2024
April 5-7, 2024
102 Entries
57 Official Selections
We caught some great films in 2024!
Our distinguished panel of judges had their work cut out for them: They watched 102 entries – over 45 hours of high production values, compelling stories, diverse perspectives, and masterful performances. It was a challenge to pare the list down, and the judges (and we staff) extend thanks and appreciation for the outstanding films entered.
This year we introduced the CRIFF Iowa Filmmaking Impact Award, presented to individuals or organizations who have made a significant contribution to filmmaking with Iowa Connections, and/or our festival.
The first Impact Award went to Bruce Taylor and Collins Road Theatres for supporting CRIFF, awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships, and being the best host for this event for 20 years.
The second Impact Award went to Craig Schaefer, Loras College Professor of Media Studies for his indelible impact on this festival since 2003. Craig has been directly or indirectly involved in 46 entries and 41 official selections, including 5 this year, and numerous Eddy Awards. And even more importantly, he has mentored hundreds and continues to mentor young filmmakers, building the creative community of the future.
2024 also featured a Documentary Forum and Student Forum!
Congratulations to all Official Selections and Eddy Award Winners!
For images from all years, visit our Archive Gallery
Eddy Award Results
Eddy Award Results
Professional Freestyle
Gold
Never Lose
Silver
Martian Encounter
Professional Short Film
Gold
Drawn
Silver
We Joined a Cult
Professional Documentary
Gold
Arcades & Love Songs – the Ballad of Walter Day
Silver
Shift: The Ragbrai Documentary
Professional Feature
Gold
Friendly Faces
Silver
Knee High
ProAm Freestyle
Gold
Outlaws: a Poem
Silver
Romantics & Rebels
ProAm Short Film
Gold
Jamiroquai Has No Friends
Silver
Tillie
ProAm Documentary
Gold
A Century of Citizenship
Silver
Tama Flint: A Meskwaki Tradition
ProAm Feature
Gold
Crimson Archer a GI JOE fan film
Silver
The Salvages
Student Freestyle
Gold
Genesis
SILVER
Automated Confession Service
Student Short Film
Gold
Layaway
Silver
Charlotte’s: A Love Story
Student Documentary
Gold
Why Not Me?
Silver
Life in Color
Student Long-Form
Gold
This is He
Audience Choice Award
The Kids’ Table
Student Audience Choice Award
S’mores
Iowa Connection Award
Shift: The Ragbrai Documentary
$1000 Collins Road Theatres Student Scholarship
Lightsaber Battle
We caught some great films in 2024!
Our distinguished panel of judges had their work cut out for them: They watched 102 entries – over 45 hours of high production values, compelling stories, diverse perspectives, and masterful performances. It was a challenge to pare the list down, and the judges (and we staff) extend thanks and appreciation for the outstanding films entered.
This year we introduced the CRIFF Iowa Filmmaking Impact Award, presented to individuals or organizations who have made a significant contribution to filmmaking with Iowa Connections, and/or our festival.
The first Impact Award went to Bruce Taylor and Collins Road Theatres for supporting CRIFF, awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships, and being the best host for this event for 20 years.
The second Impact Award went to Craig Schaefer, Loras College Professor of Media Studies for his indelible impact on this festival since 2003. Craig has been directly or indirectly involved in 46 entries and 41 official selections, including 5 this year, and numerous Eddy Awards. And even more importantly, he has mentored hundreds and continues to mentor young filmmakers, building the creative community of the future.
2024 also featured a Documentary Forum and Student Forum!
Congratulations to all Official Selections and Eddy Award Winners!
