
2025 Marina del Rey Film Festival
Award Winners
Award Recipients Receive Certificate of Distinction in Independent Film Production
BEST HORROR SHORT - GHOSTED
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BEST HORROR FEATURE FILM - HIDDEN LIVES
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BEST ENSEMBLE CAST - SHORT FILM - ROOMMATES
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BEST ENSEMBLE CAST FEATURE FILM - THE SOUNDS OF BALLOONS 2
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BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT ANIMATION - CHRISTOPHER AND THE BUG
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BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO - MERCY
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BEST INTERNATIONAL WEB SERIES - SIN3056843
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BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION PILOT - HIVE
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BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT NARRATIVE FILM - AHAM SARVAM
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BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT DOCUMENTARY - SEARCHING FOR KUROSAWA
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BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM - MOTHER OF FASCIA
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BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM - BLING POWER
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR SHORT FILM - Andy Lindberg/FINDING BRANDON
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR FEATURE FILM - Arlo White/CHINESE WHISPERS
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS SHORT FILM - Cat Hammons/RAW DEALS
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FEATURE FILM - Olivia d'Abo/STAYCATION
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BEST ACTRESS - SHORT FILM - Erica Muñoz/GUARDIAN
BEST ACTRESS - FEATURE FILM - Kacy Owens/BURNER
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BEST ACTOR - SHORT FILM -Gary Teitelbaum/WHY DOGS HOWL
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BEST ACTOR - FEATURE FILM - Michael Collins/SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD
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BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM - THE YESTERDAY
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BEST EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE FILM - YOU ARE HERE
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BEST WESTERN SHORT - A BETTER MAN
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BEST DANCE SHORT - IF THE SHOE FITS
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BEST HORROR/THRILLER SHORT FILM - SCARECROW
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BEST CRIME/THRILLER SHORT FILM HER MOTIVE
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BEST THRILLER FEATURE FILM - THREE
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BEST SCI-FI ACTION SHORT - GOLDENBLOOD
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT FILM - Gloria Laino/DIEZ SEGUNDOS
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY FEATURE - Charlotte Wincott/PIECE OF THE WALL
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY FEATURE - OLD HEART
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BEST HEIST COMEDY SHORT - SHANNAHAN THE BOLT JOB
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BEST MOCKUMENTARY SHORT - MY LITTLE HOBBY
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BEST DARK COMEDY SHORT - LIKE, COMMENT AND SHARE
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BEST ROMCOM - PRO
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BEST ACTION COMEDY SHORT - THE COLLECTIVE
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BEST COMEDY FEATURE - ALL OF IT
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BEST SOUND MUSIC VIDEO - TRAFFIC
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BEST SOUND SHORT ANIMATION FILM - JOUST MY LUCK
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BEST SOUND SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM - MORE THAN SANTA BABY
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BEST SOUND SHORT FILM - LET THERE BE PEACE
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BEST SOUND DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM - ONE DREAM TOO MANY
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BEST SOUND FEATURE FILM - UNDER THE OVERPASS AND FAR AWAY
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BEST DRAMA SHORT - NIC OF TIME
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BEST MICRO SHORT - STARBORN
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BEST MYSTERY SUSPENSE SHORT - IN SUNSHINE AND IN SHADOW
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BEST YA SHORT - BEYOND THE BOOK
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BEST THRILLER FEATURE - MONDO HOLLYWOODLAND
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN MUSIC VIDEO - ARCTIC POLAR BEAR MOTHERS
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN SHORT FILM - FORGIVING RETRIBUTION
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN FEATURE FILM - GLASS CASA
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BEST EDITING MUSIC VIDEO - MAYBE I'M A QUEEN
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BEST EDITING SHORT ANIMATION - GAVIN'S ADVENTURES
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BEST EDITING SHORT DOCUMENTARY - THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN JUNKIE
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BEST EDITING SHORT NARRATIVE - THE SCENARIO
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BEST EDITING - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY - BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS...AND
MORE BLOOD: THE MAKING OF CANNIBAL COMEDIAN
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BEST EDITING - FEATURE FILM - CORAL "THE HAUNTED ASSIGNMENT"
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY -MUSIC VIDEO - CALL OF INISHMORE
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - SHORT NARRATIVE FILM - RADIATE
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM - NEAH BAY
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
OH NO: A COCODONA 250 STORY
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FEATURE FILM - THE LOST PRINCESS
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BEST DIRECTOR MUSIC VIDEO Nick Andrea
MY FELONY, PRAY FOR THEM, THE RAVEN, & WE DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE
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BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT ANIMATION
Deborah Gilels / TIFFANY BRITTANY BROOKE
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BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY SHORT - Michael Petrella/LIFE, ART & LEGACY
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BEST DIRECTOR - SHORT FILM - Michael Kuznar/QUIET INTENTIONS
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BEST DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
George Elias/MS FITNESS CHALLENGE: THE JOURNEY
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BEST DIRECTOR - FEATURE FILM - Soudabeh Moradian/THE MERMAID
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST MUSIC VIDEO - WHITE KNIGHT
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FESTIVAL STUDENT FILMMAKER AWARD
Austin Geiger/ALPACAS! & TEACH RESILIENCE
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT ANIMATION - BUTTON MAGIC
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY- My déjà vu with Teena Marie?
