Mary Shelley Award
As part as its continuing effort to discover and celebrate female voices working in the genre field, Other Worlds every year presents the Mary Shelley Award, awarded to the best film that furthers the involvement and representation of women in the SciFi genre. The Mary Shelley Award is named for the author of Frankenstein, the original SciFi novel – a work that examines the human condition and the positive and dangerous possibilities of science.
The award will grant $500 to one film, either a short or a feature, already selected to play the Other Worlds Film Festival. Films must be entered into the Other Worlds Film Competition through standard submission methods.
To qualify, the films must either:
Be written and/or directed by a female, or
Feature complex female protagonists driving the narrative and leading the action.
The award will be given to the female writer or director, or the actor in the protagonist role. Please note, this award is open to all female-identified filmmakers. Nominees from the year’s programming will be identified by the OW programming team, and the winner will be determined by a special jury of female film industry professionals.
2021 Award Jury
The Parsec Awards
In addition to its audience and juror awards, Other Worlds announced the winners of the Parsecs, a series of awards given by the programming team in areas such as Script, Cinematography, Visual Effects and Acting.
The categories are:
Feature Script
Feature Director
Feature Acting Ensemble
Feature Cinematography
Feature Editing
Feature VFX
Feature Score or Music
Feature Production Design
Short Script
Short Director
Short Acting Ensemble
Short Cinematography
Short Editor
Short Score or Music
Short VFX
Short Production Design
The Dan O’Bannon Awards
Our annual Audience Awards are named to honor SciFi legend Dan O’Bannon (Alien, Dark Star, Total Recall). The winners, like always, are selected by the audience during the festival and normally receive their Xenomorph Trophy at the closing night party.
There are four awards:
Other Worlds Feature (SciFi)
Other Worlds Short (SciFi)
Under Worlds Feature (Horror)
Under Worlds Short (Horror)
Screenplay Contest
We are looking for the most original, interesting and exciting stories with the most compelling and unique characters. Whether you’ve got a sentient mold that is slowly animating a neglected loaf of bread, with the intention of conquering the world outside the fridge, a scientist that has spent a lifetime creating civilization simulations in an attempt to figure out the Great Filter, or a teenage girl who finds a portal in her locker that takes her , we want you to send them our way!