SeriesFest: Season 11 • Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our Season 11 Awards!

Inclusive Creator Fund

R&R

The Inclusive Creator Fund, supported by the Anna & John J. Sie Foundation and Global Down Syndrome Foundation, selected R&R as the recipient of this year’s grant funds. The fund was created to support television projects that include talent with intellectual disabilities in front of and behind the camera. R&R follows Robbie and Rachel, codependent twins trying to “make it” in LA. Rachel (a sarcastic, raunchy, gay mess) brings the chaos, and Robbie (a neurotically organized, hopeless romantic with Down syndrome) cleans up the pieces. The series is based on creator JJ Herz’s relationship with her brother, Griffin, who has Down syndrome.

Outstanding Series Format Deck Award presented by Canva

Bliss Talent

The Outstanding Series Format Deck presented by Canva Award was awarded to independent comedy competition pilot, Bliss Talent, which will receive a $5,000 cash prize for their best submission deck created in Canva.

Caz Matthews Fund

We Should Eat

Caz Matthews, a Colorado-based supporter of SeriesFest and independent creators of television content, awarded two official selections from the independent pilot competitors – We Should Eat and Two Breaths – with each receiving a one-time financial grant of $5,000 from the Caz Matthews Fund. These recipients represent the independent filmmakers with projects fighting to tell stories and build teams that celebrate cultural richness and nuanced mosaic of our global society. This fund was established to help selected projects continue the positive impact they are making on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the television landscape.

Caz Matthews Fund

Two Breaths

Rural Intersectionality Fund

ZHIZHA

New this year, SeriesFest presents The Rural Intersectionality Fund, supported by Sarah Sellman and Julie Mordecai. Sarah is a queer and neurodiverse filmmaker and artist who grew up in rural Colorado, and Julie is a Colorado-based investor and supporter of SeriesFest. This fund was created to foster and uplift the voices of neurodiverse, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and creators telling stories from their lived experience who have important stories to tell that positively impact and image the communities described above, and to further promote the role of intersectionality in the creation of meaningful stories. This year’s selected recipients, ZHIZHA and $HARE, will receive cash funds to support the development of the series.

Rural Intersectionality Fund

$HARE

Pitch-A-Thon!

ZHIZHA

The winner of the Pitch-A-Thon!, ZHIZHA, will be awarded with $500 cash.

Best Drama Pilot

Lake Boga

For establishing a specific sense of place and populating it with characters who feel both authentic and original — and giving audiences an unexpected but not unearned twist ending — the award for Best Drama goes to Lake Boga.

Receives $25K in-kind post production support from Company 3.

Best Director, Drama

Christian Jones, Red Clay

For his consistently creative, deeply compassionate, and visually stunning depiction of how trying circumstances not only shape an artist, but also bind a family together, the award for Best Director goes to Christian Jones of Red Clay.

Best Writer, Drama

Desean K. Terry and John E. Phillips, Taming, or Life in a Not-So Modern Age

For taking what can be inaccessible language spoken by characters who may not be instantly relatable and giving a classically patriarchal take a modern and potentially feminist twist, the award for Best Writer goes to Desean K. Terry and John E. Phillips of Taming, or Life in a Not-So Modern Age.

Best Performance, Drama

Red Clay

For this year’s performance award, the jury decided to honor the entire ensemble of one pilot. From its most fleeting minor characters to its central leads, all of whom infuse their work with honesty and love, the award for Best Performance goes to the entire cast of Red Clay.

Honorable Mention, Drama

$HARE

For its beautiful imagery, intricate family dynamics, and propulsive cliffhangers, an honorable mention goes to $HARE.

Best Comedy Pilot

Settle Down

Settle Down won us over with its clever writing, tightly woven structure and authentic and relatable story that was still unique to anything we’ve seen on television today. We felt fully invested in its world and honest exploration of modern relationships. This highly produced pilot feels ready to air, with the potential for fleshed-out story arcs for its entire cast of characters.

Receives $25K in-kind post production support from Company 3.

