THE 21ST ANNUAL NEW HAMPSHIRE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD RECIPIENTS

Portsmouth, New Hampshire (October 15, 2023) – That’s a wrap! New Hampshire’s largest film festival has announced the recipients of the New Hampshire Film Festival’s (NHFF) prestigious awards after four packed days of screenings, panels, and parties. The city of Portsmouth was abuzz as the 21st annual New Hampshire Film Festival attracted an estimated ten thousand film enthusiasts, filmmakers, writers, and students, who gathered to celebrate and discuss cinema and view more than 100 independent films that were selected from thousands of submissions.

This is the second year the NHFF is an Academy Awards qualifying festival for short films, making live action and animated shorts jury award recipients eligible to submit for Oscar consideration. NHFF Executive Director Nicole Gregg says, “We are so energized that once again, the New Hampshire Film Festival distinguished itself as an important opportunity for filmmakers who come from near and far, and for audiences, who not only get to see the films, but are encouraged to interact with directors, writers, producers, actors, and cinematographers.”

The awards, affectionately called “Granny Awards” for the solid granite trophy – a nod to the Granite State, can help filmmakers build visibility and potentially secure a distribution deal.

The bulk of the awards honoring excellence in filmmaking and screenwriting were presented on Sunday night, including the Live Action Shorts Jury Award and Animation Shorts Jury Award:

  • Shorts Jury Award, Animation (Academy-Qualifying): Aikāne (directed by Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson)

  • Best Screenplay: Imogene’s Tornado (written by Andrew Braunbhar)

  • Best Student Film: Homing (directed by Ricardo Varona)

  • Best Short Comedy: Catherine & Michael (directed by Kathy Fusco)

  • Best Short Drama: Mandarins (directed by Chelsie Pennello)

  • Audience Choice, Documentary: In the Whale (directed by David Abel)

  • Audience Choice, Narrative: Hangdog (directed by Matt Cascella)

  • Grand Jury Award, Documentary: Hummingbirds (directed by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños & Estefanía “Beba” Contreras)

  • Grand Jury Award, Narrative: Mountains (directed by Monica Sorelle)

  • Shorts Jury Award, Documentary: Denial (directed by Paul Moakley and Daniel Lombroso)

  • Shorts Jury Award, Live Action (Academy-Qualifying): The Fuse (directed by Kevin Haefelin)

  • Best Documentary Feature: Maestra (directed by Maggie Contreras)

  • Best Narrative Feature: Our Son (directed by Bill Oliver)

Joe Wilson