29.06.2020 Boom @ the Couch Film Festival 2020, Toronto/ CANADA

Couch Film Festival Summer 2020 WINNERS IN RED NOMINEES IN BLACK
*multiple winners in the same category indicates a tie score from the jury panel*

Best Film of the Festival Finalists

In This Land We’re Briefly Ghosts by Chen-Wen Lo
There is the Moon, and You by Nick Zhang
Lillian by Molly Vernon
September by Konstantin Rall and Zeehyun Soh
The Cocaine Famine by Sam McMullen
PKD9000 by Brandon Boudreaux
Promise Me by Kevin Machate
The Cure by Robert Short
In the Hut of Mr. Van Den Brink by Björn Renner
Venture Anime by 翔 秋山
In Pieces by Guillaume Tordjman
Brooklyn Park by Nikola Duravcevic

Category Semi-Finalists

Quarantine Category

BEST QUARANTINE FILM: The Easter Egg Hunt by James Longley and Paul Longley
1st RUNNER UP: Death in the Time of Quarantine by Logan Fry
2nd RUNNER UP: Block Watch by Theresa Labreglio
3rd RUNNER UP: The Close Call by Nick Harriott, Nick Spellicy and Ryan Stubbs
Contaminated by Brian Klewin
A Flea in a Jar by Vicky Carr
Cupcake by Scott Cullen
My Big Happy Family by Hanna Peresztegi
Love in the Time of Corona-Virus by Kristine Veta and Christina O’Sullivan
Memento or Bust by Arnold Aldridge and Andrea Martina
The Masque of the Red Death by Deb Ethier
So Say All Of Us by Colin Peppard
Going Out in Style by David Dinetz and Dylan Trussell
A Few Feet Away by Matthew Taylor
The Perfect “Quarantine Look” by Caitlyn Phu
Quarantine Chorus by Edoardo Sartori
The Quarantine Files: Day 40 by Ryan J. Gilmer
The Hospital Bed by Mike Messier
Alone Apart by Arek Zasowski
My Flatmate Jonas by Yannik Wiedwald

1:00-5:00 Minutes

Best Animation
Something by Colin Pierce
Mysterious Barricades by Deb Ethier
Self Portrait / Self Quarantine by Matthew Cassani
All The World Is A Stage by Hannes Rall
Fly – Jane La Onda by Jak Ritger and K8 Howl
Toiletpaperman by Gary Ye
The Snake Pit – Episode 1: “Tesla’s AC Induction Motor” by Brett Jubinville
Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (Boner) by Christina Fidler

Best Comedy
A Girl’s Night In by Timothy Haug
A Day Late, A Sock Short by Jon Tierney
2019 by Kentaro Saito
No More Wanking by David Nast Cole
Five Fingers of Fury by Josh Aries
West Liberty Iowa by William Stancik
Automatic Transition by Rhett Morita
Brazzy Jazzy by Steve Becker

Best Drama
How to Live in a Pandemic? or Somewhat Social Distance by Erik Hamilton
Family Secret Of Stock Footage Son by William Stancik
The Great President by Giovanni Basso
After the Beep by Florian Bison
I Am Grieving by Zoe Mahfouz
Panic: A Quarantine Story by Kimberly Northcote
American Licorice Prelude by William Stancik
Headline by Taahanafees Quadri
The Canvas by Andrew Griñé

Best Experimental
The Annunciation by Rosana Cuellar
Cambia Tutto by Ana Mouyis and Fox Schwach
Beetlebrain by Cristina Gonçalves
Stock Footage Terror Trip by William Stancik
La Lounge Ennui 1983 by William Stancik
End of the World, End of the Cinema by Noah Penner
Here ’til June by Melanie Futorian
Lo/ve by Tempest Montgomery

Best Student Film
Ouroboros by Heather Knott
The Professor by Halifa Bradford
Sophie by Anna Cangellaris
Synchronicity by Michelle Brand
A Tear in a Jar by David Valverde Martínez
The Introverted Loneliness of Roxanne Shaker by Demetrious Demi Lashawn Canty
Drained by Christopher Francis

