2022 DENVER UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL AWards

DENVER UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS 2023
We would like to thank the 2023 DUFF Filmmakers for their support
and we hope to have the honor of showcasing your films again in our festival.
FESTIVAL OPENING & CLOSING FILMS

For representing the spirit of underground filmmaking.
OPENING FILM

Howl. Martin Del Carpio. Venezuela/NYC. Narrative Experimental Short.
CLOSING FILM

Vis. Director: Emily Wright. Littleton, CO. Narrative Short.

BEST CAMERALESS EXPERIMENTAL SHORT ON FILM
For cameraless or handpainted films using 8mm, Super 8, 16mm or 35mm.
1 Jam It. Director: John Dawson. Boulder, CO.
2 My Eyes Had Faded To Gray. Director: Cali M. Banks. Brooklyn, NY.

BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
For non-narrative digital experimental films.
1 Jam It. Director: John Dawson. Boulder, CO.
2 Flare. Director: Shannon Silva. Wilmington, NC.
3 Anima #1. Director: Vasco Diogo. Portugal.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
La Próxima Te Acompaño (Next Time I'll Join You)
Director: Camila Dron. La Plata, Argentina.
For innovation in use of animated medical body scans as a new medium.
Pedestrian Flow Zone.

Director: Gregg Biermann. NYC.
For documenting a Fringe public event, Santacon 2021 in NYC, as medium for an experimental film.

BEST PERFORMANCE EXPERIMENTAL SHORT ON FILM.
For non-narrative experimental films with performers
shot on 8mm, Super 8, 16mm or 35mm.
1 I Have Seen the Fire Ship. Director: Daniel Murphy. Milwaukee, WI.
2 Jeff Zorrilla 2019. Director: Jeff Zorrilla. Argentina.

BEST PERFORMANCE EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
For non-narrative experimental films with actors or performers.
1 Meyne Hent. Director: Amber Rose McNeill. Australia/Wisconsin.
2 slAIsher. Director: Tiz. Las Vegas, NV.
3 Walls Running. Director: Charlotte Griffin. Irvine, CA.

BEST NARRATIVE EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
For narrative experimental films with actors or performers.
1 Vuk, Murder in a Blue World. Director: Martin Del Carpio. Venezuela/NYC.
2 Mycelia. Director: Gavin Dubois. Chicago, IL.
3 MERCURY. Director: Clara Dubau. France/Italy/NYC.

BEST NATURE EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
For experimental films with nature as subject matter.
1 The Winter of Eternity. Director: Patrick Muller. Saxony, Germany.
2 NOX. Director: Mireille Heidbreder. Richmond, VA.
3 Strange Phenomena. Director: Matt Feldman. United Kingdom.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR NATURE EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
When I Close My Eyes I See Everything
Director: Alexandre Alagoa. Portugal.

BEST COLORADO EXPERIMENTAL SHORT
1 Jam It. Director: John Dawson. Boulder, CO.

BEST EXPERIMENTAL DOCUMENTARY
1 Petrykivka. Director Anne Ciecko. Amherst, MA.
2 We've Been Bamboozled. Directors: Pamela Falkenberg, Jack Cochran. USA.
3 Hood Cream. Director: Denver Williams. Fort Worth, TX.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR EXPERIMENTAL DOCUMENTARY
Green Before "Green". Director: Paul Echeverria. USA.
We Are Ordinary. Director: Julio Lopez. Chicago, IL.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
1 My Ecce Homos. Director: Marco Rossano. Spain/Italy.
2 Witch Hunt. Directors: Melissa James, Sarah Sharkey Pearce.
3 Abu Dia: The Story of a Palestinian Farmer.
Director: Mohamad Zwahra. Palestine.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
Forward Fast. Director: Lorraine Sovern. Casselberry, FL.

BEST COLORADO DOCUMENTARY
1 Underground Sound: Denver's Modular Synth Scene
Director: Joseph Brown. Denver, CO.
2 La Placita de San Rafael
Director: Rick Vigil. Denver, CO.

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
1 Vivian. Director: Amadeus Gonzalez. Austin, TX.
2 Tina. Director: Laura Sweeney. Oakland, CA.
3 5G Migraine. Director: Roque Santiago Gonzalez. San Gabriel, CA.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Two People That Are Still Here
Director: Brody Burgess. USA.
Contrition
Director: Brandon Normon. Canada.

BEST COLORADO NARRATIVE SHORT
1 Stereo Psychosis. Director: Matt Sandoval. Denver, CO.
2 Le Tour. Director: Johnny Yager. Denver, CO.
3 SuckerFish. Director: J.D. Sturman. Grand Junction, CO.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST COLORADO NARRATIVE SHORT
Circles. Director: Nicholas Scandrol. Denver, CO.
For best use of a single location in a film.
Motherlode. Director: Grace Perry. Denver, CO.
For seamless use of multiple visual technologies in a film.

BEST DIGITAL ANIMATED SHORT
1 Smush. Director: Stephan Larson. Marquette, MI.
2 Yellow Dove Aftermath. Director:Rony Abovitz. Weston, FL.
3 The Analogy of Space. Director: Oleksandr Hoisan. Ukraine.

BEST STOP MOTION ANIMATED SHORT
1 The Dark Odyssey 2 - Ice Nexus. Director: Michael Lavine. USA.
2 & Yet Here We Are. Director: Andy Clay Huey. Boulder, CO.
3 Can't Let Go. Director: Ryan Wang. China/Long Island, NY.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR STOP MOTION ANIMATION
Vivian. Director: Amadeus Gonzalez. Austin, TX.
For integrating stop motion animation in a narrative short.

