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Playhouse West Film Festival - Philadelphia
2026 FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

THE EDWARD WILLIAM WASSER AWARD

Award

Winner:  JACK SAVANT

SHORT FILM CATEGORY

Best Supporting Actress | Short Film

  1. JANICE LUO, Let’s Go!

  2. SARAH MORRISON-CLEARY, Not Safe for Work 

  3. LUCIE PAIGE, My Little Daughter

  4. CORWYNNE PETERSON, Hypervigilance

  5. LAUREL HOLLAND STACY, Mama’s Boy

Winner: SARAH MORRISON-CLEARY, Not Safe for Work

Best Supporting Actor | Short Film

1. JOSEPH ADAMS, A Reason
2. CHRISTOPHER CASTAGNA, I Promise
3. DAVID LEITCH, Skin Laundry
3. DAVE PICCINETTI, Not Safe for Work
5. TOM SCHMITT, Mama’s Boy

Winner: TOM SCHMITT, Mama’s Boy

Best Screenplay | Short Film

1. A REASON, screenplay by Eric Koenig

2. NOT SAFE FOR WORK, screenplay by Erica Moody, B.J. Barretta
3. LUNA, screenplay by Amos Quoi
4. UNREMARKABLE, screenplay by Tony Savant 

5. MAMA’S BOY, screenplay by Laurel Holland Stacy, Nick Stacy 

Winner:  A REASON,  screenplay by Eric Koenig

Best Director | Short Film

1. B.J. BARRETTA, Not Safe For Work
2. KELLY HOLSTROM, Skin Laundry
3. ERIC KOENIG, A Reason
4. JACK SAVANT, Whenever You’re Ready
5. TONY SAVANT, Unremarkable

Winner:  TONY SAVANT, Unremarkable

Best Actress | Short Film

1. NICOLE D’ARECCA, Whenever You’re Ready 

2. LILLY MINOR, Luna
3. MICHELLE REALE-OPALESKY, I Promise
4. LUCIE PAIGE, Unremarkable 

5. ARI SCOTTO, Porkchop

Winner:  LILLY MINOR, Luna

Best Actor | Short Film

1. PEYTON CARSON, Mama’s Boy
2. RICHARD FROHMAN, A Reason
3. RICHARD FROHMAN, Unremarkable
4. DANIEL RIVER, Whenever You’re Ready

5. CHRISTIAN VALENTIN, Skin Laundry

Winner:  RICHARD FROHMAN, A Reason

Best Short Film

1. A REASON, E.K.M. Watson, producer

2. LUNA, Luke Peterson, producer
3. MAMA’S BOY, Laurel Holland Stacy, Nick Stacy, producers
4. UNREMARKABLE, Elizabeth Lauryn Reynolds, Tony Savant, producers

5. WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, Nicole D’Arecca, producer

Winner: A REASON, E.K.M. Watson, producer

GRAND JURY AWARDS

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Best Actress | Short Film Comedy

ARI SCOTTO

Porkchop

Best Actor | Short Film Comedy

GAVIN R. NERSASIAN

Porkchop

Best Actress | Short Film Drama

LUCIE PAIGE

Unremarkable

Best Actor | Short Film Drama

RICHARD FROHMAN

A Reason

Best Short Film | Comedy

PORKCHOP

Best Short Film | Drama

UNREMARKABLE

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