2018 AMSTERDAM FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARDS

It is with great pleasure that we announce at this time the award winners of the 2018 Amsterdam Film Festival Van Gogh Awards. The contest received a wide variety of submissions representing top storytellers from over 20 countries around the world. The quality of the work that we had the honor of reviewing was simply astounding. Judging from among this exceptionally high caliber of filmmaking talent proved to be extremely difficult as there were so many unique, well-made and worthy projects. After several months of careful consideration, we present to you the very best of the 2018 competition.

De grote Prijs van de Jury: Land Divers directed by Peter Hsui
Cinematic Vision Award: The World Is Mine directed by Ann Oren
Van Gogh Award: The Shady Lady directed by Guy Bordin &  Renaud De Putter
Prodigy Auteur Prize: Living In The Futures Past directed by Susan Kucera
Grand Jury Prize: Ballad Of A Righteous Merchant directed by Herbert Golder
Grand Jury Prize: Twin Cities directed by David Ash
Grand Jury Prize: Cetaceans directed by Florencia Percia
Dramatic Directing Award: Rosemarie directed by Adonis Florides
Documentary Directing Award: Manchurian Sleepwalkers directed by Thomas Lahusen
World Cinema Directing Award: Dad Where Are You I Am Lost directed by Ahmet Karaman
World Cinema Directing Award: Hidden Light directed by Aaron Kamp
World Cinema Directing Award:  Stories Of Destroyed Cities directed by Sêro Hindê
Excellence in Cinematography Award: One Man's Trash directed by Chad Servidio
Excellence in Cinematography Award: Astrid directed by Luigi Abanto Varese
Excellence in Cinematography Award: Ruined directed by Glad Moss
Excellence in Cinematography Award: It Comes From The Heavens directed by Oldren Romero
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Limbo directed by Jean-Luc Julien
World Cinema Cinematography Award: The Rhythm In Blue directed by Toni Parker
World Cinema Cinematography Award: The Golden Age directed by Justin Connor
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Whoever Was Using This Bed directed by Andrew Kotatko
Best Documentary Film Editing: All Appliance directed by Chuka Umunna
Best Dramatic Film Editing: Waiting Patient directed by Kelly Amis
Best Feature Film Screenplay: Rice directed by Alex Vargas
Best Short Film Screenplay: Love, Gwen directed by Amanda Young
World Cinema Documentary Editing Award: Aurora Bioscope directed by Anjan Bose
World Cinema Screenwriting Award, Feature Film: Eni directed by Ashvin Meshram
World Cinema Screenwriting Award, Short Film: Rye On The Island directed by Stefano Raspa
Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Documentary Feature: Invisible Hands directed by Shraysi Tandon
Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Documentary Short: Fire & Light directed by Dana Johnson
Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Dramatic: Love Is Dead directed by Eric Capitaine
Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Short: Maestro directed by Nemanja Mladenovic
Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Music Video: Soul By Femdot directed by Zack Gregory
Special Jury Prize, World Cinema Animation: Unexpected Discoveries directed by James Mabery
Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Independence: Mahasatta 2035 directed by Ramprabhu Nakate
Special Jury Prize: International Short Filmmaking: Woodman directed by Mike Jackson
World Cinema: Music Video - Dancing In Place directed by Navied Setayesh
World Cinema: Student -In Beating Cells directed by Richard Kranzin
World Cinema: Documentary Feature -Madhattan directed by Carolyn Constantine
World Cinema: Documentary Short- Hotel Everest directed by Claudia Sobral
World Cinema: Experimental Film Award: Rivers directed by Graciela Cassel
World Cinema: Animation:Mark Of A Free Society directed by Robert Grieves
Best Animation:Empty View directed by Ali Zare Ghanatnowi
Best Comedy: The Florist directed by Andrew Ryan
Best Documentary Feature: Livingston Taylor - Life Is Good directed by Tracey Anarella
Best Drama: Gold Fortune  directed by Rhyme Lu
Best Feature: Youth On The March directed by Mike Retter
Best Sci-Fi: Project Reformers directed by Doizel
Best Romance: Bennett’S Song directed by Harley Wallen
Best Fantasy: The Dreamcatcher directed by Arnaud Husson
Best Experimental:My Heart Is A Lure directed by Patrick Moser
Best Family Film: Poke directed by Alico Roviralta
Best Documentary Short:The Path To Nidaros directed by Hilse De Groote
Best Music Video: Silent Whish directed by Liv-K. Nome
Best Short:  Mariposas directed by Adrian Carey
Best Thriller: The Whistler directed by Jennifer Nicole Stang
Best First Time Director: Compatriot directed by Mahtab Soleimani
Best Student: To Pluto directed by Yen-Ju Lee
Best TV Pilot: Little Hope  directed by Jacqueline Dow
Best Web Video: End Unsung directed by Rolf Lindblom

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS: 

Feature Screenplay Competition

First Place: Naughty & Nice written by Scott Gray
Second Place: Look In My Eyes written by Eddie Baca
Third Place: The White Death written by Brian Sachson &  Alex Hoyt & Rurik Peterson

Official Finalists
Origami written by Ludrik Hooi
Sardis The Merciful written by Christian Thomas
Rosa And The Black Tulip written by Gena Ellis
Soucouyant - Feature written by Sean Michael Field
She Knows written by Landon Nemoto
Stabat Mater written by Gianni Cardillo, Mohsen Melliti, Edoardo Rossi
The Island Of Blooming Stones written by Russell Beneke
The Doll written by Serge Adam
The Fledgling written by Tara Brenninkmeyer
Change Of Heart written by Mark Ingle

Short Screenplay Competition Winners: 
First Place: Mirza's Friend Ghalib written by Anupam Sen Gupta & Abhijit Sengupta Bappa
Second Place: The Coffin written by Emanuele Pesoli
Third Place: Paradigm Shift written by Katherine Fitzgerald

Official Finalists
American Mother written by Andrew Fleming
Mr. Happy written by Sydney Lloyd Smith
The Most Interesting Man In Dave's Mind written by Amanda R. Martinez
Cherry Glazed written by Christine Sherwood
Grace Screenplay written by Alex Holmes

First Time Screenwriter Competition Winners:
First Place: Chloe's Claire written by Fielding Thomas
Second Place: Moonflower written by Beth Curry
Third Place: Perfect Contrition written by James Palmer

Official Finalists
The Knot written by Ashish Pant
I Am Arzé written by Sam Shaib & Louay Khraish
1000 - The Sword In The Stone Series (Episode #1: The Druid, The Sword And The Raven) written by Guido Maria Giordano
Mad Dash written by William Leonard
Seeds  written by Natalie van der Meulen
The Journey written by Dave Thomas
Nour written by Maitha Alawadi
Family Secrets written by Neda Davarpanah
Tales Of Toverud: A Mockumentary Pilot (Script) written by Liba Vaynberg & Allison Minick

Stage Play Competition Winners: 

First Place: Two-Bit Taj Mahal written by Paul D'Andrea
Second Place: Err written by Rahul Kumar Srivastava

Television Script Competition Winners: 

First Place: White Water Rescue Original Television Movie written by Harold L. Brown
Second Place: .The Reset written by Kate Traill 
Third Place: Sol written by James Fox