2021 AWARD NOMINEES

BEST FEATURE NOMINEES
FEAST: A BALLET
ROUTINES
QUIET, PRETTY THINGS
LIVE FREE. SKATE HARD.
MURDER FOR PLEASURE

BEST SHORT NOMINEES
CLOWN CORNER
THE MCHENRY TRIAL - DON'T JUDGE A KID BY THEIR HOODIE
FIGHTING THE DARK
PETER THE POSSESSED
JUST DESSERTS

BEST DIRECTOR NOMINEES
 DOMENIC MIGLIORE - ROUTINES
KEN SAGOES - THE MCHENRY TRIAL - DON'T JUDGE A KID BY THEIR HOODIE
DEREK BRAASCH - MURDER FOR PLEASURE
GILLIAN NAUGHTON - PETER THE POSSESSED
STEPHEN RICHARDSON - CLOWN CORNER

BEST WRITER NOMINEES
 DEB ETHEIR - THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
GRACE MELON - PURGATORY
CHRISTOPHER SIAENS - FIGHTING THE DARK
PHRANQUE WRIGHT - A TIME FOR LOVE
TINA KIN - LAYERS

BEST ACTOR NOMINEES
KALEB ALEXANDER ROBERTS - THE MCHENRY TRIAL - DON'T JUDGE A KID BY THEIR HOODIE
ALEXANDER VANDERLEK - THE DAY BINGO DIED
LIAN CARTY - PETER THE POSSESSED
DOUGLAS LARHAM - CHARLIE AUTUMN
ANGUS MCGRUTHER - BRANDON

BEST ACTRESS NOMINEES
LAUREN REXACH - BOUNDARIES
ANITA NICOLE BROWN - ROUTINES
FAY KELMAN - JUST DESSERTS
TARA ERICKSON - CHARLIE AUTUMN
CALLOWAY DENTON - FIGHTING THE DARK

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY NOMINEES
UNREALITY
ROUTINES
PURGATORY
PETER THE POSSESSED
CLOWN CORNER

BEST EDITING NOMINEES
THE ATTIC
OUT OF THIN AIR
PETER THE POSSESSED
ROUTINES
MURDER FOR PLEASURE

BEST SOUND NOMINEES
DEATH OFFERS LIFE - LAST MOMENTS OF VINCENT VAN GOGH
JUST DESSERTS
PURGATORY
THE MCHENRY TRIAL - DON'T JUDGE A KID BY THEIR HOODIE
CLOWN CORNER

BEST MUSIC NOMINEES
FIGHTING THE DARK
PETER THE POSSESSED
THE MCHENRY TRIAL - DON'T JUDGE A KID BY THEIR HOODIE
UNREALITY
HEROE'S HONEYMOON

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY NOMINEES
DEBUT
LIVE FREE. SKATE HARD.
CONTENTMENT IN QUARANTINE
VALLEY RELICS
OUT OF THIN AIR

 

DIRECTOR'S CHOICE NOMINEES
BOUNDARIES
TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE
CLOWN CORNER
UNREALITY
THE ATTIC

 

FEATURE SCREENPLAY FINALISTS
YOUNG BOY BY RACHEL JACOB
TWELVE FRIDAYS BY STEPHEN FLOYD
MEDDLE LIKE HELL BY MICHAEL MANTSOURANI
STRONGER WHEN SHE'S BROKEN BY SHERLANN D. MOORE
SOUR BY BRETT DAVIDSON

 

SHORT SCREENPLAY FINALISTS
DIRE CONSEQUENCES BY JOSEPH LEONE
VEIL BY PETER HARDY
THE PREPOSTEROUS WANDERER BY ADAM WEBER
BLOODLINE - ELISA'S STORY BY MORT COHEN
IN BLUEBELL WOOD BY LAURA ELLEN WILSON

 

We have a great soup a'brewin, we have selected the perfect ingredients! Check out the awesome films screening at this year's Cinema Soup Film Festival!

FEATURE FILM SELECTIONS

 

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Victors life unraveled the moment his parents were brutally slaughtered in front of his young eyes. Suffering from horrific nightmares, he seeks professional help only to discover a blurred line between dreams and reality. No one is safe from the terror that follows.

 

An erotic thriller which centers on Fin Scott (Tony Marino), an ex-cop, whose only goal is to assassinate a state senator and collect $100,000 dollars. Marilyn Bellows, the senator's wife, played by Kelly LaMont (Million Dollar Quartet) orders the hit in hopes to be with Fin. Marilyn will go to any extremes - lust, betrayal, and even murder to get what she wants. Co-stars Katie Cleary (America's Top Model, Tosh.O) and Jim McMahon (NFL Super Bowl Champion)

 

An erotic thriller which centers on Fin Scott (Tony Marino), an ex-cop, whose only goal is to assassinate a state senator and collect $100,000 dollars. Marilyn Bellows, the senator's wife, played by Kelly LaMont (Million Dollar Quartet) orders the hit in hopes to be with Fin. Marilyn will go to any extremes - lust, betrayal, and even murder to get what she wants. Co-stars Katie Cleary (America's Top Model, Tosh.O) and Jim McMahon (NFL Super Bowl Champion)

 

Three men join together to get revenge on a small-town group of individuals who enjoy bullying people.

 

The most popular women's contact sport hidden in plain sight, this feature documentary explores the varied stories, rich culture and revolutionary space that is women's roller derby. Feel its powerful diverse spirit through the voices and action of Free State Roller Derby's teams- the Black-Eyed Suzies and Rock Villains.

A small town detective is following a string of puzzling local murders when a mistake inadvertently directs the killer's focus to him.

A washed-up, overly offensive stand-up comedian falls in love with a punk rock singer - then succumbs to loneliness and self-destruction.

This is a unique film project, merging a socially relevant documentary with a dance film. The ballet was created out of an art installation, which is a statement of human consumption in our modern age.

The original ballet was cancelled due to COVID-19, so we decided to dive deeper into the subject matter, of social justice as it pertains to the use of commodities. Thus giving context to the dance for the viewers.

SHORT FILM SELECTIONS

 

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Rachel's father refuses to let her go to a concert in the outfit she wants to wear, so she decided that once he fell asleep, she would sneak out.

A man prepares a meal for his pet and himself.

Sci-Fi Comedy Series based on the phenomenon known to gamers and conspiracy theorists alike known as The Mandela Effect. DB, an interdimensional being from the multiverse, learns how to be human in this dimension, as she must complete her mission of cleaning up the details left behind from major details to the earth's timeline using a controller.

 

A female jogger takes justice into her owns hands and confronts her attacker.

A young woman reflects on the impact that sexual abuse had on her life, subsequent therapy and the beginning of healing.

A blind girl videotapes herself, talking of how her father was always there for her before she lost her sight, until he passed away. Now she finds her own strength and light through her darkness and inspires others to find theirs too.

"Debut" follows aspiring independent professional wrestler Braeden Bend as he journeys from his last days of training to his first match on the scene.

An old man figures out a way to become young. He can't convince his wife to be young too so must decide to age well or run away to youth.

A young and brilliant academic phenom who not only passes the bar exam at age 14 but finds himself defending his homeless father on a murder charge when few believe he is innocent. He faces a shrewd law firm, an old school segregationist judge, and an arrogant prosecutor who is preparing to celebrate his 50th consecutive case win.

A woman discovers her husbands infidelity and ultimately feeds him a vengeful meal.

Trapped within forced stasis, a college senior finds herself stuck at home. Racing towards virtual graduation and documented by her mother, she wards off internalized productivity standards of capitalism, identity, and fear.

 

A four-minute, family-friendly, musical animated film about Maggie Mae, a constant shopper who buys things she doesn’t need. When she gets buried in styrofoam, tissue, and silly purchases, she learns to recycle and reuse.

Imogen, a young drug-addicted mother fighting with her addiction, videotapes herself reaching out to her son, the one light in her life.

Two siblings descend into madness after they euthanize the family dog.

One man's mission to document and preserve the history and pop culture of the San Fernando Valley in Southern California.

Tommy Gelinas was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. He grew up visiting restaurants, malls, and many other venues that slowly declined and eventually, for the most part, completely disappeared by the time he reached adulthood. In the 1990s, Tommy began collecting Valley-relevant items off of eBay and eventually amassed a collection large enough to open the Valley Relics Museum. In 2018, the museum moved to a much larger location at the Van Nuys Airport in Lake Balboa, CA and contains thousands of relics from the San Fernando Valley and the surrounding area.

