Award winners, official selections, finalists and semi-finalists!

With all the wonderful films submitted this year to the Highway 61 Film Festival, narrowing down the choices into the award winners and official selections was a very challenging job for our all-volunteer crew of prescreeners, judges and festival programmers.

It also didn’t seem right to celebrate only the films that would be featured during the limited time we have to schedule films at our 2016 festival, because there would be many, many more films we would include if we did have time available.  Excellent creative work deserves to be recognized.

With that in mind, we are honoring not only the award winners and official selections, but finalists and semi-finalists in each category – films which made a strong impression on our judges, but which we were unable to screen at the festival.

To see the festival schedule for 2016, click here.

Thank you for your contributions, and congratulations to all!

 

ACTION/HORROR FEATURE

1st Place • Scratch • Director: Maninder Chana  – Canada

2nd Place • DAYLIGHT’S END  • Director: Wiliam Kaufman – United States

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Peelers  • Submitted by Sevé Schelenz  • Finalist

Gray  • Submitted by Michael Santana  • Semi-Finalist

The Dark Tapes  • Submitted by Michael McQuown  • Semi-Finalist

ACTION/HORROR SHORT

1st Place • Portent  • Director: Justin Carter  – United Kingdom

2nd Place • HADA  • Director: Tony Morales – Spain

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Ghostwriter  • Director: Mykee Steen  • Official Selection

Mayday  • Director: Sébastien Vanicek  • Official Selection

The Art of Human Salvage  • Director: Dempsey Tillman  • Official Selection

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Snatched Away  • Submitted by Rafael Sierra  • Finalist

Balloon  • Submitted by Vis Vitalis  • Semi-Finalist

Banana Bike Bloodbath  • Submitted by Luke Meneok  • Semi-Finalist

Candy Skin  • Submitted by Kyle Martellacci  • Semi-Finalist

Frame of Mine  • Submitted by Matthew Simonis  • Semi-Finalist

Kill Them All, Big and Small • Submitted by John Gigrich  • Semi-Finalist

Recalibrate  • Submitted by John Gigrich  • Semi-Finalist

TEAM  • Submitted by Pete Tomkies  • Semi-Finalist

 

ANIMATION – SHORT OR FEATURE

1st Place • PERCIPIENT  • Director: Keith Mullin – United States

2nd Place • THE OLD MAN AND THE PEARS   • Director: Jing Sun – United States

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Brotherhood  • Director: Christian Washington  • Official Selection

Departure  • Director: Shiyuan Guo  • Official Selection

Fault Lines • Director: Mandy Wong  • Official Selection

Monster  • Director: Montana Hall  • Official Selection

Quackerz  • Director: Viktor Lakisov  • Official Selection

Spotlight  • Director: Otalia Causse  • Official Selection

The Hindu Thread  • Director: Jennifer Higgins  • Official Selection

The Odd Funeral  • Director: Felix Swahn  • Official Selection

Totem  • Director: Ariel Jew  • Official Selection

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Bubble Bubble Meows and the Things That Happen in Movies Like This  • Submitted by Matt Orefice  • Finalist

Agrinoui  • Submitted by Alexis Chaviaras  • Semi-Finalist

another day in paradise  • Submitted by bellopropello  • Semi-Finalist

employee of the day  • Submitted by Christoph J Kellner  • Semi-Finalist

Infestation  • Submitted by Cable Hardin  • Semi-Finalist

Last Judgment  • Submitted by Junyi Xiao  • Semi-Finalist

Xsense Alice  • Submitted by Janetta Abbenbroek  • Semi-Finalist

COMEDY FEATURE

1st Place • BUSES  • Directors: Josh Clarke and Jack Kelly – United Kingdom

2nd Place • DIRTY BEAUTIFUL  • Director: Tim Bartell – United States

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DUMBBELLS  • Submitted by Hoyt Richards  • Finalist

Did You Hear Jake And Courtney Broke Up?  • Submitted by Michael Leroux  • Semi-Finalist

Where Are You, Bobby Browning?  • Submitted by Marc Hutchins  • Semi-Finalist

COMEDY SHORT

1st Place • L.I.P.S.  • Director: Mike Cheslik – United States

2nd Place • BUBBLE BATH  • Director: Kevin Saxby  – Canada

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A Town Called Theocracy  • Director: Jehad Al-Khateeb  • Official Selection

