Past Seasons

Click here to submit your film to the 2016 Toronto Independent Film Awards (TIFA)

FEATURE FILM – NO BUDGET
Blockbuster: A Life In Moving Pictures, Directed by Vlado Priborsky, Austria
Bits Of Love, Directed by Anton Schilli, Germany
Good Friday, Directed by Gloria Saavedra, Columbia (WINNER)

FEATURE FILM – MID BUDGET
Biking With No Saddle, Directed by Alessandro Giuggioli, Italy (WINNER)
The Answer, Directed by Pavan Kaul, India
Mobfathers: Permanent Rehab, Directed by Ben van Bergen, USA

FEATURE FILM – LOW BUDGET
Crime & Punishment, Directed by Andrew O’Keefe, Australia (WINNER)
The Seeker, Directed by Jeff D Johnson, USA
2Close2U, Directed by Steffen Baermann, Germany

FEATURE FILM – MICRO BUDGET
A Tangled Web, Directed by John Thomas, USA
Land of Smiles, Directed by Bradley Stryker, Canada (WINNER)
Halcyon Heights, Directed by Isla Ure, UK

SHORT FILM
We’ll See If We Drown, Directed by Laurent Helas, France
The Monster, Directed by Bob Pipe, UK
The Last Journey of the Enigmatic Paul WR, Directed by
Romain Quirot, France (WINNER)
Talking Piece, Directed by Page Stuart Valdes, USA
Omessa, Directed by Charlène FAVIER, France
Dryad, Directed by Thomas Vernay, France
The Accord, Directed by RC Cone, USA
Girl + Ghost, Directed by Nik Wansbrough, Australia

STUDENT FILM
Brain Maker, Directed by Emmett Sparling, Canada (WINNER)
Our Last Adventure, Directed by Michael Valitutti, Canada
Voyeur, Directed by Katy Lukianiuk, Canada

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Grouper Mystery, Directed by Caroline Schoenfelder, France (WINNER)
Sonepur Mela, Directed by Sudhesh Unniraman, India
Legs: A Big Issue in a Small Town, Directed by Beatrice Alda, USA

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Mardistan: Explorations of Indian Manhood, Directed by Harjant Gill, India
I Exist, Directed by Ahmed Adbelnaser, Egypt (WINNER)
Alex, Directed by Brian Inocencio & Nottapon Boonprakob Kai, USA

ANIMATION
Confessions of a Breastimator, Directed by Jisu Kim, USA (WINNER)
Agrinoui, Directed by Alexis Chaviaras, Cyprus

EXPERIMENTAL
Some Dark Place, Directed by Cecelia Condit, USA
The Blind Owl, Directed by Mazdak Taebi, Canada
Ridden By Nature, Directed by Kiah Keya, USA (WINNER)

WEB SERIES
A Shared House, Directed by Joshua Lundberg, Australia
Endgame, Directed by Phil Mulloy, UK
Made in Mosjoen, Directed by Aleksander Nordaas, Norway
Arthur, Directed by Alberto Meroni, Switzerland (WINNER)

MUSIC VIDEO
Itchy Thumbs, Directed by Aurelien Offner, Canada
Robot Koch & Delhia de France – Dark Waves, Directed by Sven D., USA
“Biters” 1975, Directed by Video Rahim, USA (WINNER)
Enjoy the Pain, Directed by Amit Shamir, Israel

SCREENPLAY
The Hoopla, Written by Thomas Nesti, Canada
A God Fearin’ Man, Written by John Broadhead, USA
Bonewick, Written by Ira Khan, Canada
Bolles, Written by Michael Dalzell, USA
Shine Your Eyes, Written by Clint Pearson, USA
Diminuendo, Written by Paul Gross, Australia
Jagged Edge, Written by Tamara Herman and Cindy Aronson, Canada (WINNER)
Emerald and Grey, Written by Richard Peacock, Canada

2015 TIFVA Winners and Nominees

FEATURE FILM – NO BUDGET
DR. CHEAPSKATE, Directed by Jason Ancona, USA (WINNER)
TAMAGO, Directed by Koji Hirano, Japan
IT PLAYS LIKE LOVE, Directed by Jeremy Waltman, USA
DISASSOCIATIONVILLE, Directed by James Christopher, USA

FEATURE FILM – MID BUDGET
UTOPIA, Directed by Hassan Nazer, Afghanistan (WINNER)
ESCAPES, Directed by Mercedes Gaspar, Spain
THE PINEVILLE HEIST, Directed by Lee Chambers, Canada

