2025 Winners

2025 WINNERS

Please note that selection of any and all published winners is at the sole discretion of the Garden State Film Festival (“GSFF”) judging panel. The GSFF reserves the right to not select a “winner” or award for a particular category in any given year. The GSFF is under no obligation to award a category. By participating in the GSFF, the participant acknowledges this disclaimer and waives his/her/their right to contest any decision by the judging panel to award or not award in a category.

Narrative Feature

“I Think I’m Sick”

Jonathan Applebaum, Andrew Bilindabagabo, Carley Bilindabagabo,

Tyler Wells, Matti Haapoja – Producers

Danny Gevirtz – Director

 

International Narrative Feature

“The Martini Shot”

Susan Ilott – Producer

Stephen Wallis – Director

 

Narrative Feature Horror

“A Town Called Purgatory”

Ken Arnold,Dan De Luca – Producers

Matt Servitto – Director

 

Narrative Feature Thriller

“The Nanny”

Morgan A. MacDouglas, Kimberly Connolly – Producers

Brian Reynolds – Director

 

Narrative Feature Horror International

“HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON”

Line Sander Egede – Producers

Ariane Louis-Seize – Director

 

M. Carroll Raver Award for Cinematography

“Karma Is A Hitch”

Ben Blaskovic, Claude Koenig – Producers

Oliver Kahl – Director

 

Live Action Short Film
“The Fuse”
Youmi Haefelin-Roch – Producer
Kevin Haefelin – Director

 

Short Horror/Thriller

CHOMP”
Suki-Rose, Cricket Arrison – Director

Michael Scott, Josh Ascalon, Steve Smith, Meg Murnane – Producer

 

Science Fiction Short International

(Russian Federation)

“Future Ads”

Nikolay Renard – Director

Churilin Maxim – Producer

 

Lou Costello Award for Comedy Short

“Skunk Bite”

Mickel Cannon – Producer

Kelly Quinn, Grace Pomilla – Director

 

Narrative Short International

(Turkey)

“Game, Interrupted”

Fehmi Ozturk, Nefes Polat, Tolga Karacelik – Producers

Ilayda Iseri – Director

 

International Comedy Short

(Netherlands)

“LOS”

Ferdi Çelik – Producer

Karlijn Koel – Director


Emanuel “Manny” Berlingo Award for Best Feature Length Documentary

“Journey to the UFC: Joe Pyfer”

Alex Davis, Chandler Henry – Producers

Chandler Henry – Director

 

“American Royalty”

John Daniel Fisher, Stephen Andrew Fisher, Jay Pitts – Producers

John Daniel Fisher, Stephen Andrew Fisher – Directors

Trailer
“The Neglia Nexus: A Story About the Birth of MMA”

Peter Normandia – Director

 

International Feature Documentary

“The Film – Make – Her, The Lisa Azuelos Story”

David Serero – Director/Producer

 

Documentary Short Film
“Translators”

Rudy Valdez – Director

Andrea Cordoba, Megan Schale – Producer

 

International Short Documentary

(Turkey)

The Syrian Cosmonaut

Enis Ozkul – Producer

Charles Emir Richards – Director

 

Animation Short

“a tree once grew here”

Dara Semerad – Producer

Johnnie Semerad – Director

 

Animation Short – College

“Lost and Found“

Adin Brian Duncan – Director

 

Drama Short – High School

“The Last Liftoff”

(Oaks Christian High School in California)

Collin Nelson – Director

 

 Comedy Short – High School

“Late Night Edit”

(Huntsville High School)

Kyle M. Wegler – Director

 

International Short – High School

“Supernova”

(Emerging Limerick Filmmakers)

Niamh Collins – Director

 

International Web Series/New Media

(Russian Federation)

“About People and About War”

Dmitrij Pasichnyuk, Anna Chizhova – Producers

Andrej Krasavin – Director

 

Narrative Short Documentary – College
“The Beatles And Beyond: A Lasting Legacy”

Mimi Freund – Producer

Clara McCourt – Director

 

