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 Brooks, Paul 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 Rümmelein, François Goeske, Clea Eden, Arne Kübler
“Karma is a Hitch”
2025 Screenplay Winners
This event is sponsored in part by:

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