Best Director, Comedy

Jasmine J. Johnson, Cuming Out

Jasmine J. Johnson’s visual storytelling was compelling and playful, and the framing of her subject matter allowed the story to resonate deeply with the viewer even when the pilot’s characters weren’t saying a word.

Best Writer, Comedy

Alexander Nunez, Settle Down

Alexander Nunez had us invested in each and every one of his cast of characters, both leading and supporting — no small feat in a 20-minute pilot. Settle Down has a well-thought out structure with plenty of room for more storylines to grow.

Best Performance, Comedy

Joanna Leeds, BULLDOZER

Joanna Leeds is a unique voice whose performance was honest and raw — and terribly funny. Her ability to channel heartache and mental health struggles into a character we feel for and delight in is a real feat, and in BULLDOZER she has created a protagonist who makes us both feel and laugh.

Honorable Mention, Comedy

The Incredible Fiancées of Sèyí Àjàyí

Abbesi Akhamie brought to life a retro-futuristic world that we found captivating and whimsical. We were drawn into her world and would love to see more of it.

Best Unscripted Pilot

Vs. Goliath

The jury is proud to award Best Unscripted to Vs. Goliath. The pilot tells an important and complex story through the lens of an unlikely — and extremely likable — hero. The filmmakers’ commitment to activism and authentic storytelling shines through in the submitted episode, and we believe Vs. Goliath has the potential to bring a truly impactful message about environmental justice and community building to a larger audience as a series.

Receives $25K in-kind post production support from Company 3.

Best Director, Unscripted

Tedra, DENIM

The jury is pleased to award Best Director to DENIM. This episode delivers a unique and boundary-pushing vision through three distinct and stunning styles. DENIM’s director captured and celebrated the singular spirit of the episode’s subjects by blending dazzling visuals with an intimate storytelling style.

Best of Digital Short Series

FckUps Anonymous*

F*ckUps Anonymous successfully creates a world that evokes a powerful visceral reaction, drawing the audience in on both an emotional and intellectual level. It delivers an important social message with nuance, supported by well-balanced characters whose backstories are clearly understood. The creators made smart, deliberate choices in character development and maintained a tight, effective script. The narrative paints a vivid and compelling picture, with the potential for deeper complexity and evolution in future developments.

Best Director, Digital Short Series

Dustie Carter, Heck to Death

The jury is pleased to award Best Director to Dustie Carter of Heck To Death. We were impressed by the confident direction of Carter, whose bold and deliberate choices immersed us in a world we rarely see. The raw and immediate direction pulled the audience straight into the heart of the experience, without relying on exposition. Every decision brought us into the sweaty mosh pit, making us feel exactly what the story demanded.

Best Writer, Digital Short Series

Sarah Adelman, BUSTED!

Comedy is often an underappreciated writing craft, which makes it all the more exciting to award Sarah Adelman of BUSTED! for Best Writer. Crafting a world that is consistently funny is no small feat, and this pilot delivers with sharp, raunchy humor that surprises and engages. It builds genuine empathy around its lead character and left us wanting more.

Best Performance, Digital Short Series

We Should Eat

We are proud to award We Should Eat with Best Performance as an Ensemble. The cast delivered solid emotional truth, portraying complex relationships with depth and authenticity. Every character had meaningful moments—no loose ends, no weak links. Their dynamic was rich and compelling, and despite their differences, they felt unmistakably like a real family. We believed them completely—and enjoyed the laughs along the way.

Honorable Mention, Digital Short Series

Awol

Due to its bold subject matter and fresh perspective, we are proud to give an Honorable Mention for Best Digital Short Series to Awol. The creative team transports us into a world rarely seen on screen, offering a high school narrative that feels both groundbreaking and necessary. With a fluid camera, a standout lead, and clear potential for growth, this series left a strong impression.

Best Late Night Pilot

Stars Diner

Stars Diner showcases a truly original voice with bold, distinctive choices. The creators sustained a delightfully wacky tone from start to finish in a way that was both consistent and satisfying. With strong character integrity, excellent world-building, and standout practical effects and production design, it feels tailor-made for late-night TV—entertaining and wholly its own.