AGBO has announced the winners of the 2024 No Sleep ‘Til Film Fest

On Monday AGBO announced the winners of their fourth annual 48-hour short film competition, No Sleep ’til Film Fest, highlighting their commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers.

Christina Brennan, a first-time director from New York, took first place for her short film “Dear Nora,” which follows a young woman who faces her inner critic as she struggles to realize her worth and find beauty in small things. moments of life. Second place was awarded to the directing team of Ben David Sharp and Josh Madison Lewis of Glasgow, Scotland for their apocalyptic short film The Fall, a wordless drama in which two unlikely allies face the decision of collaborating or fighting for survival. Elijah Boulton, an independent director from Nova Scotia, took third place for his film “Universal Language,” a quirky story about a man who orders a synthetic girl only to discover a unique language barrier between them.

Then there was Tommy Heffernan. Body friendsa dark comedy in which a wedding photographer and a mobster hide a body during an engagement party. The film became Heffernan’s fourth Best of the Festival selection and won the collective AGBO Storytellers Award.

The two-day AGBO festival invites participants to make films of three minutes or less for a chance to win prizes and receive ongoing mentorship from an independent studio. This year, participants were required to create a short film that explored the dynamics of an unlikely alliance, be it an unusual friendship, a partnership between adversaries, or a bond between seemingly disparate beings.

The top three winners receive a filmmaking prize package that can be used for future filmmaking opportunities, as well as access to the AGBO Storytellers Collective, an alumni network of other AGBO-sponsored festivals and fellowship programs such as the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmakers Forum and the Russo Brothers Fellowship Slamdance Film Festival. Heffernan will also benefit from membership in the mentorship and alumni program.

“Every year we are amazed at the ingenuity and passion these filmmakers bring to life in just 48 hours,” said AGBO Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot. “This year, entries came from all corners of the world, with hundreds of entries from over 47 countries, showcasing a diversity of case studies and story studies that resonate and bring us all together. We are honored to provide a platform that celebrates voices around the world and empowers storytellers at all levels to share their unique perspectives and perspectives.”

Newly released Citadel: Dianathe latest installment in their global action franchise. Citadelwhich broke the records of Amazon Italy and entered the top five in almost 150 countries, AGBO is about to release an album by the Russo brothers. Electric Statestarring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt on Netflix March 14. The full list of winners and honorable mentions from the Stay Up Until the Film Festival is below.

First place
Dear Noradirector Christina Brennan (New York, New York, USA)

Second place
Falldirectors Ben David Sharp and Josh Madison Lewis (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)

Third place
Universal languagedirector Elijah Boulton (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)

AGBO Collective Storytelling Award
Body friendsdirector Tommy Heffernan (Seattle, Washington, USA)

Honorable Mentions
Hard selldirectors David Moravcsik, Max Emerson Taylor (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
A new leash for lifedirectors Joe Daru and Alessandro “Axia” Serradiminha (Los Angeles, California, USA)
SHUT UP (닥쳐)director James Cutler (Provo, Utah, USA)
Butterfliesdirected by Akshay Ravi (Los Angeles, California, USA)
Trauma Linkingdirected by Gary Bogan (Inglewood, California, USA)
Garagedirected by Joshua Joel Ortiz (San Francisco, California, USA)
Neighbor numberdirected by Dillon Hoover (Menifee, California, USA)
Desperate timesdirector Isaac Ruth (North Hollywood, California, USA)
Simple operationdirector Aiman ​​Chaudhry (Manchester, England, UK)
The lights go outdirector Michael Heislbets (Vienna, Austria)