The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival Announces Inaugural Award Winners

The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival has announced the award winners for its inaugural event which featured a lineup of Science fiction, horror, fantasy and virtual reality films, music and stage performances and panel discussions that explored the altered states of consciousness and truth behind the vibrant and enduring psychedelic culture. The festival included performances by Simon Boswell with The AND, Psychic Ills, Heaven, Michael Tapper, Roosevelt Island and Nosh and special appearances by Robert Barnhart, Mark Becker, Dr. Dennis McKenna, Shane Mauss and other special guests notable for breakthroughs in the psychedelic community. The festival took place at venues throughout New York City from October 1-7, 2018.

Congratulations to the award winners of The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival:

BEST DOCUMENTARY
From Shock To Awe (2017, USA/Canada) - East Coast Premiere
Director: Luc Côté
Synopsis: An intimate and raw look at the transformational journey of two combat veterans suffering from severe trauma as they abandon pharmaceuticals to seek relief from the mind-expanding world of psychedelics. Recent scientific research coupled with a psychedelic renaissance reveals that these substances can be used to heal PTSD for individuals and their families. BEYOND the personal stories, the documentary also raises fundamental questions about war, the pharmaceutical industry and the U.S. legal system.

BEST CONSCIOUSNESS HACKING FEATURE
Psychonautics: A Comic's Exploration Of Psychedelics (2018, USA) - East Coast Premiere
Director: Brian Bellinkoff
Synopsis: Comedian Shane Mauss goes on a series of adventures to deepen his understanding of psychedelics. He describes the indescribable and takes us through some of his most intense experience, while getting the added perspectives of some of the top scientists and experts in this realm. With moments of both confusion and clarity, this is an honest account of the experiences of a genuine Psychonaut.

BEST PSYCHEDELIC TV PILOT
Translove Airwaves (2018, USA/UK/France) - USA Premiere
Director: Matt Levin
Synopsis: In the pilot episode, "You Can't Auto-Tune the Pope," follow curiouser filmmaker Matt Levin down the rabbit hole as he pilots a trip through the multi-layered psychedelic realm, inspired and guided by the insights and experiences recounted by the musicians, technology, artists, gurus, writers, places and ideas he engages with along the way.

BEST PSYCHEDELIC BAND
Simon Boswell with The AND - USA Debut Performance
BAFTA Award-nominated film composer and noted psychedelic Simon Boswell performed a night of lively and atmospheric music with his musical group The AND, playing pieces against a video backdrop from his illustrious film composition career including Santa Sangre (1989), Hardware (1990), Dust Devil (1992), Shallow Grave (1994), Hackers (1995) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) in rock, electronica, gothic horror and futuristic styles.

BEST PSYCHEDELIC SHORT
Dissection of a Rose (2018, USA)
Director: Austin Page
Synopsis: Isolated within a curiously secluded garden, a reclusive and lonely girl is forced to contemplate both her humanity and sanity when her captive garden fly begins to plead for his freedom at all costs.

BEST PSYCHEDELIC HORROR
The Ladder (2017, Norway)
Director: Egil Paulsen
Synopsis: A man maintains a salmon ladder alone in the woods. He is subjected to an accident in the river, which he believes is caused by a mysterious female figure the sees immediately after the fall. He will have to cope overnight and is pursued by the woman through his dreams.

BEST ANIMATION
The Hitman's Way (2017, Italy)
Director: Riccardo Mucelli
Synopsis: Projected in a world unknown to him, a prisoner of DARKNESS composed of cubes that musically decompose the space around him. From the DARKNESS of his journey, psychedelic sounds and semi-human creatures call him to the dark lord.

BEST TRANCE SONG
140 Characters (2017, USA)
Director: Dean Winkler
Synopsis: "140" Characters" poses the question, "What happened to the future we were promised?"

BEST VISIONARY ART
Reverie of the Puppets (2018, USA)
Director: Kathy Rose
Synopsis: A visually stunning animation of puppets reminiscent of Butoh dance.

BEST VIRTUAL REALITY
Hack the Planet: Tripping with Timothy Leary - A Virtual Reality Experience (2018, UK)
Director: James Edward Marks
Synopsis: Experience a cyberdelic journey into enlightenment. Hack The Planet is an electro-melting mobile VR experience where users get to trip with eternal psychedelic Timothy Leary to the soundscapes provided by psychedelic film composer Simon Boswell, who led a live demo with VR glasses provided by PSYCHFI.

About The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival:
The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival explores the altered states of consciousness and psychedelia created by film, music, art and virtual reality. Showcasing feature films, shorts and documentaries from independent filmmakers, panels and lectures with distinguished guests and band and DJ-based music, the festival pushes the boundaries of psychedelic and noetic realities to give audiences a unique and visceral experience.