Audience Awards announces the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of our 2019 Music Shorts Film Festival! What a thrill it was to receive so many fabulous films! Films that get to the heart of music and show the power music has to change lives.
Doorways – 1st Place Music Shorts Winner
Tosin Coker, Filmmaker
Doorways embodies the power of song and the ever-present bolstering that everyone needs to persevere. A struggling mother, weighted with everyday living, finds herself tumbling through a series of coincidences that lead her to the spot she’s always dreamed about. When challenged to stand for what she loves, she rises to the occasion, regardless of the difficulties presented.
“Doorways … was meant to be a thesis film for film school. [T]he school adopted [Doorways] as part of its Alumni showcase collection and was the first student project from the school to premiere on National Television in the US and secure partnership in francophone Europe and Africa. Participating in Audience Awards has been rewarding thus far, because of the provision of sharing the film with a global audience all at once. It enables me to understand the trends and themes that bind and appeal to a diverse audience in order to cater to a global marketplace for my subsequent films. It is also a festival which empowers the audience, which is something many festivals have taken for granted because they judge based on their own personal preconceptions of what is needed in the cinematic space and this outright challenges that trend.”
– Tosin Coker, Filmmaker
You can find more on Tosin Coker’s work here.
The Loud Spirit of the South – 2nd Place Music Shorts Winner
Arian Soheili, Filmmaker
The Loud Spirit of the South tours the underground music that’s influencing the direction of the New Orleans’ music scene. This film caters to an eclectic collection of musicians and singers that bring diversity and new flavor to anyone’s music palette.
“We all love the physical experience of screening films at traditional film festival venues, but Music Shorts Film Fest enabled our film to reach a wider audience through its digital platform. Essentially its filling in the gaps where the eyes and ears of cinema lovers everywhere can discover films like ours without the limitation of their physical location. Coincidentally, this touches one of the themes in our film about New Orleans musicians. Some of the best art is home grown and stays local, so you have to physically be there to experience it, but a film can open a window into that world for an audience anywhere in the world.”
– Arian Soheili, Filmmaker
If you’re interested in Arian Soheili’s work, you can find more here.
Niaz a Zest for Life – 3rd Place Music Shorts Winner
Aftab Abbasi, Filmmaker
Niaz a Zest for Life tells the story of a man who’s passion for music inspires all those around him. He offers lessons and makes instruments and, of course, creates music. His profound love for music diffuses every layer of his being, transforming into an exuberant “zest for life.” You can follow Aftab Abbasi’s work here.
Honorable Mentions
Ice the Musical – Naiara Olite, Filmmaker
Ice the Musical is a melodious display of the dichotomy between the working class and the wealthy and those that seemingly sit in between. Elegantly executed and deftly performed, Ice the Musical sings. You can follow Naiara Olite’s work here.
Gonna Sip That Sip Hit That Dip. The Emerging Queer Hip Hop Movement – Chasson Gracie, Filmmaker
Gonna Sip that Sip Hit that Dip gives life to “the emerging Queer Hip Hop Movement” and the fabulous music surfacing from this collection of musicians. Interested in following Chasson Gracie’s work? Start here.
About Audience Awards
Audience Awards provides filmmakers with an opportunity to submit their films to build an audience, win prizes, and gain opportunities. We have industry professionals and global audiences judging the films. We are committed to providing a stage for filmmaker’s diverse, emerging talent and work.
For more filmmaking opportunities visit https://theaudienceawards.com/videocontests.
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