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Dana Point Film Festival


The 2023 Dana Point Film Festival is a wrap!

Thank you to our sponsors, the community of dana point, our filmmakers, and festival goers.


Below Are Our Winners & Honorable Mentions

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY

BEST FEATURE SHORT DOCUMENTARY

KILLER DANA AWARD (BEST BIG SURF FILM)

Bruce Brown Ocean Legacy Award

Trident Award (Ocean Courage)

Women In Film Award (Feature Film):

Susan Cooper

Women In Film Award (Short):

Lucy Smalls & Maddie Meddings

Best Conservation (Feature)

Best Conservation (Short)

Best Ocean Mini Short Film

Best Animated Short

Best Ocean Adventure Feature

Best Ocean Adventure Feature International

Best Ocean Adventure (Short)

Best Ocean Adventure (Short) Surf

Best Ocean Exploration

Best Ocean Exploration (Shorts)

Best Ocean Solutions Feature

Best Ocean Solutions (Short)

Best Foreign Documentary for Surf (Feature)

OceanX (The Red Sea Shorts)

Untangled

Keep It A Secret

Best Foreign Documentary Short (Surf):

A new wave

Best First-time Filmmaker:

Cynthia Fernandez

Best Education Feature

Best Student Short Film

Theo Bader- Junior
Sadie Mann- Senior
Chloe Bowman- Junior
Shaina Mandala- Senior OF: Tam High School in Mill Valley, CA FOR: Untangling a Solution

Best Local Student Film

Best Student Director and cinematography

Student Finalist and Notable Mention

Best Emerging Filmmaker

Adian McCormack (Connected) Dana Hills H.S.

Rality Created by a student at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, Ca
Nate Lazarus – Junior

An Ocean’s Advocates
Created by students at Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, Ca
Max Rottach (freshman)
Oliver Mattos (freshman)

Jude Micheal Rodricks (Connecticut’s Connection to the sea)

Best Underwater cinematography

Best cinematography (Short)

Best Local Filmmaker Award (Feature)

Best Local Filmmaker Award (Short)

Howard Hall (Soul of the Ocean)

Part of the water

Shawn Wehan (Skip – Tall Ships, Mariners & the Sea)

Best International Ocean’s Short:

Gardening Marine Forests: A hands-on approach to restoration

Audience Award

Inpriraitonal Award

Inpriraitonal Award (International Feature Film)

Dirty old wedge

For the dream

Sagres

Audience Award

Honorable Mention For Creativity

Honorable Mention For Animation

Honorable Mention For Anamation

Honorable Mention For Conservation

Honorable Mention For Surf