








Best Film ~ Damascus
A Templar Knight in search for his stolen holy grail comes face to face with a strange warrior from the east who is scouring the land looking for an opponent who is worthy enough to give him an honorable death.
Director Biography - Carter Cox
Carter Cox was born on September 8th, 2002 in Lowell Arkansas. He currently lives in Fayetteville Arkansas attending the University of Arkansas majoring in Communications and Outdoor Leadership. Carter found an enjoyment of filmmaking first from when he made YouTube videos of video gaming, skits, and other videos. He since then has jumped into making short films with his partner and best friend Ethan Flake and together they made their own production company Sabotage Bros Studios. In 2025 Carter plans to attend the International stunt school in Seattle to jumpstart his career into the world of film. Carter hopes to one day bring his creations that have been with him ever since he was 13 years old, and one day create his own cinematic universe.
Director Statement
"Damascus" will go down as the most tiring, tedious, and also rewarding project I have ever taken on. Everything that could have gone wrong with this film went wrong. From me getting food poisoning the first day of filming, location mishaps, reshoots, even all my footage got corrupted when I was halfway done editing it! After all these mishaps I had to settle just to make a "Project Trailer" for it and just try again some other time to actually make the thing. Well on May 8th 2024 the film was finally completed and I gotta say it feels good to finally get it done. This film was inspired by one of my favorite games "For Honor", a game where Knights, Vikings, and Samurai all are at war with eachother. I always loved the concept of warriors from different cultures fighting one another. I have always thought it would have made a kick ass film! So that's why I decided to create Damascus! This project is an example of how hardships create great things, and I encourage anyone who is having trouble with films or even life in general to just keep trudging through. Because once you get through its the best feeling ever!
Best Film - Caliburn
The legendary King Arthur goes to the Lady of the Lake for guidance, recounting both his noble deeds and tragic mistakes.
- Bryce Ury, Director
- Bryce Ury, Producer
- Bruce Purcell, "King Arthur"
- Kelly Layne, "Lady of the Lake"
- Samuel Lockridge, "Young Arthur"
- John Wells, "Lancelot"
Best Film ~ 2042
A man wanders through a deserted and ruined world, feeding on the only prey that is not extinct.
- Alessio di Lallo, Director
- Alessio di Lallo, Writer
- Alessio di Lallo, Producer
- Simone Zeoli, Producer
- Giuseppe Campestre, Key Cast
- Francesco Di Nucci, Key Cast
- Mirko Palladino, Director of Photography
- Michelangelo Tomaro, Production Designer
- Sara Santucci, Make-up Artist
- Corrado Carano, Music Composer
- Gianluca Vergalito, Music Composer
- A.L. Cocai, Editor
Best Actor ~ Nocturnals Anonymous
After being thrown on the streets by his parents, an at-risk
teenage vampire must find a way to survive and find a system of emotional support. The only place he can go where nobody thinks he's a blood-sucking monster is a support group for disenfranchised nocturnal youths.
Can he make new friends and adjust to his new life or will he remain a stigmatized outcast?
- Sam Moony, Director
- Sam Moony, Writer
- Yoko Tamada, Producer
- Amey Kulkarni, Producer
- Crawford Banks, Key Cast
- Michael Cichocki, Key Cast
- Crowley Boothe, Key Cast
Best Actress: The Abduction of Jeanette Raimey
A pair of agents investigate a mysterious phenomenon and interview an even more suspicious witness.
- Tre Fergerson, Director
- Liz K Hensel, Writer
- Frances A. Cheever, Producer
- Jahthaniel Ryan, "Agent Kraft"
- Maegan Stewart, "Agent Taylor"
- Franci Montgomery, Key Cast
Director Biography - Tre Fergerson
Tre Fergerson is a retired U.S. Army Veteran with over 21 years of active duty service. Tre is a filmmaker from Charleston, SC. He is co-owner of Reel Brothers Production Group and a active member of Veterans in Media & Entertainment Washington, D.C. Chapter. His talents include screenwriting, Directing and acting.
