SundanceTV Announces Winners of Sixth Annual SundanceTV Shorts Contest

The short film ‘Flotando’ by Frankie De Leonardis wins the Grand Jury Prize and ‘Show Business’ by Serapi Soler Rojo wins the award for Best Web Series

The television channel SundanceTV has announced the winners of the sixth edition of the annual short film and web series competition SundanceTV Shorts. The short film floating of the filmmaker Frankie De Leonardis takes the Jury Prize, while Show Business, of Serapi Soler Red, wins the award for Best Web Series.

Frankie de Leonardis, the winner of the Grand Jury Prize, wins a trip for two to London, where his short film will be screened at a SundanceTV event during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival: London, which runs from May 30 to June 2. The winning short will also be broadcast on SundanceTV later in 2019. Serapi Soler Rojo, winner of the Best Web Series award, takes home a 2,000 euro prize for the continuation of her web series and the OpenECAM award, which offers the possibility of using the studios, facilities and resources of ECAM, the School of Cinematography and Audiovisual of the Community of Madrid.

In the short film floating, a Russian astronaut wakes up in a module of the International Space Station “Intrepid”, after an accident. He tries to send a signal for help to Earth, but without success. Among the floating debris, your attention is quickly diverted to some knocking from outside. Could it be an unexpected visit or just your imagination? Floating asks deep questions with light touches of comedy.

According to Mike Plante, Senior Programmer at the Sundance Institute, “With incredible effects and strong acting, this subtle comedy makes life in outer space wonderfully familiar without losing the fantasy.”

Geraud Alazard, Senior Vice President of Marketing at AMC Networks International, highlights that "the 2019 SundanceTV Shorts competition offers a platform to discover and publicize emerging talent and creativity in film. We are excited to premiere Frankie De Leonardis' winning short at an event during the Sundance Film Festival 2019: London, as well as to bring it to an international audience by airing it on the SundanceTV television channel later this year. We want to thank all the filmmakers who submitted their nominations, the Sundance Institute and all our collaborators for supporting the contest.”

The Best Web Series award recognizes the best series of short episodes created especially for the Internet; for which the contestants have had to present a pilot episode. In Serapi Soler Rojo's winning pilot for his series Show Business, the ins and outs of the film and television industry are explored, with delirious consequences. A couple of small-time directors with only one credit to their name are hired for Jordi's new film. However, a bad reputation, a first meeting with the leading actor and an altercation with a magician will make production difficult.

The jury, chaired by Mike Plante of the Sundance Institute, also included Harold Gronenthal of SundanceTV; Cristina Meléndez, programmer at SundanceTV in Spain; Iñigo Trojaola, head of content for Movistar+'s premium film and series channels; Julieta Martialay, director of Fotogramas; Carlos Muriana, screenwriter and member of the board of directors of the ALMA screenwriters union; Luis Ferrón, Manager of ECAM; and the Spanish filmmaker Roberto Pérez Toledo.

https://vimeo.com/292558433