The Brightside Tavern Shorts Fest Film Series

02/28/2025

SEE YOU NEXT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY! Now in our 20th season at The Brightside Tavern, 141 Bright Street in Jersey City, NJ Saturday March 8th and Sunday March 9th
Tickets for the fest as a whole, both days and all sets are available on our FilmFreeway page https://filmfreeway.com/TheBrightsideTavernShortsFest/tickets and a few will be at the door on both days.
Keep checking out http://www.brightsidetavernfilmfestival.com and our page https://www.facebook.com/brighsidetavernshortsfest for event schedules, award nominations, filmmaker interview video clips, and more!

02/26/2025

Some of Michelle Trachtenberg’s most well known roles

02/24/2025

Hit the like button if you plan on joining us for Brightside season 20 in two weeks.

02/23/2025

We almost forgot but added a fest pass for $22

Buy tickets and passes for The Brightside Film Festival.

02/22/2025

Season 20 Tickets Are On Sale Now!

02/22/2025

https://filmfreeway.com/TheBrightsideTavernShortsFest/tickets

Tickets for the fest on sale now, its coming up soon.

Buy tickets and passes for The Brightside Film Festival.

02/17/2025

The schedules and nominations are up and ticket sales as well.

02/15/2025

02/14/2025

The ticket site is up

02/13/2025

Tickets are up for the films screening on Saturday

Buy tickets and passes for The Brightside Film Festival.

