Wetransfer won the marquee Grand Prix honor at the Shark Short Film Awards for The Long Goodbye, directed by Aneil Karla and produced by Somesuch, Written by actor, musician and activist Riz Ahmed to coincide with the release of his new album, The Long Goodbye imagines a dystopian near future in which a British South Asian family is violently rounded up by a gun-wielding gang. Ahmed delivers a powerful rap/monologue at the end of the film.
The Long Goodbye also topped the Short Film Under 15 Minutes category, tied with Try Hard Films for Good Thanks, You? Additionally, Best Original Music and Best Acting Performance kudos went to The Long Goodbye.
Two awards were given for Best Short Film Under 5 Minutes to Dog Eat Dog for Absent and Progress Films for Wake Up.
A couple of awards were also presented for Best Irish Short Film to Feel Good Lost for Christy and to Parallel Films for Sister This.
Best Animated Short was won by Pink Kong Studios for The Dead Hands of Dublin and Best Animation won by Eyebolls for Ladder to You.
Best Documentary Short went to a pair of recipients: The Nice Things for Saoirse and 13CO for Inferno.
Best Direction–International was awarded to 13CO for Inferno and Best Direction–Ireland to Army ID for A Better You and Parallel for Sister This. A Better You also topped the production design category.
Best Cinematography was awarded to Lunapark Pictures, Red Breast Productions, Madrefoca and Clever Mule for The Birth of Valerie Venus. Stitch won Best Editing for Double Tap.
Led by jury president MarBelle, a mixture of commissioners and executive producers from Screen Ireland, Mother Pictures, PRETTYBIRD and Freefolk awarded the iconic shark trophies to the very best in short film.
MarBelle said: “The Shark Awards have long been an exemplar of the creative excellence that drives the visual arts and this year’s shortlisted and award-winning films not only upheld that standard but also demonstrated the power of diversity behind and in front of the camera. From compelling female centric stories to gripping representations of often over looked groups and communities, the 2020 Shark films abundantly demonstrate the vibrancy of short form filmmaking.”
The full list of winners and the shortlist can be accessed here.
