Top 100 Best Reviewed Festival in one of L.A.’s Best Theaters

We never get tired of getting the email from FilmFreeway with the subject, “Congrats on your Top 100 status!”

“According to reviews from real FilmFreeway users, your festival ranks in the top 1% of more than 12,000 film festivals and creative contests around the world. No doubt, this ranking is a testament to the countless hours of hard work and care that you and your staff have devoted to creating such a wonderful event.”

Equally exciting news is that Sherman Oaks Film Festival has moved to the Look Cinema in Glendale, CA.  State of the art DCP projection with leather recliners, food & beverage service, and top of the line sound!

 

2023 Awards

Best In Fest

Best in Fest – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best in Fest – Featurette – Blue Square Heart
Best in Fest – Short Film – Backlog

Grand Jury Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Feature Film – Documentary – REAL
Best Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown
Best Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Foil
Best Feature Film – Thriller – Off Ramp
Best Featurette – Drama – A Way Home
Best Featurette – Drama – Blue Square Heart
Best Featurette – Horror – Drawn
Best Featurette – Horror – Scratch
Best Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb”
Best Short Film – Animation – Moving Day
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – The Sacred Bees
Best Short Film – Comedy – Men Grieving
Best Short Film – Comedy – Wiener
Best Short Film – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Best Short Film – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Best Short Film – Drama – Backlog
Best Short Film – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Best Short Film – Horror – Oddities
Best Short Film – SciFi – Homecoming
Best Director – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape
Best Director – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Director – Short Film – Backlog – Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal
Best Lead Performer – Feature Film – American Meltdown – Jacki Von Preysing
Best Lead Performer – Featurette – Scratch – Brian Palatucci
Best Lead Performer – Short Film – What Dictators Dream About – Rick Segall
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Scott Turner Schofield
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown – Nicolette Sweeney
Best Supporting Performer – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – Jessica Lea Risco
Best Supporting Performer – Short Film – Room 107 – Winter Andrews
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Performance by a Cast – Featurette – A Way Home
Best Performance by a Cast – Short Film – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Peter Jason & Jonah Ray Rodrigues
Best Performance by a Duo – FOIL – Zach Green & Devin O’Rourke
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Club Illusion The Movie – Christine Elizabeth Bridges, David Brent Parris, & Vivian Paul Suter
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape & Tim Cairo
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her – Selina Ringel
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis – Pirie Martin
Best Screenplay – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Screenplay – Sereies/TV (Unproduced) – Badger – Anna Elizabeth Ross
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – The Ballad of River Kendricks: da prologue – Jason Mendoza
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Manifesto – Mike Sorce & Matthew Kic
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – Black Mold – Robert Patrick Stern
Best Cinematography – Featurette – Drawn – Stephen Tringali
Best Cinematography – Short Film – Homecoming – Skyler Bocciolatt
Best Production Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – Sarah Sharp
Best Production Design – Featurette – Scratch – Michael Trainotti & Jim Ward
Best Production Design – Short Film – The Unquiet Dead – Julia Vela
Best Sound Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – John Wong
Best Sound Design – Featurette – Scratch – Stephen Tringali
Best Sound Design – Short Film – Homecoming – Erik D. Magnus

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – A Brush With Death
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood
Outstanding Short Film – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Kneel
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Manifesto
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Room 107
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – The Unquiet Dead
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Pleroma
Outstanding Director – Animation – Moving Day – Sean Mirkovich
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier
Outstanding Director – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Isaiah Shinn
Outstanding Director – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Outstanding Director – Drama – Room 107 – Steve Anderson & Leandro Imaz
Outstanding Director – Horror – The Unquiet Dead – John Gray
Outstanding Director – SciFi – Homecoming – Garrett Johnson & Ben Nicholson
Outstanding Director – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Pefromances – Animation – Moving Day
Oustanding Pefromances – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier & Lucas Brahme
Oustanding Pefromances – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Oustanding Pefromances – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Oustanding Pefromances – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Oustanding Pefromances – Horror – Oddities
Oustanding Pefromances – SciFi – Test Drive
Oustanding Pefromances – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Screenplay – Animation – Ingolstadt – Mike Harris
Oustanding Screenplay – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood – Jason Lee Segal
Oustanding Screenplay – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Kendra Willis
Oustanding Screenplay – Drama – What Dictators Dream About – Christian Shapiro
Oustanding Screenplay – Horror – Oddities – Tyler Savage
Oustanding Screenplay – SciFi – Entrainment – Bill Prokopow
Oustanding Screenplay – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Creativity – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Creativity – Comedy – Wiener
Outstanding Creativity – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Outstanding Creativity – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Creativity – Drama – Sunflower Nicky
Outstanding Creativity – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Creativity – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Creativity – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay

Audience Awards

Best Feature Film – Drama – Kikum Spirit (The Untold African Story)
Best Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Mind Thief
Best Featurette – Horror – Strawberry
Best Short Film – Animation – Austin Karimloo
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice
Best Short Film – Dance – Perennial
Best Short Film – Documentary – Resurgence
Best Short Film – Drama – Homologies
Best Short Film – Drama – Rock Bottom
Best Short Film – Horror – The Night Editors
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice

Programmer’s Prize

For Exceptional Filmmaking
Death Doula
Gummies
Hell of a Child
Homologies
I Want to Live on Mars
Just Passing Time
Lena
Mickey Dogface
Moonlight Sonata, with Scissors
Reseda
Robert & Billie
Sally Chooses Adventure
Sinigang
Something Good Coming
Swish
Tax Time
The Bytes Dreams are Made of
The Island

Prize Definitions/Explanations

Best In Fest – determined by the festival’s official selection committee, this category was added to pander to important organizations that demand a festival give out awards not specific to genre/category.
Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.
Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.
Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.
Programmer’s Prize – given by festival programmer Jeff Howard as a reward for his hard work. Also, having his own awards means he never has to put his finger on the scale for the other awards.

2023 Best In Fest Awards

Best In Fest

Best in Fest – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best in Fest – Featurette – Blue Square Heart
Best in Fest – Short Film – Backlog

Prize Definition/Explanation

Best In Fest – determined by the festival’s official selection committee, this category was added to pander to important organizations that demand a festival give out awards not specific to genre/category.

2023 Grand Jury Awards

Grand Jury Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Feature Film – Documentary – REAL
Best Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown
Best Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Foil
Best Feature Film – Thriller – Off Ramp
Best Featurette – Drama – A Way Home
Best Featurette – Drama – Blue Square Heart
Best Featurette – Horror – Drawn
Best Featurette – Horror – Scratch
Best Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb”
Best Short Film – Animation – Moving Day
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – The Sacred Bees
Best Short Film – Comedy – Men Grieving
Best Short Film – Comedy – Wiener
Best Short Film – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Best Short Film – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Best Short Film – Drama – Backlog
Best Short Film – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Best Short Film – Horror – Oddities
Best Short Film – SciFi – Homecoming
Best Director – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape
Best Director – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Director – Short Film – Backlog – Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal
Best Lead Performer – Feature Film – American Meltdown – Jacki Von Preysing
Best Lead Performer – Featurette – Scratch – Brian Palatucci
Best Lead Performer – Short Film – What Dictators Dream About – Rick Segall
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Scott Turner Schofield
Best Supporting Performer – Feature Film – Drama – American Meltdown – Nicolette Sweeney
Best Supporting Performer – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – Jessica Lea Risco
Best Supporting Performer – Short Film – Room 107 – Winter Andrews
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Off Ramp
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Little Deaths
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Horror – Black Mold
Best Performance by a Cast – Featurette – A Way Home
Best Performance by a Cast – Short Film – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Peter Jason & Jonah Ray Rodrigues
Best Performance by a Duo – FOIL – Zach Green & Devin O’Rourke
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Club Illusion The Movie – Christine Elizabeth Bridges, David Brent Parris, & Vivian Paul Suter
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Off Ramp – Nathan Tape & Tim Cairo
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Comedy – You, Me & Her – Selina Ringel
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis – Pirie Martin
Best Screenplay – Featurette – Blue Square Heart – William Means
Best Screenplay – Sereies/TV (Unproduced) – Badger – Anna Elizabeth Ross
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – The Ballad of River Kendricks: da prologue – Jason Mendoza
Best Screenplay – Short Film – Manifesto – Mike Sorce & Matthew Kic
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – Black Mold – Robert Patrick Stern
Best Cinematography – Featurette – Drawn – Stephen Tringali
Best Cinematography – Short Film – Homecoming – Skyler Bocciolatt
Best Production Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – Sarah Sharp
Best Production Design – Featurette – Scratch – Michael Trainotti & Jim Ward
Best Production Design – Short Film – The Unquiet Dead – Julia Vela
Best Sound Design – Feature Film – Black Mold – John Wong
Best Sound Design – Featurette – Scratch – Stephen Tringali
Best Sound Design – Short Film – Homecoming – Erik D. Magnus

