Winners of the 21st SoCal Film Awards

Season 21 proves once again that independent cinema is not just alive, but thriving, bold, and fearless at the SoCal Film Awards.

The SoCal Film Awards have announced the winners of Season 21, and as an outlet that has long championed independent film and emerging voices, INFLUX Magazine is proud to spotlight another strong year of global creativity and craft. This season once again reflects the wide-ranging scope of contemporary indie cinema, spanning features, shorts, documentaries, screenplays, and experimental work from filmmakers around the world.

Leading the season are the Diamond Award recipients, honoring excellence at the highest level. Christopher P. Smith’s The Last Ryde earned Best Feature Film, with Jeff Macolino also receiving Actor in a Lead Role for his performance in the film. Joy Ludwig’s Sunday Bloom was named Best Short, while top documentary honors went to Point Washington Outlaws, directed by Kirby Clements, and The Long March Across China, directed by Dagmarette Yen and Isaac Bing Wright. Screenwriting awards highlighted the importance of story, with Nick Nelsen recognized for The Owners (long-form) and Abhishek Mishrra for Skirt That Bleeds (short-form).

The Awards of Excellence and Awards of Achievement further demonstrate the depth of Season 21’s field. Films such as Only Good Feelings, Tensile Strength, Spades, and At the Mercy of Faith stood out alongside compelling documentaries including Hollywood Town – The Harriet Schock Story and The Kid Officer. A wide range of additional honors celebrated the full spectrum of filmmaking disciplines, from directing, cinematography, and editing to animation, sound design, experimental cinema, web series, youth films, and faith-based storytelling. International entries were again a major presence, reinforcing the awards’ global perspective and inclusive reach.

For INFLUX Magazine, the SoCal Film Awards remain a vital touchstone in the independent film ecosystem. What began years ago as the SoCal Independent Film Festival has evolved into a globally recognized platform, screening more than 1,000 films and welcoming both established industry figures and rising creatives. Season 21 continues that legacy, honoring not only standout winners but also the filmmakers and writers pushing the medium forward, reminding audiences that independent cinema remains one of the most exciting and essential spaces for bold, personal storytelling today.

A complete list of the awards is below.

DIAMOND AWARDS

Best Feature Film: The Last Ryde, directed by Christopher P. Smith
Best Short:: Sunday Bloom, directed by Joy Ludwig
Best Documentary Feature: Point Washington Outlaws, directed by Kirby Clements
Best Documentary Short: The Long March Across China, directed by Dagmarette Yen, Isaac Bing Wright
Best Screenplay (Long-Form): The Owners, written by Nick Nelsen
Best Screenplay (Short-Form): Skirt that Bleeds, written by Abhishek Mishrra

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Best Feature: Only Good Feelings, directed by Shervin Nassi
Best Short: Tensile Strength, directed by Rafiah Shiraz
Best Documentary Feature: Hollywood Town – The Harriet Schock Story, directed by Tom Solari
Best Documentary Short: Dauntless Canopy, directed by Yining Zhu
Best Screenplay (Long-Form): Death in Poland, written by Grant Huffman
Best Screenplay (Short-Form): 12:37 – The King David Hotel, written by Michael John Fedun

AWARDS OF ACHIEVEMENT

Best Feature: Spades, directed by Johnny Yong Bosch
Best Short: At the Mercy of Faith, directed by Andrew Arguello
Best Documentary Feature: The Kid Officer, directed by John Rokosny
Best Screenplay (Long-Form): Escape from Color Village: 107’s Journey of the Soul, written by Shu Lin Zhang, Zhen Li
Best Screenplay (Short-Form): The Green Machine, Part I, written by John P. Martinez

ADDITIONAL AWARDS

Actor in a Lead Role: Jeff Macolino in The Last Ryde

Actress in a Lead Role: Courtney Grace in Written in the Sand

Adaptation: Versified! The Human Equation, directed by Sonny Lira

Animated Short: Chirp Talker, directed by Audrey He-Qing Cheng

Cinematography: Piano, directed by Fangke

Cultural Impact: Semana Santa – Sevilla, directed by Marcos Ortega-Morales

Credit Sequence: Stephanie Sucks, directed by Galdino Hladecek

Director: Mirage, directed by Kayshawn Wallace

Editing: Overtime, directed by Steven James Kilper

Educational Movie: Project for a Stationary Paper, directed by Robert Wolter Frank

Experimental Movie: Funeral, directed by Koco Wang

Faith Based Movie: Cross Examination, directed by John Kestner

First-Time Filmmaker: Still, directed by John Kestner

First-Time Screenwriter: The Bride of Christ, written by Vincent Sweeney

International Feature Film: Golden Head, directed by Ildar Musin

International Short Film: Meeting My Granddad, directed by Conor Harte

Micro Short: “Carrots in the Garbage,” (Underway) Pretzels for Profits, directed by Robert Frank

Music Video: “Chunks” by Mould, directed by Martyn Thomas

Sound Design: The Only Universe for Us, directed by Xirui Wang

Web Series: 90 Seconds of Horror, directed by Gayathri K

Youth Movie: 4teen – The Movie, directed by Owen Myre

Screenplay Finalists

Betty’s Dream, written by Liam Engels
Halfway to Vegas, written by James Williams III
Precursor, written by Steve Brown
Swine Heart, written by Theresa Anne Carey, Bruce Stephen Brochtrup
The Sound of the Game, written by Zack Van Eyck

Screenplay Honorable Mentions

Cleanse my Sins, written by Viveka Thompson-Robinson
Contact Kill, written by Michael Szokoli, Matt Connolly, Aidan Ryan, Dylan Weiner
Model UN, written by Stephen T. Smith
Monarchs of the Lost, written by Sojean Peou
Summer’s Silence, written by Chanté Nicole Davis
The Beast, written by Juan Delgado