2021 NOMINEES
The following list is are the nominees for the 2021 FilmQuest Awards. The award winners, including the coveted FilmQuest Cthulhu Trophy, will be listed in full at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on November 6th, 2021 at Velour Live Music Gallery in Downtown Provo, Utah. The 2021 FilmQuest Nominees are, as usual, filled with many more deserving films than can possibly win or be nominated. To the nominees, congratulations!
The following nominees were culled from a process that began with 1,526 submissions for the 2021 festival. Each Feature Film category, unless otherwise noted, has 5 to 8 nominees. Each Short Film & Other category, unless otherwise noted, has 10 nominees. A “secret” nominee in most categories will be announced at the Awards Ceremony. These “secret nominees” often became the winner of their categories, and is our patented twist on the awards process, a unique and fun activity that many have come to enjoy.
Congratulations to all the 2021 Award Nominees, and start spreading the word today! Use hashtags #filmquest #prepareforfantastic #filmquest2021 #thebestofthebest #filmquestawards as you promote online!
# Indicates award is a plaque’d award
2021 NOMINEES
BEST FEATURE FILM
Dawn Break Behind the Eyes
Ghosts of the Ozarks
The Free Fall
The Old Ways
Tin Can
Two Witches
Wicked Games
BEST COMEDY SHORT
Cabin for Two
Every Time We Meet for Ice Cream Your Whole Fucking Face Explodes
Guts
Mark II
No Good Deed
Picnic Pals in Dreamland
The Dead Collectors
The Other Side of Fear
Wolf in Dude’s Clothing
BEST FANTASTIC SHORT
Buffalo & Trout
Burn on Arrival
Class
Feed Your Muse
Inch Thick, Knee Deep
Little Brother
Nagual: The Sin Eater
Reklaw
Shallow Graves
BEST FANTASY SHORT
Break Any Spell
Knightman
Mask of the Evil Apparition
Muse
Posies
Riven
Snow Globe
Still Together
The Wishflower
BEST FOREIGN SHORT
Ad Lib
Anemone
Bordo
Cerberus
Echthaar
Imaginary Portrait
Killing Small Animals
Smiles
The Fourth Wall
BEST HORROR SHORT
Face Your Fears
Forgive Us
Hunter’s Cabin
La Ciguapa Siempre
Mourn
The Pey
The Relic
True North
ZTV Sympathy for the Devil
BEST MICRO SHORT #
Big Touch
Her Release
I’m Not a Robot
Lethalogica
Old Fox
Prudence
Reflection
Wasteland
Xiety
BEST SCI-FI SHORT
Body of the Mined
Carmentis
Killing Time
Ouroboros
Raze of the Cyborg
Ruby Red
The Other Side
Venus
Watch Room
BEST STUDENT SHORT
It’s Me, Sarah
Itch
Night Call
Straw Man
The Fox
The Painted
The Purple Iris
The Rule of Three
You Missed a Spot
BEST UTAH SHORT #
(No secret nominee)
Conscription
Folie a Deux
Isolate
Orphan
Outer Darkness
Petra
Subscribe
The Moon and the Hummingbird
Thirst
Widow’s Peak
BEST ANIMATED SHORT #
Burning Bright
Death and the Winemaker
Elsewhere
Little Wold: The Night Trial
On / Off
Posted No Hunting
The Dark Odyssey
The Mechanical Dancer
The West Patch
BEST MUSIC VIDEO #
Broken As Me
Devil in Me
Forever Ting
Her
Mulletude
Once Upon A Second Act
Sal de Los Pecadores
Skynut
The Visitor
BEST WEB SERIES #
(No secret nominee)
Fishbound: Auction House
Dead End
Hug the Sun
Magenta
Tales from Black Manor
The Coroner
BEST DOCUMENTARY #
(No secret nominee)
Alien on Stage
Code Name: Nagasaki
Giant: The World of Filmmaker Jeff Leroy
Renaissance Man
BEST QUARANTINE SHORT #1 – LOCKDOWN THEMED#
(A special one-off award – no secret nominee)
A New Normal
Don’t Go Outside
Escalation
Hell in a Handbasket
She
Spore
The Cenozoic Era
There’s Something in the Silence
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Vaccinated
BEST QUARANTINE SHORT #2 – GENERAL THEME#
(A special one-off award – no secret nominee)
Blood Will Have Blood
Brackish
deMonica
Forsaken Mandalorian and the Drunken Jedi Master
Gatral Projection
Marked
Offerings
Untitled Project
We All Dream
Witch Hunt
THE MINERVA AWARD #
(Awarded to a female filmmaker/duo/group whose work embodies the advancement of the voice and empowerment of the female filmmaker in genre cinema today. Must have been a film directed, written, and/or produced by the same female filmmaker.)