Narrative Short – College/Graduate School

“Slobopoly”

Jennifer Baker, Kaan Berkant – Producers

Yinghui Li – Director

 

International Animation Short – High School

(Taiwan)
“1 2 3 Red Light, Green Light”

Liangyu Chen – Director/Producer

 

Voices of Neurodiversity in Cinema

“How to Survive Film Class”
Jackson Conroy – Director

 

Music Video

“The Ballad Of Jim Cramer”

Philip Curcuru – Director/Producer

 

TV Pilot

“East”

Jolie Curtsinger, Dana Marisa Schoenfeld – Producers

Dana Marisa Schoenfeld – Director

 

Broader Vision Award

“Be Not Afraid”

Chris Carden – Director/Producer

 

The Garden State Film Festival would like to recognize films shot in the
State of New Jersey with the following winners in the
“Home Grown Award” categories:

 

Home Grown Feature

“Jersey Bred”

Greg Russo – Director/Producer

 

Home Grown Documentary Feature

“Toothache: The Painful Truth”

Dr. Nicole McGrath – Barnes, Dr. Michal Herman, Andrea Wiley – Producers

Dr. Nicole McGrath – Barnes – Director

 

Home Grown Short

“The Handyman”

Adam Worth – Director

 

Home Grown Short Horror

“Hide Your Crazy”

Irina Slepneva – Producer

Austin Kase – Director

 

Home Grown Animation Short

“Phoenix”

Kevin Miller, Matthew Santonocito – Producers

Shannon Miller – Director

 

Home Grown Documentary Short

“Truth to Transformation”

Christine Norbut Beyer, Benita Miller – Producers

Cheryl Miller Houser – Director


This is Why We Train – The Sea Girt Beach Patrol”

Sean Bell, Kevin R. Nulty – Producers

Kevin R.Nulty – Director

 

Home Grown Student Short College
“Portrait of Two Steelers Fans”
Alexander Pasquale- Directorsteeler

“nothing, except everything.”

Wesley Wang – Director

Scott Aharoni – Producer

 

Home Grown PSA
“Monmouth County Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary”

Adam Worth – Director

Chrstine Giordano Hanlon, Ted Maturo  – Producers

 

Home Grown Music Video

“Honey”
Brian Brodeur – Producer/Director

 

Home Grown Student Short Documentary – College
“Life on the Edge – Exploring New Jersey’s Coastal Ecosystems”

Oscar Schofield-Producer

Angela Catt, Micah Seidel, Natalie Radu-Directors

 

Home Grown PSA – High School

“Sexual Harassment PSA”

(Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology)

Luisa Santos – Director

 

Home Grown Drama – High School

“Train Wreck”

(Middletown High School South)

Luke Roberts – Director

 

Home Grown Narrative – High School

“Panic”

(Middletown High School South)

Maura Catherine Collins, Mia Dimitry – Directors

 

Home Grown Short – High School
Sponsored by UArts

“Watch Your Back”

(River Dell Regional High School)

Ashley Chang – Director

 

Home Grown Animation – High School
Sponsored by UArts

Tellurium vs Gold”

(East Brunswick Magnet High School)

Josias Ortiz – Director

 

New Jersey Hometown Documentary Short – High School
Sponsored by NJSBA

 Winner: “The Challenge”

 (Franklin High School)

Aryan Patel – Director

 

1st Runner Up: “Generations of Homemade Happiness

(Westwood Regional High School)

Emma Lagatol – Director

2025 ACTING AWARDS

Best Actor in a Feature
Armand Assante

“Don Q”

 

Best Actress in a Feature

Tia Tardy

I Think I’m Sick”

 

Best Supporting Actor in a Feature

Ed Begley Jr.

