'Fine Cut Festival of Films' 2022 Winners | Fine Cut

The 24th annual “Fine Cut” Festival of Films showcase was held Wednesday night at the Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles. Winners were announced in the narrative, documentary and animation categories, along with the presentation of the distinguished Jack Larson Award.

Standing as the longest-running currently produced show on KCET, “Fine Cut” originated from screenwriter, producer and actor Jack Larson in 1996 with the goal to help showcase the talent of young filmmakers in Southern California.

Hosted by Variety Senior Entertainment Writer Angelique Jackson and Variety Television Editor and KCRW “Screengrab” host Michael Schneider, the evening was a celebration of diverse and innovative storytelling representing over a dozen Southern California schools — more than any prior season of “Fine Cut.”

Seats are filled with audience members in a small, dark theater. Hosts Michael Schneider and Angelique Jackson stand at podiums on opposite sides of a theater screen as they speak into microphones towards the crowd.

1/4 Variety’s Senior Entertainment Writer Angelique Jackson and Variety’s Television Editor/KCRW “Screengrab” Michael Schneider host this year’s KCET’s “Fine Cut Festival of Films” at The Landmark Theatre on September 13, 2023. | KCET

2/4 Two of this year’s “Fine Cut Festival of Films” industry judges Creator/Director Elizabeth Ito and Supervisor/Story Artist Michael Herrera arrive at The Landmark Theatre on September 13, 2023. | KCET

Guests mingle and converse at a movie theater lobby. Behind the bar are small television screens that project a poster that reads, "Fine Cut Festival of Films."

3/4 Attendees enjoy appetizers and drinks in the Landmark Westwood lobby after the show. | KCET

Michael Schneider, left, and Angelique Jackson, right, stand by a podium in front of a large screen.

4/4 Variety’s Senior Entertainment Writer Angelique Jackson and Variety’s Television Editor/KCRW “Screengrab” Michael Schneider host this year’s KCET’s “Fine Cut Festival of Films” at The Landmark Theatre on September 13, 2023. | KCET

This year’s showcase highlighted stories helmed by a diverse group of filmmakers. Of the finalists, 77% were filmmakers from under-represented racial or ethnic groups and 70% of the films were produced by women.

The winning films were selected by a panel of nine entertainment industry professionals including “City of Ghosts” creator Elizabeth Ito and story artist and actor Michael Herrera — both of whom were present at the event. All four winners were awarded prize packages crafted to help them in their filmmaking careers.

KCET will be showcasing all finalist films in six one-hour episodes that will be available to stream online or the PBS app. Episodes will also air starting Friday, Sept. 22 on KCET.

See below for the full list of winners.

Jack Larson Southern California Filmmaker Award

“Stalled”
Directed by Michael Lazovsky
Written by Sheheryar Ahsan and Chris Osterndorf
American Film Institute

A film still from "Stalled." A middle-aged Pakistani couple sit in a car parked in what appears to be a desert. The woman is sitting in the driver's seat and has a yellow scarf wrapped around her head. The man is sitting int he passenger, wearing a muted green polo shirt. The couple is looking out the driver's side window with concerned looks on their faces. — American Film Institute’s Michael Lazovsky’s “Stalled” follows the events after a Pakistani man’s car breaks down in the middle of the California desert just hours before a family gathering. The narrative short film was recognized with a Jack Larson Award at the 24th annual Fine Cut Festival of Films. | Michael Lazovsky/AFI

I’m a child of immigrants. My mom is from Peru, my dad’s from Czechoslovakia. And they had very high expectations of me. Coming here, they risked everything to emigrate. And I wanted to tell a story that deals with some of those expectations and sometimes the anxiety that can come with dealing with very high expectations.

Michael Lazovsky, director

Narrative Award

“Uncle”
Directed and Written by Jun Hee Han
University of California, Los Angeles

A film still from "Uncle." A young couple are together in a small living room. The woman is sitting on a couch, looking somberly in space. The man looks at her from across the room, standing. — University of California, Los Angeles student Jun Hee Han’s narrative short film, “Uncle,” follows protagonist Yonghan and the crashing of his carefully structured life after his overbearing father and estranged daughter show up in Seoul for an unannounced visit. “Uncle” won the narrative category at the 24th annual Fine Cut Festival of Films. | Jun Hee Han/UCLA

I wanted to make sure the story captured moments of levity […]. I think so much of adulthood is filled with self-denial that it’s hard to have a clear portrait of who you are and the people around you. Comedy gives you that buffer between you and the life that you live, and it provides a place to reflect (more) clearly on who you are and the world you are part of.

Jun Hee Han, director and writer

Documentary Award

“A Piece of Myself”
Directed by Audrey Shuppert, Nidhi Kumar, Vivienne Ayres,
Chapman University

A film still from "A Piece of Myself" presents a medium close-up of a woman's hands embroidering purple beads onto a piece of cloth, creating a flower design. — Documentary short “A Piece of Myself” from Chapman University students Vivienne Ayres, Audrey Shuppert and Nihidi Kumar tells the story of three Alaskan Native artists as they define the intrinsic value of their work in the midst of a booming downtown tourism industry that extracts and appropriates their culture into souvenirs. “A Piece of Myself” won the documentary category at the 24th annual Fine Cut Festival of Films. | Vivienne Ayres, Audrey Shuppert, Nihidi Kumar/Chapman University

I think what has been really important to me as a filmmaker is to be able to spotlight women, not only just as female protagonists, but like what you see in our film — we show a very complex viewpoint of what women can be, and we show either sides of the issues. Women are the main voices and I think that’s really special.

Audrey Shuppert, co-director and editor

Animation Award

“Pipe Dreams”
Directed and Written by Christina Woo
California Institute of the Arts

A film still from "Pipe Dreams" — an animated purple pill bug standing on two feet holding a mop as it sadly mops a small puddle at its feet. The animated pill bug stands against a live action background of a dorm hall. A larger mop and bucket as well as a caution sign can be seen in the near distance. — CalArts student Christina Woo’s “Pipe Dreams” follows the lives of bugs in a CalArts dorm and their struggles living in a building that’s falling apart. “Pipe Dreams” won in the animation category at the 24th annual Fine Cut Festival of Films. | Christina Woo/CalArts

I want to write and create everything out there, like any kind of like genre or story. […] But I think the trick for me is to just kind of make sure I’m telling the story in my own voice.

Christina Woo, director

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