EXCLUSIVE: Dances With Movies: LA, the unbiased movie competition, has accomplished its 29th version with prize giving.
Banditdirected by Brian L. “BLT” Tan, gained the Grand Jury Prize for Greatest Narrative Characteristic Movie. Wafda Saifan Lubis, Roy Sungkono, T. Rifnu Wikana and Claresta Taufan star within the Indonesian-American motion thriller Logline: “With nothing left to lose, two determined buddies steal an deserted G-Wagon for a fast rating. What they weren’t relying on? A lifeless physique within the trunk – and the individuals who put it there.”
Dances With Movies: Los Angeles hosted the world premiere of Bandit. Tan’s earlier directing credit embrace Homicide beneath the bridge (2024) and the Indonesian TV sequence 2025 Theo and Rouza.
An honorable point out within the Greatest Narrative Characteristic Movie class was awarded to Angelinodirected by Jay Diaz.
“The Final Place on Earth”
Indonesian Nature Movie Society
Acquiring the Grand Jury Prize for finest documentary function movie of the competition was The final place on Earthdirected by David Sales space Gardner. The movie is described as “a journey into the Leuser ecosystem of Sumatra – the place tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutans nonetheless roam free – which follows a bunch of wildlife activists who threat the whole lot to save lots of this pristine nature from unlawful deforestation. »
Gardner, Nanang Sujana and Shayne McGrath produced The final place on Earthwhich held its world premiere at Dances With Movies: LA.
“Kill a Nazi”
Dancing with the movies: LA
Two movies acquired honorable mentions in the most effective function documentary class: that of Boaz Dvir Kill a Nazi (narrated by Jason Alexander) and that of Jon Bolerjack Stan Lee: The Closing Chapterconcerning the late comics grasp and his efforts to money in on his picture and legacy.
“Divine Energy”
Dancing with the movies: LA
divine energydirected by Geoff Browne, gained the Grand Jury Prize for finest narrative brief movie. Honorable mentions on this class had been awarded to Nook mandirected by Sam Findlay, and Depositdirected by Will Mayo and Ian Scott McGregor.
Grand Jury awards are decided by earlier competition winners. DWF additionally presents the Trade Alternative Awards, that are chosen by “business executives like Steve Wegner (Alcon Leisure) and JC Spink (BinderSpink),” in line with the competition’s web site. The Trade Alternative Awards are chosen from all movies within the competition, together with function movies and brief movies in all sections.
“The Exhalation of Darius Campbell”
Dancing with the movies: LA
The Trade Alternative Award (lower than 40′) was awarded to The Exhalation of Darius Campbellwritten and directed by Charlie Roth. David Hemphill, Tony Nevada and Paula Rhodes star within the comedy brief. Logline: “In a retro-futuristic “Revitalization Suite,” a lady pays to have her deceased husband resurrected for thirty seconds so she will confront him about his infidelity and get the closure she wants. »
The Trade Alternative Award (over 40′) was awarded to the aforementioned documentary Stan Lee: The Closing Chapterdirected by Jon Bolerjack. The movie is investigative in nature.
“Stan Lee: The Closing Chapter”
Dancing with the movies: LA
“A story of mistreatment and duplicity, that is the story of how comedian e book legend Stan Lee landed in the midst of a scandal as dramatic as any superhero saga,” reads the Dances With Movies: LA web site. “The occasions are chronicled by filmmaker Jon Bolerjack, who grew to become Lee’s assistant and a member of his entourage. Jon was granted unprecedented entry and filmed the whole lot he noticed. What he found was a thriving market the place Lee’s signatures and memorabilia had been transformed into large sums of cash, whereas rival personalities and competing pursuits fought to affect Lee’s fortune and legacy. After years of documenting these occasions and making an attempt to deliver the story to mild, Bolerjack is able to share this surprising and deeply heartbreaking story with the world.
“Litter Buddies”
Dancing with the movies: LA
Littermatesdirected by Scott Tinkham and Michael Woloson, gained the competitors’s Characteristic Movie Viewers Award (narrative). The Viewers Award for Characteristic Documentary was shared by two movies: My title is Gittadirected by Beatrix Ryle, and Inform me about tomorrowa movie concerning the late TikTok star Cooper Noriega, directed by Brad Alexander.
Dances with the movies
Dances With Movies: LA occurred on the TCL Chinese language 6 complicated inside Ovation LA in Hollywood. Listed below are extra rewards given out Sunday night:
MIDNIGHT AUDIENCE AWARD
PHYSICAL TOUCH
Director: Jesse Montagna; Screenwriter: Kendra Baude; Producers: Marki Yaccino and Jesse Montagna
PUBLIC AWARD FOR FUSION OPERATION
LOVE FACE
Director/Author: Gerald Fillmore; Producers: Jorge Alonzo, Victor Corales, Gerald Fillmore
DOWNBEAT PUBLIC AWARD
MONEY
Director/Author: Jordyn Apostolache; Producers: Shifting Media, Dani Mejía
PUBLIC PRIZE PRO DANCES WITH KIDZ
I HAVE NEXT
Director/Author: Christopher Baxter; Producers: Angel Williams, Andrew Pilkington, Ramfis Myrthil, Keonia Williams, McKarah Dreyfous and Christopher Baxter
PUBLIC AWARD SERIES
PEOPLE OF THE WEST
Administrators: Christopher Nataanii Cegielski, Phillip Montgomery, Josh Baker
Writers: Maya Rose Dittloff, Bradley Jackson, Marilyn Thomas, Diego D. Moreno, Kris L. Crenwelge
Producers: Brad Munoa, Nico Magee, Joseph Eardly, Edward Hambleton, Rachel Wasserman, Amanda Erickson and Gemma Jordan
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR SHORT COMPETITION MATERIALS (NARRATIVE)
YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A NURSE
Director/Author: Meg Mateo; Producers: Jaymar Cabebe and Dianne Que
PUBLIC AWARD FOR SHORT DOCUMENTARIES
DOUBLE CARRIER
Director: Julia Boyd; Producers: Julia Boyd, Marissa Paiva, Barrett Thomas, Meredith Stein
COURT FUSION PUBLIC PRIZE
PLASTIC PASTURES
Director/Author: Darren Rubin; Producer: Dariush Ghaffari