“Don’t Tell Larry”

Best Supporting Actress in a Feature
Saundra Santiago

Don Q”

 

Best Ensemble in a Feature

 Connor Russell, TIa Tardy, Wes BrooksPaul Arthaud, Richard Alexander, Drew Moore
“I Think I’m Sick”

 

Best Actor in a Short
Jorge Gabino 

The Fuse

 

Best Actress in a Short
Lisa Edelstein

SWIPE NYC”

 

 Best Supporting Actor in a Short
Justin Marcel McManus

SWIPE NYC”

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Short
Stephanie Weppler

EAST”

Best Ensemble in a Short

Sebastian Gerold, Christina Hecke, Rony Herman, Paulina RümmeleinFrançois Goeske, Clea Eden, Arne Kübler
“Karma is a Hitch”

2025 Screenplay Winners

This event is sponsored in part by:

Ink Tip logo

Feature Screenplay Winner

Fragments of Solace
Written by Fatou Faye

 

Short Screenplay Winner

Purgatorio
Written by Hakan Unal

 

Teleplay Screenplay Winner

Sinatra

Written by Richard Muti

Feature Screenplay Winner

Fragments of Solace by Fatou Faye

Our feature length screenplay winner this year is Fatou Faye is a first-generation Senegalese-American writer and ceramic artist based in New Jersey. Their work explores themes of identity, culture, sexuality, and religion through screenplays and ceramic sculptures. A BFA graduate in Screenwriting from the University of the Arts, Fatou has received recognition including the Francis C. Tucker Screenwriting Award and had their short film “Live Locked” screened at the People Power Media Fest. Their ceramic work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, including shows at the University of the Arts and Philadelphia City Hall. Fatou continues to create narratives that amplify underrepresented voices through multiple artistic mediums. Learn more at www.fatoufaye.com.

Short Screenplay Winner

Purgatorio by Hakan Unal

Hakan Ünal is a film director and screenwriter from Antalya, Turkey. After studying English Literature, he obtained his MA in Screenwriting at the University of Toronto. He is a Reykjavik Talents 2018 alumna.

He began his career by writing short stories. His first feature screenplay METAMORPHOSIS was shortlisted at Toronto IFF Talent Development in 2019. His short scripts THE SHELL won First Prize for Best International Screenplay and PURGATORIO won Grand Prize for Best International Screenplay at Flickers Rhode Island IFF (Oscar and BAFTA Qualifier) in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Teleplay Screenplay Winner

Sinatra by Richard Muti

Richard Muti, a New Jersey native and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Harvard Business School, and Rutgers Law School, served as a Navy pilot before entering land development. At 40, he changed careers to become a trial prosecutor, maintaining a 99% success rate over 19 years. He has taught at three New Jersey universities and authored six books, three screenplays, and numerous articles. Now retired, Richard lives in Delaware with his wife Lorraine, focusing on screenwriting.

2025 Movie Music Winners

MOVIE MUSIC COMPETITION PLAYLIST

Best Pop Song from a Music Video
“A Gloucester Fisherman”
Composer: Philip Curcuru
Performed by: The Atomik Age Project

Best Country Song
“Who’s Gonna Pray”
Composer: Olivia Noelle Baker & Mark Mulch
Performed by: Liv Noelle

Best Pop Song in a Stop Motion Short
“I Dreamed of Being Two”
Composer: Matthew Caws
Performed by: Matthew Caws

Best Country Pop Song
“Make It Happen”
Composer: James Dalton
Performed by: James Dalton

Best Orchestral Score in an Animated Short
“The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess”
Composer: Ros Gilman
Performed by: Macedonian Symphonic Symphony Orchestra

Best New Age Song from a Feature Drama
“A Sky Full of Dreams”
Composers: Denmark+Winter
Performed by: Denmark+Winter

Best Country Song from a TV Series
“Back on the Grind”
Composer: Isaiah Seward
Performed by: Isaiah Seward

Best Country Pop Song from a Short Documentary
“Out Here on the Edge”
Composer: Kenny Lockwood
Performed by: Kenny Lockwood and Darlene Van Alstyne

Best Latin Jazz Song from a Feature Documentary
“Pa’ Changó y Pa’ Yemayá”
Composer: David Oquendo
Performed by: David Oquendo