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST SHORT NARRATIVE
ESTHER'S INTERSTELLAR VISION
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST WEBISODE/WEB SERIES
FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST TV PILOT - IT'S A LOT
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY - THE NEGRO ARTIST
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AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY
TIME TRIALS: A DRAGSTRIP REQUIEM
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AUDIENCE AWARD BEST FEATURE - CHURCH OF PHIL
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GRAND PRIZE MUSIC VIDEO - STRANGERS UNDER MY SKIN
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GRAND PRIZE BEST ANIMATED SHORT - SHE IS US
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - A HERO'S WORDS
GRAND PRIZE - BEST TV PILOT - "THE CAFONE" EPISODE #1 "THE BADGE"
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST WEBISODE/WEB SERIES - “I Could Eat” Episode 2
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GRAND PRIZE BEST NARRATIVE SHORT - SOMEDAY
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GRAND PRIZE BEST DOCUMENTARY - TELEVISION
A TOUR OF ONE CITY: THE HISTORY OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES
IN NASHVILLE, TN AND BEYOND
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GRAND PRIZE BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
MY FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS “LETTERS TO THE FALLEN”
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST FEATURE - A LONG ROAD TO TAO
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MARINA DEL REY FILM FESTIVAL 2025 SCREENPLAY AWARDS
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - BASED ON A TRUE STORY
IM NOT OK MICHAEL BY Jon Dannelley
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BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY ADAPTED FROM ANOTHER MEDIUM
TRIPLE SCREW KNOT BY Kymberly Harris
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BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - BLACK COMEDY/HORROR
It's Open BY Doug Maguire
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BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY ROMANCE - The Home of Y&Y BY Yelena Demikovsky
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BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT SCREENPLAY - Meeting You… BY Michael Ringdal
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BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION SCREENPLAY
Higher Plane Sacred Vow BY Eddie Clay Thompkins III
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BEST INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION PILOT - WetWorks BY Don Tray Smith
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BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCREENPLAY
SIMON'S FATE BY DARRYL FREDERICK BUBNER
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BEST TELEVISION SCREENPLAY - COMEDY - Pornacopia Inc. BY Sarah Kopp
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BEST TELEVISION PILOT - DRAMA - Do Over BY D. G. Ellerbusch
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BEST TELEVISION PILOT - MYSTERY/ROMANCE - Trinity West BY MG Hardie
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BEST TELEVISION PILOT - SCI-FI - The Age of the Empath BY Steve Brown
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BEST SCI-FI HORROR COMEDY FEATURE SCREENPLAY
BOTTOM FEEDER BY Ari Groobman
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BEST HORROR/COMEDY FEATURE SCREENPLAY
The Sabine Saga BY William A Murphy
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BEST CAPER FEATURE SCREENPLAY - American Money BY Timothy A McGhee
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BEST ACTION COMEDY FEATURE SCREENPLAY - TED'S BUTLER BY P.K. SILVERSON, BILL LUNDY
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BEST SUSPENSE THRILLER FEATURE SCREENPLAY
The Manhattan Project BY Janet Walker
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BEST COMEDY SCREENPLAY - I'll Be Doggone BY Robert L. Cole
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BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY ADAPTED FROM ANOTHER MEDIUM - STALAG BY Bill Walker, Brian Anthony
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BEST HOLIDAY/ROMANCE FEATURE SCREENPLAY
Tastes Like Christmas BY Tom Anastasi
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BEST BIOGRAPHY FEATURE SCREENPLAY - THE LADY WITH THE LAMP BY
Ashley Kimberly Anne Schroff, Eric Gerard Sollars
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GRAND PRIZE BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - A Sleeper's Silence BY Ross Raventos
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GRAND PRIZE BEST TV SCRIPT - Bad Love Strikes Kevin Schewe - Script BY
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GRAND PRIZE TV PILOT - Again BY Melissa L. White
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GRAND PRIZE - BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY - Citadel Lost BY Ernie Rivera