Dylan Boom’s “Elevate” Takes Best of Show: Meet the 2022 SJSFF Winners

By October 11, 2022Award Winners

The 14th annual San Jose International Short Film Festival wrapped up Sunday at CineArts at Santana Row after four days, 108 short films from 21 countries and 25 programs. Our jury has named this year’s winners, and the top prize, Best of Show, goes to Elevate, directed by Dylan Boom.

The 2022 Jury Award Winners

  • Best of Show: Elevate, directed by Dylan Boom
  • Best Drama: The Stupid Boy, directed by Phil Dunn
  • Best Animation: Air, directed by Brian Wilcox
  • Best of World Cinema: Off Side, directed by Sophie Martin
  • Best Documentary: Freedom Swimmer, directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire
  • Best Family Film: Father, Son, and the Beach, directed by Chieh-Huei Hsu
  • Best Comedy: The One Who Never Watched Friends, directed by Charlotte Gabris
  • Best Student Film: Where No One Lives, directed by Li Anne Liew
A woman and a man stand in front of elevator doors in Elevate
Elevate, Best of Show.
A hand-drawn figure over a dark sea at night in Freedom Swimmer
Freedom Swimmer, Best Documentary.

Best of Show: Elevate

Directed by Dylan Boom

Tiffany works the graveyard shift as a security guard at a government building. Over the course of one work night, she finds herself facing unspoken realities after a chance encounter. Dylan Boom’s drama screened in our An Uncomfortable Truth program before taking home Best of Show, our top jury award.

Best Drama: The Stupid Boy

Directed by Phil Dunn

London is being terrorized by Christian white supremacists. While a broken man is groomed for the next attack, a boy from Brixton sees the world in a different way, and seeing things differently can be dangerous. Phil Dunn’s UK drama screened in our The Human Experience program.

Best Documentary: Freedom Swimmer

Directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire

Between 1950 and 1980, an estimated two million people fled China for Hong Kong, many of them by swimming some five miles of dangerous, freezing water. Australian director Olivia Martin-McGuire tells one of those stories through a mix of hand-made animation and live action. It screened in our A Hard Doc’s Life program.

More 2022 Winners

Brian Wilcox’s Air won Best Animation, and Chieh-Huei Hsu’s Father, Son, and the Beach, from Taiwan, won Best Family Film; both screened in our Kids & Family program. Sophie Martin’s Off Side, from France, took Best of World Cinema. Charlotte Gabris’s The One Who Never Watched Friends, also from France, won Best Comedy, and Li Anne Liew’s Where No One Lives was named Best Student Film.

An animated girl in a yellow hood and face mask in Air
Air, Best Animation.
A boy runs through a busy night market in Father, Son, and the Beach
Father, Son, and the Beach, Best Family Film.
An older couple and a boy at a dining table in Off Side
Off Side, Best of World Cinema.
A family sits around a dinner table in a red-lit room in Where No One Lives
Where No One Lives, Best Student Film.

See Every Winner

Thank you to every filmmaker who shared their work with us this year. See all of the 2022 winners and the full festival lineup on our 2022 winners page, and browse every year’s winners on our Awards page.

Danny Halvorson

Author Danny Halvorson

Danny Halvorson is Creative Director at Clear Digital, with more than 25 years of experience in design, branding and digital experiences. His work has earned numerous accolades, including Addy Awards at the local, regional and national levels. Clear Digital is a proud sponsor of the San Jose International Short Film Festival, and Danny is a regular in the audience every October.

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