More than a dozen award winners were honored with cash prizes totaling $30,000 at this year’s Palm Springs International ShortFest, organizers announced Monday.
The winners of the 31st annual short-film festival were revealed during an awards brunch at the Renaissance Hotel, 888 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.
Each winner received a cash prize, and the following five short films will be eligible for submission to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration:
— “Retirement Plan” (Ireland), directed by John Kelley, received $5,000 for best of the festival;
— “Budo” (Sweden), directed by Amanda Aagard and Alexander Toman, received $1,000 for best animated short;
— “Shanti Rides Shotgun,” directed by Charles Frank, received $1,000 for best documentary short;
— “Medusa,” directed by Sarah Meyohas, received $1,000 for best live-action short 15 minutes and under; and
— “Susana” (Mexico/USA), directed by Amandine Thomas and Gerardo Coello Escalante, received $1,000 for best live-action shoer over 15 minutes.
Additional cash prizes were awarded in categories such as student shorts, documentary, comedy, and international short.
This year’s festival jurors included Caroline Lindy, director of “Your Monster,” Manuel Betancourt, FilmWeek critic, Sola Fasehun, founder of the Diversity and Inclusion Film Festival, Lauen Botchan, coordinator at New Line Cinema and Cooper Raiff, director of “Cha Cha Real Smooth.”