London Vaporetto Shorts 2023
The 1st edition of the London Vaporetto Shorts Film Festival happened in June 2023 at The Space in London. It was the start of a project to champion emerging local and global talent by showcasing a diverse selection of independent short films. Founded by filmmakers Anouk Witkowska Hiffler and Tomás Felicio Oliveira, the first year of the festival had an intimate, filmmaker-focused atmosphere that prioritised raw storytelling and “boundary-pushing” narratives.
Winners and Selected Films of 2023
WINNERS
Best UK short film: Minutes, Olivia Down and Alix Eve
Best INTERNATIONAL short film: The Ribbon, Jonathan Galland
Best director: Minutes, Olivia Down and Alix Eve
Best actor: Ugo Onwughalu, For Worse, Grace Edu
Best actress: Ella Dacres and Elle Porter, Minutes, Olivia Down and Alix Eve
Best script: You Ok?, Barrett Loades
Best cinematography: The Young Mozart, Ali Moazen
Best editing: Staying Silent, Luke Maund
UK SELECTION
Animal Pie, Ben Plumb
Minutes, Olivia Down and Alix Eve
In Battle, James Weisz
For Worse, Grace Edu
Staying Silent, Luke Maund
INTERNATIONAL SELECTION
La Lavadora, Diane Malherbe
The Young Mozart, Ali Moazen
Vax, Barak Shpiez
Traces on the Wall, Asel Abakirova
The Ribbon, Jonathan Galland
The 2023 Judges
Abid Khan
Abid Khan is a self taught, writer-editor-director who’s debut Granada Nights (2021) won numerous festival awards including Best Feature at Barnes Film Festival and Best Cinematography at Premios Lorca Festival de Cine as well as being selected for Breakthrough by Film London. Abid has been profiled by the Guardian for their Creative Change campaign and was announced by Head of Film4 as a ‘Director to watch’. His debut feature was released in UK cinemas in 2021 and in theatrically in Spain and Portugal in 2022. He formed Eyefive Films which aims to produce content with international appeal about self-discovery and identity, with a particular focus on diverse talent and stories.
Dom Lenoir
Dom Lenoir is a British filmmaker known for directing the award-winning psychological thriller Winter Ridge (2018), as well as producing the cult mockumentary When the Screaming Starts (2021). He is a co-host of The Filmmakers Podcast where he interviews high-profile guests—ranging from the Duffer Brothers and Edgar Wright to Noah Baumbach—focusing on the technical and emotional realities of getting films made, from micro-budget origins to major Hollywood productions.
Em Li
Em Li is a writer, director and performer based in London. Drawing from a multi-disciplinary background in theatre, magic, music and more, their imaginative tales often follow drifters and dreamers on the fringes of society, with a reverence towards nature, a penchant for magical realism and a restless theatricality. In 2019, she co-founded production collective “Big Tent Films” under which numerous shorts and music videos have been produced which have screened at festivals worldwide, as well as cultivating almost 1 million views on YouTube.
London Vaporetto Shorts Film Festival 