08/06/2025
The Awards Winners are up!
http://www.brightsidetavernfilmfestival.com
Now the regular ones…
NJ Achievement in The Art of Acting "The Tom Parisi" Award: Erin O'Brien
NJ Achievement in The Art of Filmmaking Award: A.J. Ciccotelli
Best Actor Long Short
Joseph A. Sernio for Horsepower
Kobi Frumer for The Actress
James Naughton for Sit with Me While I Die
Matthew Tarricone for Cain’s Legacy WINNER
Steve Johnson for Conversations In a Diner
Wendell Laurent for The Final Walk
Best Actor-Medium
Jeff Clark Jr. for Flowers
Michael Fedele for Assassin WINNER
Timothy Norman for Breaking Point
John Marean for Brimstone
Lukas Hassel for Up Close
Harry Seddon for Delivery!
Best Actor-NJ
Jacob E. Matthews for Lessons
Jack Mulcahy for Lessons
Ethan Pann for A Conversation with Mary
Dylan Thomas for Soul Mates WINNER
David Morton for Beyond Words
Ron Liguori for Artold Bernice’s Cheek
Best Actress Long Short
Erin O’Brien for Horsepower
Erika Lynn Jolie for The Actress
Mia Dillon for Sit with Me While I Die
Tammy Dawson for Conversations In a Diner
Beatrice Boepple for The Final Walk
Mia Michaud for Beyond Words WINNER
Best Actress-Medium
Abigail Johnson for Life Support WINNER
Sienna Reid for A Creature Was Stirring
Tal Shashoua for I’ve Always Loved Bonfires
Vitoria Vasconcellos for I’ve Always Loved Bonfires
Shoshanna Withers for Love and Hatred in Megawave City
Best Actress-NJ
Lyndsay Smart for Diagnosis WINNER
Morgan Warren for A Conversation with Mary
Katia Mendoza for Soul Mates
Mia Michaud for Beyond Words
Leslie Hochman for Artold Bernice’s Cheek
Best Supporting Actor
Glenn McBride, Jr. for The Final Walk WINNER
Johnny Beirne for Artold Bernice’s Cheek
Boyd Gaines for Sit with Me While I Die
Dan Gregory for Diagnosis
Richard B. Watson for Cain’s Legacy
Oliver Feaster for Conversations in a Diner
Best Supporting Actress
Catherine Oliviere for The Actress WINNER
Karen Sillas for Sit with Me While I Die
Kara Groom for Conversations in a Diner
Amaya Montañez for Soul Mates
Julia Winer for Brimstone
Sahar Babi for Forever Home
Best Ensemble
Horsepower
Static Cling
Conversations in a Diner RUNNER UP
Soul Mates
Artold Bernice’s Cheek WINNER
Brimstone
Sit With Me While I Die
The Actress
Best Director-Long Short
Tony Carpinelli for Beyond Words
Brian Russell for Sit with Me While I Die WINNER
Erika Lynn Jolie for The Actress
DJ Higgins for Horsepower
Lucas Wolfe for Conversations In a Diner
David Blume for Cain’s Legacy
Tom Ryan for The Final Walk
Best Director-Medium
Debra Markowitz for Brimstone WINNER
Jamon Tolbert for Life Support
Luke Pengelly for I’ve Always Loved Bonfires
Timothy Norman for Breaking Point
Paul Vivona, Nicholas Simmons for Gun and Run
Debra Markowitz for Assassin
Best NJ Director
Larry Rosen for Diagnosis
Jack Mulcahy, Caleb Grandoit for Lessons WINNER
Tony Carpinelli for A Conversation with Mary
Cris Thorne for Soul Mates
Tony Carpinelli for Beyond Words
A.J. Ciccotelli for Artold Bernice’s Cheek
A.J. Ciccotelli for The Ghost of Summers Past
Best Director-Comedy
Leticia Buchanan for Betty
Steven Lifshey for Static Cling
Larry Rosen for Dinner Date Night, Tastes Just Right
Joseph Columbo for Mansplaining
Natalie Mahoney for Cupcake WINNER
Forrest Bennett for Mug
Best Director-Horror/Thriller
Danielle Sarubbi for A Creature was Stirring WINNER
Joey Mosca for Blind Date
Samuel Giordano for Delivery!
Russ Emanuel for Quarantine
George Carrillo for T-Day
Pat Bradley for Flowers
David Musolf for Scared 13 Seconds Flat
Best Short-Long
Horsepower WINNER
The Final Walk RUNNER UP
Conversations In a Diner
Sit With Me While I Die
The Actress
Cain’s Legacy
Beyond Words
Best Short-Medium
Brimstone
Assassin
Life Support
I’ve Always Loved Bonfires WINNER
Breaking Point
Gun and Run RUNNER UP
Best Short-Short
Dinner Date Night, Taste Just Right
A Conversation
Cupcake
Mansplaining WINNER
Reflection RUNNER UP
S.Y.N.T
Best NJ Short
Diagnosis
Lessons
Soul Mates RUNNER UP
A Conversation with Mary
Beyond Words WINNER
Artold Bernice’s Cheek
The Ghost of Summers Past
Best Comedy
Betty
Static Cling WINNER
Dinner Date Night, Tastes Just Right RUNNER UP
Mansplaining
Cupcake
Mug
Best Horror/Thriller
A Creature was Stirring
Blind Date
Delivery!
Quarantine
T-Day RUNNER UP
Flowers WINNER
Scared 13 Seconds Flat
Best Sci-Fi
Aris Quite Oddly RUNNER UP
Love and Hatred in Megawave City WINNER
Scared 13 Seconds Flat
Entangled
Betty
Celestial Echoes: Dread of Twilight
Quarantine
Best Animation
The Rose, the Butterfly and the Dolphin
Flamingo
Larry’s Weather Station Moon
The Duke of Sorenburgh PT. 1 WINNER
Fire of the Sons
Mallrats 2: Die Hard in a Mall
Best Cinematography
I’ve Always Loved Bonfires
Horsepower WINNER
A Creature Was Stirring
The Final Walk
Love and Hatred in Megawave City
Beyond Words RUNNER UP
Best Concept
Up Close
Intended to Hurt
Forever Home WINNER
Chaos in the Kitchen
Entangled
Love and Hatred in Megawave City RUNNER UP
The Ghost of Summers Past
Best Unproduced Script
Ryan Paduano for Max Payne: Darkest Days
Daniel Gessner for The Back End WINNER
Lisa Marie Tedesco for Olivia Colmna Says My Farts Don’t Stink
Best Shocking Scene
Betty
Best Acting Duo
Tammy Dawson and Steve Johnson for Conversations in a Diner
Best Experimental
Intended to Hurt
Best Micro-Short
A Conversation
Best Fight Scene
S.Y.N.T.
