Directors Cut Int’l Film Fest

Winners

Kathaakar Ki Diary, The Story of Ordinary Lives -dcff 25 Winner – Best Feature Film Int’l

We are all connected in this infinite universe—like the colors of a rainbow: distinct and unique, yet intrinsically aligned. At the heart of this film is Dada—a cancer patient, photographer, and the narrator who weaves the stories together. He embarks on a journey to create a film that captures the tapestry of human experiences. We meet Koko, an infant bursting with energy who grows into a curious toddler. Her working mother is her entire world. Koko’s innocence quietly echoes the fundamental laws of human emotion and interaction. Bobby, a trans woman, struggles against the weight of a conformist and normative society that fails to understand her identity. Aiban, a boxer and athlete from Northeast India (a Khasi tribal), dedicates his life to working with Adivasi (Tribal) children in remote tribal areas, determined to make a difference. And then there is Kapil, a gifted musician and composer, caught in the throes of procrastination and creative block—trapped within a mental mirage. Each of them faces their own existential dilemmas. Yet, as we follow their journeys, we come to realize that within our diverse realities lies a profound unity—one that transcends class, color, gender, and creed. This film was created on a modest budget of less than USD 24,000, driven by the constraints of limited resources, however, it makes up for in spirit. It is a product of collective belief, collaboration, and a deep commitment to pluralism and inclusivity. Rooted in the subaltern realities of India, this is truly a film of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Director Biography – Anwesh

A trained student of Performing Arts, he began his career designing and writing campaigns as well as composing jingles. Subsequently, he joined the Indian Civil Services and serves as a bureaucrat, while simultaneously pursuing his passion for street theatre, directing, and composing music videos and short films. Cinema has remained an inseparable part of his life, and this project marks his debut feature-length film. He firmly believes that cinema is one of the most powerful cultural mediums to reflect reality and to advocate for a pluralistic, diverse, and egalitarian society. Originating from Western Odisha, India, he has also been actively engaged as an activist, working towards improving maternal and child health and reducing mortality rates among tribal communities in Odisha and Jharkhand.

GASPAR dcff 25 Winner – Best Animated Short Int’l

“Gaspar” In the stillness of his routine, Gaspar an elderly man immersed in solitude repeats a daily gesture, heavy with meaning: he toasts with an empty glass in front of a general’s portrait. An imaginary wine that only appears when guilt surfaces, and the emotional abyss consuming him becomes unavoidable. Trapped in denial and regret over a difficult period in Chile’s history, his life seems frozen in suspended time. But an unexpected encounter with his past rekindles latent guilt and persistent remorse, forcing him to confront the emotions he has repressed throughout his existence. Set in a fragmented CHILE, Gaspar’s silent ritual speaks of absence, memory, and an emotionally divided country. This stop-motion short film, devoid of dialogue, is steeped in visual poetry. Through striking imagery and delicate symbolism, it explores the protagonist’s inner emptiness. Every element of the set from misaligned paintings to fragile textures and the wine that evokes unhealed wounds tells its own story. How many souls like Gaspar hide behind pride and silence?

Director Biography – ENRIQUE GUSTAVO TAPIA

Graphic Designer and University Teaching Diploma holder with 25 years of experience in the audiovisual field. Specializing in stop-motion animation and prosthetic special effects applied to film, television, and advertising, both in Chile and internationally. Awarded nationally and internationally for his work in animation, particularly in TV series, children’s content, and advertising campaigns. Also recognized as a university lecturer and for his contributions to anti-bullying campaigns. Throughout his career, he has worked with major clients such as Chilevisión, TVN, Canal 13, Discovery Kids, Coca-Cola, Movistar, Disney, Walmart, and HBO Latam (Game of Thrones). He contributed as a sculptor and character fabricator in the short film Bestia, nominated for the 2022 Academy Award, and in the Casa Lobo exhibition. Additionally, he worked on the Chilean film Los Hiperbóreos and recently directed and animated the stop-motion short film Gaspar.

PERPETUAL SEARCH -DCFF23 Winner -Best Doc Short Int’l (Nepal)

This documentary focuses on Mr. Bhim Bahadur Thapa, his enduring legacy, and the mythical aspects of his life. It serves both as a biographical account and as an enduring piece of social commentary. He entered this world on 8 May 1920, dedicating his entire existence to the belief that people needed to awaken to effect positive changes in their lives. This profound conviction guided him throughout his life, leading him to paint and inscribe the word ‘Khoja/Search’ on pavements, walls, and stones across Nepal. On 2 June 2022, in Kathmandu, Mr. Thapa’s remarkable journey came to an end. He lived for an impressive 102 years and 25 days. It is estimated that he penned or inscribed ‘Khoja/Search’ more than 8 million times.

Director Biography – Gopal Shivakoti

Gopal Shivakoti is a documentary filmmaker from Nepal. He has been working in films and digital media since 2004. Primarily he is a visual editor who also does 2D animation, motion-graphics, and filming. He is a key resource person at “Young-Cuts! the filmmaking workshop” (in Kathmandu) for the past five years. His hobbies include Ethnology and documentary filming. He has shot and edited “In Search of the Searchman” – a short documentary about the 8 million (plus) graffiti “Khoja/Search” that has been written and inscribed all over Nepal, “When Shall I See My Daddy” – a short documentary about 14 years old boy whose father has gone to the USA and hasn’t returned to his home and family for ages. “Save Gangamaya” a documentary film about Satyagrahi Gangamaya Adhikari – who is on fast-unto-death for the attainment of justice for the 2004 murder of her innocent teenager son is his first feature-length documentary, It received an overwhelming response in the international film festival circuit. “War Crime”, “Pinky Gurung”, “We are with Dr. KC”, “Gai Jatra”, “Chain and Worship”, “Bicycle Hero” and “Bare Tree” are his recent films.

