The winners of the 6th Edition of the AT&T Film Awards were announced at AT&T Shape—with over 1,000 filmmakers from across the U.S. submitting their short film or VR/AR/MR experience for a chance at cash awards and a mentoring session with Cathy Yan.
Tonya Kay
Winner
Shot on Mobile Category
Tonya Kay
Los Angeles
Drone follows woman through life stages in amazing single shot.
Ramon Faria
Winner
New forms of Storytelling Category
Ramon Faria
Orlando
An elderly man gets a robot that has a major impact.
Hao Zheng
Winner
Futuristic Category
Hao Zheng
Los Angeles
A chef trains a robot who may replace him.
Lauren Hoekstra
Winner
Social Good Category
Lauren Hoekstra
Valley Ventre, CA
A girl at summer camp launches a rocket.
Jonathan Lewis
Winner
Underrepresented Category
Jonathan Lewis
Los Angeles, CA
Challenges of being a young black man
The 5th Edition of the AT&T Film Awards was held during the fall of 2018—with 1,000 filmmakers from across the U.S. submitting their short film or VR/AR/MR experience for a chance at $60,000 in prizes including cash awards, a summer film program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and all-expense paid trips to the opening weekend of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Manolo Celi
Winner
Emerging Filmmaker Award
($10,000 prize)
Manolo Celi
Brooklyn, NY
A man's enthralling adventure through his cliched, humdrum existence.
Mark Smith
2nd Place
Emerging Filmmaker Award
($3,000 prize)
Mark Smith
Ketchum, ID
Seeking a life of love and exploration, two adventurous lemurs take to the skies.
Milena Lorch
Nicole Pase
3rd Place
Emerging Filmmaker Award
($2,000 prize)
Milena Lorch & Nicole Pase
North Hollywood, CA
A late-night meeting between a father and son reveals an insidious secret lurking beneath the surface. What began as an innocent habit has led to the most deadly—and unexpected—epidemic in modern history. One conversation could mean the difference between life or death.
Antonio Chavez Trejo
Best Short: Shot on Mobile
($5,000 prize)
Antonio Chavez Trejo
Burbank, CA
Eris, a young tormented woman goes into an introspective path about her life as her depression grows, forcing to question herself the reasons of her existence. As her suffering gains territory, so does the darkness within her, tempting her to put an end to the pain once and for all.
Derek Ham
Best VR/AR/MR Project:
($5,000 prize)
Derek Ham
Cary, NC
“I Am A Man” VR Experience is an interactive virtual reality experience set to the historic events of the African- American Civil Rights Movement. Users witness the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Worker’s Strike and the events leading to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. using the Oculus Rift VR headset.
Rachel Handler
Winner
Underrepresented Filmmaker Award
($5,000 prize)
Rachel Handler
Jersey City, NJ
When Calvin announces that he's proposing to Leesa...and then they're moving to the suburbs, Rebecca enlists Dennis's help to sabotage the proposal and keep their friends around for good.
Martha Rodriguez
Winner
Best Spanish Language Short – Student
Prize: This winner will receive a scholarship to attend the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts Summer 2019 program, including a meeting with a CAA agent. Their short will also air on DIRECTV in Latin America.
Martha Rodriguez
San Diego, CA
A young Mexican queer man comes out to his parents over a Christmas event.
Prize: These 3 finalists will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the first weekend of the Tribeca Film Festival, as well as training from Fresh Films to coach them on how to best document their Tribeca experience.
Ben Summa
Youth Finalist
Care for the Environment:
Ben Summa
Salt Lake City, UT
This short film displays the beauty in our environment, as well as its current problems. It educates people about this issue, shows people how they can help and showcases stunning visuals emphasizing the importance of protecting our environment.
Maia Vota
Youth Finalist
Distracted Driving:
Maia Vota
Burlington, VT
A variety of students honestly explain whether or not they have ever driven distracted.
Alondra Vega
Maya Estremadoyro
Winner
Youth Finalist
Anti-Bullying:
Alondra Vega & Maya Estremadoyro
Pembroke Pines, FL
Five high school girls come together to create a piece that highlights the importance of positivity and kindness in a world where many youth face bullying.
The 4th Edition of the AT&T Film Awards was held in the spring and summer of 2018—with 1,500 filmmakers submitting their short film for a chance at over $60,000 in cash prizes, and a trip to Los Angeles to attend the Finals at Warner Bros. Studios as part of the AT&T SHAPE conference. The finalists also were surprised with a mentoring session with Ava DuVernay, acclaimed writer, producer and director.
ARE WE GOOD PARENTS?
Bola Ogun, Director
MOOSE
Jonah Ansell, Director
REAL ARTISTS
Cameo Wood, Director
The 3rd Edition of the AT&T Film Awards (formerly known as the AT&T Entertainment Project) was held in the fall and winter of 2017—with 664 filmmakers submitting their short film for a chance at cash awards, including camera equipment kits, and a summer film program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Winner:
Young Gul Cho, Director
School of Visual Arts, NY
2nd Place—Best Short Film: College Student
Hadley Hillel, Director
Chapman University, Orange, CA
3rd Place—Best Short Film: College Student
Leah Chen Baker, Director
NYU Tisch School of the Arts, NY
Winner:
Miguel J. Soliman, Director
School of Visual Arts, NY
Winner:
Ryan Riffle, Director
Tucson, AZ
2nd Place—Best Short Film: Shot on Mobile
Sven Dreesbach, Director
Marina Del Rey, CA
3rd Place—Best Short Film: Shot on Mobile
Keegan Gogerty & Francisco Infante, Co-Directors
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Winner:
David Mansour, Director
High Tech High School, Bayonne, NJ
2nd Place—Best Short Film: Youth 13-18
Sophie Salazar & Meaghan Leahy
Gunston Middle School, Arlington, VA
3rd Place—Best Short Film: Youth 13-18
Lucas Smith, Director
Trenton High School, Trenton, MI
The 2nd Edition of the AT&T Film Awards (formerly known as the AT&T Entertainment Project) was held in the spring and summer of 2017—with 1,000 filmmakers submitting their short film for a chance at over $48,000 in cash prizes, and a trip to Los Angeles to attend the Finals at Warner Bros. Studios as part of the AT&T SHAPE conference. The finalists also were surprised with a mentoring session with Patty Jenkins, the director of Wonder Woman.
Best Film – Professional Category
COIN OPERATED
Nicholas Arioli, Director
Best Film – Student Category
THE SHOCHET
Michelle Nahmad, Director
Best Film – Underrepresented Filmmaker
D.ASIAN
Sarah Smith, Director
In the fall of 2016, 300 aspiring professional and student filmmakers entering their short films for a chance at $43,000 in cash prizes, exposure, access to AT&T and industry executives, and to screen their films during the 2017 AT&T Developer Summit in Las Vegas.
Best Film – Professional Category
DISPATCH
Caleb Hermann, Director
Best Film – Student Category
FIVE WINDOWS
Adam Cooper and Daniel Cooper, Directors
