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On Monday, AGBO announced the winners of their fourth annual 48-hour short filmmaking competition, No Sleep ’til Film Fest, underscoring their commitment to championing emerging filmmakers.
Christina Brennan, an emerging filmmaker from New York City, won first place for her short “Dear Nora,” which follows a young woman confronting her inner critic as she struggles to embrace her own worth and find beauty in life’s small moments. Second place was awarded to the directing team of Ben David Sharp and Josh Madison Lewis from Glasgow, Scotland, for their apocalyptic short “Fall,” a wordless drama where two unlikely allies face the decision to cooperate or fight for survival. Elijah Boulton, an independent filmmaker from Nova Scotia, took third place for his film “The Universal Language,” the quirky tale of a man who orders a synthetic girlfriend only to discover a unique language barrier between them.
Then, there was Tommy Heffernan’s Body Buddies, a dark comedy where a wedding photographer and a mobster keep a body hidden in the middle of an engagement shoot. Marking Heffernan’s fourth time placing among the fest’s top entries, that film received the AGBO Storytellers Collective Award.
AGBO’s two-day festival challenges participants to make films that are three minutes or less for a chance to win prizes and receive ongoing mentorship from the independent studio. This year’s prompt required participants to create a short film that explored the dynamics of an unlikely alliance, whether it be an unusual friendship, a partnership between adversaries, or a connection between seemingly incompatible beings.
The top three winners receive a filmmaking prize package to use for future filmmaking opportunities, as well as access to AGBO Storytellers Collective, an alumni network of winners from other AGBO-sponsored festivals and fellowship programs such as the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum and the Slamdance Film Festival Fellowship. Heffernan will also benefit from membership to the mentorship and alumni program.
“Each year, we are amazed by the ingenuity and passion these filmmakers bring to life in just 48 hours,” said AGBO’s Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot. “This year’s submissions came from every corner of the world, with hundreds of entries from over 47 countries, showcasing a variety of thematic and story explorations that resonate with and connect us all. We are honored to provide a platform that celebrates global voices and empowers storytellers at all levels to share their unique perspective and vision.”
Recently releasing Citadel: Diana, the latest installment in their global action franchise Citadel, which broke records for Amazon Italy and entered the top five in nearly 150 countries, AGBO is next set to release The Russo Brothers’ The Electric State, starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, on Netflix March 14. View No Sleep ’til Film Fest’s full list of winners and honorable mentions below.
First Place
Dear Nora, directed by Christina Brennan (New York, NY, US)
Second Place
Fall, directed by Ben David Sharp and Josh Madison Lewis (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)
Third Place
The Universal Language, directed by Elijah Boulton (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
AGBO Storytellers Collective Award
Body Buddies, directed by Tommy Heffernan (Seattle, WA, US)
Honorable Mentions
Hard Sell, directed by David Moravcik, Max Emerson Taylor (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
A New Leash on Life, directed by Joe Daru and Alessandro “Axia” Serradimigni (Los Angeles, CA, US)
SHUT UP (닥쳐), directed by James Cutler (Provo, UT, US)
Butterflies, directed by Akshay Ravi (Los Angeles, CA, US)
Trauma Bonding, directed by Gary Baughan (Inglewood, CA, US)
The Garage, directed by Joshua Joel Ortiz (San Francisco, CA, US)
Number Neighbor, directed by Dillon Hoover (Menifee, CA, US)
Desperate Times, directed by Isaac Ruth (North Hollywood, CA, US)
A Simple Job, directed by Ayman Chaudhry (Manchester, England, UK)
A Light Goes Out, directed by Michael Heislbetz (Vienna, Austria)
