The 9th annual Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival wrapped up recently and the award winners have been announced. With a cross section of disciplines awards were given for feature films, documentaries, short films, screenplays, web series, VR, trailer and for the first time, graphic novel.
All the winners are announced in the full press release below.
THE 2021 PHILIP K. DICK SCIENCE FICTION FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 9TH ANNUAL AWARD WINNERSNoah Mucci’s Lunamancer Awarded Top Prize For Best Philip K. Dick FeatureMartin Guigui’s The Unhealer Named Best Supernatural FeatureDamian Wampler’s Monitor Takes Home Festival’s First-Ever Graphic Novel AwardThe 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 FEATURELunamancer (2021) — WORLD PREMIEREDirector: Noah MucciRun Time/Country: 70 min, USASynopsis: 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 FEATUREThe Unhealer (2020)Director: Martin GuiguiRun Time/Country: 92 min, USASynopsis: 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 DOCUMENTARYOrigin of the Species (2020)Director: Abigail ChildRun Time/Country: 92 min, USASynopsis: 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 SHORTPa Pa (2019)Director: Douglas PetrieRun Time/Country: 14 min, USASynopsis: 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 SHORTThe Last Starship (2020)Director: Eric HaywoodRun Time/Country: 18 min, USASynopsis: 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 SHORTThe Immortal (2020)Director: Carl FirthRun Time/Country: 20 min, AustraliaSynopsis: A man who fears death discovers the secret of immortality, but learns that eventually, everything dies - everything except him.BEST ESCHATON, SINGULARITY AND BEYOND SHORTdiff (2019)Director: Keitaro FujimoriRun Time/Country: 27 min, JapanSynopsis: 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 SHORTKoreatown Ghost Story (2021)Director: Minsun Park, Teddy TenenbaumRun Time/Country: 15 min, USASynopsis: 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 SHORTRoutine (2020)Director: Russ EmanuelRun Time/Country: 4 min, USASynopsis: 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 SHORTThe Dark Odyssey (2020)Director: Michael LavineRun Time/Country: 9 min, USASynopsis: 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 SERIESSuper Science Friends (2020)Director: Brett JubinvilleRun Time/Country: 24 min, CanadaSynopsis: A group of super powered scientists are sent through time by Winston Churchill to fight nazis.BEST TRAILERCome On, Harleen (2020)Director: Christopher LeongRun Time/Country: 2 min, USASynopsis: 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 REALITYGEIMU: A Live-Action VR FilmDirector: Dorian Goto StoneCountry: JapanSynopsis: 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 SCREENPLAYFuture-Human: A DocumentaryWriter: Noel David TaylorCountry: USABEST SCI-FI PROTOTYPING SCREENPLAYThe Hammer FallsWriter: Travis HeermannCountry: USABEST SCI-FI SCREENPLAYJoinWith.MeWriter: Mike MeierBEST SUPERNATURAL SCREENPLAYLizard PeopleWriter: Christopher J. HallCountry: USABEST SHORT SCREENPLAYAds AttractionWriter: Brenden Hubbard, Damon RussellCountry: USABEST GRAPHIC NOVELMonitorWriter: Damian WamplerCountry: USA