WORLDEAF Cinema Festival Awards

WINNERS

WORLDEAF Cinema Festival
Best Narrative Film
“Gerald”
Mark Wood

WORLDEAF Cinema Festival
Best Documentary Film
“Anna’s Silent Struggle”
Tom Linszen and Willy Lindwer

WORLDEAF Cinema Festival
Best Short Film
“Catch Santa”
Kamau Buchanan

WORLDEAF Cinema Festival
Best Mini-15 Film
“Hands Solo”
William Mager

WORLDEAF Cinema Festival
Best Student Short Film
 “Living Off the Grid”
Zilvinas Paludnevicius

WORLDEAF Cinema Festival
Best Student Mini-15 Film
“Red Line”
Zilvinas Paludnevicius

WORLDEAF Cinema Festival
Best Film About the Deaf Experience by a Hearing Filmmaker
"See What I'm Saying"
Hilari Scarl

NOMINEES

Category: Best Narrative

Exhibit of Year 1827
A Czech tourist, Frank, on a seemingly innocent holiday inadvertently catches Mafia individuals in action through his video camera.
87:20:00
Czech Republic
Producer: AWI Films            
Director: Kamil Pansky

Music is Not Everything
A guy has a dream of being a musician, but he suddenly becomes deaf and faces an unscrupulous cochlear implant doctor
84:35:00
Sweden
Producer: Bull Heart
Director/Writer: Gergin Simeonov

Gerald
Corey, a young man, yearns for kinship he never had. One day he discovers he has a deaf Autistic grandfather. A twist of events leads to shocking truths.
101:23:00
USA
Producer: ASL Films
Director: Mark Wood

Category: Best Documentary

I'm Deaf and I Didn't Know
This is a story of a deaf woman's journey towards discovering her identity.
70:02:00
France
Producer: PDJ
Production Director: Igor Ochronowicz
Writer: Sandrine Herman

Anna's Silent Struggle
Young deaf filmmaker Tom searches for answers to what happened to deaf Jews during the war, and he chances upon the story of Anna, one of the few deaf persons who survived Auschwitz.
55:58:00
The Netherlands
Producer: AVA
Productions
Directors: Tom Linszen and Willy Lindwer

American De'VIA Artist: Chuck Baird and His Journey
Deaf artist Chuck Baird reflects on social changes in the Deaf World. Baird struggled with his deaf identity and eventually became one of the founding members of the De'VIA art movement.
47:07:00
USA
Producer/Director/Writer: Tracey D. Salaway

Category: Best Short

Catch Santa
A comedy about two hearing burglars who rob homes of deaf families on Christmas Eve.
27:30:00
USA
Producers: Brian Milburn and Romeal Hogan
Director: Kamau Buchanan

Deaf in Pink: 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk in San Diego
The story follows seven deaf women as they stride, laugh, cry and triumph during their
three-day Susan G. Komen Walk.
23:38:00
USA
Producer/Director: Laura Harvey

The Ants and the Grasshopper
The traditional dream for people is just to work hard for a company until they retire and then to enjoy their hobbies.  Shingo, the main character shows both sides of the ants and the grasshopper, when he is suddenly fired.
39:29:00
Japan
Producer: Deaf Movie Entertainment Prodia
Director: Nobuhiro Ohdate

The Fingerspellers
A comedy about a family of deaf gangsters who protect themselves through the power of sign language.
26:57:00
England
Director: William Mager
Writer: Charles Swinbourne

Category: Best Mini-15

The Deaf Man
The film addresses the destiny of deaf people in an age of technological improvements such as the cochlear implant. A man is held against his wishes by an unseen narrator who questions the man's choices as a deaf individual.
9:04:00
USA
Producer: Jules Dameron
Director/Writer: David Kurs

Hands Solo
"The Porn Star With the Midas Touch" What if a deaf man becomes an internationally famous porn star? Hands Solo is a comedic mockumentary about a deaf man who does just that - all because he is very, very good with his hands.
14:54:00
England
Producers: Colin Pons and Scott James Bassett
Director: William Mager
Writer: Charlie Swinbourne

Tara's Story
A film of Gallaudet's 2006 Protest through the eyes of one of the student leaders, Tara. The protests ignite a new direction fueled by a common belief among students.
13:10:00
USA
Producer/Director/Writer: Melissa Malzkuhn

Category: Best Film about the Deaf Experience
by a Hearing Filmmaker

Signs of the Time
Where did the signs of the baseball come from? In explaining this simple question, "Signs of the Time" unveils stories of inspiration that transcend sports. The film introduces two men at the center of this controversy and investigates our need to overcome barriers of communication with those around us.
59:46:00
USA
Producer/Director: Don Casper

