Recognitions

I guess the exciting part of making a film, or in everything, is to be recognized.

Simply making something is a joy in itself, but it never hurts to win awards or something to boost the ego a bit.

You know, one may say that none of these matters because they are no Oscar, but these are the steps. A man must begin somewhere, doesn’t he? A man must show his worth somehow, isn’t it?

We The People?

  1. Austin International Art Festival (Award Winner): Best High School-Level Short, Best First-Time Filmmaker Short. 

  2. Japan International Film Festival (Award Winner): Best First-Time Filmmaker.

  3. Tokyo Shorts (Award Winner): Best Student Short, Best First Time Filmmaker Short, Best Male Student Director.

  4. HIFF-HALO Russian International Film Festival (Award Winner): Best Experimental Film, Best Young Director, Best Student Film.

  5. The IndieFEST Film Awards (Award Winner): Young Filmmaker—17 and Younger

  6. Milasa Film Festival (Award Winner): Best Student Film, Best First-Time Filmmaker, Best Experimental

  7. Liber Films International Festival (Award Winner): Best Student Film, Best Young Director

  8. Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival (Award Winner): Student Films

  9. Purple Sky International Film Festival (Award Winner): Best Producer, Best Young Director

  10. Independent Shorts Awards (Finalist): Best Experimental Short, Best Student Short, Best First Time Director (Male), Best Student Director (Male), Best Young Filmmaker. 

  11. Serbest International Film Festival (SIFF) (Semi-Finalist): Best Experimental Film

  12. San Diego International Film Awards (Semi-Finalist): Best Student Short, Best Experimental Short, Best First Time Director.

  13. Indie Short Fest (Semi-Finalist): Best Experimental Short, Best Student Short, Best First Time Director (Male), Best Student Director (Male), Best Young Filmmaker (Male).

  14. Film Revolution (Semi-Finalist): Best Experimental Film

  15. SENSEI FilmFest (Semi-Finalist): Best Cinematography

  16. IndieX Film Fest (Semi-Finalist): Best Experimental Short, Best First Time Director, Best Student Director (Male), Best Young Filmmaker. 

  17. Film Revolution (Semi-Finalist): Best Experimental Film

  18. Hawaii International Film Awards (Nominee): Best Student Film, Best Director Debut.

  19. LWIFF Lonely Wolf International Film Festival (Nominee): Best Student Films/Interview

  20. PlanetCinema (Nominee): Best Student Film

  21. FilmHaus (Nominee): Best Student Films

  22. Black Owl Festival (Honorable Mention): Best Student Film

  23. Sofia International Film Festival (Honorable Mention): Best Student Film

  24. International Film & Script Festival Lotus (Honorable Mention): Best Student Film, Best Director Debut

  25. Your Way International Film Festival (Honorable Mention): Best Experimental Film, Best No-Budget Film, Best Student Film

  26. Golden Giraffe International Film Festival (Honorable Mention): Best Experimental Film, Best Student Film, Best Young Director

  27. Liberty International Movie Festival (Official Selection): Best First Time Filmmaker, Best Student Short, Best Student Director. 

  28. Tokyo International Short Film Festival (Official Selection/ Interview): Best First-Time Filmmaker. 

  29. Sunny Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Student Film

  30. Madrid International Short Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Student Film

  31. King Film Awards (Official Selection): Best Experimental Film

  32. Munich New Wave Short Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Student Films

  33. New Wave International Script & Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Student Films

  34. Roma Short Film Festival (Official Selection): First-Time Filmmakers, Roma Cinephilia Magazine Interview

  35. Seoul International Short Film Festival (Official Selection): First Time Filmmakers

  36. Liber Film International Festival (Official Selection): Best Director Debut

  37. Zagreb International Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Short Film, Best Director

  38. Arrow International Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Experimental Film, Best Student Film, Best Director Debut

  39. Herculus Independent Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Experimental Film, Best Student Films, Best First-Time Director

  40. TopShot International Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Student Film

This was my first personal film, so I had no idea what these festivals meant and could represent. It was captivating, seeing so many selections and recognitions, even internationally. It was great motivation, feeling that my work has not been in vain, or am capable of achieving something great.

I slowed down significantly on submitting to these festivals after this first attempt, as you will see soon.

If you are tired of reading all these empty titles, don’t worry. There will be much less, as my attention shifted from submitting to festivals to just perfecting my craft.

And remember, this was a high school kid enjoying his film and the potential that comes with it…

Paradox?

  1. Dialog Film Festival (Award Winner): Best Student Film

  2. Budapest International Film Festival (Award Winner): Best Student Film

  3. Cinescape Lisbon (Semi-Finalist): Best Student Film

  4. YETI FilmFest (Semi-Finalist): Student Short

  5. FARO Concurso de Cinema Mediterraneo e Mundial (Semi-Finalist): Best Student Film

  6. Nocturna (Semi-Finalist): Student Short

  7. SENSEI FilmFest (Semi-Finalist): Best Student Film

  8. New York Tri-State International Film Festival (Official Selection): Student Films

  9. ODYSSEY SCRIPT AND FILM FESTIVAL (Official Selection): Best Student Films

A sharp decline, isn’t it?

I believe the quality of the film is increasing even when there are far fewer recognitions—it is just that I didn’t put in the same effort to promote and submit this film. This is also because I somehow paused filmmaking after finishing this short film—I wanted to take a break from everything in my life, all the work and uncertainty, just for a while. I neglected this film when it was in its prime, ignored my rightful effort into nurturing it.

Perhaps I should have submitted it to a few more festivals or whatnot, but let’s move on to newer, better films, shall we?

Oh My God, It’s Her!

  1. Hollywood Blood Horror Festival (Award Winner): Best Experimental

  2. Rome International Movie Awards (Award Winner): Experimental Shorts

  3. Independent Shorts Award (Finalist): Best Experimental Short, Best Student Short, Best Student Director (Male)

  4. IndieX Film Fest (Semi-Finalist): Best Editing, Best Experimental Shorts, Best Student Director (Male)

  5. California International Short Film Festival (Semi-Finalist): Best Student Shorts

  6. Tokyo Short Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Student Film

  7. Beijing Lift-Off Film Festival (Official Selection): Best Student Filmmaker

More incoming…

There is really nothing to say. Both of these are my newest films (and I am planning on make more soon), so they need time to accumulate recognitions.

I See You

  1. Hollywood Blood Horror Festival (Award Winner): Best Experimental, Best Editing

  2. Independent Shorts Awards (Finalist): Best Student Short, Best Student Director (Male)

  3. Indie Shorts Fest (Official Selection): Best Student Short

Very few things yet, but definitely more incoming…