Brielle, a rebellious young tomboy, videotapes herself sending a message to Thomas, a recently bullied young boy she rescued, announcing that from now on she will be his protector, his refuge, his shelter.

The Fear and anguish present in today's world has led to a dramatic increase in people claiming demonic possession. In the U.S. over the past 10 years, the number of official priest exorcisms has more than quadrupled.

The Catholic church has responded to this phenomenon by teaching more priests the latest techniques on exorcising demonic spirits. In April 2018, over 250 Priests from 51 countries assembled at the Vatican in Rome to learn the ancient practice of exorcism. Among them, a renowned exorcist priest from Ireland who now travels the world on a mission to cast out evil. In 2019 he performed over 100 Exorcisms.

This is the story of ONE

The story is the fictional account of the last five minutes of the acclaimed painter Vincent Van Gogh who was a failure in his lifetime. Death who has come to take him makes an offer which Van Gogh rejects and accepts the hands of death gracefully.

When faced with discharge, a psychiatric patient is ambivalent about returning to the real world.

A little girl is excited to discover more about her adoption story.

"The sleep of reason produces monsters" - Francisco Goya.
The girl in the tower hears the voice. This voice calls her.

When two unique couples exchange experiences about their advanced pregnancies in an OB/GYN's waiting room, secrets are revealed and lessons are learned that just might be life-changing.

No Synopsis provided by Filmmaker.

A fun-filled ‘slice of life’ mockumentary that reveals the hidden world of the Clown People for the first time.

Imagine a world where everyone in town is a clown!

Clown Corner is a live action short film/pilot that tells the story of the Clown People in a world where everyone in town is a clown!

This ‘slice of life’ mockumentary reveals the hidden world of the Clown People for the first time.

Clown Corner portrays the world of the imagination, but it looks like real-life. The gritty urban setting is almost real, it’s just hidden away in a city near you.

The film features twenty colourful characters and was filmed on a 50-metre custom-designed and built set that creates an atmospheric streetscape.

Clown Corner is pure entertainment but it also conveys important values and attributes, such as being kind, working together, having fun, and being a good friend. There is no violence or bullying, nobody gets hurt, and nothing is scary, and (breathing a sigh of relief...) there is no predictable gender or other stereotyping. This is a fun-filled short film that all the family can enjoy.

Come and meet the Clown People at Clown Corner!

This documentary short outlines the Philosophy of Available Resources from an actor who practices it not only in film but also in furniture making.

Bored small-town investigative journalist has to convince her editor to let her pursue the story of a lifetime, despite its dangers.

When a new homeowner heads upstairs, her can-do spirit is unraveled by an attic full of webs. (This is the second in our series of "nap time shorts," filmed during kiddo's nap time.)

When Carly visits New York City from England, she doesn't know what to expect; but falling in love certainly never crossed her mind.

In October 1938, Burt Kempner’s parents set off on a bus headed for Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. It was the same night that Orson Welles made his infamous War of the Worlds broadcast, throwing America into a panic. It’s hard enough to embark on a new marriage – but when the world is ending, too? HEROES’ HONEYMOON is a love story and a comic fable!

Brandon is about a young man coming to terms with the inevitable death of his mother.

Closely adapted from Edgar Allan Poe's short story, this animated tale of a time of pestilence paints a picture of what might have been Poe's own feelings of fatalistic helplessness in the face of the White Plague, tuberculosis, which had claimed several members of his family. Artistically told in a surreal expressionistic style, this film also draws on Poe's own use of colorful and detailed description in the story.

FEATURE SCREENPLAY SEMI-FINALISTS

 

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by Brett Davidson

Everett, a dairy farmer, becomes blinded by success with his farm, and accidentally drives his wife into the hands of a young farmhand.

 

by Samuel Taylor

A 14 year old preacher renounces his faith in God in the wake of a terrifying and traumatic encounter.

18 years later, the psychopathic demons of his past, viciously return to wreak havoc on his home, and to rip-out-his-soul, for the god of their hell.

 

by Shockadelic

Follow an Australian family of four through a surreal day.

 

by SherLann D. Moore

After she's told that she is dying, a multiple award winning writer decides to write an autobiographic story about her courageous journey out of the streets of Detroit, over sexist and racist military landmines and through brain damaging health issues that impact her writing. Contains true events, intense drama, sex, violence, humor and triumph.

