Kidz Shortz Winners

Kidz Shortz feature young filmmakers.

The Montclair Film Festival announced the competition winners for the third annual “Kidz Shortz” filmmaking competition. Along with the winners, the festival also announced that American Express will return as corporate sponsor for Kidz Shortz.

According to the announcement, the 19 winning entries will be screened during the Montclair Film Festival, slated for May 1 through May 10, taking place on Saturday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m. at the Bellevue Cinema in Upper Montclair. Tickets go on sale to the public on Monday, April 13 at www.montclairfilmfest.org. Forty-seven submissions from students across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland were reviewed by a jury of festival staff and volunteers to determine the 19 winning films based on story, theme, creativity, direction, editing, cinematography and overall filmmaking competence.

Below is the full list of Kidz Shortz 2015 winners:

Cinemaniacs – Grades 4-6

• Individual, Grand Prize: One Nation by Anthony Hobbs from Baltimore, Md.’s Our Lady of Victory School
• Individual, Honorable Mention: Stranded by Talia Cohen-Vigder from Montclair, N.J.’s Watchung Elementary
• Small Group, Grand Prize: A Series of Bad Ideas by Milena Testa and Grace Bayne from Glenridge, N.J.’s Ridgewood Avenue School
• Small Group, Honorable Mention: ZiZi Pogelham by Dani Dreifach and Maddy Dreifach from Montclair, N.J.’s Edgemont Elementary
• School or Large Group, Grand Prize: Dominoes by Luke Gardiner, Riley Rendino, Elias Lepore, Isabel Lucas, Jonah Barbin, Elliot O’Dell, Charlie Macdonnell and Anna Gardiner from Montclair, N.J.’s Montclair Kimberley Academy

 Storytellers – Grades 7-9

• Individual, Grand Prize: Paper by Alex DeRosa from Short Hills, N.J.’s Millburn Middle School
• Individual, Runner-Up: Cyber Bullying by Olivia Harner from Montclair, N.J.’s Montclair High School
• Individual, Honorable Mention- Animation: Change the World by Estée Goel from Montclair, N.J.’s Glenfield Middle School
• Individual, Honorable Mention-Comedy: Revenge of the Festival by Zack Reichgut from Maplewood, N.J.’s Craig School
• Small Group, Grand Prize: Self-Portrait by Madison Stanton, Lucia Ledesma and Julia Abate from Montclair, N.J.’s Mount Hebron Middle School
• Small Group, Runner-Up: Juice by Aidan Champeau, Jacob Manthey and Jake Weinberg from Montclair, N.J.’s Glenfield Middle School

Visionaries – Grades 10-12

• Individual, Grand Prize (tie): Lapse by Jasen Aziz from Millburn, N.J.’s Millburn High School AND Escape Velocity by James Tralie from Fort Washington, Pa.’s Upper Dublin High School
• Individual, Honorable Mention-Special Effects: iShrink by Jasen Aziz from Millburn, N.J.’s Millburn High School
• Small Group, Grand Prize: Closure by Tim Connolly, Miles Tilley and Emily Handley from Washington, N.J.’s Warren Hills Regional High School
• Small Group, Runner-up: Screenwriter’s Block by James Tralie and Justin Richmond from Fort Washington, Pa.’s Upper Dublin High School
• School or other Group (5+), Grand Prize (tie): A Different Breed by Aidan O’Connor, Nick Vecchione, Hank Felix, Michael Bogaards, Harry Keppel and Evan Williamson from Glen Ridge, N.J.’s Glen Ridge High School AND The Aftermath by Matthew Hippolyte, Taymar Walters, Remi Riordan, Saadiq Powell, Maliik Hall, Amiri Bradley and Will Jacobson from Montclair, N.J.’s Montclair High School
• School or other Group (5+), Honorable Mention- Cinematography: The Awakening by Anthony Raisley, Mike Wilson, Matt Salicco, Andrew Tompkins and Josh Tritini from Middletown, N.J.’s Middletown High School South

  kidz shortz, montclair, montclair film festival