Winter Fest of Venice Shorts

Every year, the annual program of Venice Shorts screens its finalists of the year at the Fine Arts Theatre of Beverly Hills while the seasonal festival offers digital promotion and screening of films throughout the year. The Venice Shorts of LA is an international festival and a competition which is devoted to short filmmaking and indie cinema. Venice Shorts has also featured some of the most well-known names in the film industry together with emerging U.S. and international talents. The festival alumni include Oscar winners and nominees such as Gus Van Sant, Jeremy Irons, Eric Roberts, Ross Kauffman and Jessica Chastain.

Here are the winners of the Winter/2024 Seasonal competition:

Best Narrative Film

Complexity

Director: Brandon Leake, Cleve Brown

Best Documentary

Bubjan

Director: Nicholas Mihm

Honorable Mention Documentary:

109 BELOW

Director: Nick Martini

Best Indie Short

Abrazo

Director: Paola Baldion

Best Director

The Snow Leopard

Director: Taylor Joshua Rankin

Best First-Time Filmmaker

Love, Hate, Hate, Love

Director: Alex Froom

Best Actress

Catarina Kim

UNDER

Best Actor

Michael Fedele

Addiction

Best Experimental

Anthem of the Lamb

Director: Xincheng Song

Best Animation

Lucky Brave's Sunshine

Director: Joseph Game, Andres Aguilar

Best Web/TV Pilot-Series

Topanga

Director: Mark Kohl

Best LGBTQ

The Fishing Net

Director: Anna Palinkas

Best Thriller

Pay Back

Director: Steve Ramsden

Best Science Fiction

THE STAIRWELL

Director: Brian Yurans

Honorable Mention Science Fiction & Best Youth Actors

Slinkers

Ben Manninen & Luke Manninen

Director: Vesa Manninen

Best Music Video

Nothin 4 Something

Director: Cody Critcheloe

Best Horror

BAIT

Director: Alexander Pappas

Honorable Mention Horror

You're On Your Own, Kid

Director: Michael Matsui

Best Comedy

Hope Dealer

Director: Jay Larson

Honorable Mention Comedy

Feet Cute

Director: Dylan Lanham

Best Producer

Jimmy Wu

Dead forest

Best Cinematographer

Angela Herr

Olan, TX

Honorable Mention Cinematographer

Sean Kawamoto

The Beginning of The End

Best Editor

UNDER

Maedeh Moayyednia

Best Composer

Taylor Joshua Rankin

The Snow Leopard

Honorable Mention Composer

Jeff Pifher & Harlan Hodges

Somewhere

Best Student Film

The Future is Bright and Unbearable

Director: Milena Grujić

Best Female Director

Sasha's Game

Director: Lexee Paige Gordoun

Best Screenplay (Produced)

The Devil's Playground

Director: A.J. Ciccotelli

Best Screenplay (Unproduced)

Karma Is Her Name

Writer: Shanton D Smith