FEATURE FILM – LOW BUDGET
SAND PEBBLES, Directed by Kai Kwong Choi, Hong Kong
INTERSECTION, Directed by Tim French, USA (WINNER)
NEKRO, Directed by Pınar Sinan, Turkey

FEATURE FILM – MICRO BUDGET
RABBIT DAYS, Directed by Ryan and Cody LeBoeuf, USA
EMULSION, Directed by Suki Singh, UK (WINNER)
DEFENDERS OF LIFE, Directed by Dana Ziyasheva, France

SHORT FILM
FREE PARTY, Directed by Fred Gelard, France
MEDIATION, Directed by Francisco Lorite, USA
GIRL + GHOST, Directed by Nik Wansbrough, Australia (WINNER)
MESSIAH, Directed by Mark Grabianowski, USA
THE FAIRYTALE ABOUT GORAN, Directed by Alessandro Berellini, Sweden
THE LAST SIROCCO, Directed by Angelo Casto, Italy
LA LUNE, Directed by Taylor Bao, USA
PEOPLE OF THE DELTA, Directed by Joey L., Ethopia
TECHNICALY DIFFICULTIES OF INTIMACY, Directed by Joel Moffett, USA
CONTINGENT, Directed by Phil Moniz, Canada

STUDENT FILM
DE GEXI, Directed by Wang Xiang, China
OBSOLESCENCE, Directed by Andrea Cristini, Canada
THE SILENCE, Directed by Cleo Tellier, Canada (WINNER)
ALZHEIMER’S: A LOVE STORY, Directed by Gabe Schimmel, USA
COCOON, Directed by Jimmy Hsu, Shu-Ting Liang, Taiwan
CEASE FIRE, Directed by Darrell Langolf Jr., USA
WELCOME, Directed by Serena Dykman, USA

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
GOLAN: A FAREWELL TO MR. CINEMA, Directed by Christopher Sykes, UK (WINNER)
THE LIBERATORS – WHY WE FOUGHT, Directed by Emanuel Rotstein, Germany
THE SEX TEMPLE, Directed by Johan Palmgren, Sweden
ENDLESS CORRIDOR, Directed by Aleksandras Brokas, Lithuania

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
IRREGULARS, Directed by Fabio Palmieri, Italy (WINNER)
GAYROUTH, Directed by Charbel Raad, France
TAXIDERMY IS GOODBYE, Directed by Vuk Dragojevic, Canada
RON TAYLOR: DR. BASEBALL, Directed by Laura Goldhamer, Canada

ANIMATION
BEAR ME, Directed by Kasia Wilk, Poland
TINY TOWN, Directed by Howard Cook, USA (WINNER)
CHEESE DOG: THE MOVIE, Directed by Jamie Dwyer and Justin Ulloa, USA

EXPERIMENTAL
THE ART OF LOSING, Directed by Michael A. Marino, Canada
MANNEQUIN, Directed by Mehdi Nowroozi, Canada (WINNER)
THE MAZE, Directed by Thomas Keumurian, France

CHILDREN’S FILM
SAUDADE, Directed by Howard el Gato Negro Mitchell, USA
NORTH, Directed by Natasha Soto, USA
THE GIFT, Directed by Lisa Belcher, Hong Kong (WINNER)

WEB SERIES
LILAC, Directed by Hank Isaac, USA
MANIC PIXIE DREAM WIFE, Directed by M Elizabeth Eller, USA (WINNER)
KOWALSKI, Directed by Jason O’Mara, USA
ZERO, Directed by David Victori, USA

MUSIC VIDEO
RASHID AJAMI – NIGHT PRAYER, Directed by Adam Lyons, UK (WINNER)
BRIGHTER EVERY DAY, Directed by Drew Gottlieb, USA
REUBEN AND THE DARK – BOW AND ARROW, Directed by Brock Mitchell, Canada
EMBRACING ME, Directed by Jimmy Ennett, Australia

SCREENPLAY
EMMA’S SONG, Written by Gillian Croft, Canada
GROUNDSWELL, Written by Christine Riche, France
OF ANGELS AND SILENCE, Written by Jordan Heron, Canada
DIMITRI GOES SOUTH, Written by Tom Vecchio, USA
DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH, Written by George Mastrogiorgis, USA
THE HOOPLA, Written by Thomas Nesti, Canada
SUNNY SIDE UP, Written by Emily Al-Jbouri, Canada (WINNER)
LITTLE WORM, Written by John T. Frederick, USA
DOUBLE TAKE, Written by Shell Walker-Cook, USA
RUTH’S, Written by Chen Drachman, USA
AURORA, Written by Chen Drachman, USA

