Past Fests
2017 Award Winners | 2016 Award Winners | 2015 Award Winners | 2014 Award Winners | Previous Award Winners | Previous Program Guides
2017 Award Winners
Full listings are available in the 2017 Schedule
Grand Prize Winner 2017: The Dark & The Wounded (screened in Short Category)
World Premiere!
Director: James Picard and Jeff Dean
Country: Canada, US
To go beneath the surface of our distracted reality and get to the root of what is really happening to us as individuals, society and as a species on the planet. By getting past our fears we can become more compassionate and understanding towards ourselves and others, beyond fear, there truly is freedom.
Special Presentation to Jerry Cope: Socially Responsible Conservation Award Producer: Love Song to the Earth
This award was only given to one other person, Leonardo Di Caprio.
Category Winners 2017 A-Z
AUDIENCE AWARD
Director: Irfan Merchant
Country: US
BEST 3D
L.A. premiere
Director: Ina Conradi and Mark Chavez
Country: Singapore
BEST ANIMATION
Director: Siddharth Ahluwalia
Country: US
BEST APP
L.A. premiere
Director: Eray Dinc
Country: Turkey
BEST DIGITAL COMIC
World premiere
Director: Grace Fioree
Country: US
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
L.A. Premiere
Director: Jeremy Snead
Country: US
BEST DRONE
Running into air
L.A. Premiere
Director: Sebastian Wöber
Country: Austria
BEST FEATURE
World premiere
Director: Brendan Bradley
Country: Turkey, US
BEST MOBILE/TABLET
World Premiere
Director: Felixe de Becker and Colin Bates
Country: Cuba
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Director: Ted Beagles
Country: UK
BEST NEW MEDIA
My Millennial Life
US premiere
Director: Maureen Judge
Country: Canada
BEST PILOT
Adventure Travel
World Premiere
Director: Ho Kwok Man, Berry
World premiere
Country: Hong Kong
BEST SCRIPT
Render
World premiere
Written by: Kirill Kiselev
Country: US
BEST SHORT
Mate
L.A. premiere
Director: Tom Connolly
Country: UK
BEST Sniplers – 30 second pitch
World premiere
Director: Steven Wishnoff
Country: US
BEST SRC - SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONTENT
Ode to Lesvos
World premiere
Director: Talal Derki
Country: Greece
BEST S.T.E.A.M.
Adrift
L.A. premiere
Director: Cath Le Couteur
Country: USA and space
BEST STUDENT
Director: Derek O’Dell
Country: US
BEST TRAILER
Dream Big: Engineering Our World
World premiere
Director: Greg MacGillivray
Country: Space and US
BEST Virtual Reality
L.A. Premiere
Director: Herman Fredlund
Country: Sweden
BEST WEB SERIES
You are nothing Ep 3
World Premiere
Director: Mike Stivala and Mark Travis
Country: US
Full listings are available in the 2017 Schedule
2016 Award Winners
Full listings are available in the 2016 Schedule
*** Pics by Brian Leng ***
Grand Prize Winner 2016: The Family Lamp
Pilot,
World Premiere!
Director: Jack Perez
Country: US
Running time: 9:00
A single camera, half hour pilot about the chaotic Lamp family and their slightly unbalanced friends and colleagues.
"Hey Susan! I am just writing to say how happy and honored I am that THE FAMILY LAMP won the prize for this years New Media festival! Thank you so much for having us in your festival."
~ Lucy Davis – Creator, The Family Lamp
Category Winners 2016 A-Z
AUDIENCE AWARD
Miss Beverly Hills Ghost
World Premiere
Director: Kemmy Moran
Country: US
BEST 3D
We Built A Ship
L.A. premiere
Director: Stefan Sargent
Country: US
BEST ANIMATION
Unsung Hero
World Premiere
Director: Lynton Levengood
Country: South Africa
BEST DIGITAL COMIC
Phallaina
Director: Marietta Ren
Country: France
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Pompei Eternal Emotion
US Premiere
Director: Pappi Corsicato
Country: Italy
BEST DRONE
Hello World
Director: Asa Hammond, Tarik Abdel-Gawad
Country: US
BEST FEATURE
Fragile Legacy
L.A. premiere
Director: David Brown
Narration: Ted Danson
Country: US
BEST LGBT
Wedlocked
Director: Puppett
Country: US
BEST MACHINIMA
The Adventures of The Rocket Ace
World Premiere
Director: John Carstarphen
Country: US
BEST MOBILE/TABLET
Dark Waves
World Premiere
Director: Sven D. Robot
Country: US
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Fire Engine Red
World Premiere
Director: Jeff Coffman
Country: US
BEST NEW MEDIA
Criers of Medellín
L.A. premiere
Director: Ángela Carabalí and Thibault Durand
Country: Colombia
BEST PILOT
A Voice Louder Than Rock
World Premiere
Director: Valerie J Tucker
Country: US
BEST SCRIPT
20 Beautiful Women
L.A. premiere
Written by: Saba Tekle
Country: US
Best Product Launch
LEGO
World Premiere
Director: Fred Raimondi
Country: US
BEST SHORT
Super Sex
L.A. premiere
Director: Matthew Modine
Country: US
BEST SHOT ON RED
The Love To End All Love
L.A. premiere
Director: Konstantin Ferstl
Country: Germany
BEST Sniplers – 30 second pitch
#Feed Me
World premiere
Director: Alberto Guglielmi
Country: US
BEST SRC - SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONTENT
The Trials of Spring - Bahrain: Our Oath
Director: Gini Reticker and Lauren Feeney
Country: US and Bahrain
BEST S.T.E.A.M.
