Filmmakers were invited to submit to AudFest 2017 Documentary Short Film Festival and our community of filmmakers did not disappoint! From a wide selection of submissions, our jurors selected three thought-provoking and diverse short documentary films.
In the first place film, Jessica Clark Racing by Ellen Houlihan, Jessica Clark, a 21-year-old race car driver from Ventura, California dreams of racing in NASCAR one day. As a confident and driven woman in a male-dominated career field, she is an empowering example of a woman defying the odds.
Director, Ellen Houlihan is an Emmy-winning narrative and commercial film director who has directed Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated talent.
Taking second place is Territory by Eleanor Mortimer. The rock of Gibraltar is shared between two primate species: people and monkeys. The monkeys populated the upper rock long before the latest human inhabitants arrived, and now 300 years on, there are tensions between the two. Attempts to expel the monkeys from the town with peashooters are in vain, as the animals rise to the challenges of the new game. This leads the government to resort to more drastic tactics.
Territory won the Oscar-qualifying best short documentary award at Hot Docs, received a Grierson nomination, and traveled to over fifty festivals including Sundance Film Festival.
In the third place film, The Quiet Man by Keith Rivers, Don, Nancy and Vicki have formed a wonderfully complicated friendship dealing with love, loss, and dementia. Throughout life, the only constant is change and friendship helps get you through tough times, at any age.
In only a few years, director, Keith Rivers has built a portfolio that most do over an entire career, working for brands such as Microsoft, Chevrolet, Alaska Airlines, Tesla, Hershey’s, Taco Bell, and Volvo.
A huge thanks to our community of creatives and filmmakers who submitted, and hearty congratulations to all the winners! We look forward to seeing the top three films premiere at AudFest 2018!
