Having rocked the worlds of everyone who saw it at the Atlantic Film Festival’s multiple screenings, as well as at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, at the Montreal-based genre cinema fest Fantasia, Jason Eisener and Rob Cotterill’s horror flick snatched a Best Short/Audience award. It also showed at the closing night of Toronto After Dark, the cult/horror/scifi festival in October. For those who haven’t seen it, it is a thoughtful, pastoral environmental film. No, not really: It’s a bloody tale of trees that get their revenge on people on Christmas morning for years of garlands, ornaments and abuse. And Eisener is nowhere near done with short films. As he does post on Streets of Domination and prep on Hobo With A Shotgun, both features, he wants to make another short movie. “Let them know,” he tells us, “if anyone wants to fund the next short, we’re looking!” Treevenge
1st Runner-up: 6015 Willow
2nd Runner-up: Poor Boy’s Game