The Montreal Independent Film Festival, held both seasonally and annually, is a hybrid event featuring bi-annual film screenings at Montreal's Cinema du Parc and online showcases via the Montreal Independent Film magazine for all seasonal nominees across various genres. This seasonal competition has gained popularity among indie filmmakers and artists worldwide. Twice a year, the annual screenings at Cinema du Parc are offered free to the public, fostering support for indie cinema and linking Montreal's film enthusiasts with international and Canadian independent filmmakers from diverse genres. Annually, the programming committee carefully chooses films and script projects from a large pool of submissions, nominating artists for different competition categories that offer awards and honorable mentions in fields such as acting, directing, cinematography, screenwriting, editing, music video, experimental cinema, animation, student film, and more. The festival also honors films addressing human rights, environmental, and social issues worldwide. It is our pleasure to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the seasonal festival.
The winners are as follows:
Best Narrative Feature
People
Directors: Maciej Åšlesicki & Filip Hillesland
Best Narrative Short
Deserter
Director: Anthony von Seck
Best Debut Short
Director: Noam Vardi
Best Feature Documentary
AFTER - Poetry Destroys Silence
Director: Richard Kroehling
Best Short Documentary
Walk Alone
Director: Camille Kuang
Best Director & Best Cinematography
Gunner
Director: Dimitri Logothetis
Best Independent Film
When the East is in the House/Zentral Gelegen
Director: Marcel Andre Heizmann
Best Horror
Manor of Darkness
Director: Blake Ridder
Best Comedy
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
Director: Saara Lamberg
Best Animation
Eldritch Karaoke
Director: Joe Loftus
Best Science Fiction
Above the Salt
Director: Phillip Crum
Best Web Series/TV Pilot
Fairytale Fallout
Director: Adam Henry Garcia
Best Experimental
The Woman And The Cross
Director: Arno Oehri
Best Environmental
OFF THE MARK
Director: Wera Uschakowa
Best Female Director
Shalborne
Director: Caroline Corrie
Honorable Mention Female Director
Aline Lino
Desert Duet Harmony
Best Human Rights
Unredeemable
Director: Harold DeVasten
Best First-Time Filmmaker
Kangaroo Island
Director: Timothy David
Best Student Film
Nymphs on Granite Rock
Director: Persephone Dunn
Best LGBTQ
Sueño
Director: Raul Martin Romero
Best Music Video
REDEMPTION
Director: Ciril Tscheligi
Best Thriller
Abel Ernest Tembo's Suspect
Director: Abel Ernest Tembo
Honorable Mention Thriller
Three
Director: Nayla Al Khaja
Best Canadian Indie
Home Free
Director: Avi Ronn Federgreen
Honorable Mention Canadian Feature
Village Keeper
Director: Karen Chapman
Best Actor of the season
Lance Kinsey
Best Actress of the season
Margaux GIRARD
Nos Monstres
Best Composer of the season
Peter Golub
Saffron Robe
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Best Unproduced Feature Script
Vegas Christ
Marko Sakren
Honorable Mention Feature Script
The Red Zone
Writer: Terry Luke Podnar
Best Unproduced Short Script
Free Martin
Writers: Scott Thompson & Hayes Hart-Thompson
Honorable Mention Short Script
The Weight of Air
Writer: Jingyu Liu
