12 Shortlist Finalists: See TheWrap’s Interviews With 2015’s Filmmakers

The fourth annual festival named Gabriel Osorio’s “Bear Story” winner of the Audience Award and Jury Prize during ceremony Tuesday at YouTube Space LA

The Shortlist Film Festival invaded the YouTube Space LA Tuesday, after filmmakers from around the world submitted their projects, TheWrap narrowed the field to 12 finalists.

Gabriel Osorio’s “Bear Story” won TheWrap’s Audience Award and the Jury Prize; Runners-up were Frankie Shaw for her short, “SMILF” and Ian Samuels with “Myrna the Monster.” Pepsi’s first Creators League Award went to Mike and Tim Rauch for “1st Squad, 3rd Platoon.”

Now in its fourth year, the Shortlist added a new category for an original film, titled Pepsi’s Creators League, which chooses one new short, up to five minutes in length.

Read TheWrap’s interviews with the 12 finalists below.

SMILF

1. “SMILF”

Director Frankie Shaw took inspiration from her own life, in which she struggled as a single mom.

german shepherd

2. “German Shepherd”

A trip to Berlin changes a man’s preconceived notions about Germans.

Symphony No. 42

3. “Symphony No. 42”

Réka Bucsi’s experimental animated short consists of almost four dozen vignettes, most about animals.

mulignans

4. “Mulignans”

“One of our intentions was to offend,” director Shaka King says.

bacheh the baby

5. “The Baby”

Director Ali Asgari’s film focuses on women in strict societies who fight for their right to have children unconventionally.

SEND_credit_Photo_Courtesy_of_quotSENDquot

6. “Send”

Director Peter Vack also talks about enlisting friend and costar Julia Garner as the film’s lead.

Bear Story

7. “Bear Story”

In Gabriel Osorio’s short, a bear is a stand-in for his grandfather during the bloody Pinochet regime in Chile.

one year lease short

8. “One-Year Lease”

Voicemail messages from a nosy landlady formed the basis for Brian Bolster’s short documentary.

Russian Roulette

9. “Russian Roulette”

Nobody was more surprised than director Ben Aston when his film, made in two weekends for 50 pounds, became a festival hit.

myrna

10. “Myrna the Monster”

Writer-director Ian Samuels combines puppetry, animation and live action for his look at an ultimate outsider.

pride-of-strathmoor

11. “The Pride of Strathmoor”

Director Einar Baldvin took inspiration from wildly disparate sources for his creepy animated short.

drama

12. “Drama”

A young couple having sex in a car realizes that there are no more condoms left.

Creators League Award

100_second_chances

1. “100 Second Chances”

The four-minute film traces a day in the life of chefs-to-be as they slice, baste and whisk their way to rehabilitation.

platoon

2. “1st Squad, 3rd Platoon”

“The thing that really stood out was his resolve to live on,” says director Mike Rauch of Marine Lance Cpl. Travis Williams.

meghan is on a bender

3. “Meghan is on a Bender”

The main character gets mugged, and instead of letting it go, decides to confront her attacker.

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