Years & Years: An Artificial Experience Music Motion Picture
L.A. premiere
Director: Brian Harrison
Country: USA, UK, Germany & Sweden
BEST STUDENT
Themes and Variations
L.A. Premiere
Director: Ziye Liu
Country: US
BEST TRAILER
Revolution
Director: Rob Stewart
Country: Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Ecuador, US, Mexico, Canada, Denmark, Australia
BEST Virtual Reality
Nobel's Nightmare
World Premiere
Director: Chamsy Sarkis
Country: Syria
BEST WEB SERIES
Spotlight California Ep 5
L.A. Premiere
Director: Kohl Norville
Country: US
Full listings are available in the 2016 Schedule
2015 Award Winners
Full details are available in the 2015 Program Guide
Grand Prize Winner 2015: What Lives Inside
Web Series,
World Premiere
Director: Academy Award-winning VFX artist/AD/director Robert Stromberg (Maleficent)
Country: US
An emotional tale of creative self-discovery is set in a richly surreal world inhabited by fantastical creatures The web series is directed by and stars Colin Hanks, Catherine O'Hara and Oscar winner JK Simmons ("Whiplash") in a tale about a lost son played by Mr. Hanks, Taylor, and his departed father (Mr. Simmons), a famous puppeteer beloved for his creativity. Taylor discovers a lot more about his father -- and his supposed fictitious creations -- only after his dad's death. A call for auditions in the form of creature sketches went out at the time of the series announcement. Of over 6,000 sketches submitted, 144 were selected and featured in the film.
"Thanks so much for this prize. 'What Lives Inside' made its debut at New Media Film Festival and, after winning the Grand Prize(!!), it went on to win 6 Lions at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity the following week. We're honored with all this recognition."
- Molly Parsley - What Lives Inside
Category Winners 2015 A-Z
BEST 3D
The 3D Machine
US Premiere
Director: Joost van den Bosch, Erik Verkerk
Country: Netherlands
BEST ANIMATION
The Golden Drops
World Premiere
Director: Daniel Zduczyk, Marcin Mczkowski
Country: Poland
BEST APP
Treehouses of the Pacific Northwest
World Premiere
BEST DIGITAL COMIC
Shoe Factory Road
World Premiere
Written by: Chris Darkes
Artist: Juan Baez
Colorist: Jonathan Lyons
Country: US
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Caselli Ride The Dream
US Premiere
Director: Wiley Watson
Country: US
BEST FEATURE
Nuclear Empire
LA Premiere
Director: Patrícia Neves
Country: Macau SAR (China)
BEST LGBT
iBully
Director: Paul Morente, Carlos Tesoro
Country: US
BEST MACHINIMA
Outworld
World Premiere
Director: Niav Conty
Country: US
BEST MOBILE/TABLET
Romance In NYC
LA Premiere
Director: Tristan Pope
Country: US
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Gimme Little Sign
Director: PM Romero, Scott Montgomery
Written by: Artists Brenton Woods and William Pilgrim
Country: US
BEST NEW MEDIA
Vintage2014
LA Premiere
Director: Wil Fernandez
Country: US
BEST PILOT
Merry Xmas
LA Premiere
Director: Boman Modine
Country: US
BEST SCRIPT
Grace
Written by: Lynda Lemberg and Jeffrey Allen Russel
Country: Canada
BEST SHORT
Trouble & The Shadowy Death Blow
US Premiere
Director: Emmy Winner Stephanie Laing
Country: US
BEST SHOT ON RED
Decay
Director: Mike Stern Sterzynski
Country: Poland
BEST SRC - SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONTENT
Worst Shark Attack Ever
LA Premiere
Director: Veronica Grey
Country: USA, Costa Rica, Taiwan, Japan
BEST TRAILER
Attack Of The Devil
World Premiere
Director: Lon Strickland
Country: US
BEST S.T.E.A.M.
