April 5-6, 2024 • Red Bank, NJ
The Hang on to Your Shorts Film Festival is in its 10th year of bringing great short films and art to iconic Asbury Park, New Jersey. In 2023 we returned to our traditional, in-person roots of beautiful Asbury Park, at the Jersey Shore.
A quick “post-festival” message from the HOTYS Crew…
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of the actors, directors, writers, scorers, etc..all of the creatives whose art and passion made the 2024 version of the Hang Onto Your Shorts Film Festival such a resounding success. We are humbled to know that you entrusted us with your art, and we were SO excited to meet you, and share a moment with you. Meeting you is, by far, the most rewarding part of what we do.
Beautiful Red Bank, New Jersey is new and unexplored ground for us. We will be working for the remainder of 2024 to make sure the HOTYS 2025 is even better. We hope to see you again.
Warmly,
BK, Chris O, Hiram, and the HOTYS Crew!
2024 Winners
| Best Drama | “Testament” |
| Best Comedy | “When a Blind Man Cries” |
| Best Horror/Thriller | “Nose Goes” |
| Best NJ Short | “Heart of Gold” |
| Best Music Video | “Home” |
| Best Animation | “Red Iron Road: In the Heat” - |
| Best Documentary | “This is Why We Train’ – The Sea Girt Beach Patrol |
| Best International Short | Hedgehog |
| Best Ensemble | “When a Blind Man Cries” |
| Best Screenplay | “The Light at the End” |
| Best Cinematography | “Meditations of Ecclesiastes” |
| Best Actress – Comedy | Ashton Clay for “A View to a Beehive” |
| Best Actress - Horror/Thriller | Makayla Patton for “Noes Goes” |
| Best Actress – Drama | Sarah Ceballos for “Hero” |
| Best Actor – Comedy | Steve Hanisch for “When a Blind Man Cries” |
| Best Actor - Horror/Thriller | John Michael Hardin for “Cutter” |
| Best Actor – Drama | Michael Fedele - “The Better Man” |
| Best Supporting Actor – Comedy | Sam Anthony for “Cleaners” |
| Best Supporting Actor Horror/Thriller | Bill Timoney for “100 Proof Warlock” |
| Best Supporting Actress – Comedy | Marcia Haufrecht for “A View to a Beehive” |
| Best Supporting Actress - Horror/Thriller | GiGi Grace for “Noes Goes” |
| Best Director – Comedy | Christian Cordes for “Just Desserts” |
| Best Director - Horror/Thriller | Eden Wright for “Cutter” |
| Best Director – Drama | Gadi Rubin for “The Naming of Things” |
| Best Student Film (College) | Personalized Futures |
| Best Student Film (High School) | Cry of the Yellow Moon |
| Best Short Short | One Last Time |
| Best Medium Short | Call Failed |
| Best Long Short | The Worst Best Man Ever |
| Rising Star | Hunter Nickless and Allegra Novikov |
The Hang on to Your Shorts Film Festival is in its 10th year of bringing great short films and art to iconic Asbury Park, New Jersey. In 2023 we returned to our traditional, in-person roots of beautiful Asbury Park, at the Jersey Shore.
New Jersey is the home of a lot of great film festivals. The Hang Onto Your Shorts Film Festival is unique because it is an intimate and inviting affair, without pretense. We celebrate your art, and we celebrate you! Hang Onto Your Shorts strives to create connections among filmmakers and actors, and these connections often result in collaborations that screen the very next year.
In celebration of the spirit of the Jersey Shore’s musical history, this year we added a “Music Video” category to the awards. We also aim to promote the arts with future creators and collaborators. Accordingly, we have special STUDENT film rates.
We look forward to sharing our creative universe with you, and we look forward to meeting you!
What People Are Saying About Us
Submit your film today and join the fun on April 5-6, 2024!
