy Honig
Best LGBT+ Short – Winners each received a $500 cash prize.
Winner: Blond Night (Canada), Directed by Gabrielle Demers
Winner: Burial of Life as a Young Girl (France), Directed by Maïté Sonnet
Special Mention: An Avocado Pit (Portugal), Directed by Ary Zara
Best Midnight Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Nian (USA), Directed by Michelle Krusiec
Special Mention: Animal Transport (Argentina), Directed by Iván Bustinduy
Special Mention for Performance: Raphaël Quenard in Meantime (France), Directed by Guillaume Scaillet
Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award – Winner received a $1,500 cash prize.
Winner: Fata Morgana (Germany/Syria), Directed by Daood Alabdulaa
Special Mention: Border Conversations (Germany), Directed by Jonathan Brunner
Special Mention: I See Them Bloom (Spain), Directed by Nikita Gibalenko
Special Mention: The Kidnapping of the Bride (Germany), Directed by Sophia Mocorrea
Local Jury Award – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: Under G-d (USA), Directed by Paula Eiselt
Special Mention: Teacups (Australia/Ireland), Directed by Alec Green and Finbar Watson
Young Cineastes Award – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize.
Winner: We Were Meant To (USA), Directed by Tari Wariebi
Special Mention: Amara and Ry’Shauna (USA), Directed by Kate Cohen and A.D. Freese
Special Mention: Ivalu (Greenland/Denmark), Directed by Anders Walter and Pipaluk K Jørgensen
Kids’ Choice Award – Winners each received a $500 cash prize.
Winner: Canary (Canada), Directed by Pierre-Hugues Dallaire and Benoit Therriault
Winner: Mushka (USA), Directed by Andreas Deja