02/10/2025

There are a lot of high school films this time around so the are the noms for hs

Best Film

What Remains of Us

Click

Untill Daylight Comes

Eye of the Beholder

Medley

From The Moon to Her Son

Your Beautiful Smile

Headlock

Best Director

Jesse Acker for Headlock

Katherine Pecora for Medley

Solomon Fezer for What Remains of Us

Jonathan Aspin for Click

Aronas Zajan for Eyes of the Beholder

Madysen Doughery for Until Daylight Comes

Sharyea Phillips for From the Moon to Her Son

Kenny Hankins for Your Beautiful Smile

Best Actor

Jay Butkowski for Headlock

Christopher O’Keeefe for Click

Solomon Fezer for What Remains of Us

Gabriel Amoroso for The Eyes of the Beholder

Zion Parks for Until Daytight Comes

Will Davenport for Until Daylight Comes

Aiden Montes Rodriquez for Untitled Artist

Best Actress

Akiana Delmanto for My Love Will Find You

Bellina Jimenea for Your Beautiful Smile

Mellony Ledo for What Remains of Us

Madison Newton for Click

Caroline Stocker for The Color Blue

Aria Kutty for Burber & Butter Chicken

Andrea Pena for From the Moon to Her Sun

Best Director-Experimental

Gianna Gavric for The Color Blue

Anthony DeMarco for bITTER bETRAYAL

James Ketley for Delusion

Jesse Acker for Headlock

Micheal Puma and Ethan Castro for Solitary

Angelina Colavita for The Voice

Lily Goba for Untitled Artist

Best Experimental

Delusion

Solitary

The Color Blue

Grief

Headlock

Untitled Artist

The Voice

Best NJ Film

My Love Will Find You

Your Beautiful Smile

Eye of the Beholder

Headlock

Medley

Bunker Folley

Solitary

The Color Blue

Best Horror/Thriller

Delusion

The Voice

Bunker Folley

A Brisk Killing

Stalker

Eyes of the Beholder

My Love Will Find You

Best Concept HS

biTTER bETRAYAL

Elder’s Crossing

Delusion

Experimental Ideas

The Cat Talker 3000

The Suited Man

Medley

Burgers and Butter Chicken

Untitled Artist

Best Comedy

bITTER bETRAYAL

The Cat Talker 300

Elders Crossing

Experimental Ideas

South Dakota Jones and the Lost Tempe of RR

Mac vs PC

Orange You Scared

Best Animation

You’re Gonna Win Some Money

Grief

Medley

South Dakota Joens and the Lost Tempe of RR

Orange You Scared

Best Script

What Remains of Us

Click

Eyes of the Beholder

Burger & Butter Chicken

Until Daylight Comes

From the Moon to Her Sun

Your Beautiful Smile

Medley

Best Cinematography

Delusion

Untitled Artist

The Color Blue

Your Beautiful Smile

Until Daylight Comes

From the Moon to Her Sun

Headlock

02/09/2025

College nominations, there will be some added awards at the awards show

Best Concept

The Memorex

Son of the Ocean

Deserve

Kumares

The Promotion

Widow’s Walk

Best Cinematography

The Memorex

Good Enough

Widow’s Walk

Son of the Ocean

Dawn of Time

Best Actor

Jack Turkovich for Good Enough

Eric Alexander for Widow’s Walk

Daryl Keith Johnson for A Night’s Chemistry

Emile La Morte for The Memorex

Mason Castillo for Deserve

Emile LA Morte for Deserve

Best actress

Emily K Hernandez for Dawn of Time

Zeek Peaks for A Night’s Chemistry

Ruby Ricicsak for the Promotion

Ylfa Edelstein for Good Enough

Best film

Deserve

The Promotion

Good Enough

Dawn of Time

Widow’s Walk

A Night’s Chemistry

Best diretor

Sabrina Zoe Geffner for Good Enough

Manny Martinez for Dawn of Time

Blaise Cauvin for Widow’s Walk

Jamal Thomas for A Night’s Chemistry

Helen Zhang for the Promotion

Jaaden Marcos Licor for Deserve

Best Script-Non Produced

Where

Living with Mr. Fishy

02/09/2025

The regular film nomination, students films will come later

Unproduced script nominations

The Honeymoon Heisters by Tom Bragg

Final Encounter by AJ Ciccotelli

Best of Times by Jim Norman

Fido by John Norris Ray

Open by Cesar Sanchis Romero

Pigs by Roberto Sierra Oregel

One A.M. by Joe Territo

Just No Beyond by Roberta M Roy

Best Animation

Skate Fast Turn Left

Banana Tree

Mammouth: Chasing the Rainbow

Berlin

Best Micro Short

Thank You

The Mud Hole

Find the Right One

Skate Fast Turn Left

Best Short Short

Spaced Invaders

Consequences

The Truth Between Us

Must Be Nice

The Monitor

The Brother In Law

Best NJ Short

A Violet Breakup

The Monitor

The Unorthodox Mr. Haywood Winner

Consequences

Must Be Nice

Wake Up!

Best NJ Director

Tyrell Jason for A Violet Breakup

Sam Platizky for The Monitor

Ginny Pados for The Unorthodox Mr Haywood

Joey Mosca for Must Be Nice

Tony Carpinelli for Consequences

Christian Cordes and John Sabla for Wake Up!

Best Actress-NJ Short

Angie Hansen for A Rough Start

Jo Gagliardo for Must Be Nice

Katie Walsh for Pierciing Gaze

Ger Glennon for Wake Up!

Susan Gillespie Corbett for Wake Up!

Sabrina Iacobellis for The Truth Between Us

Best Actor NJ

Dan Gregory for Must Be Nice

Maxwell C Blackriver for The Unorthodox Mr. Haywood

Isaac Platizky for The Monitor

Adam Vaugh for It Still Burns

Joseph Hernandez for Consequences

Dan Gregory for The Truth Between Us

Best Film Long Short

The Cafone

Back Story

So To Speak

The Woman in the Room

The Unorthodox Mr Haywood

Sing Me to Sleep

Best Director long Short

Tom Bentey for The Cafone

Seth Reuben Jacobson for Back Story

Celine Parreñas Shimizu for So To Speak

Danny Donnelly for The Woman in the Room

Mario Valdivieso for Sing Me To Sleep

Ginny Pados and Maxwell C. Blackriver for The Unorthodox Mr Haywood

Best Actor Long Short

Maxwell C. Blackriver for The Unorthodox Mr Haywood

James Ciccone for The Cafone

Bill Sorvino for Back Story

Ryan Cason for Sing Me to Sleep

Eric Crist for The Woman in the Room

Luka Salib for So To Speak

Best Actress Long Short

Ariel Dizon Barish for So To Speak

Dina Aldabbagh for Sing Me to Sleep

Susan Moses for The Woman in the Room

Courtney Coffey for I Love Monroe

Alicia Giangrisostomi for Back Story

Best Film-Medium short

The Concert

Blood is Thicker

Method & Madness

A September to Remember

Cascades

Right To Privacy

Best Director medium short

Elizabeth Bourgeois for The Concert

Melissa Skirboll For Blood is Thicker

Anna Russell For Mehod & Madness

Sam Gollestani for A September to Remember

Brian Russell for Cascades

Julie Herlocker for Right to Privacy

Best Actor Medium Short

Michael Fedele for The Mansion

Ariya Gharamani for A September to Remember

Jeff Clark Jr for Career Day

Mark Romeo for Cascades

Mark Montalbano for The Rooftop

Best Actress Medium Short

Mai Benezra for Izzy

Jeanine Bartel for Blood is Thicker

Julia Maggiola for Method & Madness

Nancy Nagrant for Right to Privacy

Viridiana Camacho for Always With You

Delissa Reynolds for Cascades

Best Comedy

The Cafone

Wake Up! Short

Career Day

A Rough Start

Piercing Gaze

Oh Daddio!