A.K. Espada for “Back to the Woods”
Ashlea Wessel for “Weirdo”
Christa Boarini for “Brackish”
Danielle Kummer & Lucy Harvey for “Alien on Stage”
Joanna Tsanis for “Mourn” & “Smile”
Katherine Chediak Putnam for “Inferno”
Katherine Fisher & R.H. Stavis for “Posies”
Kelsey Bollig for “The Fourth Wall”
Krsy Fox for “What the Spell?”
Lindsay Young for “Cutter”
Megan Duffy for “Low” & “What It Feels Like for a Girl”
Minsun Park for “Koreatown Ghost Story”
Monica Suriyage for “La Ciguapa Siempre”
Sarah Bonrepaux for “Strayed”
Susannah Farrugia for “Itch”
BEST DIRECTOR – FEATURE
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes – Kevin Kopacka
Esluna: The Crown of Babylon – Denver Jackson
Ghosts of the Ozarks – Matt Glass & Jordan Wayne Long
The Free Fall – Adam Stilwell
The Old Ways – Christopher Alender
Tin Can – Seth A. Smith
When I Consume You – Perry Blackshear
BEST SCREENPLAY – FEATURE
An Ideal Host – Tyler Jacob Jones
Keeping Company – Devin Das & Josh Wallace
Not Alone – Lydelle Jackson & Cezil Reed
The Old Ways – Marcos Gabriel
The Parker Sessions – Stephen Simmons
When I Consume You – Perry Blackshear
Wicked Games – Teddy Grennan
BEST ACTOR – FEATURE
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes – Jeff Wilbusch
Ghosts of the Ozarks – Thomas Hobson
Keeping Company – Ahmed Bharoocha
The Free Fall – Shawn Ashmore
When I Consume You – Evan Dumouchel
When the Screaming Starts – Ed Hartland
Wicked Games – Markus Silbiger
BEST ACTRESS – FEATURE
An Ideal Host – Nadia Collins
The Free Fall – Andrea Londo
The Parker Sessions – Rachell Sean
Tin Can – Anna Hopkins
Two Witches – Rebekah Kennedy
When I Consume You – Libby Ewing
Wicked Games – Christine Spang
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – FEATURE #
Ghosts of the Ozarks – Tim Black Nelson
Keeping Company – Bernard White
Not Alone – Pat Healy
The Free Fall – Michael Berry Jr.
The Parker Sessions – Danny James
When I Consume You – Macleod Andrews
When the Screaming Starts – Jared Rogers
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – FEATURE #
Ghosts of the Ozarks – Angela Bettis
Ghosts of the Ozarks – Tara Perry
Keeping Company – Suzanne Savoy
Not Alone – Megan Ashley Brown
The Old Ways – Julia Vera
Two Witches – Danielle Kennedy
When the Screaming Starts – Kaitlin Reynell
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – FEATURE #
An Ideal Host
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes
Ghosts of the Ozarks
Keeping Company
Not Alone
The Free Fall
When the Screaming Starts
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – FEATURE #
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes
The Free Fall
The Old Ways
Tin Can
Two Witches
When I Consume You
Wicked Games
BEST EDITING – FEATURE #
Alien on Stage
Code Name: Nagasaki
Dawn Breaks Before the Eyes
The Parker Sessions
Tin Can
Two Witches
Wicked Games
BEST SOUND – FEATURE #
Code Name: Nagasaki
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes
Esluna: The Crown of Babylon
Ghosts of the Ozarks
The Free Fall
The Old Ways
The Parker Sessions
BEST SCORE – FEATURE #
Code Name: Nagasaki
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes
Esluna: The Crown of Babylon
Ghosts of the Ozarks
The Free Fall
The Old Ways
The Parker Sessions
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION – FEATURE #
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes
Ghosts of the Ozarks
The Old Ways
Tin Can
Two Witches
When I Consume You
When the Screaming Starts
