Announcing the Winners
We are proud to announce our winners. Kudos to Retro Neon Film for winning Best Film of 2020. Their film Sanity will go on to represent Des Moines against all the other city winners around the world at Filmapalooza 2021.
Thanks to our judges for their thoughtful deliberations.
You can see a full list of winners by clicking the All Awards button on this page. Our congratulations to all of our film teams who made films this year.
1st Place: Best Film of 2020
Sanity by Retro Neon Film
2nd Place: Best Film of 2020
The Landscaper by LightSmith Media
3rd Place: Best Film of 2020
Fuchsia by Illustrate
Required Elements
- Character: Les or Lily Rostinger, Landscape Designer
- Prop: a pencil
- Line: "She told me to tell you, "She's leaving town". OR She told me to tell you, "She is leaving town"."
Audience Favorite: Group A
Bad Words by 1 coffee, 2 creams
Audience Favorite: Group B
The Landscaper by LightSmith Media
Best Editing
El Engaño! by Tiny Explosions
Best Directing
Sanity by Retro Neon Film
Best Cinematography
Sanity by Retro Neon Film
Best Sound Design
Fuchsia by Illustrate
Best Actor
Skyler Ferguson Sanity by Retro Neon Film
Honorable Mention
Ben Bjorholm The Landscaper by LightSmith Media
Best Actress
April Melody Tan Fuchsia by Illustrate
Honorable Mention
Amy Wonderlin Alstroemeria by Negative Space
Best Use of Character
The Landscaper by LightSmith Media
Best Use of Prop
The Landscaper by LightSmith Media
Best Use of Line
Bad Words by 1 coffee, 2 creams
Best Use of Genre
The Faded Lilly by Primitive Filmworks
2020 Film List
Alstroemeria by Negative Space
Two friends grow apart due to career related stress.
Bad Words by 1 coffee, 2 creams
I'm just a dude that's enthusiastic. What's wrong with that?
Coda by Trans-Iowa Canal Company
A man reminisces with his father as they are selling his prized guitar.
Date Night by Handsome Bear Productions
A Romantic Date Night Takes An Unexpected Turn
El Engaño! by Tiny Explosions
An inventive, but misguided man ventures to travel back in time and prove everyone that pandemics are all a lie.
Fuchsia by Illustrate
Lily Rostinger, a visionary landscaper, finds friend and foe in a mysterious client.
Generation Gap by Gladhouse Studio
A grandfather and granddaughter clash over her political awakening.
Hell of a Day by Kramerica Productions
Les has a very interesting day.
In the Weeds by One Genome Short Productions
When most people think of landscaping, they think of sun and flowers and glamour. Few are aware of the intrigue and danger involved in the landscaping profession.
Love U2 Death by AlottaBit Studios
When James is trying to figure out what is real and what is in his head. He needs to make the right choice or end up dead.
Lucky Lilly by Working for Exposure
In the near future, an android longs for human attachment, but is unaware of the potential risk.
Marigolds by Sliding Rock Productions
A women is killed, but who did it? Husband, boss, client?
Sanity by Retro Neon Film
A man underoges a psychiatric evaluation while on trial for a horrific crime.
The Faded Lilly by Primitive Filmworks
She's dangerous
The Garden by Schilling Multimedia LLC.
Lilly, a landscape designer, finds herself in over her head as she goes to a mysterious garden.
The Landscaper by LightSmith Media
A mistaken identity leads a bumbling landscape designer into a murder for hire plot
the Reaper by 1 bad idea compounded
Gamblers play poker with the Reaper for 20 million cash.... or death
The Trip On Beggar's Night by Blankscape Studios
A group of friends go on a camping trip for Halloween, they soon find out that something is watching them.
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