Excitement Grows in Shreveport as Top 20 for the 2024 Louisiana Film Prize Competition is Revealed

Shreveport is buzzing with excitement after the announcement of the Top 20 finalists for the 2024 Louisiana Film Prize competition. This year’s reveal took place on the evening of August 9 at the Robinson Film Center, where independent filmmakers gathered to learn who would be in the running for the prestigious honor.

Outstanding Achievements in Filmmaking

According to Gregory Kallenberg, the founder of the Louisiana Film Prize, the selection process for this year’s finalists was not an easy task. “These 20 films were incredibly difficult for our global Film Prize Jury to select, but I believe that they made the right choices,” he stated. The competitors are vying for a whopping $50,000, which is considered to be the largest cash prize for a narrative short film worldwide.

Meet the Finalists

The **20 finalists** and their films are:

• Baila: Directed by Kelly Sherman
• Blood and Milk: Directed by Eve Crusto
• Chicken Bones: Directed by Abby Waters
• Connected: Directed by Melissa Goslin
• Fast: Directed by Clayton Henderson
• Game Day Ritual: Directed by Alejandro de los Rios
• Love is Neat: Directed by Taylor Deville
• Mallets: Directed by Adrian Jordan Jr
• Memories for Tomorrow: Directed by Matthew Eli Judd
• Miniature Life: Directed by Stevie Cavalier
• Most Likely to Succeed: Directed by Ty and Rachael Hudson
• Napoleonic Code: Directed by Michael Cusumano
• Plaid Skirts: Directed by Kat Durel
• Sex Date: Directed by Mike Nicholas
• Stall to Stall: Directed by Kaitlyn Brown
• The Stage: Directed by Jeremy Enis
• Three Sessions: Directed by Erica Michelle Singleton
• Toots: Directed by Chris Alan Evans
• Trip: Directed by Mack Cormier
• Vice: Directed by Jency Hogan

A Record Year for Diversity

This year has proven to be significant for the Louisiana Film Prize, as it marks the highest percentage of female filmmakers, the greatest number of entries from BIPOC filmmakers, and the highest number of first-time filmmakers in the competition’s history.

Upcoming Celebration: Prize Fest

The excitement for the 2024 finalists will continue to build as they prepare for Prize Fest, which will take place from October 16-19. This annual celebration showcases not just films, but also food, music, and comedy. The top 20 films will be screened in theaters across Shreveport and Bossier during the festival from October 17-19.

For those interested in catching the action, more information can be found at PrizeFest.com/Film.