Universal Signs
After the death of his fiancée's daughter while in his care, Andrew (Anthony Natale) is tormented by memories and self-blame.  Through new love, Andrew is able to sense  life around him.
100:58:00
USA
Producer: Catherine Miller
Director/Writer: Ann Calamia

"See What I'm Saying"
A film following four well-known deaf entertainers in the deaf community: a comic, a drummer, an actor, and a singer in their attempts to cross over to mainstream audiences.
93:51:00
USA
Producer/Director: Hilari Scarl

Ingelore
Through Ingelore's eyes, we see how the Nazis take her father and then release him from Dachau. Ingelore, a deaf woman, talks about how she was raped by Nazi cadets on the street of Berlin. Her story demonstrates the power of light over darkness.
40:05:00
USA
Producer/Director/Writer: Frank Stiefel

Critics’ Choice

Horatio
Director: Louis Neethling
Producer: Alision Lynch
Executive Producer: Louis Neethling & Joel Kellhofer
9:31
England

The lead character, Horatio, a mysterious, silent, tramp like creature enters a second hand book shop. He uses poetry as a means of communicating, touching and influencing two strangers’ lives.  An eclectic mix of poetry from: William Blake, William Shakespeare, John Clare, John Donne, Rumi and Sri Chimnoy helps shape Horatio as a man out of time for all time.

Short on Time
Producer: Jevon Whetter
Director & Writer: Benjamin Mattingly
19:40
USA

A spunky 92-year-old who must take a final journey to the hospice. With her family out of the picture, it becomes the responsibility of Howard to deliver her safety. But when he fails to reach the departing shuttle in time, Howard decides to push Edith nine miles to the hospice.  Join them on their journey as Edith experiences life for the last time, and Howard discovers it for the first. 

Special Recognition

Nilsen
Producer & Director: Con Mehlum
8:28
Norway

A lonely man waits for a visit and when the visit takes place, it does not bring what he hoped for.

10 Years of Portuguese Sign Language Recognition, 1997-2007
Producer: Surd’ Universo
Director: Marta Morgado & Mariana Martini
50:55
Portugal

The documentary questions a Portuguese Sign Language system which was recognized by the government. The film questions its positive effects and the impact it may have on future development of sign language. 

Sign Discourse
Producer: Haggith Gor-Ziv
Directors: Haggith Gor-Ziv and Tirtza Even
39:36
Israel

A documentary video exploring the experiences of people living with a hearing disability, and the construction of social identity through gestural language by a group excluded from the mainstream discourse.

Honorable Mention

Dead Money
Written & Directed by: Bim Ajadi
15:03
England

A poker playing hustler, used to cheating his way to success, finally goes one step too far and loses his hand to a hardened criminal gang. A dark humoured thriller set against the gritty backdrop of the urban under-world, shows how far desperate people will go to get what they want.

The Door
Producer & Director: Ramon V. Cervera Rubinat
25:47
Spain

A man with visual and memory problems meets a psychologist who helps him sort out his confusion.

101 Things that Unite and Divide: Stories of a Visual Perspective
Producer & Director: Robyn Girard
7:56
USA

An anthology of short stories that identify, magnify and dissect elements of the Deaf experience, emphasizes the importance of typography and motion as narrative tools for a powerful visual perspective. 

White Sound
Director: Sarah Tracton
5:40
Australia

An experimental trip into sonic landscapes, White Sound explores the notion of a “soundless” existence. This documentary explores through visualization Deaf and hearing impaired observance and impression.

Shackles
Producer & Director: Sami Vuoriheimo
7:35
Finland

A music video in Finnish sign language by a Finnish deaf hip hop artist “Signmark” tells truths about “race hygiene” in Finland between 1935-1970.  A young deaf couple meets injustice and oppression only because they are deaf.

My Dream
Director: Wei Lu
9:20
China

In their dream, deaf Chinese people light their candles in pursuit of hope for education they seek.  

ASL Tales: Rapunzel
Producer & Director: Pinky Aiello
11:15
USA

Pinky Aiello, as the storyteller, brings the Witch, Prince and Rapunzel to life in this modern version of a classic tale. 

The Mysterious Flame
Director: Barbara Calcinati
14:53
Italy

Little Oana begs for charity trying to warm up her cold little hands, sending with the language of the signs, a box of matches that, passers-by don’t understand but it deeply touched Tulia’s heart.  The flame in Oana hands has reawakened her dream to become a mother.  A wish it will stay in her heart forever.