2014 TIFVA Winners and Nominees

NARRATIVE FEATURE – NO BUDGET
THE NANABIJOU TAPES, Directed by Chris Borgo, Canada (WINNER)
BERKSHIRE COUNTY, Directed by Audrey Cummings, Canada
A DARK ROME, Directed by Andres Rafael Zabala, Italy

NARRATIVE FEATURE – LOW BUDGET
VEZ 16MM, Directed by Rui Goulart, Portugal (WINNER)
JOURNEY TO THE HEART, Directed by Adam Dawla, Bangladesh
THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN, Directed by James Kibbey, UK

NARRATIVE FEATURE – MID BUDGET
NICK, Directed by Jose Pozo, Andorra (WINNER)
PARALLEL MAZE, Directed by Hua Ya, China
FISH IN THE SKY, Directed by Erica Fan, China

NARRATIVE FEATURE – MICRO BUDGET
AEROBICS- A LOVE STORY, Directed by Anders Rune, Sweden (WINNER)
INDIGO, Directed by John Hawthorne Smith, USA
BLOOD EMPIRES, Directed by Peter Rajesh Joachim, Canada

NARRATIVE SHORT
WEDDING DRESS, Directed by Haroula Rose, USA (WINNER)
FLAME, Directed by Neely Reyes/Mark Minors, UK
A SHORT FILM ABOUT FEAR, Directed by Keith O’Grady, UK
A MAN ON THE EDGE, Directed by Edward Lyons, Australia
FRANKY AND THE ANT, Directed by Billy Hayes, USA
NO CIGAR, Directed by Peter De Verus, New Zealand
ORDINARY AFTERNOON, Directed by Lim Hyun-Mook, Korea
NIGHTHAWKS, Directed by Gianpaolo Lupori, China
L’AME SOEUR, Directed by Irina Fontaine, France
THE LITTLE VIOLINIST, Directed by Yang Wang, China

STUDENT FILM
THE STORY OF M, Directed by Anna Arlanova, Russian Federation (WINNER)
THE SPOON, Directed by Shinyoo Kang, Korea
JAYA, Directed by Puja Maewal, USA
DUSTIN, Directed by Kristina Jaeger, Germany
BENEATH THE COTTON CLOUDS, Directed by Alex Wu, Australia
TWO AND A QUARTER MINUTES, Directed by Joshua Ovalle, USA
SOAR, Directed by Alyce Tzue, USA

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
FREEDOM FROM CHOICE, Directed by Tim Delmastro, Australia (WINNER)
FLOWERS OF THE SHADOWS, Directed by Olivier Magis, Belgium
BORN IN THE NIGHT, Directed by Matthew Taylor Blais, Canada
GOING THE DISTANCE, Directed by Mike Clear, UK

SHORT DOCUMENTARY
TI MUXE, Directed by Javier Solorzano Casarin, Mexico (WINNER)
DOWNTON BY LAMPLIGHT, Directed by Matthew Callahan, USA
THE TYPIST, Directed by Kristine Stolakis, USA
TORTOISE IN PERIL, Directed by Tim Branning, USA

EXPERIMENTAL
ON MY WAY TO NYC!, Directed by Vanessa Rees, USA (WINNER)
THE CARAMEL CORN RIOT, Directed by Guang Cheng Shie, Taiwan
GAIA, Directed by Nick Graalman, Australia
CONFLICT, Directed by Evguenia Men, Australia

ANIMATION
THAT BITCH BECKY, Directed by Rebecca Rochon, Canada (WINNER)
STALLED LOVE, Directed by Stephen Cunnane, USA
BIRD OF THE SOUL, Directed by Eun Jung Sin, South Korea
RAIN, Directed by Rahab Elewaly, Qatar

CHILDREN’S FILM
IN THE COAT’S POCKET, Directed by Marco Di Gerlando, Italy (WINNER)
I’VE JUST HAD A DREAM, Directed by Javier Navarro, Spain
THROUGH THE WOODS, Directed by Jed Anderson, USA

WEB SERIES
THE DAY THEY CAME TO SUCK OUT OUR BRAINS! Directed by Bob Pipe, UK (WINNER)
20/20: THE SERIES, Directed by Wojtek Jezowski, Poland
KICKIN’ IT CAUCASIAN, Directed by Jason Bevly, USA
JUDAS GOAT, Directed by Pavel Shepan, UK

