Author: SOFF

In 2021, the team at the Sherman Oaks FIlm Festival went crazy! We received a record number of submissions and therefore we have a record number of Official Selections! How many? Ninety-two films and fifteen screenplays!

Click these links to see the lists!

SOFF 2021 Official Selections – Films

SOFF 2021 Official Selections – Screenplays

“Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity” won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2016 Sherman Oaks Film Festival and we have wonderful news!

“Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity” Broadcast Premiere Set for December 11th, at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST

103-Year Old “Actorvist” Marsha Hunt to be Featured in Upcoming Turner Classic Movies Tribute

Los Angeles, California — The television broadcast premiere of Roger C. Memos’ film “Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity”, which is co-produced and co-written by Richard Adkins, Joan Cohen and Roger C. Memos, will air on December 11, 2020 at 8 p.m. EST on Turner Classic Movies.

“Sometimes you have to get away from the madness of the world and take a break to find some inspiration. 103 year old actor-activist Marsha Hunt survived the Hollywood Blacklist and became one of Hollywood’s first activists. I’ll be honored if you watch this film about civility and hope,” says director Roger C. Memos.

Marsha Hunt’s life story has peaks and valleys that span the course of the 20th century. In 1935, 17-yearold aspiring actress Marsha Hunt was discovered in Hollywood. She signed with Paramount Pictures and went on to a flourishing career at MGM. She made 54 films in 17 years before a series of unfortunate events led to her being unfairly blacklisted. After the Hollywood Blacklist, she championed humanitarian causes, forging a career as one of Hollywood’s first celebrity activists. As far back as 1955, Marsha Hunt worked tirelessly alongside her mentor Eleanor Roosevelt to support the work that the United Nations Association was accomplishing in the United States.

Marsha Hunt is the only member of the Committee for the First Amendment alive today who can talk about the trip to Washington D.C. that she and others took in October 1947 to support the “Hollywood 19”. The underlying theme of this timely documentary is that Marsha rose above adversity. This film is Marsha Hunt’s “final act” of activism. Through this film, her words and deeds serve as an inspirational primer and call to action for activists of all ages.

Acting was always Marsha Hunt’s first love. She made 28 films for MGM. She is the last person alive from the famous 1943 MGM Stock Company photo. Turner Classic Movies will be airing a “Marsha Hunt Marathon” on December 11th, showing seven of her films, leading up to the prime time broadcast premiere of “Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity”. Check your local listings for the U.S. and Canada. “Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity” film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ6T-qlO7w4.

Grand Jury Prize Winners

Best Feature Film – F20
Best Feature Film – The Imaginary State
Best Documentary Feature – Another Child
Best Short Film – Comedy – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s
Best Short Film – Comedy – Crew 3,14
Best Short Film – Drama – Avec Le Temps (With Time)
Best Short Film – Drama – Tides
Best Short Film – Experimental – Haiku
Best Short Film – Horror – A Strange Calm
Best Short Film – Animation – Cruel Shoes
Best Documentary Short – Across Borders
Best Music Video – SHE

Best Director, Feature Film – Arsen A. Ostojic – F20
Best Director, Short Film – Maria Eva Urrutia – Avec Le Temps (With Time)
Best Actress in a Lead Role – Romina Tonkovic – F20
Best Actor in a Lead Role – Les Martin – Be Good or Be Gone
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Janelle Jones – Good Counsel
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Numan Cakir – Toprak
Best Performance by a Full Cast – Summer Nights
Best Screenplay – Alan Fischer and Daniel Castro – The Imaginary State
Best Cinematography – Chris Hirschhaeuser – Toprak
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Good Grief – Emily Rued
Best Screenplay – Pilot (Unproduced) – The Lighthouse – Daniel Talbott

Audience Award Winners

Feature Film – Be Good or Be Gone
Feature Film – Summer Nights
Short Film – Drama – My Hero, Six Nights, & The Giving Key
Short Film – Comedy – Exit Package & Ex-Sisters-In-Law
Short Film – Experimental – The Myth of Winter, UnderSee, & Death Offers Life
Short Film – Horror – Curiosity, Household Demons, & A Strange Calm
Documentary – We Are All In This Together, Shaking a Singapore Spear

Filmmakers Award Winners

Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Age of Bryce  
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Seance-ing
Outstanding Director – Comedy – David Feagan, Brian Elliott – Age of Bryce
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – Alix Angelis – Seance-ing
Outstanding Acting, Cast – Comedy – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s
Outstanding Acting, Individual – Comedy – Patrick Tamisiea – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s
Outstanding Acting, Duo – Comedy – Suzan Mikiel, Allison Youngberg – Ex-Sisters-In-Law
Outstanding Cinematography – Comedy – Rachel Dusa – Bryers Cucumber Tostino’s

Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Alina
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Planet Earth calling Ana
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Valley
Outstanding Director – Drama – Rami Kodeih – Alina
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Nora Mariana Salim – Alina
Outstanding Acting, Cast – Drama – Valley
Outstanding Acting, Individual – Drama – Laia Manzanares – Planet Earth calling Ana
Outstanding Cinematography – Drama – Matt Schween – Tides

Outstanding Short Film – Experimental – Miniature Chess
Outstanding Director – Experimental – Martin Gerigk – Haiku
Outstanding Screenplay – Experimental – Phil Cheney – Miniature Chess
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Experimental – Miniature Chess
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Experimental – Kennedy Knopf – SHE
Outstanding Performance, Inanimate Object – Experimental – Chip the shopping cart – The Myth of Winter
Outstanding Cinematography – Experimental – Julie Kim – SHE

Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Eleanor
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Household Demons
Outstanding Director – Horror – Austin Rourke – A Strange Calm
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – Chris Dawson – Eleanor
Outstanding Acting, Cast – Horror – A Strange Calm
Outstanding Acting, Individual – Horror – Yael Gonen – Eleanor
Outstanding Cinematography – Horror – Zach Stoltzfus – Household Demons

Outstanding Music Video – Black Metal Romance – Joey Danger, Director

Cyber Underground
Fyrvaktaren: Bathtub By The Sea
Grade A
Sam & Emma
Your Heart Is Mine

A message from SOFF programmer Jeff Howard:

Every year it’s a challenge for me when we look at the votes from the juries and tabulate which films are getting awards.  Invariably I see see some omissions that I cannot abide.  Sometimes it’s that coincidence that a film repeatedly comes in second place for various awards without actually getting an award.  Sometimes it’s the fact that I see every film more than once.  Your opinions change a lot with multiple viewings and this makes my perspective different from other jury members.

How to fix the problem?  I do not want to be a programmer who lobbies jury members to change their votes.  Instead we invented the Programmer’s Prize so that I get to honor films that slipped through the cracks and I sleep a little better at night.

For SOFF 2020, I wanted to have around fifteen of these.  (Part of me wants every official selection to get an award like a children’s soccer league.) As much as it pained me, I narrowed it down to the five you see above.

SOFF 2020 screenings are available now!  80 films with Q&A’s.! Interviews with Official Selection screenwriters!

Please note that you can have a FREE TICKET or you can give a gift to the festival with your ticket.
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