*BEST OVERALL WINNER*
Adrienne Lunson, Director
Upon receiving her son’s first published book, Kiko decides to tell her best friend Midori about a shameful secret from their childhood, how she “made a deal with the devil” for her son’s future.
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Best Documentary Short Film by a Veteran
Kerron Andrews, Award-winning Film Director · Author · TEDx Speaker · Navy Veteran
A young woman finds serendipitous purpose in Real Estate after dealing with the unfortunate loss of her mother.
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Robert B. Brown, Antony Andrious
Five U.S. Marines tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident during retrograde operations on September 23, 1972, on Grytoya Island in Norway as part of Operation Strong Express. This poignant documentary follows the remarkable journey of a lost ring—its discovery, return to the Marine’s grieving family, and the enduring memorial built to honor these brave Marines.
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Patrick Kirby, Filmmaker · Veteran
The Tallapoosa River brings a community of veterans together to find peace, connection and of course, red eye bass. Wind through Alabama’s pines, meet Rowell and his friends, and cast a line or two with them while hearing about their healing connection to this community and this special place.
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John Salcedo, Director
Across four nations, military veteran suicides outpace combat deaths 19 to 1 with over 155,000 suicides since Sept 11, 2001. Dr. Harch's hyperbaric neurological discovery becomes the target of a global conspiracy to protect medical profits over human lives.
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Best Documentary Short Film by a Non-Veteran
Kevin Hanzlik, Producer · Writer · Director · Editor · Collaborator · Problem Solver
This film reflects the joy and honor of teaching Veterans representing all branches of the Military; and one sees that their talent is enormous.
Military Veterans at The Oregon School of Arts under instructor Randall Vemer created several paintings on the theme 'BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOR ART'. They were exhibited along with the film at 4 Veterans Administration venues in Portland Oregon May 2024.
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Christian Peschken, Director · Cameraman · Screenwriter
"Mission: Possible – Miracle over Berlin" is a commemorative documentary featuring the late Col. Gail Halvorsen, the famed "Candy Bomber" of the Berlin Airlift. Created for the 2019 anniversary of the historic post-WWII humanitarian mission, the film highlights Halvorsen’s reflections and legacy.
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Maria Mendez Reed, Director
When Stacy Bilodeau, a military spouse, mother of two, and 2018 Coast Guard Spouse of the Year was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, she faced the battle largely alone, while her husband continued to serve. Isolated in a small town far from family and fellow military support, her story quietly unfolded with resilience, grace, and strength.
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Kerron Andrews, Director · TEDx Speaker · Navy Veteran
A single father, unable to cope with the painful memories of his late wife, forces his son to abandon his art, believing it only deepens the grief. Fed up with his father's control, the son runs away to a nearby winery, where he stumbles upon a dark secret. When the sinister discovery follows him home, the father must face the consequences of his actions. But by the time he decides to make a change, it may already be too late to save his son.
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Alysha Haran, Director · Navy Veteran
A classical composer's muse returns for a brief visit in the final days before World War II, adding torture to pain when they clash over differing memories of the time spent together during their youth. Playing his unfinished composition together is the last moment they share before a broken heart leads to bitter regret.
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Alysha Daniele Haran, Director · Navy Veteran
A long night in jail leads to a catharsis and a new day for a veteran trying to outrun his painful past.
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Andrew Hernandez, Director · Army Veteran
A social worker and his Spanish interpreter navigate their new way-of-life alongside a deadly virus while the CDC and American government painstakingly work on a potential cure
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Best Narrative Short Film by Non-Veteran
Austin J Lawrence, Filmmaker · Actor · Producer
A young underaged soldier, Jack Miller, finds himself lost behind enemy lines in France. Inspired by the true stories that are dedicated to the young underaged soldiers who serve in World War II reminding all that all wars are started by men but finished by the youth they send to out to fight them.
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Adrian Hernandez, Director · Cinematographer
"Little Boy" dramatizes the testimony of real life WWII Tail Gunner Bob Caron, a United States airman who witnessed the bombing of Hiroshima from the air.
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Best Short Comedy by a Veteran
Sam Hunter, Director · Producer · Marine Veteran
A parody of real-life events. When Karen discovers cute internet videos of a family who brought an injured squirrel and raccoon into their home rescue, she summons the full weight of the government. Will Justice be served?
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Chris R Armienti, Filmmaker
Peter, our everyday hero, faces challenges at his office job, with his wife, and even at the country club, which makes his week one of the worst ever.
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Mia Rivera, Joshua Lang
In an old fashion battle of the sexes, Lizzy and her friends band together against their cigar smoking husbands.
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Sam Ameen, Cinematographer
The spirits of veterans and celebrities at American Legion Post 43 in Hollywood are just trying to enjoy their afterlife when paranormal investigators crash their evening.
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Best Student Film or First Time by a Veteran
Louise Riofrio, Director
In the Great Land of Alaska, a girl learns from her Tlingit uncle about her Eagle heritage and how to fly a seaplane.
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Kate Monroe, CEO · Director · Marine Veteran
In this short film, we journey into the mind of a veteran, brought to life by Karate Kid’s Sean Kanan. Haunted by the battles he continues to fight off the field, he wrestles with the weight of being denied the help he earned. His inner voice wonders: what if things had been different? What if the right support—the right moment—could have pulled him back before he disappeared?
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Luna Lee, Animator · Artist · Student · Army Veteran
A seemingly ordinary matchstick, repeatedly dismissed and denied recognition as a military veteran, slowly ignites with emotion—until it finally flames up, revealing the true weight of the micro aggressions it endured.
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Gabriel Santos, Director
With a Single Leg is a poignant short film about a high school wrestling prodigy whose future seems destined for greatness. Recruited by top colleges and admired by his peers, he carries a secret that only his single mother and close cousin know—he’s battling cancer. As the physical toll of his illness begins to surface on the wrestling mat, the façade of invincibility starts to crack, revealing a young man fighting not just for victory, but for dignity, legacy, and the love of those closest to him.
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Best Vietnam Short Film by a Veteran
Nathan Tetreault, Todd Tetreault
A short documentary made by the Tetreault Brothers about Medal of Honor recipient Sammy Lee Davis.
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James Nanney Jr, Editor · Writer · Director · Marine Veteran
A Vietnam vet returns home with physical and mental wounds. This film is a moving portrayal of how a hero can feel like a Burden.
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Bill Thibeault, Musician · Filmmaker · Vietnam Veteran
Gary, Greg and Kelly Jo Sage, patriotic brothers from a patriotic family, live a simple life in Niobrara Nebraska. They spend their childhoods working on their farm, going to movies and fairs, and playing sports for the local high school. When the Vietnam war breaks out half a world away, Gary, the eldest makes a dinnertime announcement that he will join the Marines. Conflict ensues between Gary and his father Ernest, ending in a compromise that Gary will join the Navy.
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Overall Best Film by a Veteran
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