A Guide To The 2020 Dam Short Film Festival Winners
The 16th Annual Dam Short Film Festival film returned February 13-16 at the Boulder Theatre in Boulder City, Nevada. Categories at this year’s festival included Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Sci-Fi/Horror, Animation, Student, Music Video, and Nevada Filmmaker. This year the festival also featured a retrospective on 40 years of The Residents.
The five-day festival featured 146 short films, up from the 133 that were screened in 2019. .
The 2020 Winners: Best Animation: Grab My Hand: A Letter to my Dad by Camrus Johnson and Pedro Piccinini. Railroad Pass Best Nevada Filmmaker: Rainshadow by Kari Barber. Best Comedy: Demand Curve by Austin Bragg and Meredith Bragg. Best Documentary: Fraser Syndrome & Me by Kyle Anne Grendys. Best Music Video: Sonia Barcelona - Violent Water by Danny Chandia / Desert Cactus Films. Best Sci-Fi / Horror: The Interview by Nate Duncan. Best Drama: Lila by Maj-Britt La Cour. Best Student Film: Father by Law by Maria De Sanctis. Leslie Paige Award for Excellence in Filmmaking: A Million Eyes by Richard Raymond. Movie Magic© Best Screenplay: Ladies Most Deject by Martha M. Elcan. Audience Favorite: 3 Normandy Lane - Movie by Brenda Strong.
Check out our guide to this year’s festival winners below.
2020 Winners:
Best Animation:
Grab My Hand: A Letter to my Dad
In this retelling of his dad's relationship with his best friend, GRAB MY HAND is Camrus Johnson's gift to his grieving father and a message to all to cherish every second you have with the ones you love while you still can. Stars Camrus Johnson, Maaliyah Papillion, and Eric R. Williams. The short film previous wins include a Jury Award for Best Animated Short at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) in 2019 and winner for Best Short Short at the St. Louis International Film Festival.
Directors: Camrus Johnson and Pedro Piccinini
Writer: Camrus Johnson
Official Site: Grab My Hands Film
Railroad Pass Best Nevada Filmmaker:
Rainshadow
Rainshadow, a documentary about a high school for at-risk students, is threatened with being taken over by the state for low test scores, but the school's art teacher and principal have one last shot to save the school that has saved so many kids.
Director: Kari Barber
Best Comedy:
Demand Curve
Offended by his kidnappers' low demands, a university professor uses basic economic principles to increase his ransom and get in on the action. This 2018 short crime comedy stars Nick Cassidy, William Castrogiovanni, Jono Eiland, Jonathan Galettok, and Chris Mathieu.
Directors: Austin Bragg and Meredith Bragg
Writers: Austin Bragg and Meredith Bragg
Best Documentary:
Fraser Syndrome & Me
Filmmaker Kyle Anne Grendys, is only the 75th person to be born with the rare, recessive gene disorder called Fraser Syndrome. Having always felt alone in the world, she sets out on a journey to find her community and finally meets others just like her.
“From the moment I could hold a camera, I knew I would grow up to make this film. Making "Fraser Syndrome & Me" gave me the opportunity to give to others what I needed growing up. I needed to know that I wasn't as alone as I felt. My family needed to know that there were others out there going through the same journey. That yes, it is going to be a long and sometimes difficult road, but there is hope. After all of my traveling, I can honestly say that the individuals I met who have Fraser Syndrome are some of the best people. Everyone would enjoy hearing their stories and have the pleasure of knowing them. It is clear that these individuals have experienced a lot of hardships but they choose to be loving and kind. Parents that have endured these hardships continue to fight and believe in their child when the world does not. I started this journey feeling utterly alone. But now, I can't believe how lucky I am to be a part of this beautiful family.”
Film by Kyle Anne Grendys
Music By: Boris Skalsky
Official website: Fraser Syndrome & Me
Best Music Video:
Sonia Barcelona - Violent Water
It started with a #Kickstarter that got funded featuring Sonia Barcelona who was recently named 'The Best Emerging Voice of 2018' by the Las Vegas Weekly. "With a looper and guitar, Las Vegas musician Sonia Barcelona is making waves. Disenfranchised with years of studying accounting, the up-and-coming musician ditched the debits and credits at 19 and picked up her ukulele because she knew making music was her calling. She describes herself at that time as being shy and quiet.”
Song: Sonia Barcelona
Director/Editor: Danny Chandia
Producer: Rachel Johnson https://desertcactusfilms.com
Backdrop Paintings: Matthew Murphy
Filmed at SPCKRFT Studios in Las Vegas
Official website: http://www.soniabarcelona.com
Best Sci-Fi / Horror:
The Interview
The 2019 short drama stars Writer / Director Nate Duncan, Shawn Kathryn Kane, and Christina July Kim. The film past awards include Best Supporting Actress for Shawn Kathryn Kane by Action on Film International Film Festival and winner of Best in Show at the Albany Film Festival. The film was also a finalist for the HBO Short Film Competition at Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival 2019.