MUSIC VIDEO
A COLLECTIVE- BREAKAPART, Directed by Noam Sharon/Tal Zagreba, Israel (WINNER)
I DON’T DANCE, Directed by Reed Hall Clement, USA
BULLET TIME, Directed by Justin Mejia, USA
PERFECT WORLD, Directed by Federico Gutierrez, Mexico

SCREENPLAY
FINDING STAN MUSIAL, Written by Elan Milkes, USA (WINNER)
CORNER PIECE, Written by Sakina Fakhri, USA
QUEST FOR LIGHT, ADVENTURE OF THE MAGI, Written by Byron Anderson, USA
LEMON TEA, THE EMANCIPATION OF LIBERTY, Written by Marcia Sinclair, USA
THE SCYTHE, Written by Terrance Mitchell Thibideaux, USA
PURGATORY, Written by Guy Noland, USA
PRECIOUS VENGEANCE, Written by Stephen M. Hunt, France
A RAVEN, Written by Stephen M. Hunt, France
NAGASAKI “FFF”, Written by Barry Brennessel, USA
THE SNAKEMAN, Written by Jeffrey Ryback, USA
EXPIRATION DATING, Written by Andrew Abdou, USA

2013 TIFVA Winners and Nominees

WINNERS
Best Narrative Feature No Budget – Ni 28
Best Narrative Feature Low Budget – When life keeps getting in the way
Best Narrative Feature Mid Budget – The Desert Fish
Best Narrative Feature Micro Budget – Honor
Best Narrative Short- Des éclats de verre (Shattered Glass)
Best Student – Connect
Best Short Documentary – DES ECLATS DE VERRE (Shattered Glass)
Best Feature Documentary – Inner Outer Worlds
Best Experimental – Only Fair
Best Animation – GaiaSpora
Best Children’s – Daddy’s Garden
Best Music Video – Flying Saucer Song
Best Screenplay – This Modern Man is Beat
Best Web Series – Chiang

NOMINEES
NARRATIVE FEATURE – NO BUDGET
Ni 28
Dire Digest

NARRATIVE FEATURE – LOW BUDGET
Golem
The Wingman
When Life Keeps Getting In The Way

NARRATIVE FEATURE – MID BUDGET
The Desert Fish
Jin Tian Ming Tain

NARRATIVE FEATURE – MICRO BUDGET
Honour
The Basement
The Strange and Unusual‏

NARRATIVE SHORT
I Am Not A Weird Person
The Crooked Anchor
Pint
Rose, Mary and Time
Framed
Fresh Blood
Framed
Des Éclats De Verre (Shattered Glass)
Typecast
Found Footage
Hasard

STUDENT FILMS
Suriname Gold
The Cola Road
Seek
Wingmaker
Connect
Quinn’s New Video Game

SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Hodgkin’s
Outside the Ring
The Strong People
Sachel Calling

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
South County
Through Their Eyes
Inner Worlds Outer Worlds‏

EXPERIMENTAL FILMS
Only Fair
Gyration

ANIMATIONS
The King of Silence
GaiaSpora
Children’s Films
Daddy’s Garden
The Snail School
Safe

MUSIC VIDEOS
Under Cold Bright Stars
Brakes
Screenplays
The Tolltaker
Lost Cause
This Modern Man is Beat
Distance
Ohio Finch
Halfway Home
Grace
Time And Space
The Competition
Daylight
The Girl in the Blizzard

WEB SERIES
Chiang
Philosopher Cat

2012 TIFVA Winners and Nominees

WINNERS
Best Narrative Feature – Based on a True Story
Best Narrative Short – Familiar
Best Student – Withdrawal
Best Short Documentary – In Searching of Dan Cooper
Best Feature Documentary – Roadmap To Apartheid
Best Experimental – Awake
Best Animation – Nighty Night
Best Children’s – Scrap Metal
Best Music Video – Flying Saucer Song
Best Screenplay – Dead Dolores
Best Film of TIFVA 2012 – Blood Country

NOMINEES
NARRATIVE FEATURES
A True Story. Based on things that never actually happened. …and some that did.
Skew
The Pact
Piece of Mind

NARRATIVE SHORTS
Familiar
Blood Country
Spaghetti für Zwei
Elegy for a Revolutionary

STUDENT FILMS
Cold Showers
Maybe She Dies Like This…
Withdrawal
Dolime Dilemma: Water Proof?