Best Thriller
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Kimberly Tudó Sánchez
The Closet by Nathan Wright
A Very Special Christmas Gift by Kimberly B. Flores
The Cure by Daniel G. Roberts
Spoon by Victor Velasco
Sleep Talk by Michael Davis
The Last Rite by Matthew Ewald

Best Cast
American Licorice Coda by William Stancik
Two Spies by Jesse Feldberg
The Carfuckers by Josia Brezing
Iceberg by Charlotte George
Sheltering with Love by Emily Pietro
The Good, the Bad, and the Quarantined by George Ayvazyan
Happy Quarantine by Joey Krulock and Damian Joseph Quinn
Molly’s World by Bruno Verdoni

Best Cinematography
Universe by Carolin Biedermann
SDtoHDuprezMaxV2_009.mp4 by Anna Spence
Après un Rêve by Andrew H. Enriquez
The Load by Parisa Zandbaf
Espresso Emergency by Tom Noga
Code by Amy Larimer
Abracadabra by Telemach Wiesinger

Best Writer
Per Kasch – Way Back by Per Kasch
Johanna Falzone – I’m Not Margot Robbie by Johanna Falzone
William Stancik – American Licorice Prelude 2 by William Stancik
Amy Baklini – The Therapist by Amy Baklini
Whit Washing – Stay At Home by Whit Washing
Chris Russell – Brian’s Pandemic by Chris Russell
Josh Drake – Bananas by Josh Drake
Andrew Griñé – Driving Myself Crazy by Andrew Griñé

Best Director
Ismene Daskarolis – Flowers
Erin Neufer – Slapstruck Episode 5: Bored
Romy Palan – Head Space
Carlos Matias – A Sunday in May
Bodhi Foster – Fresh Air
Martinus Klemet – Angel’s Trumpet
Tierza Scaccia – Becoming Super
MRTYU-MARA – Demonic Possession: A Survivors Tale by Dan Molson

5:01-10:00 Minutes

Best Comedy
Peri-Street – The Pilot by Brian Adam Kline
The Ledge by Lawrence Le
D.R.U.G.S. (Dreams Revealing Unresolved Gestating Sentiment) by Colin Pierce
Quotes for Life by Monty Scholz
The Event in Apartment 8287 by William Stancik
Love/Sick by John Pope and Nokomis Leaman Logsdon
Nada Clue by David Esposito
Pygmalion by Marsha Niemeijer

Best Documentary
Join The Sisterhood of Water by Katalin Ambrus
Sleepwalker by Andrea Yu-Chieh Chung
Unexpected by Mateusz Buława
Sheltering in Place by Melanie Futorian

Best Drama
Like A Good Neighbor by Shihyun Wang
Inside by Christopher Irarrazabal
Sisters Bound by Shihyun Wang
Mothers by Lorenz Christian Kohler
Mother’s Day by Merve Cagla Dincer
Johnny Suicide by William Stancik
Love, Josie by Kassidy Slaughter

Best Experimental
The Stone Guest by Marina Fomenko
The Dream of B. Soares by Thibault Chollet
Chair Amour by Patrick Serre
Boom by Leyla Rodriguez
Global Caper “United Nations” by Joshua Hooks
The Monster by Josh Collins

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
One Minute to Midnight by James Brammer
Choices by Michael McCallum
Rapture by Andre Stamos
21 Centuries by William Stancik
TX-Reverse by Martin Reinhart and Virgil Widrich
The White Marble by Dominik Seemann

Best Thriller
Lilli by Sascha Zimmermann
The Dog Catcher by Tanner Peterson
Blowing My Load on Vince by P. Clarence Howard
Azazel by Marlies Dubois
Abstract by Kristian Martin
Final Call by Michał Domaszewski and Konrad Domaszewski

