Author: SOFF

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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!

 

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2022 Programmer’s Prize Winners

Programmer’s Prize

Exceptionally Unique Filmmaking – Adonai, After Sunset Dawn Arrives, Black Creek Trail, Chemistry, Moments:Trilogy (Castle, Mother & Six), Price of Love, The Care Giver, The Poet, The Rewind

Programmer’s Prize – given to film(s) that festival programmer Jeff Howard cannot bear to see go without an award. These films are generally off the beaten path and break conventions of format, genre or both.

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2022 Filmmakers Award Winners

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Experience the World – The Train
Outstanding Director – Animation – Bird’s Eye View – Matthew B.W. Sheehan
Outstanding Screenplay – Animation – Experience the World – The Train – Brad Pike
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – amser / time
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Animals You Want To Eat
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Stories
Outstanding Director – Arthouse/Experimental – amser / time – Deborah Light
Outstanding Screenplay – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk – Adam Peltier
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Arthouse/Experimental – Dress Up – Sara Chia-Jewell
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Dick Control
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Church Camp
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Church Camp – Andrew Bourne
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – White Now Please – Kyle Lau
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Comedy – Moxie – Rocky Shay
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Comedy – The Perfect First Date
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Ghosted
Outstanding Director – Drama – Ghosted
Outstanding Director – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Director – Drama – The Phoenix
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Ghosted – Rob Mor
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Drama – After (A Love Story) – Alyssa Thordarson
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Watcher
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Mamu
Outstanding Director – Horror – Mamu – Michael Skanes
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – Watcher – Alan “Poe” Sanchez
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Horror – Watcher – Soren McVay
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Horror – Somnium
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Above the Branches
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Super Dilemma
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – When You Became Us
Outstanding Director – SciFi – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Outstanding Director – SciFi – When You Became Us – Nicholas Geisler
Outstanding Screenplay – SciFi – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Outstanding Performance, Individual – SciFi – When You Became Us – Jack Vincenty
Outstanding Performance, Cast – SciFi – When You Became Us
Outstanding Short Film – Web Series – Grey Area
Outstanding Director – Web Series – True Reviews – Neal Cornell
Outstanding Screenplay – Web Series – Grey Area – Asaad Salleh
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Web Series – Grey Area – Sarah Stouffer
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Web Series – True Reviews

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2022 Audience Award Winners

Audience Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Your Heart is a Dark and Rotten Place
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Frank Bey: All My Dues Are Paid
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Motherland
Best Feature Film – Drama – Ragged Heart
Best Feature Film – Horror – Dawning
Best Featurette – Documentary – Surviving Remote Learning
Best Featurette – Drama – Two Weeks to 29
Best Music Video – The Summer Set – “Back Together” – Gregory JM Kasunich, Director
Best Short Film – Animation – Fatherhood
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Dress Up
Best Short Film – Comedy – White Now Please
Best Short Film – Drama – The Phoenix
Best Short Film – Horror – Magic Box
Best Short Film – SciFi – Orbital Christmas
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Web Series – True Reviews

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2022 Grand Jury Award Winners