Director: Nate Duncan
Writer: Nate Duncan
Best Drama:
Lila
Lila gets awful news from her doctors and starts distancing herself from her daughter, grandson, and life. A chance encounter gives her a new perspective on the little time she has left. This 2018 short drama from Denmark stars Christina Bach, Ernesto Piga Carbone and Solbjorg Hojfeldt.
Director: Maj-Britt La Cour
Writers: Signe Vaupel, Maj-Britt La Cour
Best Student Film:
Father by Law
A father attempts to reconnect with his daughter on her wedding day. The 2019 short drama stars Mike Bash, Jacquie Cardinale, and Claire Chapelli.
Director Maria De Sanctis
Writers: Maria De Sanctis, Geoff McFarlane
Leslie Paige Award for Excellence in Filmmaking:
A Million Eyes
A gifted young photographer, grappling with his mother’s alcoholism, sets out to capture something he loves. The short film stars Joe Morton, Katie Lowes, and Elijah M. Cooper
Director: Richard Raymond
Movie Magic© Best Screenplay:
Ladies Most Deject
A short drama about a young girl who struggles to protect her siblings and finds refuge in a surprising way. The movie stars Sofia Adams, Pepper Binkley, and Martha M. Elcan.
Director: Martha M. Elcan
Writers: Mark Salyer and Conner Wharton
Official website: Ladies Most Deject
Audience Favorite:
#3 Normandy Lane
Army wife and young mother, Sarah Winston’s life is inextricably altered when a series of visitors arrive on her doorstep. The 2019 short drama stars Scottie Thompson, Alix Angelis, and James Bane. Previous awards include Best Actress, Best Narrative Short, and Best First-TIme Filmmaker by the GI Film Festival San Diego.
Director: Brenda Strong
Writer: John Farmanesh-Bocca
MORE CULTURE:
VIM: You’ve worn many hats as a model, actor, director, podcaster, and photographer. What has driven you to pursue such a wide variety of creative roles?
Ali The Gran Finali: Probably my ADHD. JK. Like most artists/creatives, it is something we start as a child. Being creative is in our blood. There is no life without creating.
VIM: Can you share how your journey in the entertainment industry began? Was there a pivotal moment that inspired you to dive into multiple creative outlets?
Ali The Gran Finali: My journey began when I decided to leave active duty in 2021. My mom thought I was crazy to leave the military during the COVID shutdown, but I could not be swayed from my decision. I was ready to pursue the life child me always wanted. As to what inspired me to dive into so many multiple creative outlets is the fact that it takes a while to build any stability in one creative field. So, to keep the creative juices flowing you pivot a little but stay in the field of creating.
VIM: What role do you feel most at home in—model, actor, director, podcaster, or photographer? Or is there a way they all complement each other for you?
Ali The Gran Finali: They all compliment each other. Acting came first as a kid who took drama classes and participated in local theater. But once I left for college that was all put away to pursue“adulthood.” Modeling came when I moved to Las Vegas and after COVID. Modeling helped me feel at ease in front of the camera. Then acting came back into my life, which helped me be a director because I understood what it takes to be on both sides of the camera at that point. Being a photographer helps me visualize shots, composition, and lighting which is helpful with filmmaking. Podcasting helps me be social and provides a way to build community. It also helps me network and find other creatives andfilmmakers to work with and make cool projects.
VIM: As someone with such a varied career, how do you balance all these creative pursuits? Do you find it challenging to switch from one to the other?
Ali The Gran Finali: I find it easy to switch from one to the other since they are all creative pursuits. I’d say juggling them all is more of a challenge.
VIM: You’re launching a film festival this fall—what inspired you to create this event, and what do you hope to bring to the Las Vegas arts scene?
Ali The Gran Finali: This is our second year running. We launched in 2024. We were inspired by the active indie film community here in Las Vegas. Our mission is to educate and elevate so we provide workshops and meetups to support our fellow filmmakers and provide more opportunities for their work to be screened in theaters.
VIM: What kind of films are you most excited to showcase at the festival? Will there be a particular focus on certain genres or themes?
Ali The Gran Finali: We really enjoy highlighting our local Las Vegas filmmakers and student filmmakers. We also have a filmmaker’s challenge wherein teams compete to make a film in 48 hours.
The challenge lets those who are curious about filmmaking get to try it out and see their work in a theater.
VIM: As a filmmaker yourself, how does being a creator inform your vision for the festival? Are you hoping to highlight new voices or innovative storytelling?
Ali The Gran Finali: As a creator, it is always a dream come true to see your vision come to life. I hope by providing these opportunities through our film festival, more people are inspired to make films and bring more stories to the forefront of our world. There are so many creative and talented people in this world that just need a chance to try and be seen.
VIM: What do you think is the most exciting thing about short films compared to feature-length films?
Ali The Gran FInali: Short films manage to tell interesting parts of a larger story in a concise way. You get snapshots with short films while full features take you on longer journeys. They each have their pros and cons.
VIM: How do you envision the festival evolving in the coming years? What are some of your long-term goals for it?
Ali The Gran Finali: One of our long-term goals is to become an Oscar qualifying film festival. We would love to bring speakers and top industry professionals to our events to help educate and elevate our filmmaker community.