DCIFF 2021 Award Winners


Our 2021 hybrid festival was new for us but the films screened were excellent as always. Thanks to all the filmmakers for letting us show your films and to audiences for taking part.

Congratulations to the winners drawn from both online and in-person balloting:

Best of Fest: THE BEARS ON PINE RIDGE directed by Noel Bass

Best Narrative Feature: JULIET MUST DIE directed by Marco Gadge

Best Documentary: LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN directed by Umran Safter

Best Narrative Short: #PRINCESSPROBLEMS directed by Maritza Gomez

Best Animated Short Film: ALIEN NIGHTMARE directed by Lauriane Balestrat, Marc Antoine Alonzo, Alexis Sabalza, Elie Berhoumieux and Lucas Soupou

Best International Film: THE SOUL OF A CYCLIST directed by Nuno Tavares

Best DC Metro Film: THE LEGACY SESSIONS directed by William Ashton

High School Film Competition:

1st:  Disowned directed by Andrew Stevens

2nd: Dare directed by Sebastian Plaza 

3rd: Marked directed by Samantha Cohn and Madeline Simpson