Grand Jury Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – The Young Dictator
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Party Dream
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Strangers to Peace
Best Feature Film – Drama – Ragged Heart
Best Feature Film – Horror – All Eyes
Best Featurette – Comedy – Two Anxious Bisexuals
Best Featurette – Documentary – Inside the Beauty Bubble
Best Featurette – Drama – 30 Meetings / 30 Days
Best Featurette – Horror – Delivery
Best Featurette – SciFi – Fieldtrip
Best Short Film – Animation – Bird’s Eye View
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – June
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Perfect First Date
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Short Film – Documentary – Never Again Para Nadie
Best Short Film – Drama – After (A Love Story)
Best Short Film – Horror – Somnium
Best Short Film – SciFi – See You On The Other Side
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Music Video – Guru$$
Best Web Series – True Reviews
Best Director – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Evan McNary
Best Director – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Duane Andersen
Best Director – Short Film – June – Dwayne Cameron
Best Lead Actress – Feature Film – Dawning – Kim Ellis
Best Lead Actress – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Emily Goss
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – Essentially Amy – Stacy Chu
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – The Housesitters – Erin Pineda
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – See You On The Other Side – Grace Marlow
Best Lead Actor – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Eddie Craddock
Best Lead Actor – Featurette – Laurentiu Ciucur – Fieldtrip
Best Lead Actor – Short Film – After (A Love Story) – Glenn Stanton
Best Lead Actor – Short Film – The Housesitters – Matt McConkey
Best Supporting Actress – Feature Film – The Young Dictator – Flavia Giurgiu
Best Supporting Actress – Featurette – Delivery – Jessie Gill
Best Supporting Actress – Short Film – Ghosted – Natasha Loring
Best Supporting Actor – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Joshua Mikel
Best Supporting Actor – Featurette – Two Weeks to 29 – Luis Cherubini
Best Supporting Actor – Short Film – The Perfect First Date – Thomas Hobson
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Ragged Heart
Best Performance by a Cast – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days
Best Performance by a Cast – Short Film – After (A Love Story)
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Evan McNary & Debrah McNary
Best Screenplay – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Duane Andersen
Best Screenplay – Short Film – After (A Love Story) – Alyssa Thordarson
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Josh Fritts
Best Cinematography – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Bianca Cline
Best Cinematography – Short Film – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Time Piece – Stephen Inniss
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – These Bones Can Dance – Lauren Brown
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series (Unproduced) – Deliver Me – Olivia Webb

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2022 Awards

Grand Jury Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – The Young Dictator
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Party Dream
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Strangers to Peace
Best Feature Film – Drama – Ragged Heart
Best Feature Film – Horror – All Eyes
Best Featurette – Comedy – Two Anxious Bisexuals
Best Featurette – Documentary – Inside the Beauty Bubble
Best Featurette – Drama – 30 Meetings / 30 Days
Best Featurette – Horror – Delivery
Best Featurette – SciFi – Fieldtrip
Best Short Film – Animation – Bird’s Eye View
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – June
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Perfect First Date
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Short Film – Documentary – Never Again Para Nadie
Best Short Film – Drama – After (A Love Story)
Best Short Film – Horror – Somnium
Best Short Film – SciFi – See You On The Other Side
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Music Video – Guru$$
Best Web Series – True Reviews
Best Director – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Evan McNary
Best Director – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Duane Andersen
Best Director – Short Film – June – Dwayne Cameron
Best Lead Actress – Feature Film – Dawning – Kim Ellis
Best Lead Actress – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Emily Goss
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – Essentially Amy – Stacy Chu
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – The Housesitters – Erin Pineda
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – See You On The Other Side – Grace Marlow
Best Lead Actor – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Eddie Craddock
Best Lead Actor – Featurette – Laurentiu Ciucur – Fieldtrip
Best Lead Actor – Short Film – After (A Love Story) – Glenn Stanton
Best Lead Actor – Short Film – The Housesitters – Matt McConkey
Best Supporting Actress – Feature Film – The Young Dictator – Flavia Giurgiu
Best Supporting Actress – Featurette – Delivery – Jessie Gill
Best Supporting Actress – Short Film – Ghosted – Natasha Loring
Best Supporting Actor – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Joshua Mikel
Best Supporting Actor – Featurette – Two Weeks to 29 – Luis Cherubini
Best Supporting Actor – Short Film – The Perfect First Date – Thomas Hobson
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Ragged Heart
Best Performance by a Cast – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days
Best Performance by a Cast – Short Film – After (A Love Story)
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Evan McNary & Debrah McNary
Best Screenplay – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Duane Andersen
Best Screenplay – Short Film – After (A Love Story) – Alyssa Thordarson
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Josh Fritts
Best Cinematography – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Bianca Cline
Best Cinematography – Short Film – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Time Piece – Stephen Inniss
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – These Bones Can Dance – Lauren Brown
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series (Unproduced) – Deliver Me – Olivia Webb

