14th Santa Cruz Film Festival A Success

Thank you to everyone who attended the 14th Santa Cruz Film Festival at the Tannery Arts Center this month. We are proud that we were able to bring the work of 75 filmmakers to Santa Cruz audiences at the new Colligan Theater, Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center, and Radius Gallery.



We rely on community support in order to showcase the work of these brilliant digital storytellers during the 5-day festival. We need to raise $20,000 to cover the costs of producing a high-quality viewing experience again next year. If you liked what you saw, will you consider a donation to keep us going strong into our 15th year? Anything you can contribute is very much appreciated.

Click here to make a contribution to support the Santa Cruz Film Festival, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your support.



Here are the award winners, chosen from the incredible films we screened this year:

Audience Award: Janey Makes a Play, Director Jared Callahan

Best Animated Work: Hansel + Gretel, Director Soyeon Kim

Best Documentary Feature: In Pursuit of Silence, Director Patrick Shen

Best Experimental Feature: The Open, Director Marc Lahore

Best Experimental Short: Simon, Director Camille de Galbert

Best Locally-Produced Work: Pussywillow Dirtbags, Director Pedro Delbrey

Best Narrative Feature: West of Her, Director Ethan Warren

Best Narrative Short: Silver Dogs, Director Erin Drake-Prior

Best Short Documentary: Adi | At The Confluence, Director Joor Baruah

Best Student-Produced Work: Out of Sight, Filmmakers: Michael Anderson, Rose Chang, Jonny Clugston, Tim Dutton, Melissa Frederickson, Spencer Jay, Olivia Johansen, Diana Joves, Steve Mendoza, Ben Olivas, Regina Ortanez, Jared Pockalny, Yarely Ramirez, Zackery Ramos-Taylor, Meadow Rhodes, Graham Smith, Nicole Stachniuk, Kevin Ulibarri, Sophia Wang

Director’s Award for Artistic Merit: Mele Murals, Director Tadashi Nakamura

EarthVision Environmental Feature Award: The Anthropologist, Directors Daniel A. Miller, Seth Kramer, Jeremy Newberger

EarthVision Environmental Short Award: Butterfly Town, USA, Director Dorothy Fadiman

Evan Kuhn Youth Film Award: Producing Hope, Director Morgan Shirk

Spirit of Action Prize (Feature): UnSlut: A Documentary Film, Director Emily Lindin

Spirit of Action Prize (Short): Freedom Sleepers, Director Israel Dawson