08/11/2026
All Season 23 award winners, as well as the nominations, are up at http://www.brightsidetavernfilmfestival.com/august-2026-award-winners--nominees.html
NJ Achievement in The Art of Acting "The Tom Parisi" Award: Linda Collins
NJ Achievement in The Art of Filmmaking Award: Brian Russell
Best Actor Long Short
Austin Green for Last Shot at Redemption
Jeff Clark Jr. for Method Man WINNER
Matthew Sean McLaughlin for Union Street
Kadambari Kiran for Maa Illu (Our Home)
Mark Montalbano for Upside Down on Long Island
Best Actor-Medium
Jacob Burke for No More Mister Nice Guy WINNER
James Naughton for Past Prologue
Brian Po***ck for The Inheritance
Louis Renaldo for LOUsely Based
Connor Connelly for Booth for Two
Angelo Acevedo for Sideblinded
Best Actor-NJ
Brian Po***ck for The Inheritance WINNER
Angello Acevedo for Sideblinded
Austin Green for Last Shot at Redemption
Louis Renaldo for LOUsely Based
Dan Gregory for Thousand Dollar Show
Conner Connolly for Booth For Two
Richard Frohman for The Inheritance
Best Actress-Long Short
Malena Sadaka for Upside Down on Long Island WINNER
Jaya Naidu for Maa Illu (Our Home)
Lexie Grace Gibaldi for Cryptic Desire
Jordan Chin for Method Man
Tara Haight for Last Shot at Redemption
Best Actress-Medium
Ellivia Gold for The Quiet Between
Judi Beecher for Simultané WINNER
Pat Bowie for Past Prologue
Kaya Shellhammer for A Never Ending Beginning
Linda Collins for Silent Harmony
Sivan Maya for Booth For Two
Best Actress-NJ
Linda Collins for Silent Harmony WINNER
Jenna Maryn Sierra for Thousand Dollar Show
Sivan Maya for Booth For Two
Penelope Hinds for Last Shot at Redemption
Lyndsay Smart for Cold Feet
Best Ensemble
Union Street
LOUsly Based WINNER
Past Prologue RUNNER UP
Simultané
Booth For Two
Cryptic Desires
Best Director-Long Short
Matthew Sean McLaughlin for Union Street
David Musolf for Upside Down on Long Island
Andrew Babu for Maa Illu (Our Home)
The Cremer Brothers for Last Shot at Redemption WINNER
Creed Kang for A Father’s Funeral
Brian Bill for Tide and Table
Connor Brost for Cryptic Desire
Best Director-Medium
John Ross for The Inheritance
Sam Evoy for The Quiet Between
Thomas Grascoeur for Simultané
Debra Markowitz for Silent Harmony
Brian Russell for Past Prologue
Byron Ruf for Booth for Two WINNER
Best NJ Director
John Ross for The Inheritance
Debra Markowitz for Silent Harmony
The Cremer Brothers for Last Shot at Redemption
Eric A. Eisenstein for LOUsely Based WINNER
Byron Ruf for Booth for Two
Jenna Kildosher for Thousand Dollar Show
Tony John Carpinelli for Sideblinded
Best Director-Comedy
Hunter Wilde for The Despicable Speeder-man
Kevin McDevitt for Bike Short
Devon Reed for No More Mr. Nice Guy WINNER
Vivek Pranavamurthi for A Never Ending Beginning
Nancy Viola, and Ron Liguori for In Person Friends
Pat Bradely for Method Man
Lyndsay Smart for Cold Feet
Best Director-Horror/Thriller
Connor Brost for Cryptic Desire WINNER
Larry Rosen for The Resurrection of Ophelia
The Cremer Brothers for Last Shot at Redemption
Gregory Gullo for Carnal Inferno
Manny Serrano for Do You Hear What I Hear?
