Palm Springs Shortfest Gives ‘Matriochkas’ Its Top

“Matriochkas,” a French and Belgian short-film directed by Bérangère Mc Neese, has been named the very best movie of the 2020 Palm Springs International Shortfest, which introduced its winners on Sunday. The movie, concerning the sexual awakening of a 16-year-old woman over the course of a summer time, is one in all 5 movies that may qualify for the Academy Awards within the short-film classes due to jury awards in Palm Springs.

The different Oscar-qualifying winners are Josephine Lohoar Self’s “The Fabric of You,” which was named greatest animated brief; Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell’s “The Heart Still Hums,” greatest documentary brief; Inbar Horesh’s “Birth Right,” greatest live-action brief over 15 minutes; and Laurynas Bareisa’s “Dummy,” greatest live-action brief 15 minutes and beneath.

A complete of 332 brief movies had been a part of the official choice on the competition, which didn’t bodily happen this yr due to the coronavirus. Plenty of the movies chosen for the competition did display on-line throughout the run of Shortfest, from June 16 by means of June 22.

Other winners included the scholar shorts “Still Working” and “Heading South”; “The Tongues” and “My Hero,” which received within the worldwide and U.S. classes, respectively; “The Present,” which received the GoE Bridging the Borders Award; and “Daughter,” an Oscar nominee earlier this yr within the Best Animated Short class.

The winners obtained a complete of $25,000 in prizes, and had been chosen by a wide range of juries made up of filmmakers, competition programmers and journalists. (Full disclosure: I used to be a member of one of many juries.)

The full checklist of winners and particular mentions:

Oscar-qualifying awards:

Greater Palm Springs CVB Best of the Festival Award: “Matriochkas,” Bérangère Mc Neese
Special Mention (for Creative Vision): “Stay Awake, Be Ready,” Pham Thien An
Special Mention (for Direction): “Mizaru,” Sudarshan Suresh

Best Animated Short: “The Fabric of You,” Josephine Lohoar Self
Special Mention: “SH_T Happens,” Michaela Mihalyi and David Stumpf

Best Documentary Short: “The Heart Still Hums,” Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell
Special Mentions: “Dead Woman’s Pass,” Lali Houghton; “Huntsville Station,” Jamie Meltzer and Chris Filippone

Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes: “Birth Right,” Inbar Horesh
Special Mention: “Henet Ward,” Morad Mostafa

Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under: “Dummy,” Laurynas Bareisa
Special Mention: “The Midsummer’s Voice,” Yudi Zhang

Student Short Awards:

Best Student Animated Short: “Daughter,” Daria Kashcheeva
Special Mention: “SH_T Happens,” Michaela Mihalyi and David Stumpf

Best Student Documentary Short: “For Your Sake,” Ronja Hemm
Special Mention: “All Cats Are Grey in the Dark,” Lasse Linder

Best Student International Short: “Still Working,” Julietta Korbel
Special Mention: “22:47 Linie 34,” Michael Karrer

Best Student U.S. Short: “Heading South,” Yuan Yuan
Special Mention: “Tape,” Jojo Erholtz

Special Jury Awards:

Best International Short: “The Tongues,” Marja Bål Nango and Ingir Bål
Special Mention: “Funfair,” Kaveh Mazaheri

Best U.S. Short: “My Hero,” by Logan Jackson
Special Mention: “Pharmacopeia,” Tania Taiwo

GoE Bridging the Borders Award: “The Present,” Farah Nabulsi
Special Mention: “Container,” Daphne Maziariaki

Local Jury Award: “Welcome Strangers,” Dia Sokol Savage
Special Mention: “Sundays at the Triple Nickel,” Jess Colquhoun

Vimeo Staff Pick Award: “Give Up the Ghost,” Zain Duraie

Young Cineastes Award: “Colette,” Anthony Giacchino
Special Mention: “Gold Plated,” Chloé Léonil

Best Comedy Short: “Viktor on the Moon,” Christian Arhoff
Special Mention (for Direction): “Blocks,” Bridget Moloney

Best LGBTQ+ Short: “Kama’aina,” Kimi Howl Lee
Special Mention: “La Gloria,” Mary Evangelista

Best Midnight Short: “The Sleepwalkers,” Radhika Apte
Special Mention:…