‘Between the Lights’ and ‘A Little Hope for Chicago’ Lead Dances With Films: LA Winners – Film News in Brief

Michael Groom’s “Between the Lights” and Leon Lozano’s “A Little Hope for Chicago” were two of the grand jury prize winners of Dances With Films: LA. The celebration, hosted at the TCL Chinese Theatre on June 30, saw “Between the Lights” (pictured) win best narrative feature and “A Little Hope for Chicago” take home best documentary feature.

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The indie film festival lineup included 232 films, with 117 making world, international, North American or U.S. premieres.

The full award list for Dances With Films: LA is as follows:

Grand Jury – Narrative Features
“Between the Lights”
Director/Writer: Michael Groom
Producers: David Groom, Michael Groom

Honorable Mentions:
“Dreaming of You”
Director/Writer: Jack McCafferty
Producers: Bridgett Greenberg, McCafferty

“Tallywacker”
Director/Writer: Brendan Boogie
Producers: Jeremy Dubs, Chris Goodwin, Boogie

Grand Jury – Documentary Features
“A Little Hope for Chicago”
Director: Leon Lozano
Writers: Kevin Nichols, Lozano
Producers: Garrett E.B. Thompson, Kevin Nichols, Lozano

Honorable Mention:
“Spyral”
Director/Writer: Bill Guttentag
Producer: Jennifer Hutchins

Grand Jury – Narrative Shorts
“Black Silk”
Director/Writer: Patrick Michael
Producers: Patrick Michael, Josh Akin, Tiffany Gist Samuel Skeen

Honorable Mentions:
“Koi”
Director/Writer: Taige Shi
Producer: Tianyu Yang

“The Runt”
Director/Writer: Christy Stratton
Story by: Christy Stratton, Mark Norberg
Producers: Katrina Rotondo, Daniela Inés Calvo and Christy Stratton

Industry Choice Awards

Under 40
“Is it Because I’m a Girl”
Director: Peter Decherney
Producer: Peter Gitau

Over 40
“Fight Like a Girl”
Director/Writer: Matthew Leutwyler
Producers: Anton Laines, Innocent Munyeshuri, Yvette Gayle Serge Ibaka

Fever Pitch Short Script Challenge

Winner: “Judas Kiss” by Sean Cage

Runner Up (Tie):
“In the Pocket” by Antjuan Ward
“Merry Christmas, Colonel Shoup” by Ed Lawrence Robinson

Audience Awards

Competition (Narrative) Feature
“The Man Who Saved the Internet With a Sunflower”
Directors: Ori Yarden, Emil Ben Shimon
Writers: Oren Safdie, Izhar Har-Lev, Yardeni
Producers: Kobi Hoffmann, Zehava Shekel

Documentary Feature
“Saving Jones”
Director/Writer: Rebecca Corry
Producer: Stand Up For Pits Foundation with Angel Forever

Fusion Feature
“The Disinvited”
Director: Devin Lawrence
Writers: Lawrence, Matthew Mourgides
Producer: Mourgides

Downbeat
“Bed by 9”
Director: Christian Klein
Writer: Max Castillo
Producer: Olivia Isabel Comas

Dances with Kidz Pro
“Survived By”
Director/Writer: K.D. Chalk
Producers: Nicole Crespo, Pinar Binay

Pilots
“Exposed”
Directors: Reece Melber, Rachel Othon
Writer: Hannah Merritt
Producer: Sina Crenshaw

Competition Narrative Shorts
“I Approve This Message”
Director: Craig Newman
Writer: Michael Barringer
Producers: Newman, Barringer

Documentary Shorts
“El Regreso”
Director: Samantha Ramirez-Hererra
Producer: Sam Bathrick

Fusion Shorts
“Puppy Love”
Director: Daniel Rashid
Writers: Rashid, Elizabeth Valenti
Producers: Reilly Anspaugh, Rashid, Valenti