For Immediate Release

Contact: Robin Saban
Phone: 818-425-8137
Email: info@isffhollywood.org
Website: www.isffhollywood.org

ISFFH Closes with Filmmaker Awards

North Hollywood, CA - Following two days of screenings, the annual International Student Film Festival Hollywood (ISFFH) closed its 6th year with a grand gala celebration and awards ceremony held at Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn in North Hollywood. Student filmmakers from around the world gathered in anticipation with their guests and industry professionals waiting for the Awards to be announced.

Mike Medavoy, Chairman & Co-Founder of Phoenix Pictures received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in the success of some of America’s best films over the past 25 years. From agenting to studio chief, he has been involved with over 300 feature films. Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and receiving a star on Hollywood Boulevard in 2005, it’s hard to believe this man began his career in 1964 in a mailroom. Mike is also a Best-Selling Author and a community man having earned numerous awards for his involvement. He is active in politics and a proud family man. Dreams do indeed, come true.

LAGrip.com awarded prize packages valued at $500.00 each to the winners of Best Drama and the Grand Jury Award. The winner of Best Comedy won a paid distribution deal from Fun Little Movies which will give their film a worldwide audience on mobile devices.

During the evening a silent auction took place along with an art displays by Artist, Designer, and Author Sara Shai and Photographer and Graphic Artist Rony Armas. Celebrity autographs were offered by famed guests Jack Donner, Gloria Hendry, Sam Scarber, and Spice Williams-Crosby.

Countries from around the world were represented at the closing event as awards were presented to this year’s top student filmmakers. This year’s awards were Best Junior High School Claymation: The Dragon, the Frog and the Fly directed by Ashley Sauer; Best Junior High School Animation: Monsters I've Met directed by Noah Schneider; Best Junior High School PSA: Cyber Bully directed by John Findley; Best Junior High School Parody: The Adventures of Lass directed by Olivia Delaurentis; Best Junior High School Docu-Drama: The Jenna Grace Painter Coaches Award directed by Trent Young; Best Junior High School Period Piece Drama: Sod Hagibor: Secret of a Hero directed by Caleb Baechtold and Criss Beyers; Best Junior High School Horror/Thriller: Monster in the Closet directed by Criss Beyers, Korinne Dunn, Matt Helm, Caleb Baechtold and Alex Goodman; Best High School Docu-Drama: The Romanovs' Last Photograph directed by Catherine Faris King; Best High School Documentary: A King Beyond The Ring directed by Erik Hinrichsen and Ricky Arietta; Best High School Psychological Thriller: The Raven directed by Josh Smith; Best High School Period Piece Drama: Katya directed by Jon Neely; Best High School Drama: Talk to Me directed by Brittany Marmo and Josh Smith; Best High School Romantic Comedy: The Royal Treatment directed by Max Strebel; Best High School “Green” Comedy: Power Cord directed by Sean Real; Best High School Comedy: The Waiting Room directed by Max Strebel; Best High School Claymation: Welcome to Frozen Lake Village directed by Max Maddox and Brady Serwitz; Best High School Animation: The Johnny NoFace Files directed by Kyle Kolding; Best Foreign Language High School Dark Comedy: Wild directed by Abigail Zernick; Best Foreign Language High School Documentary: The Promised Land directed by Merav Kalish; Best Foreign Language High School Docu-Drama: Ayurveda: Otherwise No Yoga directed by Gopal Das; there was a tie for Best Foreign Language High School Drama: A Toy Soldier directed by Gilad Gat and Fathers  directed by Gur Murad and Offir Carmy; Best Foreign Language Period Piece: Fatherland directed by Robert Warzecha; Best Foreign Language Romantic Drama: Between You and Me directed by Per Hanefjord; Best Foreign Language Suspense/Thriller: Yasak Elma / Forbidden Fruit directed by Serap Atalay; Best Cinema Extreme:  subtItles /altyazi directed by Efe Oztezdogan; Best Experimental: Geri Donusum Gunlugu / Recycle Diary directed by Efe Conker; Best Foreign Language Drama: Nachts des Leben / By Night directed by Julia Schwarz; Best Animation: In Search of the Colors directed by Will Kim; Best Horror/Thriller: Eater directed by Matt and Ross Duffer; Best Musical: Back To Me directed by Tim Kashani; Best Romantic-Comedy: Prom Night directed by Anthony Bortolussi; Best Comedy: Jewsus directed by Ben Bliss; Best Children Fantasy: The Hollow Tree directed by Patrick Steward; Best Socially Relevant Film: Underground directed by Ophir Shpitlani; Best Micro Budget Film: Sean Rising directed by Alexa Barrett; Best Children Drama: Thank You Morty directed by Andrew Malkasian; Best Drama: The Line directed by Kent Bassett; and the Grand Jury Award: The Vaudevillian directed by Bryan Nest. Congratulations to all of the filmmakers!

The ISFFH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of filmmakers, please visit the ISFFH website for more information on this important event and to support the festival www.isffhollywood.org.

The ISFFH is sponsored by American Building Supply, Wells Fargo, CRA/LA, CISCorp, Saban Enterprises, Marilyn Bradbury, Rotary Club of Studio City and Sherman Oaks, Gloria and Lou Weintraub, Creative Handbook, A Matter of Pixels, Production Hub, Discmakers, Turkla.com, Fun Little Movies, NoHoArtsDistrict.com and LAGrip.com.

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