Finalists

Kathaakar Ki Diary, The Story of Ordinary Lives -dcff 25 Winner – Best Feature Film Int’l

Director Biography – Anwesh

GASPAR dcff 25 Winner – Best Animated Short Int’l

Director Biography – ENRIQUE GUSTAVO TAPIA

Features

Kathaakar Ki Diary, The Story of Ordinary Lives -dcff 25 Winner – Best Feature Film Int’l

Director Biography – Anwesh

Eugene O’Neill’s – The First Man -dcff Finalist

This is the first-ever film adaptation of The First Man – an early and rare story from the pen of Nobel laureate and Pulitzer prize winner, Eugene O’Neill. This psychological romantic drama set in 1920s Connecticut, delves into themes of obsession, grief and betrayal. World renowned anthropologist Curtis is consumed by grief over his young daughters’ deaths. He finds solace in immersing himself in preparations for his upcoming expedition to Asia, where he aims to unravel the mystery of “The First Man.” However, he must confront an undercurrent of family conflict as he battles against his relatives’ unsettling suspicions that his wife Martha is carrying his best friend Bigelow’s child. 100 years after it was first published, Pulitzer and Nobel literature award winning writer Eugene O’Neill’s 1920’s story – ‘The First Man’ has been lovingly crafted as a feature film by a team of UK based film-makers led by auteur director Hardeep Giani – and this is his very first Feature film. Director and Producer Hardeep Giani explains his vision: ‘Eugene O’neill’s incredible script was a pleasure to make into a feature film. What we wanted to do was to make this independent film for a modern audience – to produce a story examining the conflict of love in an environment of social and family prejudice, and how a bereavement can inflict psychosis in a grieving father.’

Director Biography – Hardeep Giani

Hardeep Giani is a renowned Director and Producer in Film and Television. He has worked for the BBC, Channel 4, Talkback, RDF and Silver River television companies. Having studied film directing in New York at the NYFA and Motion Picture Pro – he has also gained qualifications from NFTS, London Film School, Raindance and Dov-Simens Producers course. His Short films Rose, Mary and Time, If You Go Away and The Years of Laughter and Forgetting have won numerous awards at film festivals. His long form documentary ‘F**K It, It’s Over’ also won many awards at film festivals and he directed the TV documentary ‘Megan and Harry: A Revolutionary Romance’. His First Feature ‘Eugene O’Neill’s – The First Man’ is due for release in 2025.

Director Statement

I am always looking to tell stories in film, and be creative on a very low budget. I love and promote Indie Film making, and champion its philosophy.

Shorts

Music Videos

Resurrection under the Ocean

“Resurrection under the Ocean” is about the resurrection of a man who was helplessly sinking to the bottom of the ocean, after falling to the bottom of the ocean, with a symbolic narrative.

Director Biography – Serkan Aktaş

IDENTIFICATION Name and Surname : Serkan AKTAŞ Birth Date : 04.12.1989 Place of Birth : Istanbul/ Turkey EDUCATION University-1 : Anadolu University Faculty of Business Administration Department of Business Administration (2008-2013) University-2 : Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics (2009-2014) Certificate : Istanbul Cinema Academy Film School (2015-2016) Master Degree : Beykent University Institute of Social Sciences, Film and TV Master of Arts (2015 – 2017) Doctorate Degree : Beykent University Institute of Graduate Studies, Film and TV, Doctor of Arts (2017 – 2022) FILMOGRAPHY Mirrorty (2017) (Short Film) Resurrection under the Ocean (2021) (Short Film) The Librarian (2022) (Short Film) The Death Ox (2022) (Short Film) Lucky Coin ! (2022) (Short Film)

Director Statement

“Resurrection Under the Ocean” depicts the resurrection of humanity in the darkest place of the ocean in a symbolic way through a helpless character. The film’s metaphorical narrative style and its use of fictional and formal elements aim to bring a different-unique approach to cinema. It offers a visual feast with the harmony of music and choreography. In the deepest part of the ocean, death is tried to be portrayed in the dark. Then, the pain of resurrection, which begins with the sound of a whale symbolizing vitality, is completed when the character comes to the surface of the sea. I can say that with the film “Resurrection Under the Ocean”, it is a film that develops the tendency of other films I have made to benefit from tradition, this time in a different form and framework. TR “Okyanusun Altında Diriliş” filmi çaresiz bir karakter üzerinden okyanusun en karanlık yerinde insanlığın dirilişini sembolik bir tarzda anlatıyor. Filmin metaforik anlatım tarzıyla kurmacayı ve biçimsel unsurları kullanış biçimi sinemaya farklı-benzersiz bir yaklaşım getirmeyi amaçlıyor. Müzik ve koreografinin uyumuyla görsel bir şölen sunuyor. Okyanusun en derin yerinde, karanlıkta ölüm resmedilmeye çalışılır. Ardından canlılığı sembolize eden balina sesiyle başlayan diriliş sancısı karakterin denizin yüzeyine çıkmasıyla tamamlanır. “Okyanusun Altında Diriliş” filmiyle, yaptığım diğer filmlerin gelenekten yararlanma eğilimini, bu kez farklı bir biçimde ve çerçevede geliştiren bir film olduğunu söyleyebilirim.

Web Series

Dark Before Dawn | CARAVAN, CONVOY

After catastrophic social collapse, the survivors struggle to find their way in the harsh wilds. “Season 1” follows two such survivors, whose path becomes divided. Reconnecting in the future, they are both changed men. Episodes: CARAVAN and CONVOY are the final two episodes of the season. In the search for his missing son, the trail stops here. What will be at the end of it?

Director Biography – Brodie Spaull, Paul Krysinski

Brodie and Paul began collaborating together as early on as high school in rural Ontario. Their pursuit of film led them to Toronto where Brodie attended York University and Paul to Humber College, where they completed studies in film production. They both worked in several disciplines in the industry; experimenting with cinematography, lighting/grip, writing and directing. Ultimately they began working together once again in physical special effects. Brodie and Paul’s breadth of technical knowledge and yearning for a creative outlet is what led to the creation of the web series Dark Before Dawn. Spanning several years, the duo spearheaded the creation of this series independently; they shot episodes whenever they had enough money and time to devote.