Best Film Editing ~ Darkest Dungeon: Ruination
Four ill-fated adventurers delve into a castle ruin where their worst nightmares come to life. From the world of Red Hook Studios, brought to live action for the very first time.
- Darryl Tran, Director
- Darryl Tran, Writer
- Theodore Tran, Writer
- Theodore Tran, Producer
- Justin Tran, Producer
- Sharon Tsang, Producer
- Steaphen Fick, "Man-at-Arms"
- Justin Blount, "Highwayman"
- Brandon Doudt, "Crusader"
- Kristalyne Rullamas, "Plague Doctor"
Director Biography - Darryl Tran
Darryl has been involved in making films with his production company, No Friends Club, for 10 years. He wrote and produced multiple works during that time, including "No Friends Club: the Series!", "Convenience", and "Shoujo Rei".
Best Visual Effects ~ The Eternos
The fate of the world lies heavy on the shoulders of two twins. When an evil group of immortals called "The Eternos" kidnaps her brother, we find the last remnant of the Knights Templar is the only person standing in the way of full blown Armageddon.
Trained from birth to fight the forces of evil in the world, "Sophia" and "Aiden" are twins who have mysterious supernatural powers that can only be unlocked by ancient teachings from a secretive order of the Knights Templar. When Aiden is kidnapped by the Eternos, Sophia is in a race to harness her powers in order to stop the Eternos from awakening their slumbering Queen and unleashing the events that will lead to the end of the world.
This is a story about power and loyalty.
Zak Fin, Director
Michael Forsch, DirectorBurro, A-list Casting
Michael Forsch, Writer - Burro, The Christmas Cabin
Zak Fin, Writer - Burro, The Christmas Cabin, A-list Casting
Michael Forsch, Producer
Zak Fin, Producer
Dustin J Robison, Producer
Chuck Prater, Producer
Hannah Mcbride, "Sophia"
Mark Justice, "Aiden"
Michael Forsch, "Jace"
Justin Powell, "FInn"
Lindsey Cruz, "Queen Nevaeh"
Marcus Weiss, "Benedikt"
Evan KeysKey Cast"Evelyne"
Zak FinKey Cast"Sebastian"
Best Visual Effects - My Melody
- Val Nabilskiy, Director
- Val Nabilskiy, Visual Effects
- Val Nabilskiy, Writer
- Val Nabilskiy, Producer
Director Biography - Val Nabilskiy
Val Nabilskiy is a director and visual effects artist with a passion for storytelling, creativity and technology.
He’s worked on everything from feature films to music videos, bringing stories to life with stunning visuals.
Starting out in visual effects, Val quickly gained a reputation for his creativity and precision, which he now brings to his directing.
Throughout his career, he’s collaborated with top professionals, creating memorable work that pushes the limits of what's possible.
Always looking to innovate, Val continues to explore new ways to tell stories and create engaging visual experiences.
Best Director ~ MISSING: AI Short Film
In a cramped interrogation room, there are only two people. She speaks in fragments, as if recalling not her own life. He asks questions, as if trying to save not her, but himself. The truth slips away with every answer. Time, faces, reality - everything becomes mixed up in a game of memory, guilt, and denial. This is a story about how easy it is to lose another person. And how you yourself disappear without anyone noticing.I grew up on Hitchcock's unsettling silence, his maniacal attention to detail, where horror is born not from monsters, but from the shadows in the eyes. The tension in the film deliberately goes over the top at times - it's a tribute to that saturated atmosphere that only Alfred knew how to create: when nothing is happening, but you can't breathe.
Director Biography - Pavlo Yakimov
My name is Pavlo Yakimov, though I often go by my creative alias - Kontur. I was born in Kharkiv and have spent the last nine years living and working in Kyiv. By day, I head of product design at Storyby - an entertainment tech company focused on innovative storytelling experiences. My usual work revolves around interfaces, user journeys, and digital design systems. But lately, something deeper has been calling.
