Liam LoPinto’s ‘The Old Young Crow’ snags Best of the Festival Award; ‘Way Better,’ by Skirmanta Jakaitė, takes Best Animated Short.
The 2023 Palm Springs International ShortFest announced its festival juried and audience award winners as part of Closing Night at the Camelot Theatre (Palm Springs Cultural Center). Winners were chosen from 299 short films that were part of the Official Selection. The festival took place June 20-26, 2023.
In animation, the winners were:
Best of Festival winner 'The Old Young Crow,' directed by Liam LoPinto.
Best of the Festival Award - $5,000 cash prize:
Winner: The Old Young Crow (Japan/USA), directed by Liam LoPinto
- Mehrdad recalls his childhood in Japan through his old sketchbook, returning to his encounter with an old Japanese woman, Chiyo, mourning the 40th anniversary of her son’s passing.
Jury: Angel An (VP of Acquisitions, Roadside Attractions); Kiva Reardon (Vice President of Film, PASTEL); Clay Pruitt (Head of Programming, Impact Distribution, Impact Distribution, Seed&Spark)
‘Way Better’ by Skirmanta Jakaitė.
Best Animated Short - $1,000 cash prize:
Winner: Way Better (Lithuania), directed by Skirmanta Jakaitė
- A man awaits test results. He expects the worst yet hopes for the best. Distressed and afraid, he spends a week in the limbo of his own creation, neither here nor there, dreading the things that haven't happened yet.
Jury: Geoff Marslett (Animator/Director/Writer/Producer); Irene Soriano (Writer/Film Curator); Gabe Van Amburgh (Film Programmer and Senior Manager, SXSW)
Special Mentions:
- Ashkaska (Spain/Argentina), directed by Lara Maltz
- Eeva (Croatia/Estonia), directed by Lucija Mrzljak and Morten Tšinakov
‘The Rainbow Dung Beetle’ by Ellen Moway and Cole Dupzyk.
Student Animated Short - $1,000 cash prize:
Winner: The Rainbow Dung Beetle (USA), directed by Ellen Moway and Cole Dupzyk
- Accustomed to camouflaging himself with mud to hide from predators, Desmond the dung beetle learns from his new neighbors that he can use his true colors to his advantage.
Audience Awards:
‘Ice Merchants’ by João Gonzalez.
Best Animated Short:
Ice Merchants (Portugal), directed by João Gonzalez
- Every day, a father and his son jump with a parachute from their vertiginous cold house, attached to a cliff, to go to the village on the ground, far away, where they sell the ice they produce daily.
A complete list of winners is available here.
The Palm Springs International ShortFest is an Oscar Qualifying event; the winner in some categories may be eligible to submit their short to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
Source: Palm Springs International ShortFest
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
