Skip to Content
Old Towne Film Festival
About
Our Team
Reviews
FAQ
Seasons
Membership
Contact
0
0
Old Towne Film Festival
About
Our Team
Reviews
FAQ
Seasons
Membership
Contact
0
0
Folder: About
Back
About
Our Team
Reviews
FAQ
Seasons
Membership
Contact
  • BEST PICTURE

    HIS MONSTER dir. ERICH CANNON

    When his young daughter is mysteriously swept out to sea, a struggling alcoholic remains alone, hunting the woods to find what he believes is responsible.
    They set the tone for everything we do.

  • Best Director

    Bob Gurr: Living by Design dir. Frank H. Woodward

    Bob Gurr was part of the original design team that built Disneyland alongside Walt Disney. This documentary offers an intimate portrait of a visionary whose creations have shaped theme park history and himself.

  • Best Orange County Filmmaker

    Sleep dir. Logan Kishi

    In the dead of night, a father attempts to comfort his child, who believes their deceased mother is tapping on the bedroom window.

  • Best Comedy Feature

    A Tree in the Woods dir. Andy Southern

    Grief drives a man into isolation after the loss of a loved one. While sequestered inside his small studio apartment, reality slips in and out of focus, and memory blurs with delusion over the course of a week-long bender. As his seclusion deepens, echoes from his past attempt to bring him back from the edge, though the spiral may already have begun.

  • Best Local Film

    Dobby dir. Griffin Douglass

    A seasonal scare actor calls out of work.

  • Best Comedy Short

    Cindy dir. Al Chang

    "An aspiring rapper takes a vague driving gig hoping for a quiet night to himself. Instead, he meets Cindy, a bubbly and unpredictable passenger who drags him into an absurd and unexpectedly heartfelt adventure.
    "CINDY" is a quirky dramedy about connection, detours, and the strangers who change our lives."

  • Best Documentary Feature

    A Fighting Legacy dir. Adam Wagner

    Set in the American Midwest, “A Fighting Legacy” follows the rise of Muay Thai in the United States through the lens of the TBA Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa: the largest full-contact fighting event in the Western Hemisphere. For 18 years, more than 1,000 fighters have traveled from around the world to compete for five days straight, creating one of the most unique stories in American combat sports.

    Through interviews, archival material, and close ringside access, the film traces how Muay Thai first came to America nearly 60 years ago, how this grassroots tournament became an international fixture, and what it means to the athletes who dedicate themselves to the art of eight limbs. “A Fighting Legacy” captures a community built on discipline, respect, and shared purpose.

  • Best Different Done Right Film

    An Abundant Life dir. Noah Carlson

    “An Abundant Life” is a documentary that delves into the world of Evan Marks, the founder of The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA. The film explores the ideas, philosophy, and spirituality that guided Evan in transforming a dirt lot into a thriving ecological haven. Through immersive storytelling and vibrant visuals, it captures the essence of The Ecology Center—its mission, impact, and the visionary leadership that has shaped it into a sanctuary of sustainability and community. This documentary is a tribute to the extraordinary tapestry of ideas and passions behind this ecological oasis and a personal exploration of the visionary who brought it to life.

  • Best Foreign Film

    Someday dir. Justin Cheung

    One day in Hong Kong, two childhood friends spend an evening wandering the city before one of them leaves for good. Through silent moments, playful banter, and a deep undercurrent of unresolved feelings, Someday captures the tension of what could have been — a love story never acted upon, narrated by an introspective voiceover that’s interrupted by reality. It’s a story of memory, yearning, and the beauty of ambiguity.

  • Best Animation

    Fort Woke Force dir. Douglas J Lester

    Follow the soldiers as they mix bootcamp with breathwork in this homage to 1940's cartoons.

  • Best Concept

    Therapy dir. Elana Luo

    A therapist finds himself in couples counseling with one of his clients.

  • Best Costume Design

    The Scarecrow dir. Max Sebastian Gillanders, Sultan Khalil Rahman

    A group of friends plan on having a fun camping trip in the hills when they are viciously attacked by demonic scarecrow monsters. Their fun trip has now turned into a desperate fight for survival.

  • Best Documentary Short

    More Than Santa Baby dir. Tamar Springer

    Everyone knows the song “Santa Baby,” but what they might not know is that its composer, Philip Springer’s contribution to the worldwide musical landscape is vast. Join his daughter Tamar to celebrate this unique artist from his early hits on Tin Pan Alley to a globe-spanning viral video in his 90s. More Than Santa Baby transports viewers through a unique period in 20th century music history a powerful, multi-layered story of perseverance, resilience and hope.

  • Best Drama Short

    Dinner with Quinn dir. Dawn Fields

    A young woman who seemingly has everything drops a devastating bombshell on her sister over dinner.

  • Best Horror Short

    Seance for the ‘Gram dir. Sam Schlenker

    Three influencers stage a fake seance live for their followers, but the consequences are all too real.

  • Best Screenplay

    Lifeboat written by Mason Mendoza, Bill Baber

    LIFEBOAT IS A SCI-FI DRAMA - FEATURE FILM - BASED ON THE ACCLAIMED GRAPHIC NOVEL.
    Three souls cheat death when they escape the destruction of their spaceship. Now their tiny “lifeboat” is adrift at the end of the universe. Their days are numbered. Every minute is precious. If you know the end, how will you spend your time?

  • Best Soundtrack

    Regarding Rose dir. Donna Magnani

    Rose, a 22-year old aspiring musician, arrives in the Los Angeles South Bay area in 1979, after suddenly losing her beloved father. Rose's life unfolds in beautiful and unexpected ways as she navigates her desire to make her father proud. What Rose did not plan for was a journey that would not only bring the greatest loves and career successes to her life, but even more profound experiences that would shatter more than her soul. Regarding Rose is about how grief in a healthy person can manifest in ways the world is only just discovering.

  • Best Surprise

    Hitman Ex dir. Jamon Holmes

    Todd Towns a notorious Hitman, is assigned mission to take out his next target only to find out the mission not what he expected and his target is a familiar face from the past.

  • Best Title

    Best Friends for Death dir. Jason Fullifer, JJ Onyx

    Two true crime-obsessed best friends find their bond is tested when a casual night of wine and documentaries spirals into a reckless attempt to solve a real-life mystery.

  • Best Suspense

    Answers dir. Christian Ramirez

    In a stark interrogation room, two detectives circle a weary suspect like predators. They call him Byron Dedson—a petty criminal they claim has graduated to murder. But the suspect insists: they’ve got the wrong man.

    What begins as questioning spirals into psychological assault. The detectives blur reality with suggestion, wearing him down with relentless accusations, cruel games, and flashes of a crime he may—or may not—have committed.

    As exhaustion sets in, facts dissolve into confusion. Is he denying the crime, or forgetting it? Is he innocent, or is the system determined to make him guilty?

    By the end, he’s trapped—not by handcuffs, but by a confession they’ve scripted for him. In a world where truth no longer matters, the only thing left to do… is sign.

Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube