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The Waco Indie Film Festival announces
award winners for 8th edition of the film festival
H. Nelson Tracey’s BREAKUP SEASON wins Best Narrative Feature
and Ben Judkins’ THE CIGARETTE SURFBOARD
wins Best Documentary Feature
Chandler Riggs wins Best Performance (BREAKUP SEASON),
and Vivian Kerr wins Best Director (SCRAP)
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Breakup Season, The Cigarette Surfboard
Waco, TX (July 26, 2024) – The Waco Indie Film Festival announced the award winners for the 8th edition of the film festival (It’s first as Waco Indie following 7 years as the Deep in the Heart FF) which concluded its in-person presentations with a warm and familial Awards Brunch held at Art Center Waco (701 S. 8th Street). H. Nelson Tracey’s Breakup Season won Best Narrative Feature and Be Judkins’ The Cigarette Surfboard won Best Documentary Feature. Breakup Season’s Chandler Riggs also took home Best Performance, and Vivian Kerr won Best Director for her film Scrap.
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Chandler Riggs (Breakup Season) with his Best Performance Award,
and Vivian Kerr (Scrap) with her Best Director Award (Photo by Rachel Neckar)
and Vivian Kerr (Scrap) with her Best Director Award (Photo by Rachel Neckar)
Co-Founders and Co-Directors Louis Hunter and Samuel Thomas, said, “This edition of the film festival had an added excitement and energy thanks to our name change and a little added star wattage with Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) joining us, but was also a wonderful reminder of why Waco Indie/Deep in the Heart keeps landing on the ‘top film festival’ lists. Our attending filmmakers immediately created such a cohesive creative community supporting each other, going to each other’s films, exchanging notes on filmmaking, that you couldn’t help but get caught up in that supportive spirit. Our award-winning films this year could not have been better examples of that spirit, that energy, and the specific exuberant joy that comes from creating and making film independently, then sharing it with an audience that fully appreciates it.”
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Unleashed, We Rise
Screenings at the Texas Music Café were added to the film festival’s familiar presentations at the historic Waco Hippodrome and Cultivate 7twelve, as Waco Indie grew its city-wide footprint and once again saw the size of its audiences also grow. Those audiences chose Linda Broock’s documentary Unleashed as their feature film Audience Award winner, and Alexander Jeffery and Chris Alan Evans’ Caught on Tape as the Audience Award winner for short film.
Films cited with Special Jury Awards due to the impact they made on the film festival’s directors and top programmers and included: Baseball Behind Barbed Wire (Director: Yuriko Gamo Romer), The Coyote Sisters (Directors: Autumn Harrison and Tory LeClair), Just Laugh (Director: Kemp Brinson), and We Rise (Director: Michael A. Afendakis).
Leading the award winners in the short film categories were Liam LoPinto’s The Old Young Crow, which took the prize for Best Short Film; Joshua Gallas’ Smoke, which garnered the Best Texas Short Film award; Erin Brown Thomas’ (subtext), which won Best U.S. Short Film; Martin Strange-Hansen’s On My Mind, which was named Best Foreign Short Film; and Madoka Belda Yamamoto’s Where We Belong, which won Best Student Short Film.
Films cited with Special Jury Awards due to the impact they made on the film festival’s directors and top programmers and included: Baseball Behind Barbed Wire (Director: Yuriko Gamo Romer), The Coyote Sisters (Directors: Autumn Harrison and Tory LeClair), Just Laugh (Director: Kemp Brinson), and We Rise (Director: Michael A. Afendakis).
Leading the award winners in the short film categories were Liam LoPinto’s The Old Young Crow, which took the prize for Best Short Film; Joshua Gallas’ Smoke, which garnered the Best Texas Short Film award; Erin Brown Thomas’ (subtext), which won Best U.S. Short Film; Martin Strange-Hansen’s On My Mind, which was named Best Foreign Short Film; and Madoka Belda Yamamoto’s Where We Belong, which won Best Student Short Film.
Two-time winners Alexander Jeffery and Chris Alan Evans
(Caught On Tape) (Photo by Rachel Neckar)
(Caught On Tape) (Photo by Rachel Neckar)
Film awards by genre in the Short Film category went to; Marta Roncada’s Deliberate for Best Drama Short; Alexander Jeffery and Chris Alan Evans’ Caught On Tape, which took Best Comedy Short (earning the pair their second award for the film); and Alec Goldberg’s What Happened To You, which was named Best Documentary Short. Maja Costa’s Mångata was named Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short; Dakota Millett and Michael Fischer‘s Up On the Housetop took the award for Best Horror/Thriller Short; Charlotte Oxley’s Purple and Green got the nod for Best Family Short, and Chris White won Best Music Video for “Come and Save Me.”
Filmmaking craft awards were given to; Elizabeth Sherman for Best Director – Short Film for Ring By Spring; Jake Hart for Best Performance – Short Film (Drama) for his role in Big George; and Bixby Elliot for Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy) for The Yellow Sponge is the Dish Sponge. Best Cinematography – Short Film went to Steven Gunter (Leverage), Best Editing – Short Film was given to Andrew Schwab for Eating 38 Cheeseburgers, Best Screenplay – Short Film went to Clayton Henderson for Clownfish, and Best Production Design went to Andrew G. Smith for Your Move.
Waco Indie FF also presented its Waco Indie Screenplay Grant to Amanda Pfeiffer for her script “As Luck Would Have It.” The third year that Waco Indie has presented this grant, also marked the first in which a past winner was selected to screen at the film festival. Gregory JM Kasunich’s The Heart of Texas, which was written by, and starred Lauren Noll, won the inaugural presentation of the award in 2022.
The winners of the Waco Indie Screenplay Grants are fast-tracked to shoot in Waco thanks to real production assistance including up to 4 nights of complimentary hotel stay provided by the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau for pre-production scouting or during the production, up to $2,500 in actual dollar-to-dollar rebates provided by the Waco Indie Film Festival, camera and lighting Packages and 5 hours of free filmmaking consultation courtesy of Vision Vehicle Studios. An Honorable Mention in the competition went to Clark Childers’ “Ashes To Dust.”
To find more information on the Waco Indie Film Festival, please go to: https://www.wacoindie.com/.
Filmmaking craft awards were given to; Elizabeth Sherman for Best Director – Short Film for Ring By Spring; Jake Hart for Best Performance – Short Film (Drama) for his role in Big George; and Bixby Elliot for Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy) for The Yellow Sponge is the Dish Sponge. Best Cinematography – Short Film went to Steven Gunter (Leverage), Best Editing – Short Film was given to Andrew Schwab for Eating 38 Cheeseburgers, Best Screenplay – Short Film went to Clayton Henderson for Clownfish, and Best Production Design went to Andrew G. Smith for Your Move.
Waco Indie FF also presented its Waco Indie Screenplay Grant to Amanda Pfeiffer for her script “As Luck Would Have It.” The third year that Waco Indie has presented this grant, also marked the first in which a past winner was selected to screen at the film festival. Gregory JM Kasunich’s The Heart of Texas, which was written by, and starred Lauren Noll, won the inaugural presentation of the award in 2022.
The winners of the Waco Indie Screenplay Grants are fast-tracked to shoot in Waco thanks to real production assistance including up to 4 nights of complimentary hotel stay provided by the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau for pre-production scouting or during the production, up to $2,500 in actual dollar-to-dollar rebates provided by the Waco Indie Film Festival, camera and lighting Packages and 5 hours of free filmmaking consultation courtesy of Vision Vehicle Studios. An Honorable Mention in the competition went to Clark Childers’ “Ashes To Dust.”
To find more information on the Waco Indie Film Festival, please go to: https://www.wacoindie.com/.
The 2024 Waco Indie FF award winners (Photo by Rachel Neckar)
2024 Waco Indie Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Feature Film Awards
Best Feature Film (Narrative)
Breakup Season
Director: H. Nelson Tracey
Best Feature Film (Documentary)
The Cigarette Surfboard
Director: Ben Judkins
Best Director – Feature Film
Vivian Kerr (Scrap)
Best Performance – Feature Film
Chandler Riggs (Breakup Season)
Audience Awards
Feature Film
Unleashed
Director: Linda Broocks
Short Film
Caught On Tape
Directors: Alexander Jeffery, Chris Alan Evans
Short Film Awards
Best Short Film
The Old Young Crow
Director: Liam LoPinto
Best Texas Short Film
Smoke
Director: Joshua Gallas
Best United States Short Film
(subtext)
Director: Erin Brown Thomas
Best Foreign Short Film
On My Mind
Director: Martin Strange-Hansen
Best Student Short Film
Where We Belong
Director: Madoka Belda Yamamoto
Short Film Awards by Genre
Best Drama Short
Deliberate
Director: Marta Roncada
Best Comedy Short
Caught On Tape
Directors: Alexander Jeffery, Chris Alan Evans
Best Documentary Short
What Happened To You
Director: Alec Goldberg
Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short
Mångata
Director: Maja Costa
Best Horror/Thriller Short
Up On the Housetop
Directors: Dakota Millett, Michael Fischer
Best Family Short