Prize Definition/Explanation

Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.

2023 Filmmakers Awards

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – A Brush With Death
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood
Outstanding Short Film – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Short Film – Documentary – Kneel
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Manifesto
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Room 107
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – The Unquiet Dead
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Pleroma
Outstanding Director – Animation – Moving Day – Sean Mirkovich
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier
Outstanding Director – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Isaiah Shinn
Outstanding Director – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Outstanding Director – Drama – Room 107 – Steve Anderson & Leandro Imaz
Outstanding Director – Horror – The Unquiet Dead – John Gray
Outstanding Director – SciFi – Homecoming – Garrett Johnson & Ben Nicholson
Outstanding Director – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Pefromances – Animation – Moving Day
Oustanding Pefromances – Comedy – Men Grieving – Adam Peltier & Lucas Brahme
Oustanding Pefromances – Dance – If Cities Could Dance: J-Setting Atlanta
Oustanding Pefromances – Documentary – The Orchestra Chuck Built
Oustanding Pefromances – Drama – What Dictators Dream About
Oustanding Pefromances – Horror – Oddities
Oustanding Pefromances – SciFi – Test Drive
Oustanding Pefromances – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay
Oustanding Screenplay – Animation – Ingolstadt – Mike Harris
Oustanding Screenplay – Comedy – Welcome To The Neighborhood – Jason Lee Segal
Oustanding Screenplay – Dance – Radical Kingdom – Kendra Willis
Oustanding Screenplay – Drama – What Dictators Dream About – Christian Shapiro
Oustanding Screenplay – Horror – Oddities – Tyler Savage
Oustanding Screenplay – SciFi – Entrainment – Bill Prokopow
Oustanding Screenplay – Series / TV Pilot – Barney & Herb “Hairy Herb” – Tommy O’Rourke
Outstanding Creativity – Animation – Ingolstadt
Outstanding Creativity – Comedy – Wiener
Outstanding Creativity – Dance – Radical Kingdom
Outstanding Creativity – Documentary – Accidental Artist
Outstanding Creativity – Drama – Sunflower Nicky
Outstanding Creativity – Horror – My Scary Indian Wedding
Outstanding Creativity – SciFi – Entrainment
Outstanding Creativity – Series / TV Pilot – Baby Gay

Prize Definition/Explanation

Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.