Best Director- Comedy

Tom Bentey for The Cafone

John Vincent Sabia, Christian Attrel Cordes for Wake Up!

John M Kerner for Career Day

Manny Serrano for A Rough Start

Joel Kaplan for Oh Daddio!

Alex Walpole for Peircing Gaze

Best Horror/Thriller

A Rough Start

It Still Burns

Consequences

The Monitor

Coin Flip

A Violet Breakup

Best Horror/Thriller-Director

Manny Serrano for A Rough Start

Ryan C. Scott for IIt Still Burns

Sam Platizky for The Monitor

P. J. Shager for Coin Flip

Tony Carpinellifor Consequences

Tyrell Jason for a Violet Breakup

Best Ensemble

The Unorthodox Mr. Haywood

The Cafone

So To Speak

Career Day

Right To Privacy

Method & Madness

The Concert

Best Concept

Copy Cataclysm

I Love Monroe

The Rooftop

A September to Remember

Spaced Invaders

Good Buddies

The Mansion

Wake Up!

02/08/2025

Best NJ Short

A Violet Breakup

The Monitor

The Unorthodox Mr. Haywood

Consequences

Must Be Nice

Wake Up!

Best NJ Director

Tyrell Jason for A Violet Breakup

Sam Platizky for The Monitor

Ginny Pados for The Unorthodox Mr Haywood

Joey Mosca for Must Be Nice

Tony Carpinelli for Consequences

Christian Cordes nad John Sabla for Wake Up!

Best Actress-NJ Short

Angie Hansen for A Rough Start

Jo Gagliardo for Must Be Nice

Katie Walsh for Pierciing Gaze

Ger Glennon for Wake Up!

Susan Gillespie Corbett for Wake Up!

Sabrins Iacobellis for The Truth Between Us

Best Actor NJ

Dan Gregory for Must Be Nice

Maxwell C Blackriver for The Unorthodox Mr. Haywood

Isaac Platizky for The Monitor

Adam Vaugh for It Still Burns

Joseph Hernandez for Consequences

Dan Gregory for The Truth Between Us

02/07/2025

Best Comedy

The Cafone

Wake Up! Short

Career Day

A Rough Start

Piercing Gaze

Oh Daddio!

Best Director- Comedy

Tom Bentey for The Cafone

John Vincent Sabia, Christian Attrel Cordes for Wake Up!

John M Kerner for Career Day

Manny Serrano for A Rough Start

Joel Kaplan for Oh Daddio!

Alex Walpole for Piercing Gaze

02/07/2025

Best Film-Medium short

The Concert

Blood is Thicker

Method & Madness

A September to Remember

Cascades

Right To Privacy

Best Director medium short

Elizabeth Bourgeois for The Concert

Melissa Skirboll For Blood is Thicker

Anna Russell For Method & Madness

Sam Gollestani for A September to Remember

Brian Russell for Cascades

Julie Herlocker for Right to Privacy

Best Actor Medium Short

Michael Fedele for The Mansion

Ariya Gharamani for A September to Remember

Jeff Clark Jr for Career Day

Mark Romeo for Cascades

Mark Montalbano for The Rooftop

Best Actress Medium Short

Mai Benezra for Izzy

Jeanine Bartel for Blood is Thicker

Julia Maggiola for Method & Madness

Nancy Nagrant for Right to Privacy

Viridiana Camacho for Always With You

Delissa Reynolds for Cascades

02/07/2025

Best Horror/Thriller

A Rough Start

It Still Burns

Consequences

The Monitor

Coin Flip

A Violet Breakup

Best Horror/Thriller-Director

Manny Serrano for A Rough Start

Ryan C. Scott for IIt Still Burns

Sam Platizky for The Monitor

P. J. Shager for Coin Flip

Tony Carpinellifor Consequences

Tyrell Jason for a Violet Breakup