Patient 39
US Premiere
Director: Dan Clifton
Country: UK
BEST STUDENT
Rice Wine
World Premiere
Director: Tian Ye
Country: China
BEST WEB SERIES
Street Cuts
Director: Michelle Nash, Miguel Endara
Country: US
Full details are available in the 2015 Program Guide
2014 Award Winners
CURIO SHOP - PILOT - GRAND PRIZE WINNER
On The Red Carpet being interviewed by Cary Harrison
Photo by
Francis Jennett
Dir. 2 X Emmy Winner Eric S. Anderson
Starring Scott Crane
USA, 18:11, World Premiere
A Post Apocalyptic Acid Western.
Everything and everyone in this world is broken…. Even time.
All photos below by Jimmy Steinfeldt
BLANK - A VINYLMATION LOVE STORY - BEST ANIMATION
Dir. Kristen Beissel
USA, 37.28
Based on the popular Disney Parks Vinylmation collectible franchise, a stop-motion animated film that tells the story of Blank, an unpainted Vinylmation, on an journey through an original new world to find his lost soul mate. Blank is an epic adventure in miniature scale, a completely original, heartwarming love story filmed entirely in practical stop motion.
RUN CHICKEN RUN - BEST NEW MEDIA SCRIPTS
Jared Wynn of Ink Tip (L)
Announced Winner
Written by Eric Vasallo
A champion cock fighting Rooster gets smuggled out of Cuba by his handlers and 'El Diablito' (the Little Devil) wreaks havoc, highlighting the cultural rifts between neighbors on an unsuspecting middle class Miami neighborhood.
PUNKY DUNK - BEST APP
Matthew Modine accepting
Dir. Katllyn Llewellyn
USA, 1:00
Matthew Modine and Kate del Castillo voice this intimate, century-old tale of a curious cat in English and Spanish. Help the gold fish teach Punky a valuable lesson in this sweet, hand-drawn homage to a lost centennial classic.
SCISSR - BEST LGBT
Dir. Lauren Augarten
USA, 9:40, World Premiere
Four 20-something lesbians from very different backgrounds are navigating life & love in Brooklyn NY which isn’t easy. But when they meet through an iPhone app, the girls realize they have much more in common than they thought.
SUBWAY STORIES - BEST WEB SERIES
Dir. Garine Tcholakian
USA, 5:01, World Premiere
In a rat race world, street musicians are mental magicians-the modern minstrels of our time-who remind us daily, if only for a few moments as we rush by, what it is to be human again. Shot on Canon 5D.
THE STORY OF M - BEST STUDENT
Dir. Viktor Lurkov
Russia, 22:21, LA Premiere
She smiles like Marylin she walks like Marylin she even dresses like Marylin. A chance encounter at a second hand store - and the world of dreams is crushed by reality. Shot on Canon Mark II.
TINSEL'S TOWN - BEST SNIPLER - 30 SECOND PITCH
Dir. BAFTA Winner Michael Lindsay-Hogg
USA, 0:30, World Premiere
Tinsel, an outwardly confident but secretly insecure LA actress, makes a bid for fame & attention via her own YouTube channel.
WHY WE RIDE - BEST DOCUMENTARY
Dir. Bryan H. Carroll
USA 1:29:00
An inspiring adventure into the world of motorcycling, told by the famous racers, passionate riders and everyday families who live each day to the fullest on their two-wheeled machines. Shot on Canon C300 and Canon C500.
MY KIND OF FREE BY JP HOPFELT - BEST MUSIC VIDEO
PRODUCER/CO-WRITER
JIMMY STEINFELDT (L),
Matthew Modine (R)
congratulating him
Dir. Rainer Lipski
J.P. Hopfelt & The Stars Band
USA, 3:23, World Premiere
Shot on Canon 5D II, GoPro, IPhone 5.
Winners Not in Attendance
- BEST 3 D – THE WHITEWASHING OF 5 POINTZ
- BEST MACHINIMA - THE DRAX FILES
- BEST PILOT - ANA MEAD
- BEST S.T.E.A.M. WILDFIRE
- BEST DIGITAL COMIC - GENERATION WAR
- BEST NEW MEDIA - WARSAW
- BEST SRC - Socially Responsible Content - WE HEAR YOUR VOICE
- BEST SHORT - APP THE MOVIE
- BEST TRAILER - ANITA- SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER
Full details are available in the 2014 Program Guide
Previous Award Winners
- LOS ANGELES 2013 WINNERS
- LOS ANGELES 2012 WINNERS
- LOS ANGELES 2011 WINNERS
- SAN FRANCISCO 2011 WINNERS
- LOS ANGELES 2010 WINNERS
- SAN FRANCISCO 2010 WINNERS