We are thrilled to share the winners and honourable mentions of the second annual F-O-R-M awards, recognizing films that impacted juries and audiences alike! These awards, made possible by our partner organizations SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs and Co.ERASGA, come with a cash prize for the filmmakers.

Learn more about all F-O-R-M 2021 films in our festival program guide here.

Most Memorable Youth Short Film presented by SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs

WINNER: DUEL Alfonso Sales, Philippines
HONOURABLE MENTION: CTRL_R Maria Kobzeva, Germany

The SFU Youth Jury is proud to present the Most Memorable Youth Film award to Duel (Alfonso Sales, Philippines). The jury was composed of dance and film students who held different perspectives while in deliberation with one another. Duel’s dance-infused take on the Western genre was refreshing—its clever execution challenged the jury’s preconceived notions on what movement-on-screen looks like. CTRL_R (Maria Kobzeva, Germany) also left a lasting impression on the jury through its innovative concept and use of multiple mediums.

Thanks to the SFU Youth Jury: Jullianna Oke, Sarah U, Carley Dubreuil, Paige Wichers, Fegor Obuwoma, Rio Huenemann

About Duel
At the heart of the desert, a bounty hunter finally finds an infamous raider and attempts to take him down to claim the bounty. Both cowboys duel it out to prove who the baddest cowboy is in the wild, wild west.

Director Alfonso Sales // Choreographers + Performers Juan Diego Villarosa, Juan Gabriel Villarosa // Cinematographer Alfonso Sales // Producer Sky Solitude Pictures // Editor Alfonso Sales // Production Assistant Karla Urquiaga // Writer Alfonso Sales // Co-Writers Juan Diego Villarosa, Juan Gabriel Villarosa

Most Memorable Emerging Short Film presented by Co.ERASGA 

WINNER: PRINCESS B Gosse + Jason Vu, United States
HONOURABLE MENTION: IN PLAIN SIGHT عیان Tanin Torabi, Iran

PRINCESS (B Gosse + Jason Vu, United States) is a film that completely encapsulates the perilous journey of self discovery and acceptance. The Co.ERASGA Artistic Committee was captivated by the film’s meticulous juxtaposition of movement and camera, as well as how PRINCESS offers a blissful sense of hope through the warmth of its images. The beautiful meditative experience told through In Plain Sight عیان (Tanin Torabi, Iran) left the jury in awe of the quiet yet stimulating presence of dance in Iran.

Thanks to the Co.ERASGA Artistic Committee: Antonio Somera Jr., Marissa Wong, Joshua Ongcol

About PRINCESS
PRINCESS portraits a resolving of identity for non-binary Vietnamese-American dancer Jason Vu as they revisit memories of desire from their childhood. A work of radical softness, it pleads with us to investigate our most intimate truths. What if yearning is wound up? How quickly it unfolds, exposes us, confronts us with little sense of shame. PRINCESS is both a celebration of uninhibited queerness and a reckoning with its violent history. If trauma is trapped in the body, what happens when it bursts out from the inside? Can we then ask the body to sift and separate fear from desire? Embodying past, present, and future, PRINCESS recalls that freedom appears in the unknown, that sanctuary is not a place, but an action of remembering.

Directors Jason Vu + B Gosse // Choreographer + Performer Jason Vu // Cinematographer B Gosse // Camera Assistance Ze Jucutan // Editor B Gosse // Production Support Unicorns&Unicorns // Composer Amanda Yamate // Sound Mixer Romain Sturma // Voice Over Engineer Theresa Vu

Most Moving Short Film presented by Co.ERASGA and voted on by F-O-R-M 2021 audiences 

WINNER: SHOULDERING INTERVALS OF DESIRE Danielle Mackenzie Long (Commissioned Artist), Canada
HONOURABLE MENTION: BETSY Nicola Adilman, Canada

Shouldering Intervals of Desire (Danielle Mackenzie Long, Canada) is the film that left a lasting impression on YOU, the audience! The textures and use of editing and movement surprised you, moved you, and had you on the edge of your seats. Audiences were also wowed by the quirky character of Betsy (Nicola Adilman, Canada).

Thanks to all the audience members who cast a vote — we love hearing which films resonated with you!

About Shouldering Intervals of Desire
Slowly, SHOULDERING INTERVALS OF DESIRE reveals itself as a visual vault depicting the accumulation of my many aspirations, which have all been influenced by the relationship I hold between time and life. As circumstances in my life change, my relationship to time shifts drastically, as do my ambitions and desires.

Director Danielle Mackenzie Long // Cinematographer Max Berkowitz // Performers Danielle Mackenzie Long + Alder Sherwood // Choreographer Danielle Mackenzie Long // Sound Designer Miya Kosowick // Editor Danielle Mackenzie Long // Wardrobe Alder Sherwood + Allie Shiff

Shouldering Intervals of Desire was co-commissioned by New Works for F-O-R-M 2021

Artistic Committee Award presented by F-O-R-M 

WINNER: MOTHERLAND Alger Liang 梁家傑 (Commissioned Artist), Canada
HONOURABLE MENTION: FLOW TIDE Shion Skye Carter, Canada

The F-O-R-M 2021 Artistic Committee would like to thank Alger for telling his story, embracing portrayals of grief, and allowing his heart to communicate through the memorable piece of art that is motherland (Alger Liang, Canada). This film reminds committee members and audiences alike that our humanity transcends labels such as “dancer” or “filmmaker”. The images of motherland take their time to speak for themselves, and with that, invite us to welcome the silence of the past, present, and future. The Artistic Committee would also like to recognize Flow Tide (Shion Skye Carter, Canada) for being an inspiring and expertly-crafted example of how art is intersectional.

Thanks to F-O-R-M’s 2021 Artistic Committee: Kimberly Ho, Chéline Lacroix, Lexi Mellish Mingo, Simran Sachar

About Motherland
A grieving boy moves through liminal spaces, queering time as he simultaneously embodies the past, present, and future.

Writer, Director, Producer, Performer, Editor Alger Ji-Liang // Director, Producer, Editor, Craft Services Joshua Lam // Choreographer, Behind-the-Scenes Videographer Sarah Wong // Director of Photography, VFX Shiun Okada // Production Assistant Michelle Strauss // Sound Designer, Music Composer Veron Xio // Colourist Patrick Gong // Editing Supervisor Ian Tan // Foley Artist, Music Supervisor Alger Ji-Liang

Thank you!

The F-O-R-M 2021 awards were made possible through the support of our partner organizations SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs and Co.ERASGA.

Learn more about F-O-R-M 2021 here, and see F-O-R-M 2020 winners here.
Visual design for F-O-R-M by Flory Huang