Best Cast
Psybil Self Isolates by Anastasia Comelli
Quarantine the Other Side by Nabeel Shams
The Golden Years by Brian Whisenant
Blind Faith by Jacky Dahlhaus
Alan Parker. 5’10”. by Jacob Breidenbach
Glorious Hollywood Medley 1956 by William Stancik
Driftwood by Rebecka Ray
Mommy Intern by Shihyun Wang

Best Cinematography
Italy & (This is) Water by Ioan Gavriel and Anja Franziska Plaschg
Freeze by Taras Kutsenko
04_EMIL_CASTING.mp4 by Lili Zahavi
Cold Storage by Thomas Freundlich
Someone Good Will Find You by Leelila Strogov
Safiyyah by Mattis Ohana Goksøyr

Best Writer
Bishwas Balan – Kaaliraathri by Bishwas Balan
David S. Tumpkin – ofGod: Miracles by Artie Romero
Ismene Daskarolis – 9 Bed(s) by Ismene Daskarolis
Håkon Anton Olavsen – Still We Might Not Get Anywhere by Håkon Anton Olavsen
Stelios Koupetoris – W by Stelios Koupetoris
Anne Thorens – Diagonal by Anne Thorens

Best Director
Charles A Townsend – Crypto
Luca Amhofer – And, Cut!
Niall Quinn and Marcus Pasceri – Decrescendo
Ingrid Hübscher – The Big Questions in Life
Patrick Boberg – Quarantrims
Duncan Swift – The Test

10:01-20:00 Minutes

Best Animation
Yorick and the Temple of the Eldritch Rats by Deb Ethier
How And Why Don Jose Dissipated by Moshe Ben-Avraham
Mother and Milk by Ami Lindholm

Best Comedy
Bonbon – Das Musical Daniel Meier
Dog’s Birthday by Jerzy Czachowski
Peng by Martin Thaler
The Hood by Patricia Vidal Delgado
Return of the Spirit Bug by William Stancik
Harra and the Donkey by Chris Malone
Silvertusk Mountain (Pilot) by Noah Christensen

Best Documentary
Love the Most by Antti Seppänen
Shaking a Singapore Spear by Hannes Rall
The Traffic Separating Device by Johan Palmgren
Deep Roots by Luc Godonou Dossou
#Therapy by Luc Godonou Dossou
Portraits of My Mother by Tavo Ruiz
Let’s Talk About It by Aaron M. Canada

Best Drama
Love Story 2020 – Taste of Love by Shihyun Wang
The German King by Adetokumboh M’Cormack
I Am Mackenzie by Artemis Anastasiadou
A Romantic Interlude by Kevin Powers
A Fish in a Punch Bowl by Tanja Hurrle
What We Become by Stephen P. Davis
Backwards by Andree Harris
Match by Martin Geisler

Best Experimental
Last Call by Mathieu Baillargeon
Marquet Place by Annick Christiaens
Love Thy Neighbor by Amanda Aagard and Alexander Toma
Ali by Rain Kencana
Polle by Lena Junker
The Conversation by Daniel Paida Larsen
Color by Kang Mingu
We Still Believe in Love by Tess Farley

Best SciFi/Fantasy
Offbeat by Myrte Ouwerkerk
Lego by Faryarsadat Hosseini
Limbo by Anthony von Seck
Them by Robin Lochmann
Transmission by Emily Mkrtichian and Anahid Yahjian
Alesha by Charles A Townsend and James Moore

Best Student Film
Elephant in the Room by Chanelle Eidenbenz
Solitaire by Elena Brodach
Crush by Heather Harris
Ben and Mimi by Eva Rini May Cragg
XY by Anna Karín Lárusdóttir
Caramel by Shange Zhang
Reprise by Stanley Xu Ruiyang
Proof by Nora Jaenicke