Director Statement

Dark Before Dawn is a web series. It doesn’t adhere to format conventions. Some episodes hit you fast and hard, some slowly build. Time jumps forward, sometimes suddenly and drastically. Its brutal, but engaging, like nature. Nature… the ultimate authority. There is some production center in the brain pumping out a formulaic cocktail to sustain mental and physical fortitude. What happens when the mix goes wrong? Our tech dependent, supply-chain driven, globally connected world is a taut spring ready to unravel. You wake up… the world is falling apart. Run. Fight. Survive. Try to preserve what you have. Days fly by: everything is changing. Darkness descends. Is the light in the distance golden rays of the new rising sun, or the fires of the old world raging wild?

Winners

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Finalists

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Shorts

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Music Videos

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Web Series

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Rules

1. Online submissions only.

2. All submitted projects must have completion date of 2021 and later. Projects completed before 2021 is not eligible for entry.

3. By submitting you agree that you have read and understood the aforementioned Festival Description, Award Categories and Rules herein.

4. You agree and confirm that you are fully authorized to make a submission to the Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival.

5. Once a project is submitted, fees are not refundable.

6. Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival reserves the right to disqualify any submission without refund of submission fees.

7. All non-English language films must be subtitled in English.

8. ‘Submission’ , ‘Semi-Finalist’, and/or ‘Finalist’ designation of a film does not mean a project will be screened and/or streamed during the scheduled festival event. A curated selection of films determined to be “Winners” will be screened during the scheduled festival date(s) of the current season.

9. No premier status is required.

10. Multiple entries are allowed but separate entries are to be submitted for each film.

11. We treat all submissions with confidentiality. We will not screen, download your film or make it available online without your explicit permission.

12. -For Live Screenings; Our venue, Landmark Cinemas will requires a DCP format. DCP’s must be available 20 days before the event date(s).
(If required, DCP transfers is offered as a service for a small fee). To create DCP’s in house, .mov/mp4 files must be in 24fps.
-For Streaming; 1080p digital download will be required.

13. It is the responsibility of the submitter/ producer/filmmaker to secure authorization for any copyrighted material that are used in the film.

14. Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival and it’s affiliates; Directors Cut Film Society and/or Mya Studios Inc. is held harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (virtual and/or tangible) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, critique, or screening of any submitted film(s).

15. Directors Cut Film Festival reserves the right to add/change/cancel Categories, Awards, Event date(s) and/or Venue(s), and Screenings/Streaming due to circumstances beyond our control.

16. Any costs related to travel/accommodation, mail and/or digital downloads incurred by filmmakers or representatives of participating films are not the responsibility of Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival or it’s officials.

17. All decisions by official(s) at Directors Cut Film Festival is final.

Submit via FilmFreeway

November 2nd 2025

Finalists 2025:

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Country of Origin
Noor	Omer Yilmaz	Short	United States
Naked Jungle – It will be shortly	Aleix Barba Perarnau	Music Video	Not Specified
The cabin	Yordanis Baez	Short	Canada
Lavenza	Lauren Eden	Short, Student	Canada
Eugene O’Neill’s – The First Man	Hardeep Giani	Feature	United States
ONE FALL – Lights Out	Matt Kristek	Music Video	United States
Crimson Pawprints	Christo Vutev	Short	Canada
The Hallway	Shahar Shamay	Short	Israel
MOKSHAM		Music Video	India
Seeding, Blossoming, Fruiting	Junsong Ling		China
Like No Other	Vivienne Roe	Documentary, Short	United States
Brothers	Darkhan Tulegenov	Feature	Kazakhstan
GHOSTED	Rebecca Daugherty	Short	United States
Nix’s Symphony	Karina Loerchner	Animation, Short, Student	Canada
Dear Universe	Greg Smith	Short	New Zealand
Where Do You Roam? Autism…	Leilani E Forby	Documentary, Short	Canada
Ballad of Father Fouquet	Troy D. Hunter	Music Video, Short, Experimental	Canada
Goddamn it!	Yann Cado, Julien Ordan	Short	France, Switzerland
Fish Delivery #95	Luke Wolsko	Animation	United States
Hello, Wish You Well, Goodbye	Tommy Ngo	Short, Student	Canada
Ziad zaza / Beto2af Leih	Mostafa Kashef	Music Video	Egypt
Trance	Aman Mann	Short	Canada
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU	Ashish Chanana	Feature	United States

FINALISTS 2023:

November 2nd 2025

Finalists 2025:

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Country of Origin
Noor	Omer Yilmaz	Short	United States
Naked Jungle – It will be shortly	Aleix Barba Perarnau	Music Video	Not Specified
The Cabin	Yordanis Baez	Short	Canada
Lavenza	Lauren Eden	Short, Student	Canada
Eugene O’Neill’s – The First Man	Hardeep Giani	Feature	United States
GHOSTED	Rebecca Daugherty	Short	United States

FINALISTS 2023:

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Country of Origin
Enter the Room	Harry Waldman		United States
Dead End	Luis Sandoval	Short	Chile
Spilled Water Never Returns	Anthony Lee	Animation, Experimental, Short	Canada

November 15–20 2021.

Welcome to the “virtual”

5th Annual Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival

Visit:

https://xerb.tv/channel/directorscut/virtual-events

FINALISTS 2021:

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Country of Origin
Exchange Offer	Saunak Mitra	Short	India
The Beds of Others	Jonay García	Short	Spain
Lila	Lamberto Guerra	Short	Spain
Replica	Álvaro de la Hoz	Short	Spain
Neighbooor	Paco León	Short	Spain
The Atoms of Reality	Marco Joubert	Experimental	Canada
Don’t Give Up	Janne Tavares	Short, Other	Sweden
A.D.A.M.	Pablo Roldan	Short	Chile
Sorrow	Stefan Teofilovic	Short	Serbia
IN MEDIAS RUSH	Esben Persson	Experimental	Denmark
Shop	Jesper Klevenås	Feature	Sweden
Sab Rab De Bande	Sukhdeep Singh	Doc	India
Col & Ibri discover elec..	Cosmin Dolea	Experimental	Romania
Plasmid	Roshni “Rush” Bhatia	Short	United States
Brr	K & B McQueeney, E Ojeda	Music Video	United States
The Complete Shutdown	Devpriya Paul	Documentary	India
Plan F	Igor Sobolev	Short	Czech Rep.
YAR	Aram Hassan	Documentary	Iraq
The Blue Bed	Alireza Kazemipour	Short	Iran
Inheritance	Eudald Corominas	Short	Spain
Hear, Eat, Home	Hsuan Yu Pan	Documentary	United States
Incompleteness	David Ash	Television	United States
Paqui Conchi and The End	Adolfo Ontoba	Short	Spain
Pindorama	Wagner Cinelli, M Oliveira	Music	Brazil
Arcos da Lapa	Wagner Cinelli	Music Video	Brazil
An Ordinary Life	G Danon, E Shalom Danon	Documentary	Israel
Faded Memories	Valentina Galdi	Short	Italy
KAALIRAATHRI	Bishwas Balan	Short	India
Mandarina	Gabriel Bucher	Short, Other	Chile
Year Zero – Episode 1	Isaac Rodriguez	Web Media	United States
Rules of the Dead	Isaac Rodriguez	Other	United States
Can’t Go Home Again	Anthony J. Cook	Short	UK
Isolation	Justin MacGregor	Short	Canada
COVIDAMA	Andrei Gloria	Doc, Short	United Kingdom
Anagnorisis	Arturo Dueñas Herrero	Short	Spain
Groundhog Year	Fernanda Almeida	Short	Brazil
How to Fall in Love in a Brothel	Sunhui Chang	Short	United States
Lady of the Sea	Emmett Sparling	Short	Canada
Evening Hymns – Heavy Nights	Monika Kraska	Music Video	Canada
For My Daughter	Mohammad Ferajzade	Short	Iran
Dirty Dishes	A Goddard, M Ashman, J Roper	Short	Australia
Mike Barnes: Private Eye	Steven Ellis	Web Media	United States
Mid Life Conversations	Maria Filippone	Short	United States
Invocation to Isis	Giacomo Cataldo	Experimental	Canada
Anxiety	Blaine Thurier	Short	Canada
Reptile House	Tristan Risk	Short	Canada
Matty Boy	Dr Shahid Kamal	Short	United Kingdom
Watch Your Six	Bryan Bostic	Feature	United States
The Beast of Our Time	Maaike Middleton	Documentary	United States
Untitled Thoughts	Eva Grzelak	Short	Australia
Cheaters, Robbers and Outlaws	Jason Steele	Short, Web	Canada
Mr. Emancipation: Walter Perry Story	Preston Chase	Documentary	Canada
See You Real Soon	Molly E. Smith	Music Video	United States
Where is Manjushri	Gosha Wen	Short	Canada
DOLLFACE	Titus Jackson	Short	United States
One Day At A Time	Vortre Williams	Feature	United Kingdom
The Valravn	Spencer Hetherington	Short	Canada
Dentists	Paradox Delilah	Web Media	Canada
Ewa Goes Viral	Erik Anderson	Short	Canada
Deception	Barry Nerling	Short	Canada
One More Trip in the Bike	Dan J McDougall	Music Video	Canada
Dirty Laundry	Florence Hwang	Documentary	Canada
AL2-st (Altruist)	Christo Vutev	Animation	Canada
Displaced	Victor van Aswegen	Documentary	South Africa
The Sound of Water	J.B. Braud	Short	France
Journey 4 Justice	Jaylene Matthews	Documentary	Canada
Janani’s Juliet	Pankaj Rishi Kumar	Documentary	India
Beautiful Violence	Joey Medina	Short	United States
Haleh	Jafar Mahyari	Short	Iran
The Colour of Spring	Paul Andrew Kimball	Feature	Canada
To The Wood	Miho Kahn	Short	United States
Mr Alemann	Stewart Nestor	Documentary	United States

November 7–14 2020.

Welcome to the “virtual”

4th Annual Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival

Visit:

https://xerb.tv/channel/directorscut/virtual-events

FINALISTS 2020:

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Status	Country	Duration
Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Status	Country	Duration
My Name Was January	Elina Gress, Lenee Son	Doc. Short	Winner	Canada	00:25:45
Shibil	Nikola Bozadzhiev	Feature	Winner	Bulgaria	01:55:13
Rock On, Dude!	Frank Appache	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:10:00
Ada	Steven Kammerer	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:18:46
Cashed Out	Michael Trainor	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:12:12
HEY SMARTBOX	Panta Mosleh	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:05:15
Doris’s flight	Gabriela Lima	Exp/Short	Finalist	US	00:11:26
Toby’s Tree		Screenplay	Finalist	US	20
Wicca Book	Vahagn	Short	Finalist	Greece	00:22:46
UNTIMELY	Pouya Eshtehardi	Feature	Finalist	Iran	01:18:00
Waiting for the Salvation		Screenplay	Finalist		8
Soch	Ashish Dahal	Music Video	Finalist	Nepal	00:03:42
Goodnight	Jake Roth	Short	Finalist	US	00:05:07
Stood Up	Cjay Boisclair	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:04:40
Coffee and a Donut	Cary Patrick Martin	Short	Winner	United St	00:11:28
Blind Date	David Schumann	Short	Finalist	United St	00:12:03
Tabernacle 101	Colm O’Murchu	Feature	Winner	Australia	01:39:00
DOG TAG		Short Script	Finalist	Canada	5 Pages
Ettù Parànu	Davide carbone	Documentary	Finalist	Italy	00:51:36
Sockeye Salmon. Red..	D. Shpilenok , V. Grishin	Documentary	Winner	Russia	00:51:00
Bryers Cucumber Tost..	Christopher Hall	Short	Finalist	United St	00:16:12
Flight of the Dodo	Taras Demian Groves	Short	Winner	Canada	00:10:27
Silent Movie	Melo Viana	Short	Winner	Brazil	00:15:00
La Ráfaga (The Gust)	Edgar García	Short	Finalist	PuertoRico	00:30:00
The Barber	Sergiy Pudich	Short	Finalist	Ukraine	00:08:00
Rumori	SÄMEN	Short	Finalist	Italy	00:10:00
Transient Souls	Christian Frosio	Music Video	Winner	Italy	00:04:24
Finding Filman	Kevin Anglin	Short	Finalist	US	00:13:17
It’s Your Turn	Rose , Oliver d	Short, Web	Finalist	Spain	00:15:00
The Unsuperheroes	Caitlynn Silvius	Student, Web	Finalist	United St	00:06:30
Quiver		Short Script	Finalist	Canada	8 Pages
The River	Benjamin Hargreaves	Doc. Short	Finalist	Canada	00:16:40
NEXT STOP	Weekes,Tapambwa, Wit.	Short, Web	Winner	Canada	00:17:00
Wednesday	L.Delhom, J.Paquet	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:10:00
LITTLE BIG-GO BANANAS	A. Pasok, I. Prusikin	Music Video	Finalist	Russian	00:02:47
Align	R.E. Wolfe	Short	Finalist	UK	00:07:22
River City Series Pilot		Script	Finalist	Canada	23
Highland Home		Music,Short	Winner	United St	00:04:59
Ekti Golpo	shan A Alavi	Music Video	Finalist	Bangla	00:03:23
Stro: The Michael D’Asaro..	G.Lynch Jr, D.Nichols	Documentary	Winner	United St	01:28:18
Bambiland	Danilo Stanimirović	Short	Finalist	Serbia	00:19:59
Chances	Rob Heschl	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:03:26
Therapy Dogs		Short Script	Finalist	Canada	18
A Momentary Yearning	Faraaz Husain Rahman	Short	Finalist	Australia	00:11:27
The Upward Cycle		Short Script	Finalist	Canada	21
Cate	Terrell Ferguson	Short	Finalist	United St	00:14:20
(Dys)Functional	Adam Nowak	Short	Finalist		00:12:41
Saudade	Mark D’Cruz	Short	Finalist	India	00:10:05
DADDY SITTER		Screenplay	Finalist	France	17
We’re Fine		Short Script	Finalist	United St	12
Ashes		Short Script	Finalist	United St	15
What We Found Out There	Karl Kimmel	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:09:00
Malakout	Farnoosh Abedi	Animation,Short	Finalist	Iran	00:11:24
Feel India	Ion Sova	Documentary	Finalist	Moldova	00:11:22
A Few Flower Branches	Mehrdad Parvani	Student, Short	Finalist	Iran	00:29:21
ANNA – Cannes Official..	Dekel Berenson	Short	Winner	UK. Ukrai.	00:14:59
The Horror Crowd	Ruben Pla	Documentary	Finalist	USA	01:31:58
Ukde	Ecem Çelik	Feature, Short,	Finalist	Turkey	00:18:28
Ionuț and Călin	Sorin Poamă	Short	Finalist	Romania	00:17:44
Rocking on Air	Kim Tran	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:09:42
Midnight Movie : Magnum..	Myriam Khammassi	Student	Finalist	Tunisia	00:12:48
ARGON	Shoresh VAKILI	Student, Short	Finalist	Iran	00:15:00
Strut – 1980s (Music Video)	Tim Cash		Winner	Canada	00:00:00
When The Music Changes	Lakshmi Devy	Feature, Short	Finalist	United St	00:47:15
The Breathing Moon		Screenplay	Winner	United St	11 Pages

November 7–14 2020.

Welcome to the “virtual”

4th Annual Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival

Visit:

https://xerb.tv/channel/directorscut/virtual-events

FINALISTS 2020 (Snapshot):

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Status	Country	Duration
My Name Was January	Elina Gress, Lenee Son	Doc. Short	Winner	Canada	00:25:45
Shibil	Nikola Bozadzhiev	Feature	Winner	Bulgaria	01:55:13
Rock On, Dude!	Frank Appache	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:10:00
Ada	Steven Kammerer	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:18:46
Cashed Out	Michael Trainor	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:12:12
HEY SMARTBOX	Panta Mosleh	Short	Finalist	Canada	00:05:15

Shorts Categories

CANADA SHORTS

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Duration	Country
The First & Last Time	Peter Sacco	Music Video	00:05:27	Canada
Shrink-Wrapped the Web Series	Paula Elle	Web / New Media	00:07:31	Canada
Dark Before Dawn	Brodie Spaull, Paul Krysinski	New Media	00:05:46	Canada
GRITZMORE S1	David K. Greene	Short	00:09:32	Canada
Polar Tour	Dustin McGladrey	Short, Student	00:04:30	Canada
I’m Sorry	Gabriel Galand	Short, Student	00:04:00	Canada
Come Around	Andy Alvarez	Short, Student	00:07:20	Canada
Send me to hell, Baby	Todd Davies	Short	00:19:10	Canada
In Service of Duality	Rogan Love	Experimental, Short	00:03:14	Canada
Unmasking	Rob Comeau	Short	00:12:00	Canada
One More Day	Brenda Grzetic	Documentary	00:13:42	Canada
Venus Rising	Alexandra Noble	Experimental, Short	00:04:28	Canada
The Act	Raffinand Akiji	Short	00:16:43	Canada

INT’L SHORTS

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Duration	Country
In A Jungle	Uduak Etukudo	Short	00:12:00	Nigeria
Rebecca Gold	Ian Diaz	Short, Web / New Media	00:10:00	United Kingdom
Sound of Two	Sachin Ramdas	Short	00:12:23	United Arab Emirates
I Killed Vincent	Jean-Luc Blanchet	Documentary, Short	00:14:04	France
Nobody Dies Here	Simon Panay	Documentary	00:23:21	Benin
Allegro	Karl Bou-Rejily	Experimental, Short, Student	00:06:27	Lebanon
Nemesis	Behzad Jafarizmahab Haghighi	Short	00:05:00	Iran
In Brief	Carlo Perassi	Documentary, Experimental, Short	00:06:32	Italy
You’re mean to me?	Desolas Isabelle	Short	00:03:38	France
Coffin Decolleté	Nancy Kamal	Experimental	00:05:57	Egypt
We Meet On The Roof	Nicholas Sun	Short, Student	00:18:46	China

