The Lower East Side Film Festival has announced the winning films from the esteemed list of more than 35 shorts and feature films as the festival wrapped up May 7 at Village East Cinema, DCTV Firehouse Cinema, and various Lower East Side venues in New York City.
This year the festival’s jury included a remarkable number of respected entertainment professionals including Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman Is in Trouble, Party Down); Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart, American Crime Story); actress Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us);
Academy Award-nominated producer and co-founder of Killer Films, Pamela Koffler (Past Lives, May December); actress, singer, filmmaker Brittany Snow (Parachute, Pitch Perfect, John Tucker Must Die); writer, comedian and actor, Julio Torres (Problemista, SNL); and, stars of Hulu’s, This Fool with Chris Estrada and Frankie Quiñones, Chelsea Lupkin (Short Of The Week); Michael Levesque (Sound Mixer, Owner of Plush NY) and James King (Artistic Director of All Arts).
The winners include Your Monster, which took home Best of Fest; and Love and Work, which received Best Feature Film.
Another Day: A Beautiful Chaos was named Best Animated Short; We Ride for Her nabbed Best Documentary Short plus; Baggage won for Best Live Action Short, and Sleeping Alone for The LESFF Audience Award.
Written and directed by Dan Perlman, Practice Space was awarded The LESFF Neighborhood Award, a specialty award that goes to one film each year that captures the spirit of the Lower East Side neighborhood and New York City, and in essence encapsulates the spirit of the festival. The film stars Alex Chavez & Yan Bo Lin.
Lower East Side Film Festival www.lesfilmfestival.com