Rocks Film Festivals
  • TEAM ROCKS
  • BRIGHTON ROCKS
    • About Brighton
    • Submit
    • Screenings
    • Winners 2022
    • Winners 2021
  • Hastings Rocks
    • About Hastings
    • HRIFF Submit
    • Winners 2022
    • HRIFF Screenings
  • LONDON ROCKS
    • LRIFF Manifesto
    • Winners 2022
    • Winners 2021
    • Winners 2020
    • Screenings
  • LOS ANGELES ROCKS
    • LARIFF Manifesto
    • Submit
    • LARIFF Screenings
  • Rocks Blog

LRIFF Winners 2021

Picture
BEST FILM (AUDIENCE CHOICE)
“EATING CARS” by Trevor Hollen
​

"EATING CARS" is the story of Max (Lexi Pappas)
, a failed writer, who goes in search of her estranged girlfriend while simultaneously trying to unload a large quantity of drugs she stole off her bosses to pay for a trip back East to care for her dying mother. She may, or may not, have her dead sister in the trunk of her car. ‘EATING CARS’ was filmed in a single warehouse location during in an intense 8-day shoot, and the Brechtian minimalism, the constant breaking of the fourth wall and guessing-game about what the hell is going on, draws us ever closer into Max’s mad world. Our overall feeling is that ‘Eating Cars’ hails from a refreshingly new directorial voice. 
BEST 16mm FILM
“Black Fish”
​by Giulio Melani & Nicola Gurrieri
BEST FEATURE FILM
​
“TO NOWHERE” by Sian Astor-Lewis
​

The film is a gritty, intimate day-in-the-life drama about two adolescents on the edge. At its core, it is a no-holds-barred exploration of trauma and abuse in relationships. While this is tough to watch at times, it succeeds where so many other films fail in handling the subject matter with nuance and realism. The actors are all expertly cast and directed. There is the floaty, faraway Tulip (Lilit Lesser), who is dominated by the nihilistic and tortured Finn (Josefine Glaesel), and the misfit uncle (Orlando Seale) who flits through the film on his own strange journey. The locations, the shore of the Thames, the record store, dance studio, Soho sex shop, pub and homes, add to the film’s sense of total authenticity. This goes for the narrative too, which steadily unfolds towards its finale.

Picture
BEST ANIMATION
​​“Undine"
​by Sjaron Minailo
Picture
BEST COMEDY
“TIM”
​by Andrew Barella & Michael Luke
Picture
BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
“FLUFFY PUNK” by Thomas Harman
Picture
BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
“Excluded”
​by Sarah Wishart & EachOther Foundation
Picture
BEST DRAMA
“Danny Boy” by Cory DeMeyers
Picture
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
“Keith” ​by AF Webb
Picture
BEST LGBTQ+ FILM
“Lessons” ​by Sam Sccombe
Picture
BEST MICRO-BUDGET FILM
“Natural Causes” by Benjamin Sadd
Picture
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
“Brutal Honesty” by Jake Isaac
Picture
RUNNERS-UP
EST FILM BY POPULAR VOTE
"IN ISOLATION"
by Edmund C. Short
​
16MM / SUPER 8
"BANANA REPUBLIC"
by Jean-Paul Arroyave
*
"DHARMA"
by Gustav Turefeldt

ANIMATION
"TO FIT IN"
by Lili Giacobino

COMEDY
"SCREW THE POOCH"
by Amy Brandis

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
"TRASH TO TREASURE"
by Iara Lee
&
"THE SPIRIT OF JAZZ"
by Anith Mohan
*
"HELLO SUNSHINE"
by Joe Quint

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
"WHO IS JAMES PAYTON?" By Oliver Guy-Watkins

DRAMA
"I’M YOUR SISTER"
by Claudia Priddy &
Zoë Ellender
*
"DENZEL"
by Michael Gamarano Singleton

EXPERIMENTAL FILM
"TIME AND TIDE"
by Lamar Bonhomme
​FANTASY/HORROR
"THE TICK"
by Massimo & Giacomo
Poli
*
"​MATER MORTIS" by Rishi Gandhi
*
LAID by Daniel York Loh

LGBTQ+
"MUDLARKS"
by Dominic Gilday
*
"CRUISING: OTHER WAYS OF LOVE"
by Abdullah Qureshi

MADE IN LONDON
"WHAT IF?"
by Katia Shannon

MICRO BUDGET
"CHATS WITH A REAPER"
by Tom Saville

MICRO MOVIE
"WHAT ABOUT ME?"
by Lois Stevenson

MUSIC VIDEO
"BRUTAL HONESTY"
by Jake Isaac & Dominic DÖring

"WITHIN WALLS"
by Joseph Hitchcock

"GIVE ME THE LIGHT"
by JD Kelleher
*
"DAMAGED"
by Dave Sutherland

STUDENT FILM
"KINDRED"
​ by Ali Kurr
​

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
BEST COMEDY
“Easy Said Up High”
​by Lena Stamm & Janin Stenzel

