2023 Short Film Competition

20th annual Cinema Touching Disability FIlm Festival, October 20-21, 2023, 6:30 - 10 pm, Rollins Theater

2023 Short Film Competition

Thank you to our 2023 Short Film Competition volunteer judges!

Winners: Non-Documentary Division

3 movie poster. Close up of a man's face with a breathing mask; an interabled cartoon couple walks into the sunset; a worried woman sitting at a table.

First Place + Audience Favorite: Take Me Home
Dir. Liz Sargent, United States
After their mother’s death, a cognitively disabled woman and her estranged sister must learn to communicate in order to move forward. Pictured above right. Learn more about the film at takemehomefilm.com and on Instagram @take_me_home_film.

Second Place: Culicidae
Dir. Greg Moran, Australia
A late night intrusion leads to a life and death struggle. Pictured above left. Learn more about the film at www.gregmoran.com.au.

Third Place: Smash or Pass
Dir. Cory Reeder, United States
Dating pool or cesspool? They both Stink! After being dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Ariel tries app dating for the very first time. Pictured above center.

Winners: Documentary Division

3 movie posters: An old man gazes into the distance; a woman with thick glasses holds a fencing sword up in front of her face; an old man closes his deep set eyes.

First Place + Audience Favorite: Carpenter
Dir. Xelîl Sehragerd, Islamic Republic of Iran
An old Kurdish man (Hussein Mahmood) who is a carpenter tries to make artificial legs for people who have lost their legs. Pictured above left. Follow Director Xelil Sehragern on Instagram @khalil.sahragard.

Second Place: Elsa
Dir. Cameron S. Mitchell, United States
Elsa Sjunneson is a DeafBlind professor and media critic, skilled fencer and hiker, and published author who has written for Marvel Comics and won the Hugo award for Science Fiction twice. Through the pen and the sword, Elsa takes us on a journey to see the world through a perspective that’s hardly, if ever, been seen before. Pitcured above center. Learn more about the film at cameronsmitchell.com/elsa/ and on Facebook /elsathedocumentary.

Third Place: I Won't Remain Alone
Dir. Yaser Talebi, Islamic Republic of Iran
Seyed Jalal, a blind 86 years old man, and his wife Bibi Soraya, 80 years old with chronic nerve disease, live in poverty conditions. They got devastating news about their son's brain death. The old fragile blind father has to make a decision whether to donate his son’s healthy parts to help 16 other patients. Pictured above right. Follow Director Yaser Talebi on Instagram @yasertalebi.

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