Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White has won the Audience Choice Award for Best Film at the 49th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF49). The Sundance Award-winning documentary captures poet Andrea Gibson as they navigate a terminal cancer diagnosis with their wife, fellow poet Megan Falley, by their side.

Shoshanna Stern won Reel Women Direct Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman for Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore; WAVES, directed by Jiří Mádl won the Central and Eastern European Competition; A Mother Apart, directed by Laurie Townsend won the Portrait Documentary Competition; and Color Book, directed by David Fortune won the New Direction Competition.

Feature Film Award Winners

Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film, Sponsored by the Callahan Foundation
Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White – $20,000 cash prize

Reel Women Direct Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman
Shoshanna Stern (for Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore) – $10,000 cash prize

George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition, Endowed by The George Gund Foundation
WAVES, directed by Jiří Mádl – WINNER, $10,000 cash prize
I’m Not Everything I Want to Be, directed by Klára Tasovská – HONORABLE MENTION

Portrait Documentary Competition
A Mother Apart, directed by Laurie Townsend – WINNER, $10,000 cash prize
Come See Me in the Good Light, directed by Ryan White – HONORABLE MENTION

New Direction Competition
Color Book, directed by David Fortune – WINNER, $10,000 cash prize
Familiar Touch, directed by Sarah Friedland – HONORABLE MENTION

Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition Endowed by The George Gund Foundation
I’m Your Venus, directed by Kimberly Reed – $7,500 cash prize

Global Health Competition, Presented with generous support from Mark Smith and Janet Rosel Smith
Baby Doe, directed by Jessica Earnshaw – $7,500 cash prize

American Independents Competition
Griffin in Summer, directed by Nicholas Colia – $7,500 cash prize

Local Heroes Competition, Presented with generous support from Lauren Rich Fine and Gries Financial Partners
Lone Wolves, directed by Ryan Cunningham – $7,500 cash prize

Ad Hoc Docs Competition Presented with generous support from Tom and Anita Cook
I Need You: 53 Years of the Band America, directed by Dustin Elm and David Breschel – $7,500 cash prize

International Narrative Competition Presented with generous support from Tom Piraino and Barbara McWilliams Family Foundation in memory of Tom Piraino
Undercover, directed by Arantxa Echevarría – $7,500 cash prize

FilmSlam Student Choice Award for Best Feature Film, Presented with generous support from Overdrive (Paul Elrabadi)
Following Harry, directed by Susanne Rostock – $2,000 Cash Prize

Short Film Award Winners

Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film Overall, Sponsored by Char and Chuck Fowler
Belief, directed by Christian Loubek – WINNER – $1,000 Cash Prize
Night Session, directed by Ballard C. Boyd – RUNNER UP
The Music Store, directed by Joe Gillette – HONORABLE MENTION

Best Animated Short Award*
Patterns, directed by Alex Glawion – WINNER, $1,000 cash prize
Snow Bear, directed by Aaron Blaise – RUNNER UP
Alone, directed by Alex Weight – HONORABLE MENTION

Best Documentary Short Award*
Hoops, Hopes and Dreams, directed by Glenn Kaino – WINNER, $1,000 cash prize
On Healing Land, Birds Perch, directed by Naja Pham Lockwood – RUNNER UP
Old Lesbians, directed by Meghan McDonough – HONORABLE MENTION

Best Live Action Short Award*
Kiki, directed by Naomi Sheridan – WINNER, $1,000 cash prize
Mother Tongue, directed by Vea Mafile’o – RUNNER UP
The Music Store, directed by Joe Gillette – HONORABLE MENTION

Best Comedy Short Jury Award, Endowed award honoring life and legacy of David K. Ream (Anne Ream)
Don’t Bring Empanadas, directed by Salvator Sutera – WINNER, $1,000 cash prize
Dirty Towel, directed by Callie Carpinteri – RUNNER UP
Giving Mom the Talk, directed by Vidya Iyer – HONORABLE MENTION

Programmer’s Choice Award, Given in Celebration of the Life of Toni Oliverio, Sponsored by The Sloop Family (Paul Sloop)
The Music Store, directed by Joe Gillette – $1,000 cash prize

Best After Hours Short Audience Choice Award
The Pearl Comb, directed by Ali Cook – $1,000 Cash Prize

Best Black Cinema Short Audience Choice Award
Thomasville, directed by Alex Woodruff – $1,000 Cash Prize

Best Family Short Audience Choice Award
Snow Bear, directed by Aaron Blaise – $1,000 Cash Prize

Best LGBTQ+ Short Award Given in Celebration of the Life of Nikki Babbit, Sponsored by Jamie Babbit
Old Lesbians, directed by Meghan McDonough – $1,000 Cash Prize

Best LatinX Short Audience Choice Award, Sponsored by La Familia Watilo Blake (Chris & Laura)
Marcel’s Piñata, directed by Manuel Trotta – $1,000 Cash Prize

Best Ohio Short Audience Choice Award
I Forgot to Tell You About…The Story of the Cleveland Buckeyes, directed by Evelyn Renee Gregory – $1,000 Cash Prize

Best Student Short Audience Choice Award, Sponsored by Overdrive (Paul Elrabadi)
ADO, directed by Sam Henderson – $1,000 Cash Prize

Best Women’s Short Audience Choice Award
On Healing Land, Birds Perch, directed by Naja Pham Lockwood – $1,000 Cash Prize

The Ophelia Award: In Celebration of the Life of Dakota Ophelia Berg, Sponsored by Jim Brumbaugh and Carolyn Berg
The Singers, directed by Sam Davis – $1,000 Cash Prize

The Tom and Ginny Knoll Family Award In Celebration of Acts of Kindness, Sponsored by Tom and Ginny Knoll and The Knoll Family Fund Promoting Civility and Acts of Kindness of Akron Community Foundation
Technicians, Kelly Luu & Kevin Luu – $1,500 cash award

*These award winners will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards.®