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Experience the World – The Train
Outstanding Director – Animation – Bird’s Eye View – Matthew B.W. Sheehan
Outstanding Screenplay – Animation – Experience the World – The Train – Brad Pike
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – amser / time
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Animals You Want To Eat
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Stories
Outstanding Director – Arthouse/Experimental – amser / time – Deborah Light
Outstanding Screenplay – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk – Adam Peltier
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Arthouse/Experimental – Dress Up – Sara Chia-Jewell
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Dick Control
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Church Camp
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Church Camp – Andrew Bourne
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – White Now Please – Kyle Lau
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Comedy – Moxie – Rocky Shay
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Comedy – The Perfect First Date
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Ghosted
Outstanding Director – Drama – Ghosted
Outstanding Director – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Director – Drama – The Phoenix
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Ghosted – Rob Mor
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Drama – After (A Love Story) – Alyssa Thordarson
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Watcher
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Mamu
Outstanding Director – Horror – Mamu – Michael Skanes
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – Watcher – Alan “Poe” Sanchez
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Horror – Watcher – Soren McVay
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Horror – Somnium
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Above the Branches
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Super Dilemma
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – When You Became Us
Outstanding Director – SciFi – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Outstanding Director – SciFi – When You Became Us – Nicholas Geisler
Outstanding Screenplay – SciFi – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Outstanding Performance, Individual – SciFi – When You Became Us – Jack Vincenty
Outstanding Performance, Cast – SciFi – When You Became Us
Outstanding Short Film – Web Series – Grey Area
Outstanding Director – Web Series – True Reviews – Neal Cornell
Outstanding Screenplay – Web Series – Grey Area – Asaad Salleh
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Web Series – Grey Area – Sarah Stouffer
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Web Series – True Reviews

Audience Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Your Heart is a Dark and Rotten Place
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Frank Bey: All My Dues Are Paid
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Motherland
Best Feature Film – Drama – Ragged Heart
Best Feature Film – Horror – Dawning
Best Featurette – Documentary – Surviving Remote Learning
Best Featurette – Drama – Two Weeks to 29
Best Music Video – The Summer Set – “Back Together” – Gregory JM Kasunich, Director
Best Short Film – Animation – Fatherhood
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Dress Up
Best Short Film – Comedy – White Now Please
Best Short Film – Drama – The Phoenix
Best Short Film – Horror – Magic Box
Best Short Film – SciFi – Orbital Christmas
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Web Series – True Reviews

Programmer’s Prize

Exceptionally Unique Filmmaking – Adonai, After Sunset Dawn Arrives, Black Creek Trail, Chemistry, Moments:Trilogy (Castle, Mother & Six), Price of Love, The Care Giver, The Poet, The Rewind

Prize Definitions/Explanations

Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.
Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.
Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.
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 awards the juries decide.  Programmer’s Prize winners are generally off the beaten path and break conventions of format, genre or both.

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2022 Screening Schedule

Theatrical Screenings:

Held at the Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, (13500 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423)
Screenings for the 2022 festival take place from November 15 to November 20.
Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2022 Virtual Screenings will begin Friday, November 18 and end Sunday, November 27. There will be 25 films to watch that are Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.
Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!

Theatrical Screening Schedule

Program 01 – Raucous Spotlight
Tues, Nov 15 – 7 PM
Super Dilemma
Space Junk
Price of Love

Program 02 – Authenticity Spotlight
Tues, Nov 15 – 8:30 PM
Experience the World – The Train
30 Meetings / 30 Days
Oksana

Program 03 – Surrealism Spotlight
Tues, Nov 15 – 10 PM
Earth Girl
You Have A Visitor
The Care Giver
Fieldtrip

Program 04 – Bella Vita Spotlight
Wed, Nov 16 – 7 PM
The Summer Set – “Back Together”
Inside the Beauty Bubble

Program 05 – Turning Point Spotlight
Wed, Nov 16 – 8:30 PM
White Now Please
Chemistry
Evergreen

Program 06 – Feature Film
Wed, Nov 16 – 10 PM
Dawning

Program 07 – Creativity Spotlight
Thu, Nov 17 – 7 PM
Above the Branches
Ghosted
amser / time

