Dances With Films – NY 2023 Winners Report
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 16th Street) following a jubilant high energy weekend of screenings and events during its 2nd 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 27th 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/.
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
