'The Old Young Crow' and 'Way Better' Take Top Prize at Palm Springs International Short Film Festival

Old Young Crows won the top prize in the 299 competition palm Quan Sunday International Sprint. This Japanese-American short film follows an old Persian man who recalls a lesson he learned from an elderly Japanese woman.

Best animated short went to Lithuania’s Way Better, about a man expecting the worst , but hoping for the best for his upcoming medical exam results. For a week he waited in a predicament of his own creation, terrified of what hadn’t yet happened.

The festival’s other top prize went to China’s You Will Watch Me documentary short, France’s Sét Lam Live Action Short 15 Minutes and Spain Mysterious Tiger Live action short 15 minutes and below. The top five films are now eligible to submit short films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.

The students’ projects won four more awards and nine short films won the Special Jury Prize, including Best International Short Film, American Short Film, Comedy Short Film, LGBTQ Short Film and Midnight shorts and more.

Winners also receive $15, Short films from 25 competing for awards during the festival starting in June Stand out and get valuable cash rewards 15-20.

See all winners below.

Oscar Eligibility Award

Best Film Festival

299Old and Young Crows(Japan/USA), Director: Liam LoPinto

Best Animated Short

Better(Lithuania), Director: Skirmanta Jakaitė

Best Documentary Short 299Will you look at me(China), Director: Huang Shuli

Best Live Action Short Minutes

Sèt Lam (France), Director: Vincent Fontano

Best Live-Action Video000 minutes and below

299Mysterious Tiger(Spain), Director: Marc Martínez

Student Short Film Award

Best Student Animated Short Film t299 Rainbow Dung Beetle (USA), sponsored by Directed by Ellen Moway and Cole Dupzyk

Best Student International Short Film

299Death Marriage(Poland) by Michel Directed by Toczek

Best Student American Short Film

SULAM(Ladder)(USA), Director: Noam Argov

Student Documentary Short Film
2023
Kaamoksen Valosa(Finland), Director: Niko Väistö

Special Jury Prize

Best International Short Film 299
Soleil de nuit (Canada), directed by Fernando Lopez and Maria Camila Arias

Best American Short Film 299Closing Dynasty(USA), Lloyd Director Lee Choi

Best Comedy Short

FLAIL(USA), Director: Ben Gauthier

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Best LGBT+ Short Film
299 Blonde Nights (Canada), Director: Gabriel Demers

Best Midnight Short
299

Nian(USA), Director: Michelle Krusiec

Mozaik Bridging Boundary Award
299 Fata Morgana(Germany/Syria), directed by Daood Alabdulaa

Local Jury Award
299 According to Gd (USA), Director: Paula Eiselt

Young Filmmaker Award

299