2024 Official Selections
II Amendment
ProAm Short
Ciro Fusco – Writer/Director
Kevin Nolting – Editor
Padraic O’Meara – DP
Portland, OR
29 Years, A Second Chance at Life
ProAm Documentary
Steve Saunders – Producer/Director
David Salzberg – Producer
Pat (Hymel) Lipinski – Executive Producer
Omaha, NE
90 Pounds of Butter
Student Documentary
Austin Reimer – Director
Ella Thome – Producer
Zach Booth – Director of Photography
University of Minnesota
Mounds View, MN
Agnus Dei Music Video
Pro-Am Freestyle
Jean-Francois Charles – Director/Editor
Anika Kildegaard – Singer
Philip Rabalais – Director of Photography
Jaruam Xavier – Choreographer
Iowa City
Arcades & Love Songs – the Ballad of Walter Day
Professional Documentary
Ed Cunningham – Producer/Director
Seth Gordon, Jonathan Perkins – Producers
Long Beach, CA
Automated Confession Service
Student Freestyle
Ethan Jon Ahrens – Director
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls
Before Our Eyes
Student Documentary
Matthew Williams, Joshua Payan – Directors/Producers
Loras College Media Studies
Dubuque
Behind Everyman
Pro-Am Short
Brittany Benedict, Demian Alan Mancino – Directors
Kevin Shepherd – Writer
Cintree Films
Coralville
Blue Christmas
Professional Narrative Feature
Max Allan Collins – Writer/Director
Chad Thomas Bishop – Producer
Phillip W. Dingeldein – Director of Photography
Muscatine
Bonicel
Professional Documentary
Nick Ford – Director/Producer
Bruce James Bales – Director of Photography/Producer
Rhys Davis, Easton Koch – Producers
Des Moines
A Century of Citizenship
ProAm Documentary
Gabriel Fink – Writer/Director
Ashton Nanke – Editor/Director of Photography
Spare Card Media
Cedar Rapids
Charlotte’s: A Love Story
Student Narrative Short-Form
Libby Perry, Emily Surma – Writers/Directors/Producers
Loras College Media Studies
Dubuque
CRIMSON ARCHER a G.I. JOE Fan Film
Pro-Am Feature
Pierre Doanetto – Director/Producer
Eric Bench – Director/Writer/Director of Photography/Editor
John Doanetto – Director/Assoc. Producer
Chris Hansen – Director of Photography/Editor
Clive
Dear Liza
Professional Narrative Short
Adam Harper – Writer/Director/Producer
Sydney Davis – Producer
Atlanta, GA
Devil’s Due
Pro-Am Short
Jacob Daniels – Writer/Director
Kevin Shepherd – Writer
Mediaverse Studios
Marengo
Drawn
Professional Narrative Short
Ty Clancey – Writer/Director/Producer
Bo Clancey – Producer
Stephen Tringali – Director of Photography
Victor House Films
Los Angeles, CA
Dunk
Student Narrative Short-Form Film
Jack Joseph McCarthy – Writer/Director/Producer
North Scott HS
Eldridge
The Family You Choose
ProAm Short
Sabryna Papagni – Writer/Director/Producer
Demian Alan Mancino – Director/Producer
Mediaverse Studios
Cedar Rapids
Friendly Faces
Professional Narrative Feature
Keaton Marshall Fuller, Landon Sheetz, Joey Loboda, Spencer Michael Smith, Marissa Vonn, Bruce James Bales, Matthew Tribble, Ron Reynolds – Directors
Keaton Fuller – Writer
Phillip Platz, Marc Bauer, Ricardo Rangel – Producers
Iowa City
Genesis
Student Freestyle
Dillon Jacobson – Director/Producer
University of Iowa
Iowa City
Hell’s Gold
Student Narrative Short-Form
Kathryn Christensen – Writer/Director/Producer
Hannah Pedersen, Wyatt Debban – Producers
Frumble Films
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE
I’m Listening
Nick Hull – Writer/Director
University of Iowa
Iowa City
The Inside SIngers
Professional Documentary
Daniel Kolen – Director
Chicago, IL
It’s Not Weather
Professional Narrative Short
Ashton Nanke – Director/Writer/Cinematographer/Editor
Kolton D.P. O’Brien – Assistant Director
Cedar Rapids
Jamiroquai Has No Friends
ProAm Short
Kazek Israni-Winger – Writer/Director
Abby Bjorholm – Producer
Cedar Falls
The Kids’ Table
ProAm Short
Stephen Folker – Director
Beth Ann Hinde – Writer/Producer
Cedar Rapids
The King of Berry
Student Narrative Short-Form
Nathan L. Gusman – Writer/Director/Producer
Gage M. Dawson – Director/Producer
Wayne State University
Wahoo, NE
Knee High
Professional Feature
Marissa Vonn – Writer/Director
Bruce James Bales, Michael Ridley, Dakota Carpenter, Kalena Clarkson – Producers
