CATEGORIES & AWARDS

AWARDS & PRIZES

All our Official Selection films will receive the Official Laurel and will be screened at our 5-Day Annual Live Event. Winners will be announced at the end of the event as well as the Prix du Public (Cash Prize). Winning films will receive their Certificate of Achievement.

In addition, we will choose a selection of outstanding projects as semi-finalists who will be invited to participate in our Virtual Event and compete for the Cannes New Waves Grand Prix of USD 1000. All semifinalist films will receive their corresponding Laurel.

COMPETITIONS

Once you submit your film in any category, it will be reviewed by our screening team and the highest scored films will be selected to be part of our Official Selection and will be considered for all the winning categories.

Official Competitions

Technical & Performance

We are commited to bring the best of new Cinema. We want to hear new voices.

Meet the Jury

MILD KAMOLLUCK NIAMKONGKIT

Mild Kamolluck Niamkongkit is a digital arts educator, generalist, and co-founder/director of Game Dev Hub, supporting aspiring game developers and digital artists. She teaches at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok and has held roles from Pipeline Supervisor at EEZ Studio to Art Director at SmyleLand. Mild is also co-creator of the award-winning animated short Gaslight.

KRISTEN YUAN

Kristen Yuan is a Story Artist and award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles, currently working at Netflix Animation Studios on Steps, a Cinderella retelling produced with Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions. A Ringling College of Art and Design graduate with top honors, she began her career at Netflix and is the co-creator of the award-winning animated short Gaslight with Mild Kamolluck Niamkongkit.

JEN ARAKI

Jen Araki is an award-winning filmmaker, director, producer, and actress. She co-founded Crystal Mountain Films and Media Button, producing cinematic campaigns, documentaries, and narrative films for clients like Nintendo and Nickelback. Her short Whistle premiered at Cannes Indie Shorts, won Best Female Director at the Venice Short Film Awards, and earned a Leo Award nomination. Her feature documentary We Gotta Get Out of Here (Amazon Prime) explores L.A.’s foster care system. Jen also acts, with credits including The Sopranos and The Sinners.

DYLAN PLAYFAIR

Dylan Playfair is an actor, director, and producer, known for Hulu’s Letterkenny and Disney’s Descendants series. He has also been recognized for dramatic shorts and features, including Whistle, directed by his wife Jen Araki Playfair, which premiered at Cannes Indie Shorts Awards. Dylan and Jen run Crystal Mountain Films and Media Button, production companies in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Passionate about humor, heart, and human stories, he seeks creative opportunities across filmmaking.

MAREN KLAKEGG

Maren is a passionate filmmaker, both as a director and DoP, with a strong love for both fiction and documentary. Her talent has been recognized through numerous achievements, including starting her career by winning the Student Academy Award. She has also been BAFTA shortlisted and won awards at different festivals around the world. She proudly won the Norwegian version of the Emmys, Gullruten, with a documentary series. Maren strongly believes in the power of film to evoke emotions and make a lasting impact on audiences.

TAYLOR WASHINGTON

Taylor Washington is an award-winning director and cinematographer based in LA. Originally from Austin, TX, with a decade in New York, he has directed 50+ music videos for artists like Marian Hill, Cautious Clay, and Of Montreal. His short Call Me Mommy premiered at SXSW ’23, winning Best Comedy at HollyShorts and Cannes Indie Shorts Awards. He is slated to co-direct the feature adaptation in 2026 and is currently directing the documentary Modern Tlingit Warriors. Taylor has also created commercial work for Canon, Chase, Southwest Airlines, Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV. He is co-founder of Pan Up Productions.

MICHAEL CHEREAU

Michael Chereau is a director, screenwriter and composer based in Paris. His short film Sandier has won more than 35 awards internationally. He is currently developing the animated short film A Home for Swallows alongside Academy Award-winning director Alexander Tullo. He also directs music videos for various artists and has composed music for over twenty short films, commercials, and fashion shows. In 2025, he founded his production company Don’t Ask Production, through which he is developing his first series.