SSFF 2025 Nominations

Outstanding Feature Length Film

Absolute Similarities by Izabella Gustowska 

First Person Savior by Ramzi Abed 

Inbetweening by Mel House 

The Other Christmas Show

by Adam Griswold 

Special Needs Revolt!
by Adrian Esposito 

Outstanding Achievement  
Patreon Feature  

First Person Savior by Ramzi Abed
 Let Love In by Ramzi Abed 
The Politician, the Demolition & the Dump Truck by Ayoto Ataraxia 
Staycation by Russell Emanuel  

Outstanding Achievement
 International Feature  

Absolute Similarities

by Izabella Gustowska 

The Black-Eyed Children by József Gallai Know Her Name by Zainab Muse 

The Politician, the Demolition & the Dump Truck by Ayoto Ataraxia

Outstanding Achievement  

Horror Feature  

The Black-Eyed Children by József Gallai 

Dyngus Day by Michael Buttino Staycation by Russell Emanuel Zombie Chronicles by Marvin Suarez 

Outstanding Achievement 
Documentary Feature 

I Am An Alien by Ramzi Abed 
Know Her Name by Zainab Muse 
A Lockdown Diary by Andrei Zagdansky 
Love Me Bait Me: The Power of Queer Representation by Rachel van der Bie

Miss Fury and the Lost Legacy of Tarpé Mills

by Chelsea Stone 
Third Degree Burnout by Nivi Jaswal

& Darren Suffolk 

Outstanding Achievement
Experimental Feature
Absolute Similarities

by Izabella Gustowska
First Person Savior by by Ramzi Abed
Inbetweening by Mel House
The Politician, the Demolition & the Dump Truck by by Ayoto Ataraxia

Outstanding Achievement 
Anthology 
Autistic Mode by Bob Clark, Nix Busby, Charles Moss, Malcolm Thomas, Gabrielle Teaford 
Tales from Clipper Coffee by Jerry Landi 

Outstanding Achievement
 Animated Feature 
Autistic Mode by Bob Clark, Nix Busby, Charles Moss, Malcolm Thomas,

Gabrielle Teaford 
I'd Rather Be Turned Into Cat Food

by Walter Santucci 
Inbetweening by Mel House  

Shawna Spirit Awards  

The Shawna Spirit Award can be given to any film/screenplay or person we feel exemplifies a true independent, bold and unconventional spirit where art is the primary reason for the creative process.   Those artists who push the boundaries and norms of the artwork. Truly independent Spirits.

Those Winners are announced at the Awards Ceremony on July 19th, 8:30PM at the Hilton Garden Inn following the Closing Block of the Festival. Winners may not have been nominated for anything else.

Outstanding Short Length Film

Distant Memories
by Chris Esper

Don't Forget About Us, Corey Hardman!

By Jose W. Negron Jr.

Family Business

by Darcy Lally

I Don’t Know if I’ll have to Say Everything Again by Vitória Fallavena

Mi Raya
by V. Leigh

Le Monstro

by Gabrielle Rosson

Phantasma by Maria Servellon 

The Rewind

by Mikel Wisler & Diana Porter 

Space Invaders
by Philip Kral

The Tensile Strength of Air

by Shayna Connelly

Outstanding Achievement  

Local Short  

Bear Brook by Tony Fanini 

Blood Sweat & Tears

by Hannah Perry Shepherd 

Call Me After Dark by Kris Salvi

 Chooch by Peter Horgan 

Feedback by Julian Borges 

Pumpkin Pie by Karin Trachtenberg 

A Simple Fix by Daniel Bartlett 

Spiders in the Wall

by Christopher Di Nunzio 

Therapy Won't Kill You

by Claire McKey Berkman 

Trumpet Gumbo by Brad Courtemanche

Outstanding Achievement
 Long Short  
American Dream by Rick Dumont  American Foulbrood by Christina Hodel The Ares Saga by Mick Gorley 
The Fall of 1985 by Mackenzie McCree That Kid by Ashley Dawson

Sloppy Sunday by Christoff LeBlanc  

Outstanding Achievement  
Patreon Short  
Aunt Cindy and The Alchemist

by Devin Scott 

Avocado Heart Girl by Keeley Gainey

 Robot by Matilda Morales 

Symptoms by Eliza Gibson 

When Everything Was Blue

by Christina Chironna 

Zaxme by Soore Vahe 

Outstanding Achievement  
Horror Short  
11 by James Lamond
 Cupcake by Amanda R. Woomer 
Finche Morte non ci Separi by Michele Martino 
Followers by Miriam Olken