Picture
BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
“The Boy and the Bear” by Rose Collis
Picture
BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
“MOMMY OR DADDY?”
​by John H. LaDue Jr. & Jennifer LaDue Miyagawa
Picture
BEST DRAMA
“CALIFORNIA” ​by Tracy Mathewson
Picture
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
“Smoking No Smoking” ​by Gavin Irvine
Picture
BEST FANTASY/HORROR
“Riverboat” by Jack Burney
Picture
BEST FILM MADE IN LONDON
“Yeah, Yeah” ​by Rodrigo Mella
Picture
BEST MICRO MOVIE
“2020” by Helena Antonio
Picture
BEST STUDENT FILM
“Rottweiler” by Jonny Powell
Picture

ADDITIONAL AWARDS (SHORT FILMS)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

"TIME & TIDE" by Lamar Bonhomme
RU: "2020" by HELÉNA ANTONIO

DIRECTOR

Tracy Mathewson for ​"CALIFORNIA"
RU: Jack Burney for "RIVERBOAT"
RU: Mickey Cornwell for "Court No 5"

EDITING
"MUDLARKS" by Dominic Gilday
"MATER MORTIS" by Rishi Gandhi
RU : "LIVING PROOF" by Joe Bloom & Caleb Hughes

MISE-EN-SCENE
"TIDE & TIDE: A TRIOLOGY" by Justin Spray, Marc Green, Jonathan Stow
RU: "THE TICK" by Massimo & Giacomo Poli

PERFORMANCES
GUY REMMERS & ASHLEY BYAM IN 
"LESSONS"
SOTONYE OGAN IN "YEAH, YEAH"
SOPHIE BIRNIE SMITH IN "CALIFORNIA"

ORIGINAL SCORE
"CRUISING: OTHER WAYS OF LOVE" by Abdullah Qureshi, Music by Zan
RU: "CAUGHT ON EARTH" by Eva von Sichart & Zan Lipinski

SCREENPLAY
"I AM YOUR SISTER" by Claudia Priddy & Zoë Ellender
RU: "LAID" by Daniel York Loh

SPECIAL EFFECTS
"FEARFULLY MADE" by Jamie Foreman
RU: "SHOJON-THEOREM" by Craig Heathcote
​
SPIRIT OF LONDON AWARD
GARY KEMP: FOR PHENOMENAL SUPPORT OF THE CAPITAL’S INDEPENDENT CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: MUSIC, FASHION, FILM & THEATRE

ADDITIONAL AWARDS (FEATURE FILMS)

BEST FEATURE FILM
"TO NOWHERE" by Sian Astor-Lewis
RU: "ANONYMOUS" by Alasdair Mackay

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"TO NOWHERE" by Sian Astor-Lewis
RU: "EATING CARS" by Trevor Hollen

DIRECTOR
Alasdair Mackay for 
"ANONYMOUS"
RU: Trevor Hollen for "EATING CARS"

EDITING
"ELECTION NIGHT" by Neil Monaghan
RU: "UNINTENTIONHELL" by Balbeer Bahi

MISE-EN-SCENE
"ELECTION NIGHT" by Neil Monaghan
RU: "EATING CARS" by Trevor Hollen

PERFORMANCES
TO NOWHERE: LILIT LESSER AS “TULIP”
TO NOWHERE: JOSEFINE GLAESEL AS “FINN”
ANONYMOUS: KARENINA ANGELIQUE AS “LIV”
ANONYMOUS: PHIL WOLFF AS “PETER”

SCREENPLAY
"EATING CARS" by Trevor Hollen
RU: "CAMPING TRIP" by Leonardo & Demian Fuica
​
SCORE
"UNINTENTIONHELL" by Balbeer Bahi
RU: "TO NOWHERE" by Sian Astor-Lewis
 
 
 
 
  • TEAM ROCKS
  • BRIGHTON ROCKS
    • About Brighton
    • Submit
    • Screenings
    • Winners 2022
    • Winners 2021
  • Hastings Rocks
    • About Hastings
    • HRIFF Submit
    • Winners 2022
    • HRIFF Screenings
  • LONDON ROCKS
    • LRIFF Manifesto
    • Winners 2022
    • Winners 2021
    • Winners 2020
    • Screenings
  • LOS ANGELES ROCKS
    • LARIFF Manifesto
    • Submit
    • LARIFF Screenings
  • Rocks Blog