Best Short-Long
Union Street WINNER
Upside Down on Long Island RUNNER UP
Maa Illu (Our Home)
Last Shot at Redemption
A Father’s Funeral
Tide and Table
Cryptic Desire
Best Short-Medium
The Inheritance
The Quiet Between RUNNER UP
Silent Harmony
Past Prologue WINNER
Simultané
On Homesteading
Best Short-Short
1.21 Gigawatts RUNNER UP
Housewife
The Bowl RUNNER UP
A Fleeting Fugue WINNER
Sally
Attenuator
A Never Ending Beginning
Is This The Bed We Lie In?
Best Short-Micro
Sonnet 18 RUNNER UP
Random Thoughts
Cold Feet
Bar Therapy WINNER
Elise and Clarise: Majestic Young Ladies
King Karno
Best NJ Short
The Inheritance WINNER
Silent Harmony
Last Shot at Redemption
LOUsely Based
Thousand Dollar Show
Booth for Two
Sideblinded RUNNER UP
Best Comedy
The Despicable Speeder-Man
Bike Short WINNER
No More Mr. Nice Guy
A Never Ending Beginning
Method Man
Cold Feet RUNNER UP
In Person Friends
Best Horror/Thriller
Cryptic Desire
The Resurrection of Ophelia WINNER
Last Shot at Redemption
Carnal Inferno
Do You Hear What I Hear? RUNNER UP
Best Documentary
God Forbid: 20 Years of Treason
I Used to Live Here
Tide and Table WINNER
On Homesteading
Best Animation
San Francisco WINNER
Enemy Heroes
King Karno
Best Cinematography
Simultané WINNER
Union Street
1.21 Gigawatts
Silent Harmony
Bike Short
On Homecoming RUNNER UP
Best Concept
1.21 Gigawatts
Chaos & Meticulous
The Bowl
Thousand Dollar Show WINNER
Housewife
The Eclipsed RUNNER UP
Carnal Inferno
Best Unproduced Script
Joe Mass for RV Positive
Giulio Bianchi for Drastic Measures WINNER
Lisa Marie Tedesco for Love on the Lift
Certificate Awards
Rising Star
Ellivia Gold
Best Acting Duo
Jenna Maryn Sierra and Dan Gregory for Thousand Dollar Show
Best International
Maa Illu (Our Home)
Best Supporting Actress
Alexandra Rooney
Best Music Video
1.21 Gigawatts
High School and College Award Nominations
High School
Best Director-High School
Kennedy Price for Sticks and Stones WINNER
Grace Rusin for Love
Chris Ambrose for Love at First Flush
Ollie L. Duffy for Silk and Stone
Emily Reese Ommerborn for The Butterfly
Addie Akina Knoll for Constellations of the Sea
India Anne Mitchell for Us and Them
Best Director Experimental-High School
Jana Bedić for Tree of Life
Emily Reese Ommerborn for The Butterfly
Ollie L. Duffy for The Balloon
Emily Reese Ommerborn for Blanket Fort
Evan Gabriel for Life In Color
Ollie L. Duffy for Silk and Stone WINNER
Calvin Kehoe for Office Spaced
Best Film-High School
Sticks and Stones
Slash
Love
Life In Color WINNER
Silk and Stone RUNNER UP
The Butterfly
Blanket Fort
Best Comedy-High School
alieN Film WINNER
Father Donkey
The Grass is Always Meaner
Love at First Flush
Super Hernos
The Half Naked Gun
Jingle Brawl
Notas de Amor RUNNER UP
Best Horror/Thriller-High School
The Night of the Killer Lemon
Slash RUNNER UP
Whispers in the Woods
No Escape WINNER
Sirens
Jingle Brawl
Best Experimental-High School
Tree of Life RUNNER UP
The Butterfly WINNER
The Balloon
Blanket Fort
Life in Color
Silk and Stone
Office Spaced
Best Concept-High School
The Night of the Killer Lemon WINNER
Father Donkey
Love at First Flush
The Half Naked Gun
Office Spaced
Ninety
Jingle Brawl
See You Again RUNNER UP
Best Documentary-High School
Constellations by the Sea WINNER
No Small Matter
