36th Annual USA FILM FESTIVAL National Short Film Competition announced

On Sunday, April 27, 2014, the USA Film Festival announced the Winners of the 36th Annual National Short Film & Video Competition. The awards program took place on Closing Night of the 44th Annual USA Film Festival in Dallas.

Chosen from more than 500 U.S. entries, the winners included:

FIRST PLACE / FICTION $1,000 FIRST PLACE / ANIMATION $1,000

One Armed Man, Tim Guinee, director Confusion Through Sand, Danny Madden, director

FIRST PLACE / NON-FICTION $1,000

Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution, Matthew VanDyke, director

First Place Winners in the Fiction, Animation and Non-Fiction categories that meet Academy eligibility requirements qualify for consideration from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information on Rules & Eligibility for the Academy Awards, please visit www.oscars.org/rules

THE STUDENT AWARD $250 SPECIAL JURY AWARDS $250 each

Samnang, Asaph Polosky, director 5cm, Jordan Schiele, director

Children of the Peacock, Travis Andrade, director

THE TEXAS AWARD $250 For the Birds, Tara Atashgah, director

A Quiet Strength, Bobbie Baird, Hannah Caggiano, A Long Walk, Chinonye Chukwu, director

Deborah Hammond, Tommaso Spinelli, co-directors

The 2014 National Jury included writer/producer Paul Marcarelli, actor/writer/director Catherine Dent,

actor/writer/director Christina Beck, and (Student and Texas Awards Jurors only) producer/actor/director

Charles Haid and writer/actor Elisabeth Harmon.

This year marks the 44th Anniversary of the Academy-qualified festival, which has awarded more than $350,000 in cash prizes, including prizes to many (then) emerging filmmakers, including Jessica Yu (Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien), Todd Haynes (Superstar and Dottie Gets Spanked), Alexander Payne (The Passion of Martin), George Hickenlooper (Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade), Alan Taylor (That Burning Question) and John Lasseter (Tin Toy).

In addition to the Jury awards, FESTIVAL-AWARDED PRIZES also went to the following official selection short works:

Across Grace Alley, Ralph Macchio, director

The Bakerman and the Bunnymen, Scout Raskin, director

Dress, Henry Ian Cusick, director

Looms, The Funk Brothers, directors

Ni-Ni, Melissa Hickey, director

Thursday, Milcho Manchevski, director

Tobacco Burn, Justin Liberman, director