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Roadmap to Apartheid
Catastroika
Beauty and the Breast
Dreaming Alaska

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
A la recherche de Dan Cooper
Carbon for Water
Tina Mion – Behind the Studio Door
A Brush with Life

MUSIC VIDEOS
The Flying Saucer Song
Teenage Popstar Girl
Better Be Goin’
Horray For Earth-True Loves

EXPERIMENTAL FILMS
Philomirrophobia
Fratello 69
Awake
Mas Man (The Complete Work)

ANIMATIONS
Nighty Night
Vernal Equinox
Safe
Origin: A Call to Minds

CHILDREN’S FILMS
Scrap Metal
My Home
Little Moon Lost
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

SCREENPLAYS
Dead Dolores
William, Will You Dance?
Keener
Christmas in Double-Wide Tornonto
Disappearing Darlings
The Cure
What’s Left Behind
The Abyss Of Pain
The Heart of a Poet
Cause and Effect
The Shoulder Bones Connected to the Arm Bone

Festival Weekend 2012
On March 2nd, 3rd and 4th of 2012 TIFVA screened all 38 of the winning and nominated films from the 2011 season at Northrop Frye Hall at the University of Toronto. The festival weekend was a great success and TIFVA was proud to have a number of the winning filmmakers at the event to receive their awards. As an added bonus, on March 3rd TIFVA did a special presentation of “Exit Humanity”, an award winning film from director John Geddes. On March 4th, director Chad Archibald and Ryan Barrett (Best Actor, TIFVA 2011) made an appearance for a Q&A session along with members of the film cast of “Neverlost” for the closing film of the event.

2011 TIFVA Winners and Nominees

WINNERS
Best Narrative Feature – The Little Things
Best Narrative Short- Moving Day
Best Student – Secrets of the Content
Best Short Documentary – Dilli
Best Feature Documentary – Virtual JFK
Best Experimental – A Series of Kinetic Sets
Best Animation – Three Fragments of a Lost Tale
Best Children’s – What Makes Me Happy
Best Music Video – Portland Cello Project “Denmark”
Best Screenplay – Lobison
Best Film of TIFVA 2011 – Moving Day
Best Director – Lisa Gold, The Death of Toys
Best Actor – Ryan Barrett, Neverlost
Best Actress – Tami Spivak, The Hunger of Aliza
Best Script – The Maiden and the Princess
Best Cinematography – Secrets of the Content
Best Sound – Not Worth a Bullet
Best Editing – Building Toronto

NOMINEES
NARRATIVE FEATURES
Love You to Death
Backlight
The Little Things
Tauwetter

NARRATIVE SHORTS
Not Worth a Bullet
Moving Day
The Tourist
When You Need Them

STUDENT FILMS
Beneath
The Death of Toys
Secrets of the Content
The Hunger of Aliza

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Campania In-Felix (Unhappy Country)
East London to East London
Dilli
Last of the Redheads

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Death by Medicine
Virtual JFK
Knocking on the Devil’s Door
Beatboxing – The Fifth Element of Hip Hop

EXPERIMENTAL FILMS
La Vie
A Series of Kinetic Sets Tell a Story
Cafe
Life! Camera Action

ANIMATIONS
3 Fragments of a Lost Tale
The Reality Clock
The Man With the Stolen Heart
5 Minutes Each

CHILDREN’S FILMS
La poesie de Kiyumi, la broderie de Sayuru
The Maiden and the Princess
What Makes Me Happy

MUSIC VIDEOS
The Particles – Taken Away
Portland Cello Project “Denmark”
Samy Deluxe – Poesiealbum
Soldier

SCREENPLAYS
Average Joe
Shemale
Through Laura’s Eyes
Lobison
Gibran
To Die For
Morgan Street Watch Company
Darlings
Fin Chaser
The Wind Riders

Festival Weekend
On March 2nd, 3rd and 4th, TIFVA screened all 38 of the winning and nominated films from the 2011 season at Northrop Frye Hall at the University of Toronto. The festival weekend was a great success and we were proud to have a number of the winning directors at the event to receive their awards and interact with the attendees to the festival. As an added bonus, on March 3rd TIFVA presented “Exit Humanity”, an award winning film from director John Geddes. In addition, for the closing film of the weekend event, on March 4th, director Chad Archibald and Ryan Barrett (Best Actor, TIFVA 2011 season) made an appearance for a Q&A session along with members of the film cast of “Neverlost”. TIFVA would like to send out a special thank to our valued sponsors for this 3-day event as well as our volunteer crew, without whom we would not have been able to make this event such a success. The TIFVA team is looking forward to our next event celebrating selected films from the 2012 season. Watch our website for more details.