Meep City
Ideal Beach
Static Summer
Us and Them RUNNER UP
Best Ensemble-High School
alieN Film
Slash
Life in Color
No Escape WINNER
Silk and Stone
Jingle Brawl
The Half Naked Gun
Sticks and Stones RUNNER UP
Best Editing-High School
Tree of Life
Sticks and Stones
The Butterfly
Life in Color WINNER
Super Hernos RUNNER UP
Ninety
Office Spaced
alieN Film
Best Story/Script-High School
Kennedy Price for Sticks and Stones WINNER
Ezra Diane Murawski for No Escape
Ninety
Charles Rosenberg for alieN Film
Evan L Gabriel for Life in Color
Love at First Flush
Office Spaced
The Half Naked Gun
High School Certificate Awards
Best Animation-High School
The Grass is Always Meaner
Best International-High School
Tree of Live
Rising Star
India Anne Mitchell
College
Best Actor-College
Caden Nahf for FANGS! The Musical
Sergio Salazar for In Consideration
Sean Michael Wells for Drinking and Justice WINNER
Justin Del Valle for The Fine Print
Connor Matthews for The Cycle
Krystian Bester for Future Days
James Busam for My Own Worst Enemy
Best Actress-College
Morgan Ryan for FANGS! The Musical
Abby Smook for Meet Me at the End
Barbara Moreno for It Came from Beneath
Ava Hojnowski for Dear Vivian WINNER
Ariana Papaleo for Living with Mr. Fishy
Hannah Leigh Kelly for Future Days
Lexy Dewland for My Own Worst Enemy
Best Director-College
Natalie Mahoney for Meet Me at the End WINNER
Daniel Krastek for FANGS! The Musical
Faith Robininson-Hughes for Dear Vivian
Tom Xiao for Future Days
Christian Gonzalez for In Consideration
Ian Baker for My Own Worst Enemy
Jose Pedro Sarango for It Came from Beneath
Best Ensemble-College
FANGS! The Musical WINNER
Meet Me at the End
Dear Vivian
My Own Worst Enemy
The Fine Print
Living with Mr. Fishy
Best Film-College
Meet Me at the End RUNNER UP
Dear Vivian
Future Days WINNER
FANGS! The Musical
In Consideration
My Own Worst Enemy
It Came from Beneath
Best NJ Film-College
FANGS! The Musical
Drinking and Justice
The Fine Print
Dear Vivian WINNER
Remember Me: A Rachel Rose Story
My Own Worst Enemy RUNNER UP
Living with Mr. Fishy
Apple and The World Eater
Best Cinematography-College
For Keith
Dear Vivian
Future Days RUNNER UP
It Came from Beneath WINNER
Drinking and Justice
Meet Me at the End
Best Concept-College
For Keith
Apple and The World Eater
It Came from Beneath
FANGS! The Musical
In Consideration RUNNER UP
Remember Me: A Rachel Rose Story WINNER
Living with Mr. Fishy
Best Story/Script-College
Natalie Mahoney for Meet Me at the End
Christian Gonzalez for In Consideration
Tom Xiao for Future Days
Aaliyah Shoulders and James Felcon for Dear Vivian
Drinking and Justice
Roberto Ramirez for The Fine Print
Austin Hurt and Isabella Nielsen for The Cycle WINNER
College Certificate Awards
Best Horror-College
It Came From Beneath
Best Animation-College
Apple and The World Eater
Best Comedy-College
The Fine Print
Best Experiment-College
For Keith
Best Short Short-College
Ranger Dave Enjoys a Quiet Evening
Best Documentary-College
Remember Me: A Rachel Rose Story
Best International-College
A Fatherless Funeral
Award Nominations Awards held on Sunday, August 2nd 7:45pm NJ Achievement in The Art of Acting "The Tom Parisi" Award: Linda Collins NJ Achievement in The Art of Filmmaking Award: Brian Russell Best...
