A qualifying event for the BAFTAs and the Oscars, the Leeds Short Film Awards celebrated the short film form in all its glory, with over 150 shorts from 38 countries. We are thrilled to announce the winners in each short film award category. All the winning short films of LIFF 2018 can be seen in a special programme screening at Everyman Leeds on both Wednesday 7 November, 4.30pm and Friday 9 November, 6.30pm.

British Short Film Competition
Jury: Anna Coatman, Melanie Iredale, James Mullighan
Winner: Night Out by Amelia Hashemi
Special Mention: Inside Out by Russell Davidson
Jury Statement on Winner: 'An accomplished and compelling film, Night Out manages to capture the process of self-discovery, the complexities of identity and the nuanced dynamic between friends and potential lovers without resorting to cliche or overstatement.

Louis le Prince International Competition
Jury: Lucile Bourliaud, Sonali Joshi, Frauke Knappke
Winner: Schoolyard Blues by Maria Eriksson (Sweden)
Special Mention: The Field by Sandhya Suri (France, UK, India) & 2nd Class by Jimmy Olsson (Sweden)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'Maria Eriksson displays superb directorial skills in working with young actors. A brave and astute depiction of an alternative view of childhood, portraying the harsh realities of a world where new life lessons are forced upon the film's young protagonists.' 

Leeds International Music Video Competition
Jury: Oscar Hudson, Kate Wellham, John Robb
Winner:  Half a Million - The Shins by LAMAR + NIK (USA)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'The video was incredibly inventive and well done, as well as being funny.'

Leeds International Queer Short Film Competition 
Jury: Olivia Thomas, Clare Tebbutt, Marlo De Lara
Winner: Something Said by Jay Bernard (UK) 
Special Mention: Prisoner of Society by Rati Tsiteladze (Georgia) & Marguerite by Marianne Farley (Canada)
Jury Statement on Winner: 'Something Said employs innovative use of mixed media, spoken word and body performance to tell a deeply important personal and political narrative.'

Leeds International Screendance Competition
Jury: Kati Kallio, Maia Elisabeth Sørensen, Leonel Brum
Winner: Afterword by Boris Seewald (Germany)
Special Mention: Birds in the Earth by Marja Helander (Finland, Norway) 
Jury Statement on Winner: 'Whilst the story itself is poetic and so well crafted it rises ‘from the ashes of a love story’, toward layers that could be interpreted as societal or political commentary.'

Leeds Short Film Audience Award
Winner: Time Traveller by Steve Kenny (Ireland)

Louis le Prince Experimental Film Prize
Jury: Chris Fell, Annabelle Pangborn, Lewis Paul, Dan Weldon
Winner: A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message
Jury Statement on Winner: 'Rhea submitted a powerful and exciting proposal that represents her unique identity as an artist while also embracing the challenge of innovation and the materiality of analogue film.'

World Animation Competition
Jury: Dotty Kultys, Daniel Murtha, Rory Waudby-Tolley
Winner: Raymonde or the vertical escape by Sarah van der Boom (France)
Special Mentions: Yin by Nicolas Fong (Belgium) & Link by Robert Löbel (Germany) 
Jury Statement on Winner: 'An unconventional film on several levels and we were moved by its humanity and humour. We empathised with the well-constructed and unforgettable protagonist.'

Yorkshire Short Film Competition
Jury: Anna Coatman, Melanie Iredale, James Mullighan
Winner: Life in Miniature by Ellen Evans
Special Mention: My Stammering Tap by Peter Snelling
Jury Statement on Winner: 'This film delighted us all. It gives an insight into a little world many know nothing about, revealing how singular people can be in pursuit of their interests and passions. Life in Miniature is a short that’s as carefully and deftly crafted as its subject.'

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