Nathan Truesdell’s “When the LAPD Blows Up Your Neighborhood” won TheWrap’s ShortList Film Festival Industry Award on Wednesday night at The Culver Theater in Culver City, California.
Truesdell, producer and cinematographer of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Ascension,” documented the disastrous 2021 LAPD operation that devastated South Central after a truckload of confiscated fireworks was accidentally blown up. The 19-minute documentary follows local residents, many of whom are still homeless two years later.
“By its bold, experimental truth-telling and by pushing forward the shape of what a documentary can be while balancing tremendous narrative tension, this film sheds light on issues of oppression while challenging us to find solutions,” the jury said. festival in a statement explaining its decision
The jury included writer-producer Ehrich Van Lowe, producer Amy Baer, Killer Films co-founder Christine Vachon, “The Inspection” director Elegance Bratton and Joshua Jason of Joshua Jason Public Relations (JJPR).
The audience award went to Sean Wang’s moving documentary “Năi Nai & Wài Pó”, a film about his two grandmothers. The film’s composer, Giosue Greco, accepted the award.
The Student Audience Award was given to Ralph Parker III’s black and white short “Sammy, Without Strings.” Parker said in his acceptance speech: “I’m very pleased to be recognized for the work that my incredible team has done.” He dedicated it to her grandmother, who died before the second weekend of filming, saying that she and her grandfather would be proud of her.
Other films nominated include Katherine Propper’s “Birds”; “Cousins” by Karina Dandashi; Byrdie O’Connor’s “Love, Barbara” about pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer; “Meanwhile” by Michael T. Workman; the animated short “More Than I Want to Remember” by Amy Bench; and “Nowhere to Go But Everywhere,” about a man searching for his wife after the 2011 tsunami in northern Japan, by Japanese filmmakers Masak Tsumura and Erik Shirai.
Also nominated: “Oasis,” by Canadian filmmaker Justine Martin, about twin brothers Raphaël and Rémi; Swiss filmmaker Jonathan Laskar’s animated film “The Record” about a magical vinyl record; Crystal Kayiza’s “Rest Stop,” which follows a young Ugandan-American on a road trip; and Luchina Fisher’s “Team Dream,” which documents friends Ann Smith and Madeline Murphy Rabb as they prepare for the 2022 National Senior Games.
The 2023 ShortList Film Festival was sponsored by Kodak, The Los Angeles Film School, Scriptation, The Camera Division, Blackmagic Design, and New York Festivals.
You can see all the nominated films here.