BEST COSTUMES – FEATURE #
(No secret nominee)
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes
Ghosts of the Ozarks
The Old Ways
Tin Can
Two Witches
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – FEATURE #
(No secret nominee)
An Ideal Host
Esluna: The Crown of Babylon
Not Alone
The Free Fall
The Old Ways
BEST MAKEUP – FEATURE #
(No secret nominee)
The Free Fall
The Old Ways
Tin Can
Two Witches
When I Consume You
BEST DIRECTOR – SHORT
Cabin for Two – Sam Hoiland
Feed Your Muse – Brendan Beachman
Forgive Us – D.W. Hodges
Hunter’s Cabin – N’cee van Heerden
La Ciguapa Siempre – Monica Suriyage
Mourn – Joanna Tsanis
Sins of a Werewolf – David Prendeville
The Relic – J.M. Logan
Wolf in Dude’s Clothing – Solmund MacPherson
BEST SCREENPLAY – SHORT
Cabin for Two – Sam Hoiland
Forgive Us – Jono Mitchell
Knightman – Jun Sekiya
Lethalogica – Haley Leary & Luke Tanner
Mourn – Joanna Tsanis
Night Call – Tim Sagl
No Good Deed – Mike Langer & Phillip Clark Davis
Reklaw – Polaris Banks
Smiles – Javier Chavanel
BEST ACTOR – SHORT
Cabin for Two – Pancho Morris
Class – David Krumholtz
Familiar – Hugo Nicolau
Feed Your Muse – Zachary Ray Sherman
Forgive Us – Sandy Reed
Knightman – Matthew Needham
Ouroboros – Steve McCarthy
Sins of a Werewolf – Paul Kennedy
The Rickety Man – Russell Shealy
BEST ACTRESS – SHORT
#NOFILTER – Kelly Lamor Wilson
Break Any Spell – Rachel Boyd
Burn on Arrival – Kate Dickie
Incarnation – Mayumi Amano
Into the Uncanny Valley – Kimberly Alexander
Killjoy – Rachel Alig
Make A Wish – Josephine Chang
Receiver – Tahirih Vejdani
Upstairs – Sorcha Groundsell
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SHORT #
A Good Couple – Alex Mandell
Homesick – Piotr Choma
Hunter’s Cabin – Toby Hargrave
Mourn – Julian Robino
Reklaw – Lance Henriksen
Still Together – Steve O’Brien
The Fox – Gabriel Carrubba
The Other Side – Greg Kriek
Today – Tom Farrah
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SHORT #
Hit or Miss – Danielle Savre
Koreatown Ghost Story – Margaret Cho
Little Brother – Hattie Winston
No Good Deed – Stevie Lynn Jones
The Silent Lay Steady – Katrina Elmsley
The Wishflower – Marian Frizelle
True North – Lola Blanc
Venus – Phoebe French
Wake – Summera Howell
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST – SHORT #
29
Class
Conscription
For Your Consideration
Guts
Last Chance
Logan Lee & The Rise of the Purple Dawn
Nagual: The Sin Eater
Reklaw
Salmon Pink
Still Together
Upstairs
Watch Room
You Missed A Spot
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SHORT #
Household Demons
Killing Small Animals
Lily in the Maze
Little Brother
Muse
Ouroboros
Subscribe
The Dangerous Type
ZTV Sympathy for the Devil
BEST EDITING – SHORT #
Anniversary
Cabin for Two
Little Brother
One Fight Five Times
Picnic Pals in Dreamland
Receiver
Tales from Black Manor
The Fuzziees
Today
BEST SOUND – SHORT #
I Call Upon Thee
Killing Time
Receiver
Snake Eyes: An ASMR Nightmare
The Relic
The Rule of Three
The Small Hours
There’s Something in the Silence
Weee Wooo
BEST SCORE – SHORT #
Burning Bright
Death and the Winemakere
El Triste
Every 75 Minutes
Mask of the Evil Apparition
Old Fox
The Dangerous Type
The Other Side
Widow’s Peak
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION – SHORT #
Cabin for Two
Echthaar
Every Time We Meet for Ice Cream Your Whole Fucking Face Explodes
Hell Hole
Hospital Dumpster Divers
In My Image
Mask of the Evil Apparition
Picnic Pals in Dreamland
Venus
BEST COSTUMES – SHORT #
