SELECT FILMS
The Family We Chose
Two in-laws build a connection over the dynamics of the family they married into.
Written, Produced, & Directed by Justin & Kristin Schaack
Starring Taj Ruler, Tom Reed, Maggie Pistner
Director of Photography: Kyle Moe
Original Score Composed by Andy Stermer
-- AWARDS --
LOUIE ANDERSON AWARD | Z-Fest
BEST OF FEST - Honorable Mention | Oneota FF
2nd Place Overall | Z-Fest
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, Maggie Pistner | Z-Fest
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN | Z-Fest
-- FILM FESTIVALS [20+ official selections] --
Beloit International Film Festival
Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival
Catalina Film Festival
Fargo Film Festival
Harrogate Film Festival
Pasadena International Film Festival
Sioux City International Film Festival
South Dakota Film Festival
Sunscreen Film Festival
Twin Cities Film Fest
Woods Hole Film Festival
Fairy Tail
A hopeless romantic discovers an unlikely intruder and finds love at first fight.
Written, Produced, & Directed by Justin & Kristin Schaack
Starring Leslie Vincent & Andy Rocco Kraft
Director of Photography: Kyle Moe
Original Score Composed by: Andy Stermer
--- AWARDS ---
Twin Cities Film Fest | The Fun Is Good BILL MURRAY Comedic Shorts Award
New York City Int'l Film Festival | Best Short & Best Directing
Catalina Film Festival | Best Actor, Female Comedy: Leslie Vincent
International Shorts | Best Comedy
Bristol Independent Film Festival | Best Comedy
Ocean Coast Film Festival | Best Comedy
Snake Alley Festival of Film | Best Comedy
Independent Days International Filmfestival | Best Short Shortfilm
Benicia Film Festival | Best Short Short Film
Big Water Film Festival | Best Short Short Film
Lobo Fest - Festival Internacional de Filmes | Best Very Short International Film
Short Shorts Film Festival | Best Film/Audience Choice
Austrian Film Festival | Best Love Film
South Dakota Film Festival | Best Romantic Comedy Short Film
Iowa Independent Film Festival | Critic's Choice Award
Nassau Film Festival | Princeton Tiger Award
Speechless Film Festival | Best of Fest - MN Made
--- NOMINATIONS ---
Austrian Film Festival | Best Short, Best Comedy
Nacht van de kortfilm [Belgium] | Best International Short Film
Clean Shorts Film Festival | Best Petite Short Film
ME Film Festival | Best MicroShort Film
Twister Allley Film Festival | Best Comedy Short & Best Directing - Comedy Short
Austin Revolution Film Festival | Best Fantasy Film, Best Editing, Best F/X
New York City International Film Festival | Best Actress
-- FILM FESTIVALS [85+ official selections] --
Quarantined with a Ghost
During a global pandemic, a woman is quarantined to her home with a ghost for a housemate.
This short film was fully written, produced, and edited by Justin & Kristin Schaack
in 48 hours...during a Global Pandemic.
--- AWARDS ---
Audience Choice: Best Comedy - Sioux City International Film Festival
Best Short Film For These Unprecedented Times - South Dakota Film Festival
Best Supporting Female Actor [Susannah Eckberg] - Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project
-- FILM FESTIVALS [official selection] --
Cambria Film Festival
Papaya Rocks Film Festival
Sioux City International Film Festival
South Dakota Film Festival
Twin Cities Film Fest
Vox Popular Media Arts Festival
Rag Dolls
Playtime goes haywire when a child discovers rag dolls in an antique chest. Her imagination runs wild, but for the dolls’ real-life doppelgangers, self-control is out of their hands.
Written, Produced, & Directed by Justin & Kristin Schaack
Cast: Presley Grams, Andy Rocco Kraft, Lauren Masiello
Director of Photography: Ryan Grams
Original Score Composed by: Andy Stermer
-- AWARDS --
BEST FILM | Short Shorts Film Festival | Duluth, MN
BEST FILM & AUDIENCE CHOICE | Films in 5 Film Festival | Cottage Grove, MN
BEST MEDIUM SHORT | Clean Shorts Film Festival | Oklahoma City, OK
BEST SUPER SHORT FILM | Slumberjack Film Festival | Widnes, United Kingdom
BEST SHORT SHORT FILM | Benicia Film Festival | Benicia, CA
BEST SHORT SHORT FILM | Big Water Film Festival | Ashland, WI
BEST EXTREME SHORT FILM & AUDIENCE CHOICE | River Film Festival | Padova, Italy
BEST SHORT FILM & AUDIENCE CHOICE | FAM Fest International Film Festival | Charlotte, NC
BEST FILM - Made in Minnesota | Highway 61 Film Festival | Pine City, MN
BEST SHORT COMEDY | South Dakota Film Festival | Aberdeen, SD
BEST COMEDY | Sunderland Shorts Film Festival |Sunderland, United Kingdom
BEST COMEDY | Short & Sweet Film Festival | Orem, UT
BEST COMEDY | Hyart Film Festival | Lovell, WY
BEST PHYSICAL COMEDY & AUDIENCE CHOICE | Laughter Film Festival | Vincennes, IN
EXCELLENT SHORT FILM | Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival | Seoul, South Korea
AUDIENCE CHOICE | Riverside Short Film Festival | New Haven, MO
AUDIENCE CHOICE | KINOdiseea Children's Film Festival | Bucharest, Romania
AUDIENCE CHOICE / BEST FAMILY SHORT | Gold Coast International Film Festival | New York, NY
YOUTH AUDIENCE CHOICE | Reel Shorts Film Festival | Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
CRITIC'S CHOICE | Iowa Independent Film Festival | Mason City, IA
HONORABLE MENTION | Rahway Reel Short Film Festival | Rahway, NJ
HONORABLE MENTION | Marin International Film Festival | Marin, CA
SPECIAL MENTION | Miami Independent Film Festival | Miami, FL
BEST FILM EDITING | The Mespies | Minneapolis, MN
BEST MUSIC | The Mespies | Minneapolis, MN
-- FILM FESTIVALS [100+ official selections] --