Living in a country at war changes your relationship with fear. At some point, fear stops paralyzing you and starts pushing you toward action. For me, that energy found an outlet in filmmaking. I couldn’t stop thinking about making something of my own.
Best Sound Editing / Mixing ~ Damascus
A Templar Knight in search for his stolen holy grail comes face to face with a strange warrior from the east who is scouring the land looking for an opponent who is worthy enough to give him an honorable death.
Director Biography - Carter Cox
Carter Cox was born on September 8th, 2002 in Lowell Arkansas. He currently lives in Fayetteville Arkansas attending the University of Arkansas majoring in Communications and Outdoor Leadership. Carter found an enjoyment of filmmaking first from when he made YouTube videos of video gaming, skits, and other videos. He since then has jumped into making short films with his partner and best friend Ethan Flake and together they made their own production company Sabotage Bros Studios. In 2025 Carter plans to attend the International stunt school in Seattle to jumpstart his career into the world of film. Carter hopes to one day bring his creations that have been with him ever since he was 13 years old, and one day create his own cinematic universe.
Director Statement
"Damascus" will go down as the most tiring, tedious, and also rewarding project I have ever taken on. Everything that could have gone wrong with this film went wrong. From me getting food poisoning the first day of filming, location mishaps, reshoots, even all my footage got corrupted when I was halfway done editing it! After all these mishaps I had to settle just to make a "Project Trailer" for it and just try again some other time to actually make the thing. Well on May 8th 2024 the film was finally completed and I gotta say it feels good to finally get it done. This film was inspired by one of my favorite games "For Honor", a game where Knights, Vikings, and Samurai all are at war with eachother. I always loved the concept of warriors from different cultures fighting one another. I have always thought it would have made a kick ass film! So that's why I decided to create Damascus! This project is an example of how hardships create great things, and I encourage anyone who is having trouble with films or even life in general to just keep trudging through. Because once you get through its the best feeling ever!
Best Cinematography - Caliburn
The legendary King Arthur goes to the Lady of the Lake for guidance, recounting both his noble deeds and tragic mistakes.
- Bryce Ury, Director
- Bryce Ury, Producer
- Bruce Purcell, "King Arthur"
- Kelly Layne, "Lady of the Lake"
- Samuel Lockridge, "Young Arthur"
- John Wells, "Lancelot"
People's Choice ~ Big Head
A knight must deliver an important message to a rival kingdom's tyranical king, but upon seeing the king's enormous head, he will try to maintain his composure
- Alonso Miro Quesada, Director
- Augusto Miro Quesada, WriterThe Mountain
- Alonso Miro Quesada, Writer
- Augusto Miro Quesada, ProducerThe Mountain
- Amarillis Puente, Producer
- Diego Villaran, "Azkorith"Pituca sin Lucas
- Ginno Paul, "Consejero Real"
- Julio Vidal, Director of Photography
- Andrea Peñaranda, Art Direction
- Mariana Pareja, Art Direction
- Fernando Alvarez, Gaffer / Key Grip
- Daniela Velasquez, 1st AD
- Augusto Miro Quesada, EditorThe Mountain
- Alonso Miro Quesada, Editor
- Alonso Miro Quesada, VFX and Compositing
- Paloma Poggione, Conceptual Artist / Character Design / Illustrations
- Adrian Miro Quesada, Music/Soundtrack
- Luca Payet, Sound Design / Dialogue Clean-Up / Foley
- Stefano Montjoy, Co-Producer
Director Biography - Alonso Miro Quesada
Alonso is a director, VFX artist, and audiovisual editor with over 6 years of experience in the industry. He is a student of Audiovisual Communication at the University of Lima. He began his career by creating the YouTube channel "Extroix Action." Over the years, he has collaborated with clients such as Topographical Gang, Aerial Studios, and Indecopi, as well as on multiple short films and creative projects. He currently works as an editor and audiovisual producer in Lima, Peru.