Jane & the Brain by Hope Muehlbauer Mr Ankles by Mike Canale 
Quarantine by Russ Emanuel 
Voyeur by Maryam Hashempour  

Outstanding Achievement

 International Short  

Avocado Heart Girl by Keeley Gainey 

The Gory Hole by Richard Rowntree

 I am Here to Listen by Michele Martino

 I Don’t Know if I'll Have to Say Everything Again by Vitória Fallavena 

Music to Die For by Rebecca Doherty

 The Quarantine Redemption

by Bahar Dorabadi 

Voyeur by Maryam Hashempour 

Outstanding Achievement
 Horror Comedy Short 

Bart & Bobbi Kill Each Other

by Aaron Barrocas 

The Chexorcist

by Erica Stockwell-Alpert

 The Gory Hole by Richard Rowntree Multi-Level Massacre

by Ashes Homon-Rahall 

A Rough Start by Manny Serrano 
Ursid by Rob Lee

Outstanding Achievement 
Comedy Short

  L’Amour by Shana Figueroa

 The Banana Movie

by Samuel Carl Cohen 

Bathroom Trouble by Jimmy Caputo 

Don't Forget About Us, Corey Hardman! by Jose W. Negron Jr. 

PIN by Michele Martino

 Space Invaders by Philip Kral 

The Swim by Corrie Legge &

Benjamin Algae

The Talk by Charlie Hatton 

Outstanding Achievement  Documentary Short  

Annie Londonderry

by Erica Yvonne Terenziani 

The Greatest Guy You Never Met

by Brian Russell 

Hell is Empty

by Marinah Janello Phennicie 

The Socialists of Shoe City

by Shana Figueroa 

They Call Me the Tattoo Witch

by Lindsay Nyman  

Outstanding Achievement  
Experimental Short  
Angels Overpass
by Alfred M Hernandez 
Elemental by Marie Gayeski 
Nuchal Cord by Adam Tocci

Only Me on TV by Jaina Cipriano Searching for the 5th Direction
by Matthias Schüpbach

Serpentine by Amanda Besl

Tadasana by Erin Audley 

Outstanding Achievement
 Music Video  
Borrowed Time by Collin Rousseau 
Don't Be Afraid by Ramzi Abed 
A Free Society by Ramzi Abed
 A Gloucester Fisherman

by Philip Curcuru & James Ceribello 

My Life Between The Reins

by Marilyn Lee Swick 

Outstanding Achievement  
Student Short
  8 Minutes by Charles Irvin  
The Fairy House by Emma Weller

& Zoe Moore 
Locked In by Keevan B Regan 
Mix Matched Socks by Nikki Page Searching for the 5th Direction
by Matthias Schüpbach
 Talking Heads by Nicole Overbaugh
 Trust Me, Not Her by Toby Cleary 

Outstanding Achievement  
Moble Device Short
  Elemental by Marie Gayeski 
Inner Voices by Miguel Lopez de Leon Seance by Miguel Lopez de Leon

WTF Award  

The Banana Movie

by Samuel Carl Cohen 

The Gory Hole by Richard Rowntree Jane & the Brain by Hope Muehlbauer

Outstanding Achievement  
Animated Short
  Into the Reds Tale by Alisdair Zhang Letter From a Stranger
by Shima Markazi Omidvar 
Melodic Sugar by 수현 김 
Searching for the 5th Direction

by Matthias Schüpbach

Outstanding Achievement  
Poetry Short
  How to Love the Moon

by Laura Plummer 

made (w)hole by Mackenzie McCree 

Who Is Gloucester? By Laura Plummer

Unproduced Screenplay Finalists

Short Screenplay Finalists

  Viral Vengeance by Angel Connell 

Spooky by Chris David Denmead 

Diwata by Shea Formanes

 Track Change by Maryellen DeVivo 

Misgivings by Jason M Rivera 

These Colors Don't Run by Chris Ethridge

 Pointe & Grapple by Chris Esper 

Delirium–Have you heard of the new drug in town?   by Alexandra Varkarotas 

Coney Island Jellyfish by Matthew Marin 

Contrariety by Cesar Sanchis Romero 

Aunt Inez by Lawrence Whitener 

It's Time by Robert John Lanciani 

Dover by Nathan D. Ludwig & Jonathan Straiton

Feature Length Screenplays

Autumn and Everything After That

by Virginia Austin

Presence by Michael Neel

Betsi Does Karaoke by Jessica Pauline Walker

Tortured Existence by Jeremy Stinson