Awards
2019 Awards
Best Feature- 5th of July
Best Short- Olympians
Best Director of a Feature-Andrew Hunt, Funny You Never Knew
Best Director of a Short-Tom Stern, Adams
Best Actor in a Feature-Jaleel White, 5th of July
Best Actor in a Short-Lindsay Rose Naves, Pig
Top Female Filmmaker-Shaina Feinberg
Top Ensemble Cast Feature Film-Senior Escort Service
Top Ensemble Cast Short Film-Vicarious
Diversity in Comedy Award-Waikiki PD
Best Chicago Film-Good Hombres
Best Student Film-The Great Chicago Fire
2018 Awards
Feature Awards
BEST of Fest *sponsored by Zacuto: Care to Laugh
Best Actor (gender neutral/non binary): Sam Straley, Bernadette
Best Ensemble: Olympia
Best Director: Julie Getz, Care to Laugh
Short Content Awards
BEST of Fest *sponsored by Zacuto: Spadina House
Best Actor (gender neutral/non binary): Julia Sweeney, Dicky and Flo
Best Ensemble: For Muriel
Best Director: Tom Beckwith-Phillips, The Terrible Tale of Henrietta Tate
Other Awards
Chicago Film Award *sponsored by Zacuto: Bernadette
Top Female Filmmaker Award sponsored by Zacuto: Ilyse Mimoun, #metoo gumshoe
Diversity in Comedy Award sponsored by Zacuto: Champions
2017 Awards
BEST FEATURE FILM Room for Rent
BEST SHORT FILM Sad Steve
BEST WEB SERIES Doucheaholics
BEST PILOT JimMortal
BEST STUDENT FILM
BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM David Figlioli in Special Unit
BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE FILM Stephnie Weir in Room for Rent
BEST ACTOR IN A SHORT FILM Holt Boggs in The Cable Men
BEST ACTRESS IN A SHORT FILM Natalia Dyer in Yes, God, Yes
BEST ACTOR IN A WEB SERIES Frank Caeti in Bob and Vargus
BEST ACTRESS IN A WEB SERIES Julia Mercer in Business Solutions
BEST ACTOR IN A PILOT Monty Franklin in The Manny
BEST ACTRESS IN A PILOT Annelyse Ahmed in JimMortal
BEST DIRECTOR OF FEATURE FILM Steven Huffaker for Love in Moreno Valley
BEST DIRECTOR OF A SHORT FILM Neil Fischer for The Artist
BEST DIRECTOR OF A PILOT Owen Weber and Hunter Bradley for JimMortal
BEST CHICAGO FILMMAKER Josh da Silva for Something Out of Nothing
CONNIE CLAIR SPIRIT AWARD FOR TOP FEMALE FILMMAKER Nadia Jordan for For the Love of George
Audience Choice Feature-For the Love of George
Audience Choice Short-You're Alive
Audience Choice Web Series-Business Solutions
Audience Choice Pilot-JimMortal
2016 Awards
The ISA STORY AWARD presented by The International Screenwriter's Association-this award will go to the winning feature film selected by The International Screenwriter's Association. The winner will receive a one-year CONNECT Membership and will be considered for acceptance into their Development Program for 1 year.
Winner: And Punching the Clown
This year's Connie Clair Spirit Award for Top Female Filmmaker will be presented by The Second City Harold Ramis Film School. The winner will be presented with a $500 check by The Second City.
Winner: Jenn Daugherty, Writer of The Merry Maids of Madness
BEST FEATURE FILM The Merry Maids of Madness
BEST SHORT FILM Have You Seen Calvin?
BEST WEB SERIES Dog Moms
BEST PILOT Rack and Ruin
BEST STUDENT FILM The Magic of Friendship
BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM Mark Sullivan in Bear with Us
BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE FILM Kendall Cross in Grand Unified Theory
BEST ACTOR IN A SHORT FILM Riley Soloner in Vegas
BEST ACTRESS IN A SHORT FILM Jane Lynch in Writers Block
BEST ACTOR IN A WEB SERIES Anthony Marks in Douchaholics
BEST ACTRESS IN A WEB SERIES Jo Scott in Curfued
BEST ACTOR IN A PILOT Antoine McKay in Written Off
BEST ACTRESS IN A PILOT Markie Post in Rack and Ruin
BEST DIRECTOR OF FEATURE FILM William Stribling for Bear with Us
BEST DIRECTOR OF A SHORT FILM Stephen Reedy for The Man from Death
BEST DIRECTOR OF A PILOT Robyn Paris for The Room Actors: Where Are They Now?