Best Thriller
Club City by Gino Terrell
Poor Things by Joachim Morre
Offseason by Ioachim Stroe
Lekaime by Xanti Rodriguez
Hot Chocolate by David Hay
Cover Up by Marie-Amélie Steul
South Shore by Xavier Hamel
River by Emily Skye
House Blend by Alexis Stackhouse

Best Cast
Distinguished Feelings by Keren Marciano
The Great Power by Hitoshi Matsumoto
Freedom & Fear by Johannes Ziegler
QuaranTEENS by Lauren Applegate, Joseph Bonett, JP Chaves, Matthew Donley, Zachary Gutherman, Philip Mezzacappa and Grace Wyckoff
The Bare Knuckle Gentleman by Nishad Chaughule
Mila by Andreas Vakalios

Best Cinematography
O.I. by N’cee van Heerden
Birds with No Legs by Pavlos Stamatis
Far From the Castle by Julia Jansch
Inside by Tiago Pimentel
Year by Małgorzata Bosek-Serafinska
Inslide by Chickenchris and Alexis Blithikiotis
Stumbling Stones by Reza Sam Mosadegh

Best First-Time Filmmaker
Dekel Berenson – The Girls Were Doing Nothing
Paul Taft – Truth Behind Closed Doors
Valentine Lapière – Dawn
Brandon Haynes – Carol Crawford
Karina Hajdamowicz – Game of Chicken
Juri Ferri – Days of May
Tobias Karbe – A Dark in the Light

Best Writer
Bastian Wilplinger – I, Wretched Man by Bastian Wilplinger
Alexander Baldreich – John Parker and The Madman by Alexander Baldreich
Mischa Meyer – Ant by Mischa Meyer
Chuck Saculla – Still Here by Tom Pardoe
Thais Drassinower – Baby by Thais Drassinower
Michael Knoll – The Visit by Christian Werner
Nicole Scherer – Altitude by Nicole Scherer

Best Director
Christina Tournatzés – Cargo
Franco Pinacchio – Trapt
Juanjo Moscardó Rius and Suso Imbernón – Cursed Granny
Ole-André Rønneberg – Bathtub By The Sea
Fabio Soares – Bitch, Popcorn & Blood
Samiramis Kia – Milk
Alejandra Wills – Amalgama

20:01-30:00 Minutes

Best Comedy
Sommernachtskinder by Zara Demet Altan
The Fucking Lack of Love by Jana Sulm
Mrs. Hunter is Dead by Teresa Moore
Fortissimo by Janine Piguet
Realms of Dreams by Shihyun Wang

Best Documentary
Elsewhere by Adrian Figueroa
The Book of Sabeth by Florian Kogler
Fram by Thomas Freundlich and Valtteri Raekallio
Since We Are Here by Mercedes Azpilicueta, Jacco van Uden and Céline Berger
When You Grow Up by Max Baggermann

Best Drama
The Agreement by Falk Poetz
Therese by Fabiana Serpa
Somebody and Nobody by Joscha Douma
Boat by Louise Stern
The Woes of Angèle by François Zaïdi
Dwell by Ally Giannini

Best Experimental
Transit Line by Juliane Ebner
The Dakota Family by Toni Hilgersson
The Wanderer by Julie Annlie
The Romantic Movement by Yuhe Lu

Best SciFi/Fantasy
Echo by Shamila Lengsfeld
Computer Love by Mathias Götz
I Grew A Statue by Aaron Arens
Eternity by Anna Sobolevska
Somnia by Marvin Bogatsch and Peter Neugebauer

Best Thriller
The Sound of Unexpected Death by Alexander Sagmo
A Mentor by Szonja Szabó
La Llorona by Rosana Cuellar
Rea by Joanna Bielinski
Black April by William Stancik

Best Student Film
Heaven’s Meadow by Magdalena Chmielewska
Gold Leaf by Vincent Tilanus
Waithood by Louisiana Mees
The Death of My Mother by Gerrit Kuge
Return to Sender by Wade Chao