Program 08 – Originality Spotlight
Thu, Nov 17 – 8:30 PM
See You On The Other Side
The Rewind
June

Program 09 – Feature Film
Thu, Nov 17 – 10 PM
Ragged Heart

Program 10 – Delightful Spotlight
Fri, Nov 18 – 7 PM
Fatherhood
Bird’s Eye View
Delivery

Program 11 – Cutting Edge Spotlight
Fri, Nov 18 – 8:30 PM
Magic Box
Poltergeist Punk
Moxie

Program 12 – Feature Film
Fri, Nov 18 – 10 PM
All Eyes

Sat, Nov 19 – 6 PM
SOFF Screenplay Awards

Program 13 – Comedy Spotlight
Sat, Nov 19 – 7 PM
True Reviews
The Perfect First Date
Grey Area

Program 14 – Feature Film
Sat, Nov 19 – 8 PM
In The Court of the Crimson King

Program 15 – Music Spotlight
Sat, Nov 19 – 10 PM
Guru$$
Party Dream

Program 16 – Featurette Documentary
Sun, Nov 20 – 12 PM
Surviving Remote Learning

Program 17 – Innovation Spotlight
Sun, Nov 20 – 1 PM
Black Creek Trail
When You Became Us
Guest
After (A Love Story)

Program 18 – Eclectic Spotlight
Sun, Nov 20 – 3 PM
Dick Control
The Housesitters
Essentially Amy

Program 19 – Riveting Spotlight
Sun, Nov 20 – 4:30 PM
Moments: Six
After Sunset, Dawn Arrives
Moments: Castle
Frankie

Program 20 – Horror Spotlight
Sun, Nov 20 – 6 PM
Mamu
Smiley Face
Somnium
Surprise
Watcher

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Church Camp

2022 Official Selection: Short Film – Comedy

Josh, a gawky camp counselor who puts the bi in Bible Camp, teeters on the edge of coming out to the entire camp.

Director(s): Andrew Bourne
Writer(s): Andrew Bourne;  Story by Andrew Bourne & Matthew Romanski
Producer(s): Jaeyln Ellis
Key Cast: Espen Brante, Kyra Johnson

Go to 2022 Official Selections – Films Page

Theatrical Screenings: Held at The Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, (13500 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423)
Screenings for the 2022 festival take place from November 15 to November 20.
Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2022 Virtual Screenings will begin Friday, November 18. There will be 25 films to watch that are Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.
Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!

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Evergreen

2022 Official Selection: Short Film – Drama

The line between reality and dream blurs for Swedish Mia, who suffers from anxiety induced paranoia on the day of her immigration interview.

Director(s): Malin Barr
Writer(s): Malin Barr
Producer(s): Malin Barr, Kate He
Key Cast: Malin Barr, Zach Appelman, Rana Roy, Andrew Dits

Go to 2022 Official Selections – Films Page

Theatrical Screenings: Held at The Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, (13500 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423)
Screenings for the 2022 festival take place from November 15 to November 20.
Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2022 Virtual Screenings will begin Friday, November 18. There will be 25 films to watch that are Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.
Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!

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Experience the World – The Train

2022 Official Selection: Short Film – Animation

A soft spoken journey through the activities we experience every day but with an absurdist twist. Our first entry, The Train, follows you as you ride the Chicago red line train home at rush hour–until it takes an unexpected turn into cosmic horror.

Director(s): Duro Howard Jr.
Writer(s): Brad Pike
Producer(s): Brad Pike
Key Cast: Brad Pike

Go to 2022 Official Selections – Films Page

Theatrical Screenings: Held at The Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, (13500 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423)
Screenings for the 2022 festival take place from November 15 to November 20.
Click here to purchase tickets!

Virtual Screenings: The SOFF 2022 Virtual Screenings will begin Friday, November 18. There will be 25 films to watch that are Virtual Exclusives as well as many of the films that screened at the theater.
Click here to visit our Virtual Screenings!