USA SHORTS

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Duration	Country
Forbidden	Vibha Gulati	Short	00:20:00	United States
Method	Robert Grabow	Short	00:14:40	United States
The Ballad of Sodden Ned	Beth Harrington	Music Video	00:06:01	United States
Tomorrow	Karis Campbell	Short	00:06:42	United States
Platonic	David Leidy	Experimental, Short	00:19:30	United States
EXTRA INNINGS	John Gray	Short	00:08:34	United States
Shebbie’s Live Life Series	Justin R. Edelman	Web / New Media	00:05:00	Tonga, US
THE DESECRATED	John Gray	Short	00:07:48	United States

ALL SHORT FORM FINALISTS: WEB SERIES, MUSIC VIDEOS, SHORTS

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Duration	Country	Link
The Ballad of Handsome Ned	Beth Harrington	Music Video	00:06:01	United States	–
Shrink-Wrapped the Web Series	Paula Elle	Web / New Media	00:07:31	Canada	Link
Tomorrow	Karis Campbell	Short	00:06:42	United States	–
I’m Sorry	Gabriel Golland	Short	00:04:00	Canada	Link
Down on the Sidewalk in Waikiki	Justyn Ah Chong	Short	00:19:59	United States	Link
In A Jungle	Luduk Eduok	Short	00:12:00	Nigeria	Link
REFUGE IN THE ROCKIES	Kaio Kathriner	Documentary, Short	00:12:18	Canada	Link
Come Around	Andy Alvarez	Short, Student	00:07:20	Canada	–
Platonic		Experimental, Short	00:13:90	United States	Link
Rebecca Gold	Ian Diaz	Short, Web / New Media	00:10:00	United Kingdom	Link
Son of Two	Salah Ramdas	Short	00:12:23	United Arab Emirates	Link
In Service of Duality	Rogan Love	Experimental, Short	00:03:14	Canada	–
Dark Before Dawn \| CARAVAN, CONVOY	Brodie Spaull, Paul Kyrisnki	Web / New Media	00:00:00	Canada	Link
I Killed Vincent	Jean-Luc Blanchet	Documentary, Short	00:14:04	France	Link
One More Day	Brenda Grzetic	Documentary	00:13:42	Canada	–
EXTRA INNINGS	John Gray	Short	00:08:34	United States	–
Tattoo	Aleksandras Brokas	Music Video	00:03:07	Indonesia	–
Nobody Dies Here	Simon Panay	Documentary	00:23:21	Benin	Link
The Music Sounds Better with Whom	Chasson Gracie	Documentary, Short	00:19:09	Canada, Japan, United States	Link
Shebbie’s Live Life Series	Justin R. Edelman	Documentary, Web / New Media	00:05:00	Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), French Polynesia, Maldives, Tonga, United States	Link
GRITZMORE SEASON ONE	David K. Greene	Short	00:09:32	Canada	Link
THE DESECRATED	John Gray	Short	00:07:48	United States	–
The First & Last Time	Peter Sacco	Music Video	00:05:27	Canada	Link
Method	Robert Grobar	Short	00:14:40		–
Allegro	Karl Bol-Reilly	Experimental, Short, Student	00:06:27	Lebanon	Link
Forbidden	Vibha Gulati	Short	00:20:00	United States	Link
Nemesis	Behzad Jafariranzabeh Haghighi	Experimental, Short	00:05:00	Iran	Link
In Brief	Carlo Perassi	Documentary, Experimental, Short	00:06:32	Italy	Link
You’re talking to me?	Desolas Isabelle	Short	00:03:38	France	Link
Send me to hell	Todd Davies	Short	00:10:19	Canada	Link
Coffin Décolleté	Nancy Kamal	Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Music Video, Short	00:05:57	Egypt	Link
We Meet On The Roof	Nicholas Sun	Short, Student	00:18:46	China	Link
Polar Tour	Dustin McGladrey	Short, Student	00:04:32	Canada	Link
Unmasking	Rob	Short	00:12:00	Canada	–
The Act	Rafinad Alij	Short, Student	00:16:43	Canada	–
Venus Rising	Alexandra Noble	Experimental, Short	00:04:28	Canada	–

Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival Winners 2025

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Country
Mother	Sebastian Kwidzinski	Short, Student	Poland
GASPAR	ENRIQUE G. TAPIA	Animation, Short/fic	United States
John Qualcosa – Cani come figli	Silvano Richini	Music Video	Italy
Moon Over Capri (Ave Della Pietra)	Nathan Levine-Heeney	Music Video	United States
Zhaza Trailer	Darkhan Tulegenov	Other	Kazakhstan
Sunshine on His Face	Jeana MacIsaac	Short	Canada
Kill “Ashes”	EZEL MANAY	Photography	Turkey
Kathakari Ki Diary, The Story of Ordinary Lives	Anwesh	Feature	India
Joyful	Simantini Chakraborty	Documentary	United States
Panic Sets In	Dustin Morrow	Feature	United States
Urban Chime	Eric Vincent Hinch	Music Video	Canada

Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival Winners 2023

Project Title	Directors	Project Type	Country
Longing for the Soul; A Quest for Rumi	Aryana Farshad	Documentary, Television	United States
And outside life goes on	Daniel Maurer	Documentary	Switzerland
Chateau Laurier	James Stewart	Web / New Media	Canada
The Moon Followed Me To Falmouth	Joël Gibbs	Animation, Music Video, Short	United States
In the Wake of the Cedar Tree (2023)	Touwstassian	Documentary, Experimental, Music Video, Short, Web / New Media	Canada
ROOTS, DIASPORA & WAR	Phil Comeau	Documentary	Canada
Babushka	Simon Höbert	Short	Austria
The Founder Effect	Justin MacGregor	Feature	Canada
WAKING UP A WIDOWER	david gene	Documentary, Short	United States
ID	Kiran Kondamadugula	Short	United States
The Divorcees Of Casablanca	BENSOUDA MOHAMMED AHED	Feature	Morocco
The Ultimate Sacrifice	Riley Jackson	Short, Student	United States
Buddy Love	Kiefer O’Reilly	Short, Student	Canada
PERPETUAL SEARCH	Gopal Shivakoti	Documentary	Nepal

Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival Winners 2021

Best Documentary Int’l – An Ordinary Life (Israel)
Best Doc USA – The Beast of Our Times: Climate Change and Grizzly Bears
Best Documentary Canada – Mr. Emancipation: The Walter Perry Story
Best Feature Film Int’l – Shop (Sweden)
Best Feature Film Canada – The Colour of Spring
Best Short Film Int’l – Untitled Thoughts (Australia)
Best Short Film USA – Plasmid
Best Short Film Canada – Anxiety
Best Web Series Canada – Dentists
Best Web Series USA – Incompleteness
Best Music Video – Arcos Do Lapa (Brazil)

Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival 2020 Winners:

Best Documentary — Sockeye Salmon. Red fish (Russia)
Directors – Dmitriy Shpilenok & Vladislav Grishin

Best Documentary USA — Stro: The Michael D’Asaro Story
Produced and Directed by — Greg Lynch Jr & Doug Nichols

Best Documentary (Short) — My Name Was January
Directors – Elina Gress & Lenee Son
Producers – Alex Sangha & Ash Brar

Best Feature Film — Shibil (Bulgaria)
Written & Directed by – Nikola Bozadzhiev

Best Feature Film Int’l — Tabernacle 101 (Australia)
Written Produced & Directed by Colm O’Murchu

Best Short Film Int’l — Cinema Mudo (Brazil)
Written and Directed by – Melo Viana

Best Short Film USA — Coffee and a Donut
Written and Directed by Cary Patrick Martin

Best Short Film Canada — Flight of the Dodo
Produced & Directed by Taras Demian Groves

Best Web Series — Next Stop (Canada)
Directed by Jabbari Omar Weekes, Tichaon Tapambwa, Phil Witmer

Best Music Video USA— Highland Home
Directed and Written by – Dan Schaefer
Music by Kurt Rosenberg

Best Music Video Int’l — Transient Souls (Italy)
Producer, Director and Song by Christian Frosio

Best Music Video Canada — Strut – 1980s
Produced & Directed by Tim Cash
Song by Pennan Brae

Best Short Script — The Breathing Moon
Screenwriter – Jeffrey Morin

Best Actress — Svetlana Barandich
for Anna (Ukraine)

Best Actor — Julien Rayn de Long
for Flight of the Dodo (Canada)

Best Director — Melo Viana
for Cinema Mudo (Brazil)

Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival 2019 Winners:

Best Web Series – Canada
Dark Before Dawn: Written and Directed by Brodie Spaull & Paul Krysinski

Best Short Film – Canada
Unmasking: Edited, Written, & Directed by Rob Comeau

Best Documentary – Canada/Serbia
GUCA: Serbian Detox: Produced and Directed by Igor S Rados

Best Actor: Pennan Brae for 2 Below Zero – USA/CANADA

Best Feature Film – Festival Favourite
2 Below 0 – USA/CANADA

Best Feature Film – Canada

Beyond the Woods: Written & Directed by Brayden DeMorest-Purdy

Best Cinematography: Zach Zhao
Beyond the Woods – Canada

Best Web Series – Int’l
Rebecca Gold – UK
Written, Co-Produced, & Directed by Ian Diaz

Best Short Film – Experimental
Allegro – Lebanon
Composed, Written, & Directed by Karl Bou-Rjeily

Best Short Film – Int’l
Coffin Decollete – Egypt
Written & Directed by Nancy Kamal

Best Short Film
Extra Innings – USA
Written, Produced, & Directed by John Gray

Best Documentary – Int’l
Greek Rock Revolution – Greece
Written, Produced, & Directed by Miguel Cano

Best Documentary
Taming Wild: Pura Vida – USA/Costa Rica
Written & Directed by Elsa Sinclair

Best Music Video
The Ballad of Handsome Ned – USA
Produced & Directed by Beth Harrington

Best Editor : Amartya Bhattacharyya
For Runanubandha -Kolkata, India

Best Actress: Tihana Lazovic
For Aleksi – Croatia

Best Screenplay: Amartya Bhattacharyya
For Runanubandha – Kolkata, India

Best Feature Film – Int’l
Runanubandha. Kolkata, India
Produced by Swastik Choudhary

Best Feature Film
Aleksi – Croatia
Written and Directed by Barbara Vekaric

Best Director: Barbara Vekaric
For Aleksi – Croatia

DCFF 2018…………WINNERS

Best Feature……………………………………The Astronot (Tim Cash)

Int’l Feature…………………………………….La dorMeuse Duval (Manuel Sanchez)

Canada Feature………………………………E-Hero (Joseph Procopio)

Vancouver Feature………………………….Vitreous (Brian MacDonald)

Best Short Film ……………………………..Are You Volleyball (Mohammad Bakhshi)

Canada Short…………………………………Sweetheart (Martha MacGrath)

Festival Favorite Short……………………D.A.T.E (Sai Deodhar Anand)

Best Web Series……………………………..Nemausus (Quentin Uriel)

Canada Web Series…………………………Chateau Laurier (James Stewart)

Best Music Video……………………………Son (Philippe Grenier)

Int’l Music Video……………………………Luka (Sergiy Pudich)

Festival Favorite Music Video…………Patrick Stewart Bakes a Cake (Chris Sivak)

Best Director………………………………..Manuel Sanchez (La dorMuese Duval)

Best Editor…………………………………..Tim Cash (The Astronot)

Best Screenplay……………………………Pennan Brae (The Astronot)

Best Actor……………………………………Dominique Pinon (La dorMeuse Duval )

Best Actress…………………………………Marina Tome (La dorMeuse Duval)