2023 Audience Awards

Audience Awards

Best Feature Film – Drama – Kikum Spirit (The Untold African Story)
Best Feature Film – Horror – Psychosis
Best Feature Film – SciFi – Mind Thief
Best Featurette – Horror – Strawberry
Best Short Film – Animation – Austin Karimloo
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice
Best Short Film – Dance – Perennial
Best Short Film – Documentary – Resurgence
Best Short Film – Drama – Homologies
Best Short Film – Drama – Rock Bottom
Best Short Film – Horror – The Night Editors
Best Short Film – Comedy – Long Beach Vice

Prize Definition/Explanation

Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.

2023 Programmer’s Prizes

Programmer’s Prize

For Exceptional Filmmaking
Death Doula
Gummies
Hell of a Child
Homologies
I Want to Live on Mars
Just Passing Time
Lena
Mickey Dogface
Moonlight Sonata, with Scissors
Reseda
Robert & Billie
Sally Chooses Adventure
Sinigang
Something Good Coming
Swish
Tax Time
The Bytes Dreams are Made of
The Island

Prize Definition/Explanation

Programmer’s Prize – given by festival programmer Jeff Howard as a reward for his hard work. Also, having his own awards means he never has to put his finger on the scale for the other awards.

Club Illusion The Movie by Christine Elizabeth Bridges, David Brent Parris, Vivian Paul Suter

2023 Official Selection: Screenplay – Feature Film

Magicians and Drag Queens come together to help a couple save their struggling magic club. Chaos and laughter ensue.

 

The SOFF 2023 screenplay awards ceremony will be held on December 3 at 1 PM at the LOOK Dine-In Cinemas.

Go to 2023 Official Selections – Films Page

Screenplay Awards Ceremony & Theatrical Screenings are held at:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas
128 Artsakh Avenue
Glendale, California 91206
SOFF 2023 Theatrical Screenings held from November 29 to December 3.

Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2023 Virtual Screenings run from Friday, December 1 to Sunday, December 10. There will be Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.

Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!

GAMBIA UNTITLED by Xochi Blymyer

2023 Official Selection: Screenplay – Feature Film

Has been director finds new purpose when saddled with a movie in The Gambia. He learns there’s more to life than blockbuster films.

The SOFF 2023 screenplay awards ceremony will be held on December 3 at 1 PM at the LOOK Dine-In Cinemas.

Go to 2023 Official Selections – Films Page

Screenplay Awards Ceremony & Theatrical Screenings are held at:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas
128 Artsakh Avenue
Glendale, California 91206
SOFF 2023 Theatrical Screenings held from November 29 to December 3.

Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2023 Virtual Screenings run from Friday, December 1 to Sunday, December 10. There will be Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.

Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!

GRAHAM by Stephanie Hutchinson

2023 Official Selection: Screenplay – Feature Film

In a small Midwest town during the Great Depression, a struggling young cartoonist ​must find a way to become successful and marry his sweetheart before his wealthy brother does.

The SOFF 2023 screenplay awards ceremony will be held on December 3 at 1 PM at the LOOK Dine-In Cinemas.

Go to 2023 Official Selections – Films Page

Screenplay Awards Ceremony & Theatrical Screenings are held at:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas
128 Artsakh Avenue
Glendale, California 91206
SOFF 2023 Theatrical Screenings held from November 29 to December 3.

Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2023 Virtual Screenings run from Friday, December 1 to Sunday, December 10. There will be Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.

Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!

Mason by Kevin Waite

2023 Official Selection: Screenplay – Feature Film

An enslaved woman challenges her master and California’s crooked legal system in the largest freedom suit in the history of the American West. Based on the untold, true story of Biddy Mason.

The SOFF 2023 screenplay awards ceremony will be held on December 3 at 1 PM at the LOOK Dine-In Cinemas.

Go to 2023 Official Selections – Films Page

Screenplay Awards Ceremony & Theatrical Screenings are held at:
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas
128 Artsakh Avenue
Glendale, California 91206
SOFF 2023 Theatrical Screenings held from November 29 to December 3.

Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2023 Virtual Screenings run from Friday, December 1 to Sunday, December 10. There will be Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.

Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!