BEST COLORADO ANIMATED SHORT
1 & Yet Here We Are. Director: Andy Clay Huey. Boulder, CO.

BEST EXPERIMENTAL DANCE SHORT
For experimental dance or choreography short films.
1 All of Us. Director: Charlotte Griffin. Washingon, DC.
2 "Room" (Սենյակ [sɛnˈjɑk]). Director: Anna Grigorian. Armenia/Canada.
3 Unboxing. Directors: Danila Bim, Jimmy Slonina. Las Vegas, NV.

BEST FOUND FOOTAGE SHORT
1 I am who I have always been. Director: Vincent Benavidez. USA.
2 Form. Director: Adam E. Stone. Carbondale, IL.
3 Forward Fast. Director: Lorraine Sovern. Casselberry, FL.

BEST FILM ON FILM
For best use of 8mm, Super 8, 16mm or 35mm cameras and film in all categories.
1 Death in Lavender. Director: Tyler W. Moore. USA. (16mm)
2 The Voice in Isabel Fleiss's Office. Director: Jim Haverkamp. Durham, NC (16mm)
3 The Winter of Eternity. Director: Patrick Muller. Saxony, Germany. (Super 8)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1 The Inhabitants. Director: Tate Justin Bunker. Shorewood, WI.
Director of Photography: Tate Justin Bunker.
2 Death in Lavender. Director: Tyler W. Moore. USA.
Director of Photography: Naythan Smith.
3 Contrition. Director: Brandon Normon. Canada.
Director of Photography: Dan Henshaw & Brandon Normon.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Mourning Bride
Director and Director of Photography: Gkie Ere. Philippines.

BEST COLORADO CINEMATOGRAPHY
1 Loose Change: A Memoir of Childhood. Director: Andrew Bateman, Denver, CO.
Director of Photography: Jessica McGaugh.
2 The High Hemlock. Director: Fiona McNeal. Aurora, CO.
Director of Photography: William Francis.
3 Le Tour. Director: Johnny Yager. Denver, CO.
Director of Photography: Emmerry Lee.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST COLORADO CINEMATOGRAPHY
Echoes of Life
Director: Darren Smith. Denver, CO.
Director of Photography: Darren Smith.
Motherlode. Director: Grace Perry. Denver, CO.
Director of Photography: Alexandra Faust.

BEST AUDIO EDITING OR SOUNDTRACK
1 Contrition. Director: Brandon Normon. Canada.
Music by Protector 101.
2 Loose Change: A Memoir of Childhood. Director: Andrew Bateman, Denver, CO.
3 The Mourning Bride. Director: Gkie Ere. Philippines.

BEST SCREENPLAY
1 Tina. Director: Laura Sweeney. Oakland, CA.
Screenplay by: Sheri Davenport.
2 Death in Lavender. Director: Tyler W. Moore. USA.
Screenplay by: Roy Nugen & Fritz Robinson.
3 A Toast To A Dead Man. Director: Richard Tavernaro. Acworth, GA.
Screenplay by:

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
Floaters. Director: Nikhail Asnani. UK.
Two People That Are Still Here.
Director: Brody Burgess. USA.

Golden
Director: Baylor Smith. Grand Rapids. MI
Screenplay by: Baylor Smith.

Letter to the Law.
Director: Ron Weisberg. Albuquerque, NM. Narrative Short. 04:50.
Screenplay by: Michel Hall.

BEST DIRECTOR
1 Contrition. Director: Brandon Normon. Canada.
2 Death in Lavender. Director: Tyler W. Moore. USA.
3 The Mastermind. Director: Brandon Tucker. USA.

BEST COLORADO DIRECTOR
1 Le Tour. Director: Johnny Yager. Denver, CO.
2 Motherlode. Director: Grace Perry. Denver, CO.
3 Vis. Director: Emily Wright. Littleton, CO.

AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR
1 Nikhail Asnani. Floaters. Director: Nikhail Asnani. United Kingdom.
2 Tina. Director: Laura Sweeney. Oakland, CA.
The cast of Tina, Steff Eleanor Whitcanak & Chandler Reed.
3 Contrition. Director: Brandon Normon. Canada.
The cast of Contrition, Darcy Laurie & Ron Selmour.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR
Shehnaaz Asnani. Floaters. Director Mikhail Asnani. United Kingdom.
Justin Michael Clark. Posthumous Award.

5G Migraine. Director: Roque Santiago Gonzalez. San Gabriel, CA.
Michael Murphy & Julia McCammon.

Two People That Are Still Here.
Director: Brody Burgess. USA.
The cast of The Mastermind, Ashlynn Hidemann, Shelby Cohen, Gretchen Ho, Mike Hickman, Jarrett Ho.

The Mastermind.
Director: Brandon Tucker. USA.
Darielle Campbell.
Vis. Director: Emily Wright. Littleton, CO.

COLORADO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT RECOGNITION
For filmmakers with a long trajectory of contributions to filmmaking in Colorado.

William Briggs.
Ivan Pavletic.

BEST OF FEST -  In no particular order.
1 Witch Hunt. Directors: Melissa James, Sarah Sharkey Pearce.
2 We Are Ordinary. Director: Julio Lopez. Chicago, IL.
3 Death in Lavender. Director: Tyler W. Moore. USA.
4 Tina. Director: Laura Sweeney. Oakland, CA.
5 5G Migraine. Director: Roque Santiago Gonzalez. San Gabriel, CA.