Call For A Good Time  • Director: Linnea Ritland  • Official Selection

Dirty Work  • Director: Dániel Füzes  • Official Selection

Once Upon a Dream  • Director: Anthony Nion  • Official Selection

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De Ontmoeting (The Encouter)  • Submitted by milou dieteren  • Semi-Finalist

Endo  • Submitted by Tom Radovich  • Semi-Finalist

Finding Wheel Love  • Submitted by Sonic Barometer  • Semi-Finalist

Kidnapping  • Submitted by Jay Pulk  • Semi-Finalist

Sex Life  • Submitted by Cole Meyer  • Semi-Finalist

The Bigfoot Hunters  • Submitted by matt hausmann  • Semi-Finalist

The Couch  • Submitted by Doug Phillips  • Semi-Finalist

The Revenge  • Submitted by Yulia Travnikova  • Semi-Finalist

Think Twice  • Submitted by Eliaz Rodriguez  • Semi-Finalist

Venice  • Submitted by Venetia Taylor  • Semi-Finalist

Virgin Susie And The Holy Sisters From Petah-Tikva  • Submitted by Asaf Yecheskel  • Semi-Finalist

When Damon Met Angie…  • Submitted by Hugo Matz  • Semi-Finalist

Whyne: Because the “Why” Generation is Whining  • Submitted by Nathan Oelker  • Semi-Finalist

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1st Place • GYPSY: ROCK & ROLL NOMADS  • Director: Sean Skinner – United States

2nd Place • ONE LONG JOURNEY  • Director: Andy Lawrence – United Kingdom

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

1st Place • A LIFE WELL PLAYED  • Director: Rene Erickson – United States

2nd Place • OVER THE BRIDGE  • Director: Maria Lavelle – United States

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The Band for Dummies  • Submitted by Vittorio Antonacci  • Finalist

Harlan County: A Road to Change  • Submitted by Kim Childers  • Semi-Finalist

Song in a Day  • Submitted by Kris Jones  • Semi-Finalist

TRANSition  • Submitted by Robert Cunningham  • Semi-Finalist

TICK TOCK CLOCK   • Submitted by GAIL REABEN  • Semi-Finalist

The First Time  • Submitted by Ashley Boyle  • Semi-Finalist

DRAMA FEATURE

1st Place • CAPSULE  • Director: Andrew Martin • Producer: Paul D. Forrest • Company: Ecaveo Capital Partners  – United Kingdom

2nd Place • SCARECROW  • Director: Mark A. France – United States

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ESCAPES  • Submitted by mercedes gaspar  • Finalist

Redux  • Submitted by Bret Jones  • Semi-Finalist

DRAMA SHORT

1st Place • THE EXAMPLE  • Director: Wyatt Cagle  – United States

2nd Place • BLIND LIGHT  • Director: An Pham – United States

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Dead Sharks  • Director: Nic Barker  • Official Selection

Dorothy and the Odds  • Director: Rudy Capirio  • Official Selection

Letter to My Son  • Director: Maurice Hicks  • Official Selection

Speed Dating  • Director: Heather Nicole  • Official Selection

Split Costs  • Director: Jeffrey Blake Palmer  • Official Selection

The Jason Phillips Show  • Director: Kye Loren  • Official Selection

With the Wind  • Director: Farhad Pakdel  • Official Selection

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Funkenflug – Chronicles of a Catastrophe  • Submitted by Stephanie Kiewel  • Finalist

The Forgotten Few  • Submitted by Ryan Enever  • Finalist

Aitxitxe  • Submitted by Markel Goikoetxea  • Semi-Finalist

Burgatory  • Submitted by Stephen Hutchins  • Semi-Finalist

Captivity  • Submitted by Yulia Travnikova  • Semi-Finalist

Headlong  • Submitted by Peter Simon  • Semi-Finalist

The Selection  • Submitted by Patrick Hogue  • Semi-Finalist

Two Ladies  • Submitted by Steffi Tupe  • Semi-Finalist

MADE IN MINNESOTA

1st Place • OPTICS FOR LOVE  • Directors: Martin Blanco, Clayton Stansberry – United States

