The AFI Fest, Hollywood’s hometown movie expo, wrapped on Sunday with a showcase screening of an Oscar contender, Being Heumann. After the festival concluded, the grand jury voted on winners for live-action short, animated short, and documentary short – each of which is eligible for consideration in the respective Academy Award categories.
Grand Jury Prize Winners
Grand Jury Prize — Live-Action Short Film
“Free Eliza (Notes on an Anatomical Imperfection),” directed by by Alexandra Matheou
Jury Statement: “We were incredibly moved by ‘Free Eliza’s’ sensitive and ironic exploration of a microcosm of society, seen through the eyes of a woman superficially judged as ‘imperfect’ by those around her due to her inability to smile. Is her anatomical flaw a cage, or is it the first true step toward courageous authenticity?”
Grand Jury Prize — Animated Short Film
“Living With a Visionary,” directed by Stephen P. Neary
Jury Statement: “Stephen P. Neary’s ‘Living With a Visionary’ skillfully adapts the life-affirming, heartbreaking and ephemeral vision John shared with his beloved partner, Diana. Each thoughtful wash of color and tender detail reveals the gifts of a passionate curator and mother as shared reality and memories slip further away from daily view. Neary directs a poignant narrative of care in motion, inviting us to reflect on the sanctuary of deep intimacy set against the early isolation of COVID-19 that will resonate for generations to come.”
Grand Jury Prize — Documentary Short Film
“A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere,” directed by Fanny Texier
Jury Statement: “With remarkable intimacy and emotional generosity, ‘A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere’ makes the bonds between women — and the spaces they create for one another — deeply felt. Its sensitive filmmaking gives grief and resilience equal room, leaving us with an expansive understanding of what it means to make a home.”
Special Jury Mentions
Special Jury Mention for Audacity of Vision — Live Action Short “The Bovine Comedy,” directed by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
Special Jury Mention for Cinematography — Live Action Short “A Breach Within,” directed by Jean-François Leblanc
Special Jury Mention for Screenwriting — Live Action Short “Nobody Said Anything,” directed by Tamara Todorović
Special Jury Mention for Uniqueness of Expression — Live Action Short “Mutrion,” directed by Marco Cavazzin
Special Jury Mention for Craft — Animated Short “Emulsion,” directed by Shiyu (Shino) Tang
Special Jury Mention for Story — Animated Short “Trading Cards,” directed by Radheya Jang
Special Jury Mention for Direction — Animated Short “The End,” directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr
Special Jury Mention for World Building — Animated Short “Saba,” directed by Liron Topaz
Special Jury Mention for Craft — Documentary Short “Listen,” directed by Taliesin Black-Brown
Special Jury Mention for Social Impact — Documentary Short “Water Cooler,” directed by Emma V.F.
Special Jury Mention for Storytelling — Documentary Short “Buckskin,” directed by Mars Verrone
Special Jury Mention for World Building — Documentary Short “A Wolf in the Suburbs,” directed by Amélie Hardy
Wildwood opened the festival on Oct. 21. Several other contenders had red carpet premieres, including I Play Rocky, Ray Gunn, and The Mosquito Bowl. The festival also featured a Special Screenings slate with includes 14th, Behemoth!, Elsinore, and Wild Horse Nine, as well as Ashes (Ceniza en la Boca), Bitter Christmas (Amarga Navidad), Bunker, Clarissa, Josephine, The Man I Love, Mouse, and Tangles. The Luminaries sidebar consisted of 13 titles: All of a Sudden, Bucking Fastard, Diary of a Chambermaid (Femme de Chambre), The Day She Returns, Nowhere to Lay My Eyes, Gentle Monster, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, Parallel Tales (Histoires Parallèles), Possible Love, Tender Loving Care, Tutti Frutti, This Is How a Child Becomes a Poet, and Union Town.
