2nd Annual Dances With Films: NY Announces Filmmaker Awards

The second annual Dances With Films: NY has concluded, alongside the announcement of the filmmaker awards. This independent festival is all about cultivating new talent, as opposed to big names, so the movies, as well as the emerging stars of tomorrow, are the centerpieces. You can see all of the winners below.

Here is the press release:

Dances With Films – the Indie Film Festival that eschews ‘Marquee Names’ for Indie Talent announced its Audience and Industry Choice Award winners during a breakfast celebration at The Stand (116 E 16^th Street) following a jubilant high energy weekend of screenings and events during its 2^nd New York edition (adding to DWF’s nationwide brand with 26 years in Los Angeles at the Historic Chinese Theatre). The Audience Choice Award winners were led by Justin Chan’s Grounded (Best Narrative Feature) and Hoag Kepner’s Torched – The Story of Austin Torch. Vardan Tozija’s M received DWF’s coveted and rarely awarded Programmers’ Choice Award.

Industry Choice Awards went to Emilio Di Stefano’s Denim Hunter in the “Over 40 Minutes” category, and Nazrin Choudhury’s Red, White And Blue in the “Under 40 Minutes” category.

In the pre-awards presentations remarks during the ceremony, Dances With Films’ Founders Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent spoke about DWF’s ever expanding community of filmmakers and how important it is to them that filmmakers support each other throughout the journey of their artistry. Scallon and Trent emphasized Dances With Films’ dedication to adding to that support, as well as being a film festival and organization that has a singular focus on celebrating and promoting truly independently produced films and projects. This mission is what propels the film festival as it approaches 30 years as a mainstay and leader in the film festival circuit.  

Additional Audience Choice Award winners were Malachi Rivers’ Moments (Best Television and Web Series Pilot), John Hays’ We Love You Ray (Best Narrative Short Film), Carin van der Donk, Isabella Vega, and Sarah Teale’s Living Loud (Best Documentary Short Film).

The world premiere-rich lineup (64 world premieres) included a total of 136 films, launching with a raucous Opening Night presentation of DWF alumni Dylan K. Narang’s Tapawingo which included appearances by stars Jon Heder, Gina Gershon, and Amanda Bearse. Among the many films screening to the delight of boisterous crowds at the Regal Union Square included Etana Jacobson’s physical comedy-laden Advanced Chemistry, Isaac Hirotsu Woofter’s locally shot and produced drama Bound, Brendan Boogie’s buddy comedy Tallywacker, Micah Khan’s comic horror outing The Zombie Wedding, and Justin Best’s bloody serial killer horror comedy Sheryl.

Crowd pleasers among the documentary selections included Marc Saltarelli’s Studio One Forever about the iconic L.A. gay disco, and Hoag Kepner’s Torched – The Story of Austin Torch about the women/non-binary athletes who make up the Ultimate Frizbee team, the Austin Torch.

Other projects that caught the audience’s fancy were Dana Marisa Schoenfeld’s NYC film world-focused comedy pilot East, Federica Marchese and Vinusha Sundaresan’s thrilling Chinese pilot about two warring teenage sociopath’s The Blind Zone, Alex Hanno’s disarming short film Detox, and Rex Dean’s Space Baby, a remarkable children’s adventure that took more than two decades to complete.

Dances With Films will next return for its 27^th outing in Los Angeles and the Historic Chinese Theatre on June 20-30. For more information about Dances With Films, please go to: https://danceswithfilms.com/.

(L to R) Dances With Films Co-Founder Leslee Scallon, John Hays (We Love You Ray), Vardan Tozija (M), Carin van der Donk (Living Loud), Malachi Rivers (Moments), Hoag Kepner (Torched – The Story of Austin Torch), Sara McFarlane (Red, White And Blue), Dances With Films Co-Founder Michael Trent. (Photo by Dustin McWethy)

The 2023 Dances With Films NYC Filmmaker Award Winners:

INDUSTRY AND PROGRAMMERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

Programmers’ Choice Award

M

Director: Vardan Tozija

Industry Choice Award – Over 40 Minutes

Denim Hunter

Director: Emilio Di Stefano

Industry Choice Award – Under 40 Minutes

Red, White And Blue

Director: Nazrin Choudhury

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Best Narrative Feature

Grounded

Director: Justin Chan

Best Documentary Feature

Torched – The Story of Austin Torch

Director: Hoag Kepner

Best Television and Web Series Pilot

Moments  

Director: Aaron Lewis

Creator: Malachi Rivers

Best Narrative Short Film

We Love You Ray  

Director: John Hays

Best Documentary Short Film

Living Loud

Directors: Carin van der Donk, Isabella Vega, Sarah Teale

ABOUT DANCES WITH FILMS

Now in its 26^th year, Dances With Films champions the unflinching spirit at the very core of the independent film scene. With most film festivals relying heavily on celebrity, we have relied on innovation, talent, creativity, and sweat equity that revolutionized the entertainment industry. And that reliance continues to prove successful with alumni moving on to write, direct, and produce celebrity-studded vehicles, star in blockbuster movies, and television series, produce multi-million-dollar film and create hot TV shows.