San Pedro International Film Festival 2023 Winners Report

The San Pedro International Film Festival (SPIFF) Fall Edition announced its filmmaker awards on Sunday, November 5 prior a special screening of David Jones’ Jacknife (1989) and book signing with veteran film producer Carol Baum at the Historic Warner Grand Theatre. The awards were led by Michael Sarrow’s Smile As You Kill which won Best Narrative Feature and Lana Pavic’s Opera Selecta which took the prize for Best Documentary Feature.

SPIFF Festival Director Ziggy Mrkich, said, “This edition of the San Pedro International Film Festival had a strong literary feel to it, not simply because we incorporated two book signings in the mix of our screening schedule, but the films themselves, as well as our On-Set Intimacy Coordinating panel played into that thoughtfulness and added a depth to the presentations for our film fans.”

Additional award winners included Zachary Alturas Spitz’s Hysteria winning Best Short Film, with a Special Mention in the category going to Jonathan Elliott’s Ohskenten Owra (Little Deer), and a Special Mention (Animated) nod going to Peter Gardner’s Adventures With The Caretaker.

Joseph Nizeti’s Fungi: Web of Life won Best ECO Documentary, and Best Music Video went to Elie Fahed’s Awal Kelmi. The Screenplay competition winners included Jim Norman’s “Corey’s Hand” for Best Feature Length Screenplay, and Ryan Skinner’s “Gallatin” for Best Pilot Screenplay.

Festival highlights included the highly anticipated big screen presentation on Nick Broomfield’s documentary The Stones and Brian Jones on Opening Night, and a Croatian films focus which featured Pavic’s Best Documentary winner Opera Selecta, andDubravka Tulic’s Academy Awards Best Foreign Film submission Traces (Tragovi). SPIFF’s Eco Documentary screenings at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium were anther hit, as was the special filmmaker panel on Intimacy Coordination of film sets. Special appearances included Kathy Baker with veteran producer Carol Baum at the Closing Night screening of the Robert DeNiro/Ed Harris starrer Jacknife (1989), and a book reading and signing of Evelyn McDonnell’s The World According to Joan Didion.  

For more information on events and films visit SPIFFest.org.

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The 2023 San Pedro International Film Festival – Fall Edition’s Award Winners:

Best Narrative Feature

Smile As You Kill

Director: Michael Sarrow

Best Documentary Feature

Opera Selecta

Director: Lana Pavic

Best Short Film

Hysteria

Director: Zachary Alturas Spitz

Special Mention – Short Film

Ohskenten Owra (Little Deer)

Director: Jonathan Elliott

Special Mention – Animated Short Film

Adventures With The Caretaker

Director: Peter Gardner

Best ECO Documentary

Fungi: Web of Life

Director: Joseph Nizeti

Best Music Video

Awal Kelmi

Director: Elie Fahed

Best Feature Screenplay

“Corey’s Hand”

Writer: Jim Norman

Best Pilot Screenplay

“Gallatin”

Writer: Ryan Skinner