Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival Announces Award Winners

THE 2021 PHILIP K. DICK SCIENCE FICTION FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 9TH ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS

 

Noah Mucci’s Lunamancer Awarded Top Prize For Best Philip K. Dick Feature

 

Martin Guigui’s The Unhealer Named Best Supernatural Feature

 

Damian Wampler’s Monitor Takes Home Festival’s First-Ever Graphic Novel Award

 

The 2021 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival has announced the award winners for its ninth annual event which featured a lineup of film screenings, discussions, virtual reality, and screenplay and graphic novel competitions. Held in-person from September 17-18 at the Producers Club Theaters in Midtown Manhattan and virtually on September 19, the festival honored its literary namesake by recognizing 19 official selections for outstanding filmmaking and storytelling. More information on this year’s festival and all upcoming events is available at https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com.

 

Congratulations to the award winners of The 2021 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:

 

BEST PHILIP K. DICK FEATURE

Lunamancer (2021) — WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Noah Mucci

Run Time/Country: 70 min, USA

Synopsis: A scientist battles an otherworldly Lunamancer for the soul of his sister, armed only with his faith and a crowbar. Starring Nicki Clyne (Battleship Galactica).

 

BEST SUPERNATURAL FEATURE

The Unhealer (2020)

Director: Martin Guigui

Run Time/Country: 92 min, USA

Synopsis: A botched faith healing on a bullied teenager bestows Native American powers that “reflect” any attempted physical harm back on his aggressor. When his lifelong tormentors pull a prank that kills someone he loves, he uses his powers for revenge and goes on a bloody rampage to settle the score. Starring Lance Henriksen (Aliens) and Natasha Henstridge (Species).

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Origin of the Species (2020)

Director: Abigail Child

Run Time/Country: 92 min, USA

Synopsis: An experimental feature documentary that explores current realities of android development with a focus on human/machine relations, gender & the ethical implications of this research. The film records cutting edge laboratories in Japan & the USA where scientists attempt to make robots move, speak & look human. These scientists & their discoveries are contextualized with cinematic & pop culture references, to underline the mythic, comic & uncanny aspects of our aspirations.

 

BEST PHILIP K. DICK SHORT

Pa Pa (2019)

Director: Douglas Petrie

Run Time/Country: 14 min, USA

Synopsis: A lonely mechanic builds a mechanical boy – and becomes an unlikely father to his own creation. Directed by the executive producer of HBO’s The Nevers and starring Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption).

 

BEST DIVERSITY IN SCI-FI SHORT

The Last Starship (2020)

Director: Eric Haywood

Run Time/Country: 18 min, USA

Synopsis: After most of the human race has evacuated earth and relocated to a new world across the galaxy, a group of survivors forms a desperate plan to escape our planet and join the rest of humanity…but the plan comes with a significant risk. Directed by the co-executive producer of NBC’s Manifest and starring Grace Byers (Empire), Jack Coleman (Heroes), and Loretta Devine (Family Reunion).

 

BEST SCI-FI SHORT

The Immortal (2020)

Director: Carl Firth

Run Time/Country: 20 min, Australia

Synopsis: A man who fears death discovers the secret of immortality, but learns that eventually, everything dies - everything except him.

 

BEST ESCHATON, SINGULARITY AND BEYOND SHORT

diff (2019)

Director: Keitaro Fujimori

Run Time/Country: 27 min, Japan

Synopsis: Astronaut Anna awakes on Earth alone after an accident on the surface of the moon. As she undergoes rehabilitation with her attending physician and trainer, she slowly remembers. Yet the differences between her present self and her recollected memories trouble her. Anna eventually learns the truth about her accident.

 

BEST SUPERNATURAL SHORT

Koreatown Ghost Story (2021)

Director: Minsun Park, Teddy Tenenbaum

Run Time/Country: 15 min, USA

Synopsis: In this supernatural horror tale based on a Korean ritual, a woman entertains a macabre marriage offer that would let her pursue her dreams, for better or for much much worse. Starring Grammy and Emmy-nominated standup comedian Margaret Cho, and Lyrica Okano (Marvel’s Runaways).

 

BEST ISOLATION IN SCI-FI SHORT

Routine (2020)

Director: Russ Emanuel

Run Time/Country: 4 min, USA

Synopsis: A film about Cassie and her life during a pandemic, one of quarantine, routines, monotony, consistency, day in, day out - that is, until she runs out of coffee.

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

The Dark Odyssey (2020)

Director: Michael Lavine

Run Time/Country: 9 min, USA

Synopsis: A brave captain and his faithful mate transport a captive warrior, who holds The Inventory of The Mind, across the interstellar line. When their ship is forced to navigate an asteroid field, their mission is jeopardized.

 

BEST WEB SERIES

Super Science Friends (2020)

Director: Brett Jubinville

Run Time/Country: 24 min, Canada

Synopsis: A group of super powered scientists are sent through time by Winston Churchill to fight nazis.

 

BEST TRAILER

Come On, Harleen (2020)

Director: Christopher Leong

Run Time/Country: 2 min, USA

Synopsis: As grad student, Harleen Quinzel researches a newly deceased Joker for her thesis, she soon uncovers the commonality she shares with Gotham's most-feared; spiraling back into the darkness of her own private and tortured past.

 

BEST VIRTUAL REALITY

GEIMU: A Live-Action VR Film

Director: Dorian Goto Stone

Country: Japan

Synopsis: Emi, a gamer, and her friend Hiroshi illegally hack together her gaming console and her AI device (like a Google Home or Amazon Alexa) and then enter the virtual reality RPG (role-playing-game) game world that the AI creates, set in medieval Japan. As they progress in the game, it becomes increasingly glitchy and weird and it becomes evident that Emi and her friend’s lives may be in danger from a deviant AI.

 

BEST PHILIP K. DICK SCREENPLAY

Future-Human: A Documentary

Writer: Noel David Taylor

Country: USA

 

BEST SCI-FI PROTOTYPING SCREENPLAY

The Hammer Falls

Writer: Travis Heermann

Country: USA

 

BEST SCI-FI SCREENPLAY

JoinWith.Me

Writer: Mike Meier

 

BEST SUPERNATURAL SCREENPLAY

Lizard People

Writer: Christopher J. Hall

Country: USA

 

BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY

Ads Attraction

Writer: Brenden Hubbard, Damon Russell

Country: USA

 

BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL

Monitor

Writer: Damian Wampler

Country: USA