BEST CHICAGO FILMMAKER Jack Newell for Open Tables
Audience Choice Feature-The Merry Maids of Madness
Audience Choice Short-Think Twice
Audience Choice Web Series-Douchaholics
Audience Choice Pilot-Neil,Patrick, and Harris
2015 Awards
BEST FEATURE The Week
BEST SHORT Grand Zero
BEST WEB SERIES Greetings! From Prison
BEST STUDENT SHORT Do the Damn Thing
BEST DIRECTOR OF A FEATURE John W. Mann and Jon Gunn for The Week
BEST DIRECTOR OF A SHORT Wim Geudens, Thomas Baerten for De Smet
TOP FEMALE FILMMAKER (The Connie Clair Spirit Award) Cindy Baer for Odd Brodsky
BEST MALE ACTOR FEATURE Rick Gomez in The Week
BEST FEMALE ACTOR FEATURE Tegan Ashton Cohen in Odd Brodsky
BEST MALE ACTOR SHORT Michael Nardelli in Dennis Doesn't Live Here Anymore
BEST FEMALE ACTOR SHORT Sue Johnston in Caring for the Recently Deceased
AUDIENCE CHOICE FEATURE Killing Poe
AUDIENCE CHOICE SHORT Gayborhood
2014 Awards
BEST FEATURE The Last Sparks of Sundown
BEST SHORT Manager
BEST SHORT SHORT This is It
BEST WEB SERIES Devil's Couriers
BEST STUDENT SHORT Stray Dogs
BEST DIRECTOR OF A FEATURE James Kibbey for The Last Sparks of Sundown
BEST DIRECTOR OF A SHORT Jacob Meszaros for Manager
BEST DIRECTOR OF A WEB SERIES Gregory Fitzsimmons for Jon and Jen are Married
TOP FEMALE FILMMAKER (The Connie Clair Spirit Award) Trilby Glover for Awkward Expressions of Love
BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE Keegan-Michael Key in Teacher of the Year
BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE Kelly Nick in Nothing in Los Angeles
BEST ACTOR IN A SHORT Dominic Conti in The Interview
BEST ACTRESS IN A SHORT Tommee May in Delicious Ambiguity
BEST ACTOR IN A WEB SERIES Bill Arnett in Bill Weiner: High School Guidance Counselor
BEST ACTRESS IN A WEB SERIES Raleigh Jackson Jones in Or the Burrito Gets It
AUDIENCE CHOICE FEATURE Party Time Party time
AUDIENCE CHOICE SHORT Loving Myself: Hairy Soul Man
AUDIENCE CHOICE WEB SERIES Couch Surferz
2013 AWARDS
BEST FEATURE First Period
BEST SHORT Minimus
BEST WEB SERIES Rick and Len Fix Sh!T in Your House
BEST STUDENT SHORT Incident at Public School 173
BEST ANIMATED SHORT Bob Hope
BEST DIRECTOR FEATURE Mousse
BEST DIRECTOR SHORT Derek Fry for Sky Blue Collar
TOP FEMALE FILMMAKER (The Connie Clair Spirit Award) Mandy Fabian for Killing Vivian
AUDIENCE CHOICE FEATURE One Small Hitch
AUDIENCE CHOICE SHORT That Fucking Elevator
BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM Brandon Alexander in First Period
BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE FILM Marienette Dahlin in Mousse
BEST ACTOR IN A SHORT Mark Chavez in House Cocktail
BEST ACTRESS IN A SHORT Missi Pyle in Killing Vivian
2012 AWARDS
BEST FEATURE Tony Tango
BEST SHORT Gros
BEST STUDENT SHORT A Royal Pain
AUDIENCE CHOICE FEATURE Trailer Park Jesus
AUDIENCE CHOICE SHORT Good Luck Mr. Gorski
TOP FEMALE FILMMAKER (The Connie Clair Spirit Award) Ondine Rarey for A Portrait of Female Desperation
2011 AWARDS
BEST FEATURE Unicorn City
BEST SHORT Bear Force One
BEST STUDENT SHORT Bingo!
TOP FEMALE FILMMAKER (The Connie Clair Spirit Award) Valerie Weiss for Losing Control
**About the Connie Clair Spirit Award**
Connie Clair was a family member and friend of the festival. Connie was a proud WWII naval veteran - one of the first Royal Canadian WRENS to serve in an active war zone. She was a moving force in the development of the Navy League of Canada Wrennettes, starting a corps in Weston, Ontario, then serving at Ontario Division and later at National Division. She retired from the Department of National Defence in 1986 and pursued her passions for painting, golf and for W. Walker. She traveled extensively and worked with the Ottawa District Senior Council until 2010. Her accomplishments are too numerous to list. She never rested on her laurels as she was too busy pursuing adventures. She passed away just days before the 1st Annual Chicago Comedy Film Festival. We honor her in this award for being a woman with a passion and zest for living.