Forsaken Mandalorian and the Drunken Jedi Master
Golem
In Hollywoodland
Nagual: The Sin Eater
Return of the Beast from Outer Space
Scarlet Red
Untitled Project
Wasteland
Zealandia
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – SHORT #
Carmentis
Disembodies
EVIE
Mask of the Evil Apparition
Raze of the Cyborg
Spore
Sweet Nothings
The Painted
Venus
BEST MAKEUP – SHORT #
El Triste
Escalation
Feed Your Muse
Hospital Dumpster Divers
Inferno
Rancour
The Mad Shagger
The Relic
ZTV Sympathy for the Devil
SCREENPLAY FINALISTS – FEATURES (Top 50)
A Family Farm by Sean Mannion
A Weeping in the Woods by Cailin Tamplin
Alice by Tom Albanese
Arkona by Angus Watts
Assimilated by Christopher Guerrero
BeTwIxT by Kathryn Orwig
BFFs Never Say Die by K. Jennifer Ilagan
Biting Silence by Julie Hindkjær
Blood Maps by Brian K
Boys by Michael Klug
By Blood by Cherie Julander
Confection by Christa Boarini
Control by Carroll Brown
Dungeon Deep by Harry Kakatsakis
Fear the Dark by Lewis Taylor
Ghosties by Julie Sharbutt
Hysteria by Jenna Payne
Inversion by Suzy Stein & Fernando Perez
Jesse James vs. Jack the Ripper by Alasdair James McMullan
Judgement House by Alan R. Baxter
Millennium Bug by James Howells
Montana by Brendan Steere
Moon Child by Brendan Butler
Morbidly by Don Stroud
Need to Know by Simon Craven
New Coventry by Matt Devino
Northward Damned by Bryce Vails
Olivia’s War by Avishai Weinberger
Preyta by Jerry J Sampson
Product 125 by Jim Falletta
SINder by Danielle Erlich
Something Wicked by Allison Hanna
Starcrossed by Jeffrey Howe
Tenants by Maegan Langer
The Corruption by Alyssa Stevens
The Faerie Rings by Zina Brown
The Hungry Ghost by Trinity Shi
The Ivory Buck by Jason Von Godi
The Long and The Short by Julie Fergus
The Millhaven Chronicles by Rachel Searcey
The Puppet by Steven Fierberg
The Strange Transgressions and Odd Depravity of Peculiar Citizens by Isaiah Mouw
The Virgin by Trysta A. Bissett
Time, Space, and The Poet by John Turner
Trapped in Plain Sight by Tammy Klembith & George Klembith
Vinland by Bryan Ricke & Melissa Vitello
When November Ends by Michael Yurinko
Where Shadows Live by Grace Presse
Young Boy by Rachel Jacob
Your Guarded Heart by Ryan M. Lange
SCREENPLAY FINALISTS – SHORTS (Top 25)
A Town Dressed in Black by Gregory Fishwick
Blood & Marriage by Katlyn Aviles
Boxed-Up by Jamie Tree
Dead Drunk by Christopher M. Moreman
Dolores by Michael Seabolt & Gregory Schroeder
Don’t Let Her Out by Thomas McKean
Eden by Rakefet Abergel
Forget Me Not by Sarah Cooper
Frabjous Day by Tavis Doucette
Gloomy Sunday by Kevin Machate
Gloves by Michael Clifton
Horror Kid by Billy McAfee
Love You More Than Rain by Kristy Walsh
Matchstick by Philip Tice
Mermaids Have No Tears by Lulenoxx
Mommy’s Old Playhouse by Joey Scoma
Nighttime is No Fun Anymore by Jennifer Trudrung
One Who Knows by Shiloh Nyce
Pigeon by Paul Silwinski
Pod People by Stirling J. McLaughlin & J. Wilder Konschak
Pron by Hyrum Hansen
Queensguard by Kevin Anglin
Ren-Fair by Jesse Mattson & Sam Mattson
She Creature by Maria Krovatin & Chris Krovatin
The Bad Poet by Michael Clifton
The Familiar by Carrie Specht
The Heart is an Organ by Tim Troemner
This Little Valley by Zoe Maltby
Vodi by Nath Milburn & Luke Baker
What We See by Tyler Fruge
The Top 20 Feature Screenplay Finalists and Top 10 Short Screenplay Finalists were announced at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony.
CONGRATULATIONS to ALL the 2021 FilmQuest Official Selections and Nominees!