Purple and Green
Director: Charlotte Oxley
Best Music Video
“Come and Save Me”
Director: Chris White
Short Film Craft Awards
Best Director – Short Film
Elizabeth Sherman (Ring By Spring)
Best Performance – Short Film (Drama)
Jake Hart (Big George)
Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy)
Bixby Elliot (The Yellow Sponge is the Dish Sponge)
Best Cinematography – Short Film
Steven Gunter (Leverage)
Best Editing – Short Film
Andrew Schwab (Eating 38 Cheeseburgers)
Best Screenplay – Short Film
Clayton Henderson (Clownfish)
Best Production Design – Short Film
Andrew G. Smith (Your Move)
Special Jury Awards
Baseball Behind Barbed Wire (Director: Yuriko Gamo Romer)
The Coyote Sisters (Directors: Autumn Harrison, Tory LeClair)
Just Laugh (Director: Kemp Brinson)
We Rise (Director: Michael A Afendakis)
Screenplay Competition
Best Unproduced Screenplay – First Place
“As Luck Would Have It” (Writer: Amanda Pfeiffer)
Best Unproduced Screenplay – Honorable Mention
“Ashes To Dust” (Writer: Clark Childers)
About the Waco Indie Film Festival
Consistently ranking in Film Freeway’s Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals in the World, the Waco Independent Film Festival (formerly known as the Deep in the Heart Film Festival) brings the Central Texas community together through independent film. Established in 2017, we engage audiences with films from major festivals and Texas talent. We build networks and careers through our industry education and promotion. Add in some chips & salsa with the Waco Indie magic, and we create one of the most unique experiences on the festival circuit. For more information visit www.wacoindie.com and follow us Facebook.com and Instagram.com
Feature Film Awards
Best Feature Film (Narrative)
Breakup Season
Director: H. Nelson Tracey
Best Feature Film (Documentary)
The Cigarette Surfboard
Director: Ben Judkins
Best Director – Feature Film
Vivian Kerr (Scrap)
Best Performance – Feature Film
Chandler Riggs (Breakup Season)
Audience Awards
Feature Film
Unleashed
Director: Linda Broocks
Short Film
Caught On Tape
Directors: Alexander Jeffery, Chris Alan Evans
Short Film Awards
Best Short Film
The Old Young Crow
Director: Liam LoPinto
Best Texas Short Film
Smoke
Director: Joshua Gallas
Best United States Short Film
(subtext)
Director: Erin Brown Thomas
Best Foreign Short Film
On My Mind
Director: Martin Strange-Hansen
Best Student Short Film
Where We Belong
Director: Madoka Belda Yamamoto
Short Film Awards by Genre
Best Drama Short
Deliberate
Director: Marta Roncada
Best Comedy Short
Caught On Tape
Directors: Alexander Jeffery, Chris Alan Evans
Best Documentary Short
What Happened To You
Director: Alec Goldberg
Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short
Mångata
Director: Maja Costa
Best Horror/Thriller Short
Up On the Housetop
Directors: Dakota Millett, Michael Fischer
Best Family Short
Purple and Green
Director: Charlotte Oxley
Best Music Video
“Come and Save Me”
Director: Chris White
Short Film Craft Awards
Best Director – Short Film
Elizabeth Sherman (Ring By Spring)
Best Performance – Short Film (Drama)
Jake Hart (Big George)
Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy)
Bixby Elliot (The Yellow Sponge is the Dish Sponge)
Best Cinematography – Short Film
Steven Gunter (Leverage)
Best Editing – Short Film
Andrew Schwab (Eating 38 Cheeseburgers)
Best Screenplay – Short Film
Clayton Henderson (Clownfish)
Best Production Design – Short Film
Andrew G. Smith (Your Move)
Special Jury Awards
Baseball Behind Barbed Wire (Director: Yuriko Gamo Romer)
The Coyote Sisters (Directors: Autumn Harrison, Tory LeClair)
Just Laugh (Director: Kemp Brinson)
We Rise (Director: Michael A Afendakis)
Screenplay Competition
Best Unproduced Screenplay – First Place
“As Luck Would Have It” (Writer: Amanda Pfeiffer)
Best Unproduced Screenplay – Honorable Mention
“Ashes To Dust” (Writer: Clark Childers)
About the Waco Indie Film Festival
Consistently ranking in Film Freeway’s Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals in the World, the Waco Independent Film Festival (formerly known as the Deep in the Heart Film Festival) brings the Central Texas community together through independent film. Established in 2017, we engage audiences with films from major festivals and Texas talent. We build networks and careers through our industry education and promotion. Add in some chips & salsa with the Waco Indie magic, and we create one of the most unique experiences on the festival circuit. For more information visit www.wacoindie.com and follow us Facebook.com and Instagram.com
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