GI Film Festival San Diego 2021 Award Winners

National Award Winners

The following titles are winners in the GI Film Festival San Diego 2021 categories:

Best Actress
Nina Brissey | “Amazing Grace”

Best Actor
Cristian Valle | “Fort Irwin”

Best Documentary Short
“Liberation Heroes: The Last Eyewitnesses in association with USC Shoah Foundation” | Directed by Vanessa Roth

Best Narrative Short
“Amazing Grace” | Directed by Nina Brissey

Best Student Film
“Fort Irwin” | Directed by Quinn Else

Best First-Time Filmmaker
Christian Taylor | “The Girl Who Wore Freedom”

Best Film Made By Military or Veterans
“The Long River Home” | Directed by Seth Dahl

Best International Film
“The Final Stand” | Directed by Vadim Shmelyov

Best Film Starring Military or Veterans
“Fort Irwin”| Starring Cristian Valle, Directed by Quinn Else

Best Documentary Feature
“The Girl Who Wore Freedom” | Directed by Christian Taylor

Founders Choice Award
“Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation” | Directed by Richard Lui

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Local Film Showcase 2021 Award Winners 

The following titles are winners in the Local Film Showcase for the GI Film Festival San Diego 2021. These winners are all connected to San Diego in some way, such as the filmmaker’s place of residence/production office, film subject, shooting/editing, historic event, or other meaningful tie-in. San Diego County areas of residence or neighborhood where the film was created are included if filmmakers provided this information:

Local Film Showcase – Best Short
“THE FARM” | Directed by Shawn Efran

Local Film Showcase – Best Film Made By or Starring Military or Veterans
“The 11th Order” | Directed by Joshua DeFour