Ocean City Film Festival Announces 2025 Winners

OCEAN CITY, MD — March 12, 2025 — The Ocean City Film Festival announces the winners for the 9^th annual season, held March 6-9, 2025 in the resort. The festival is a production of the Art League of Ocean City. In 2025, 1,400 passholders attended the four days of the festival. 

“We thank the hundreds of people who came out this year to support independent film and the filmmakers who made them,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League said. “We are so proud of how our festival has grown and how it has supported the art of film over the past nine years, bringing excitement and culture to the shoulder season in Ocean City.”

The First Place Audience Choice Winner was “The Henry Hotel” directed by Marlon Wallace, which also won 1^st place in the Historical Film Challenge sponsored by the Town of Ocean City. The film tells the story of the segregated hotel from pre-Civil Rights times, still standing in Ocean City and undergoing restoration.

Other Audience Choice winners were “Warriors Beyond the Battlefield: African Americans in the Armed Forces,” produced by Unscene Productions in cooperation with the Beach to Bay Heritage Area. And “Her Name is Alesia: Ms. Macer to You” by Eric Myrieckes.

Other Historical Film Challenge winners were 2nd place, “Tales from the Dock,” directed by Maurice Waters; and 3rd place, “Eyes of the Fort,” directed by Megan Dodson.

The Worcester County Commission for Women presented a special award to Samantha Aben as Best Female Director for her film, “Drifting.”

Winners of the Documentary Short Film category were 1^st Place, “On Water’s Edge,” co-produced by the Maryland/DC Nature Conservancy. And honorable mentions “A Capella Joy: The Delmarva Chorus,” directed by Candice Lee Spielman of Ocean Pines; “Uncle Bully’s Surf Skool,” directed by Leah Warshawski; and “Beneath the Surface,” directed by Ian Derry.

Winners in the Narrative Short category were 1^st Place, “Listen with Your Eyes,” directed by Sam Von Hagen, and honorable mentions “The Boy From Lookout Mountain,” directed by Christopher Flippo; “Avocado Heart Girl,” directed by Keeley Gainey; and “The Campfire,” directed by Logan Bilbrough.

Winners in the Documentary Feature Film category were 1^st Place, “Bankie Banx: King of the Dune,” directed by Nara Garber. Honorable mentions went to “Meko,” directed by Harrison Buck; “Diary of an Orphan Elephant,” directed by Hermien Roelvert-Van Gils; and “Living Drugs,” directed by Victorina Petrossiants.

Winners in the Narrative Feature Film category were 1^st Place, “Cast & Crew,” directed by Jason Taylor, and honorable mentions “A/way,” directed by Derek Shane Garcia; “Loch Raven,” directed by Bernd Linhart; and “Home Free,” directed by Avi Ronn Federgreen.

More information is available at OCMDFilmFetival.com or by calling 410-524-9433.

The Art League of Ocean City is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the visual arts to the community through education, exhibits, scholarship, programs and community art projects.