Nashville Film Festival Announces Winners of 2014 Short Film Division

            NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Film Festival has announced the winners of the Short Film Division for 2014. 

            The top six short films by Tennessee filmmakers were also announced. Winners will be announced at at 6 p.m. April 23 (Wednesday) at the TN Horizon Awards at NaFF’s downtown location at Walk of Fame Park.

            “We had more short films entered in our festival this year, than ever before," said NaFF Artistic Director, Brian Owens.  “Word has gotten around to filmmakers that NaFF is the festival to enter because winners in the short documentary, narrative and animation competitions are automatically given Academy Award consideration."

            As an Academy Award Qualifying festival, several NaFF films have gone on to earn nominations, including Academy Award-winner Shawn Christensen for "Curfew", Sean Durkin for "Mary Last Seen", Jamie Travis for "The Armoire", and Denis Villeneuve for "Next Floor". Recent NaFF selections that went on to Oscar nominations include "Buzkashi Boys", "Kavi", "Miracle Fish", "The Pig", "Instead of Abracadbra", and "West Bank Story".

Narrative Shorts:

Grand Jury Prize: "Rhino Full Throttle" – Erik Schmitt

Honorable Mention: "Afronauts" – Frances Bodomo

Honorable Mention: "I’m a Mitzvah" – Ben Berman

Documentary Shorts:

Grand Jury Prize: "The Last Days of Peter Bergmann" – Ciaran Cassidy

Honorable Mention: "Love. Love. Love." – Sandhya Daisy Sundaram

Animation Shorts:

Grand Jury Prize: "Rabbit and Deer" – Peter Vacz

Honorable Mention: "Yearbook" – Bernardo Britto

Special Jury Prize for Acting:

Ed Oxenbould: "The Amber Amulet & All God’s Creatures"

Women In Film & TV:

"Helpless" – Christene Hurley

Student Shorts:

Grand Jury Prize: "Pink Helmet Posse" – Kristelle Laroche, Benjamin Mullincosson

Honorable Mention: "Into the Silent Sea" – Andrej Landin

Young Filmmaker:

"Overflow" – Ruby Drake

The TN Shorts Finalists are:

"Bear With Me" – Chad McClarnon

"Elvis Loses His Excess…" - Riley Hooper

"Lower Broads" – Drew Langer

"Shadowland" – Steven Wesley Miller

"Sorry About Tomorrow" – Motke Dapp

"Straight Up: Tennessee Whiskey" – Eric Byford

            The Nashville Film Festival will continue through April 26. To learn more, visit www.nashvillefilmfestival.org.