 

by Michael Mantsourani

When one of their own is going off to college, a group of teen detectives decides to set out on one last case before they disband. While on the job, they unwittingly unleash danger of supernatural proportions.

 

by Stephen Floyd

A graffiti artist punishes a small Midwestern town for its hypocrisy by posting visual reminders of their transgressions. The town becomes the central character for everyone's peccadilloes. Old enmities are revived as residents have their skeletons dragged out of the closet. They're unable to identify the culprit because their sins are all public knowledge. The town is populated with jealous lovers, hidden pregnancies, stolen property, corrupt officials, and a Town Bully who finally meets his match. Sexual undertones reveal voyeurs, exhibitionists, infidelity, preferences, and all the stock characters who live in America's small towns. Only one graffiti is a lie - and it leads to a shooting that settles the Graffiti Artist's score with the town.

 

by Zorina J. Frey

A psychiatrist falls in love with her patient who is a high-profile psychopathic murderer. - How does a girl with a bright future ahead of her end up in bed with a joker?

 

by Joe Leone

A young track star (Gabriel Gonzales) with Olympic aspirations and a very promising future, loses his legs from the knees down, in a tragic car accident. His Mother, concerned with her son’s well-being, takes Gabriel to an animal shelter that rescues beaten and abused animals. A Golden Retriever, named COOP, grabs his attention. Inspired with the “never quit / never say never” attitude that Coop exhibits, and a recommendation from his Orthopedic Specialist, Gabriel looks into acquiring Blade Prosthetics that will allow him to run fast, very fast, once again. Along with his High School Track Coach (Gene Sanderson) and a dog that is full of life and spirit, they aid Gabe in pursuit of his Olympic dream at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.

After qualifying in the US Paralympic Trials, Gabe learns that Coop is very sick. He races home, only to learn that Coop has stomach cancer. Gabe decides to stick by his best friend, until the end. However, he promises to dedicate an Olympic victory in honor and memory of his pal “Coop.”

 

by Rachel Jacob

One day, Franklin Young, being raised in the backwoods of Louisiana and struggling with his mother's illness and strained relationship with his father, has a mystical encounter in the woods; trying to convince his best friend of the mysterious event, and dealing with school and his family, this encounter alters life as he knows it and teaches him some valuable lessons along the way.

 

by Michael Monteith

The truly unique story of "pretty" Kitty Kallen, including her rise from humble origins to most popular U.S. singer, is revealed in flashback amid news of her untimely death.

 

SHORT SCREENPLAY SEMI-FINALISTS

 

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by Joseph Leone

A jaded call center manager seeks redemption after being blamed for pushing a vulnerable employee over the edge, which ends in a horrific mass shooting incident. Wishing to restore his tarnished reputation, this determined manager embarks on a supernatural journey to stop a disturbed loner from committing a frightful terrorist attack.

 

by Peter Hardy

A young man follows an older woman on a mysterious, increasingly dream-like journey into what may be his own future.

 

by Adam Weber

The fates of a sophisticated Englishman, two alcoholic siblings, and an opportunistic drifter are determined over a 24 hour period in the small town of Tailem.

 

by Madhu R

The story is the fictional account of the last five minutes of the acclaimed painter Vincent Van Gogh who was a failure in his lifetime. Death who has come to take him makes an offer which Van Gogh rejects and accepts the hands of death gracefully.

 

by Jim Norman

Two passengers on a contemporary commuter train find themselves transported to a Wild West town circa 1875.

 

by Cathleen Trope

An elderly man, who has always experienced the worst of luck, encounters the guardian angel who forgot him and wants to make amends.

 

 

by Jason Schwaede

A hitman haunted by memories of the woman he loved takes one final job. Being a self proclaimed close-quarters operator, how during the coronavirus pandemic, will he get close enough to his target to pull off the assignment?

 

 

by Michael Cooper

The true story of a woman whose short life was spent mostly in Mental Institutions and narrowly escaped the NAZI Euthenasia Programme of 1939 in Germany

 

 

by Laura Ellen Wilson

When Emma and her Survival group - The Explorers - leave home for a weekend of camping and survival skills training, they become entangled in the world of Folklore where they find that Fairies and Mythical creatures really do exist.

 

 

by Samantha J Hallenus

A mischievous young bus rider causes mayhem for the other passengers. He believes one of the other riders has a bomb on board.