Best Music…………………………………..Pennan Brae (The Astronot)

CATEGORIES……2017 WINNERS

Best feature…………………………………BIKINI BLUE (Jarek Marszewsky)

Best Documentary……………………….ONE YEAR ON A BIKE (Martijn Doollard)

Best Short……………………………………POOL (Leadro Goddinho)

Best Web Series……………………………THIS IS DESMONDO RAY (Steve Baker)

Best Music Video………………………….TRAINS (Jola Kudela/ Poppy Ackroyd)

Best Director………………………………..Jarek Marszewsky (BIKINI BLUE)

Best Editor…………………………………..Martijn Doollard (ONE YEAR ON A BIKE)

Best Screenplay……………………………I AM ANNA (Timo Langer / Laura Anne Anderson)

Best Actor……………………………………Tomasz Kot (BIKINI BLUE)

Best Actress…………………………………Delphine Theodore (THE COURTESY OF ANGELS)

About

Directors Cut Int’l Film Festival aspires to acknowledge, reward, and promote exceptional emerging auteurs and their movies.

There is only one requirement: the Director ALSO functioned as at least ONE of the following positions: Producer, Writer, DP, Editor, Actor, Composer…

Yes, we are all about appreciation for the Versatile, Multi-Talented Director.

We value your cinematic endeavor and the intrinsic multidisciplinary aptitude and work ethic required to see a movie project through from inception to completion, and finally to exhibition.

Congratulations! And now, let’s get you and your masterwork the recognition it deserves…

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES (any genre)

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES (any and all genres)
-Feature films: 45 minutes and over
-Short films: less then 30 minutes
-Web series: at least 2 episodes, each up to 10 minutes
-Music videos: up to 10 minutes
-Photography

Directors Cut Int’l Film Film Festival holds its screening event at Landmark Cinemas 10 in New Westminster B.C. Canada.

Directors Cut Int’l Film Fest

Winners

Panic Sets In. -dcff 2025 Winner -Best Feature Film USA

Mother (Matka) -dcff Winner -Best Short film Int’l

Urban Chime – dcff 25 Winner – Best Music Video Canada

joyful -dcff 25 Winner – Best Documentary USA

Kathaakar Ki Diary, The Story of Ordinary Lives -dcff 25 Winner – Best Feature Film Int’l

Moon Over Capri (Ava Della Pietra) -dcff 25 Winner – Best Music Video USA

GASPAR dcff 25 Winner – Best Animated Short Int’l

Chateau Laurier -Season 2 – DCFF 23 Winner – Best Web Series

Longing for the Soul; A Quest for Rumi -DCFF 23 Winner – Best Doc USA

The Moon Followed Me To Falmouth -DCFF23 Winner – Best Music Video

Babushka -DCFF23 Winner -Best Short Int’l (Austria)

PERPETUAL SEARCH -DCFF23 Winner -Best Doc Short Int’l (Nepal)

The Divorcees Of Casablanca DCFF23 Winner – Best Feature Film Int’l (Morocco)

The Founder Effect -DCFF23 Winner – Best Feature Film Canada

And outside life goes on -DCFF23 Winner – Best Documentary Int’l (Switzerland)

And outside life goes on

Finalists

Panic Sets In. -dcff 2025 Winner -Best Feature Film USA

Mother (Matka) -dcff Winner -Best Short film Int’l

Urban Chime – dcff 25 Winner – Best Music Video Canada

Whale Math-dcff Finalist 2025

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU -dcff Finalist 2025

joyful -dcff 25 Winner – Best Documentary USA

Ziad zaza / Beto2af Leih -dcff Finalist 2025

Kathaakar Ki Diary, The Story of Ordinary Lives -dcff 25 Winner – Best Feature Film Int’l

Where Do You Roam? Autism and the Wandering Mind -dcff Finalist 2025

Dear Universe -dcff Finalist 2025

Moon Over Capri (Ava Della Pietra) -dcff 25 Winner – Best Music Video USA

Nix’s Symphony -dcff Finalist 2025

Brothers -dcff Finalist 2025

GASPAR dcff 25 Winner – Best Animated Short Int’l

Seeding, Blossoming, Fruiting -dcff Finalist 2025

Features

Panic Sets In. -dcff 2025 Winner -Best Feature Film USA

a forest of collective subconscious

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU -dcff Finalist 2025

Kathaakar Ki Diary, The Story of Ordinary Lives -dcff 25 Winner – Best Feature Film Int’l

The Match to Kill

Through My Eyes

SPRINTER – Trailer

Brothers -dcff Finalist 2025

Nhogac

Phantom and Percepter

Master Wu’s Double Ninth Festival

Eugene O’Neill’s – The First Man -dcff Finalist

UNDER MY SKIN

UNDER MY SKIN

IDEA – Miniatures by Improvisers

Longing for the Soul; A Quest for Rumi -DCFF 23 Winner – Best Doc USA

Shorts

Tree

Whale Math-dcff Finalist 2025

joyful -dcff 25 Winner – Best Documentary USA

The Original Badass

The Price Tag

Make Move

Red Bird (Trailer)

Corona

A dream in waking life

RED: Beast Huntress

NEVERMIND

Тіні Лісу / Shadows Of The Forest (Trailer)

The Last Atlantis

Where Do You Roam? Autism and the Wandering Mind -dcff Finalist 2025

Dear Universe -dcff Finalist 2025

Music Videos

Urban Chime – dcff 25 Winner – Best Music Video Canada

Ziad zaza / Beto2af Leih -dcff Finalist 2025

2 can play (Ava Della Pietra – official music video)

Moon Over Capri (Ava Della Pietra) -dcff 25 Winner – Best Music Video USA

Naked Jungle – It will be shortly

Naked Jungle – It will be shortly

The Moon Followed Me To Falmouth -DCFF23 Winner – Best Music Video

Resurrection under the Ocean

Resurrection under the Ocean

Evening Hymns – Heavy Nights

Don’t Give Up -Music -Sweden -dcff21 Finalist

Don’t Give Up (english version)

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