Best Cast
Routes by Hannes Hirsch
A Clown’s Tale by Alexander Frank
Define Delphine by Fábio Brandão
The Pressure Point by Luka Knezevic
The Interphone by Thierry Pradervand

Best Cinematography
Slanted Girl by Mathilde Delauney
Till The End of the World by Florence Bouvy
The Act of Devouring by Emir Ziyalar
Aurorita of My Eyes by Natalia Chinchilla
BLACK Title Here by Sev DeMy

Best First-Time Filmmaker
Gabriel Amaral – No Place
Yaren Zara Berg – And Me
Heba Khaled – People of the Wasteland
Suzan Noesen – Book of Hours

Best Writer
Rena Dumont – Hapless Hans by Rena Dumont
Denise Ekale Kum – Respringendo by Denise Ekale Kum
Clémence Marcadier and Thomas Mazingu – SAP by Clémence Marcadier
Bjorn Ante Roe – All The Things You Are by Bjorn Ante Roe
Samara Sagynbaeva and Dastan Zhapar Uulu – The Swing by Samara Sagynbaeva
Rachel Robyn Wagner – Buzzing 2C by Jayson Wesley

Best Director
Hannes Rall – As You Like It
Stefano Odoardi – La Nuit
Plamen Marinov – Love, Paper, Scissors
Johannes Franke – Seance
Keno Bueltena – State of the Union
Jhosimar Vasquez – The Scorpion’s Tale

30:01-60:00 Minutes

Best Documentary
Rooted with Wings by Thomas Freundlich
Abraum by Matthias Kulozik
mySELFIe by Anne Scheschonk

Best Drama
Grace by Konstantin Egerndorfer
Day Release by Martin Winter
Underpressure by Lilli Schwabe
Chinese Angel by Sha Peng and Arek Zasowski

Best Experimental
No Ghosts He Called by Evy Schubert
Colonna by Berthold Bock
American Licorice by William Stancik

Best Cinematography
Palermo by Thomas Tröger
Peacock Island by Miklos Gaál
For Your Sake by Ronja Hemm

Best Cast
Talent by Andrew Huggins
In Place of My Thumb by Joseph Lawson
The Story Of Randolph by Tony Jackson, Victoria VA Jones and Monica Jackson
Booth by William Stancik

Best Writer
Katalin Ambrus – Pani Check – The Sisterhood of Water
Luca Amhofer – The Calm After The Storm by Luca Amhofer
Roman Meyer-Paulino – Romeo’s Legacy by Roman Meyer-Paulino

Best Director
Franco La Cecla – It Is Absurd For A White Man To Be In Africa
Manoah Biesheuvel – Miles to Go
Dusan Solomun – Children of Spring

60:01-120 Minutes

Best Documentary
An Impossible Task by Till Brinkmann
I Dream of a Foreign World by Lorenz Christian Köhler and Benjamin Raeder
How I Live by Meghan Shea
Nostradamus on Plague – Warned, Ignored and Fulfilled by Shihyun Wang

Best Drama
Gail’s New Boyfriend by Jim Mendrinos
Toprak by Sevgi Hirschhäuser
Pilate by Linda Dombrovszky
Ellipsis by Ben Parsons

Best Horror
Under ConTroll by Eric Hordes
Mareld by Ove Valeskog
Schism by Michael Storch

Best Cinematography
Alive by Michael Siebert
The Lizard King by Arno Oehri
Cabarete by Ivan Bordas

Best Cast
Feelings to Tell by Wen Li
Reel Me – The Film Musical by Peter Lund
Malaka by Jan Krämer

Best Writer
Nadine Keil – I Love Everything I Hate About You by Nadine Keil
Greg Emetaz – Camp Wedding by Greg Emetaz
Katrin Reichwald – The Village and The Wildfire by Katrin Reichwald

Best Director
Priyanka Das – Under the Jazz – Circulation. Formation.
O’Neil Bürgi – Ale
Maartje Nevejan – Are You There?