Agency
Layaway
Student Narrative Short-Form
Kaitlyn T. Busbee – Writer/Director/Producer
Hanna Gray Organschi, Kai Swanson – Producers
NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Brooklyn, NY
Life in Color
Student Documentary
Kendra Gauge Hefner – Writer/Director/Producer
Harvard Extension School
Winfield
Lightbulb
Student Narrative Short-Form
Hannah Meyer – Director
Mark Newcom – Producer
Waldorf University
Forest City
Lightsaber Battle
Student Narrative Short-Form
Palmer George LeVake – Writer/Director/Producer
Cedar Rapids Washington HS
Cedar Rapids
Limits
ProAm Short
Courtney Grawe – Writer/Director
Dave Grawe – Producer
Davenport
Lost in the In-Between: Graduating into 2020
Professional Documentary
Jenna Galligan, Ryan Adams, Jake Maish – Directors
Danny Wilcox Frazier – Producer
Jason Brummond – Executive Producer
Daily Iowan Documentary Workshop
Iowa City
Martian Encounter
Professional Freestyle
Paul Huenemann – Writer/Director/Producer
Right Purdy Animation
Cedar Rapids
melancholia
Student Freestyle
Artie Kerchmar – Writer/Producer/Animator/Editor
Loras College Media Studies
Dubuque
Milkshake
Student Narrative Short-Form
Ai Tomita Bly – Writer/Director/Producer
Ashley Valenzuela – Cinematographer/Producer
Erik Martinez Gonzalez – Producer
San Jose State
San Jose, CA
Never Lose
Professional Freestyle
Josh Booth – Director/Producer
Tyrone Thomas – Writer/Producer
West Des Moines
Origin Point
Professional Narrative Short
Tony Joseph Cross – Writer/Director/Producer
Taylor Ridge, IL
Outlaws: a Poem
ProAm Freestyle
Jason Cox – Director
Whitney Montgomery – Writer
Tiffany Iskander, Gregg Voegtlin – Producers
Pleasant Hill
Parsons – the School that Changed the Rules
Professional Documentary
Dick DeAngelis – Director
Fair Field Productions
Fairfield
Parts & Pieces
Professional Documentary
Bruce James Bales – Director/Cinematographer/Editor
John Hennessey Baker – Sound
Des Moines
PAW
Student Narrative Short-Form Film
Timothy Tindle – Writer/Director/Videographer/Editor
Martin Blythe – Writer/Sound/Editor
Noah Miller – Producer/Assistant Editor
Ivan Rico – Sound/Assistant Editor
Loras College Media Studies
Dubuque, IA
Posthumous
Professional Narrative Short
Jon Gollner – Writer/Producer/Director
John Otterbacher – Producer
Chicago, IL
Resurrecting Forest Grove
Professional Documentary
Kelly Rundle – Writer/Director/Producer
Tammy Rundle – Producer
Fourth Wall Films
Moline, IL
Romantics & Rebels
ProAm Freestyle
Braxten Jones – Writer/Director/Producer
Cedar Rapids
S’mores
Student Narrative Short-Form
Matt Chezum – Director
Augustana College
New Windsor, IL
The Salvages
ProAm Feature
Carrsan T. Morrissey – Writer/Director
Michael Duede – Original Score
Cedar Falls
Shift: The RAGBRAI Documentary
Professional Documentary
Kelsey Kremer, Courtney Crowder – Directors
Carol Hunter, Kathy Kieliszewski – Producers
Des Moines
Suffer In Silence
ProAm Short
Demian Alan Mancino, Brittany Benedict – Directors
Allison Noelle – Writer
Jolie Stratton, Garrett Sandoval, Adam Rudisill, Laura, Taylor Gholson, Bradley Cerny – Producers
Cintree Films
West Des Moines
Tama Flint: A Meskwaki Tradition
ProAm Documentary
Oogie_Push – Director/Producer
The Meskwaki People – Writers
Minneapolis, MN
Thick as Thieves
Professional Narrative Short
Spencer Michael Smith – Director
Bruce James Bales – Writer/Producer/Cinematographer
John Hennessey Baker – Sound Mixer/Design/Score
Des Moines
This is He
Student Narrative Long-Form
Leah Rebekah Bennett – Writer/Director/Producer
Blake Bodlak – Producer
Wayne State University
Wayne, NE
Tillie
D Andrew Hartfield – Writer/Director/Producer
Noelle P. Wilson – Director/Producer
Tillie Hartfield – Writer
Hudson, WI
We Joined A Cult
Professional Narrative Short
Chris McInroy – Writer/Director
Kris Phipps, Matthew Thomas, Stacey Bell, Jarrod Yerkes – Producers
Austin, TX
Wheel of Death
Professional Narrative Short
Patrick Boberg – Writer/Director/Producer
Des Moines
Why Not Me?
Student Documentary
Libby Perry, Emily Surma – Directors/Producers
Loras College Media Studies
Dubuque
