Michael Groom’s “Between the Lights” and Leon Lozano’s “A Little Hope for Chicago” were two of the grand jury prize winners of Dances With Films: LA. The celebration, hosted at the TCL Chinese Theatre on June 30, saw “Between the Lights” (pictured) win best narrative feature and “A Little Hope for Chicago” take home best documentary feature.
The indie film festival lineup included 232 films, with 117 making world, international, North American or U.S. premieres.
The full award list for Dances With Films: LA is as follows:
Grand Jury – Narrative Features
“Between the Lights”
Director/Writer: Michael Groom
Producers: David Groom, Michael Groom
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Honorable Mentions:
“Dreaming of You”
Director/Writer: Jack McCafferty
Producers: Bridgett Greenberg, McCafferty
“Tallywacker”
Director/Writer: Brendan Boogie
Producers: Jeremy Dubs, Chris Goodwin, Boogie
Grand Jury – documentary Features
“A Little Hope for Chicago”
Director: Leon Lozano
Writers: Kevin Nichols, Lozano
Producers: Garrett E.B. Thompson, Kevin Nichols, Lozano
Honorable Mention:
“Spyral”
Director/Writer: Bill Guttentag
Producer: Jennifer Hutchins
Grand Jury – Narrative Shorts
“Black Silk”
Director/Writer: Patrick Michael
Producers: Patrick Michael, Josh Akin, Tiffany Gist Samuel Skeen
Honorable Mentions:
“Koi”
Director/Writer: Taige Shi
Producer: Tianyu Yang
“The Runt”
Director/Writer: Christy Stratton
Story by: Christy Stratton, Mark Norberg
Producers: Katrina Rotondo, Daniela Inés Calvo and Christy Stratton
Industry Choice Awards
Under 40
“Is it Because I’m a Girl”
Director: Peter Decherney
Producer: Peter Gitau
Over 40
“Fight Like a Girl”
Director/Writer: Matthew Leutwyler
Producers: Anton Laines, Innocent Munyeshuri, Yvette Gayle Serge Ibaka
Fever Pitch Short script Challenge
Winner: “Judas Kiss” by Sean Cage
Runner Up (Tie):
“In the Pocket” by Antjuan Ward
“Merry Christmas, Colonel Shoup” by Ed Lawrence Robinson
Audience Awards
Competition (Narrative) Feature
“The Man Who Saved the Internet With a Sunflower”
Directors: Ori Yarden, Emil Ben Shimon
Writers: Oren Safdie, Izhar Har-Lev, Yardeni
Producers: Kobi Hoffmann, Zehava Shekel
documentary Feature
“Saving Jones”
Director/Writer: Rebecca Corry
Producer: Stand Up For Pits Foundation with Angel Forever
Fusion Feature
“The Disinvited”
Director: Devin Lawrence
Writers: Lawrence, Matthew Mourgides
Producer: Mourgides
Downbeat
“Bed by 9”
Director: Christian Klein
Writer: Max Castillo
Producer: Olivia Isabel Comas
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“Survived By”
Director/Writer: K.D. Chalk
Producers: Nicole Crespo, Pinar Binay
Pilots
“Exposed”
Directors: Reece Melber, Rachel Othon
Writer: Hannah Merritt
Producer: Sina Crenshaw
Competition Narrative Shorts
“I Approve This Message”
Director: Craig Newman
Writer: Michael Barringer
Producers: Newman, Barringer
documentary Shorts
“El Regreso”
Director: Samantha Ramirez-Hererra
Producer: Sam Bathrick
Fusion Shorts
“Puppy Love”
Director: Daniel Rashid
Writers: Rashid, Elizabeth Valenti
Producers: Reilly Anspaugh, Rashid, Valenti