2nd Place • VOICES FROM KAW THOO LEI  • Director: Antonio Aguilar – United States

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Boots  • Director: Keith Hopkins  • Official Selection

Free Associates  • Director: John Akre  • Official Selection

Golden Light  • Directors: Justin Berrisford, Cole Meyer  • Official Selection

Help Desk  • Directors: Sean Skinner, Edward Linder  • Official Selection

I Want You Inside Me  • Director: Alice Shindelar  • Official Selection

Indian Summer  • Directors: Diana Fraser, Sam Dunnewold  • Official Selection

Peep Story  • Directors: Jay and Amy Albrecht  • Official Selection

Reclaiming Sacred Tobacco  • Director: Leya Hale  • Official Selection

Roshambo  • Director: Sean A. Skinner  • Official Selection

Tell Me What You See  • Director: Callie Jones  • Official Selection

Voices From Kaw Thoo Lei  • Director: Martha Gorzycki  • Official Selection

Z.E.T.A. Force  • Director: Ray Flint III  • Official Selection

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VORE KING  • Submitted by Dan Schneidkraut  • Finalist

Endless  • Submitted by Angely Guevara  • Semi-Finalist

I Voted  • Submitted by Chris Parr  • Semi-Finalist

Last Supper  • Submitted by Ryan Gilmer  • Semi-Finalis

Mister Massive and the Super Squad  • Submitted by David Mair  • Semi-Finalist

Pink  • Submitted by Jack Turzillo  • Semi-Finalist

The Crystallomancer  • Submitted by Forrest Anderson Mares  • Semi-Finalist

The Man Crush  • Submitted by Richard Louprasong  • Semi-Finalist

STUDENT SHORT

1st Place • JOURNEY  • Director: Radheya Jegatheva – Australia

2nd Place • DEAR  • Director: Laura Malatos – United States

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A Sadness by Any Other Name  • Directors: Reem Al-Shihabi, Deema Al Therman, Layal Mooti  • Official Selection

Don’t Look Under Your Bed  • Director: Radheya Jegatheva  • Official Selection

Finis  • Director: Lana Bregar  • Official Selection

Hardboiled Egg  • Director: Shira Moolten  • Official Selection

Inside of Us  • Director: Miranda Pla  • Official Selection

Last Train  • Director: Matthew Knarr  • Official Selection

Midnight Snack  • Director: Cole Johnson  • Official Selection

Rocks  • Directors: Neema Sadeghi, Keyan Kazemian  • Official Selection

Summer Citrus  • Director: Nico Fulton Lavachek  • Official Selection

The Door to the Sun  • Director: Julie Annlie  • Official Selection

The Tyger  • Director: Radheya Jegathev  • Official Selection

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Georgian Dance  • Submitted by Salome Tkebuchava  • Finalist

4242  • Submitted by Sara Eustaquio  • Semi-Finalist

Black and White and Grey  • Submitted by Marieke de Koker  • Semi-Finalist

Ellie  • Submitted by Morgana McKenzie  • Semi-Finalist

Empty Boxes  • Submitted by Laura Malatos  • Semi-Finalist

Enter the Depth  • Submitted by Ciara Boniface  • Semi-Finalist

Escape  • Submitted by Mehrdad Parvani  • Semi-Finalist

Facade  • Submitted by Carol Nguyen  • Semi-Finalist

It’s All in the Cosmos  • Submitted by Ciara Boniface  • Semi-Finalist

Meant For More  • Submitted by Harrison Allen  • Semi-Finalist

Merry Krampus  • Submitted by Cole Johnson  • Semi-Finalist

Naga Pixie  • Submitted by Anthony Hobbs  • Semi-Finalist

Run  • Submitted by Neema Sadeghi  • Semi-Finalist

Rye Bread  • Submitted by Charlotte Cooper  • Semi-Finalist

Sleep  • Submitted by Mary Aupperle  • Semi-Finalist

…The Name of Action  • Submitted by Salome Tkebuchava  • Semi-Finalist

The Yellow Block  • Submitted by Harrison Allen  • Semi-Finalist

Written in Ink  • Submitted by Thomas George  • Semi-Finalist