The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival has announced the award winners for its third annual event which featured a lineup of science fiction, horror, and fantasy films, music videos, and panel discussions. The virtual festival, held from January 14-17, 2021, explored the influence and breakthroughs of the psychedelic community and recognized nine official selections for their outstanding filmmaking and storytelling. 

BEST PSYCHEDELIC FEATURE

Magnetic Pathways (2018)

• Director: Edgar Pera
• Run Time/Country: 97 min, Portugal
• Synopsis: Portugal is ruled by an authoritarian plutocracy and one man descends into a night of drunken soul searching and humiliation after his beloved daughter is wedded to one of the power elite.

BEST PSYCHEDELIC DOCUMENTARY

Veterans Journey Home (2020)

• Director: Frederick Marx
• Run Time/Country: 100 min, USA
• Synopsis: A cohort of 12 military veterans do an ancient, 12-day, wilderness Vision Fast ceremony in the desert in Washington that includes four days of solo fasting on the land using only water and minimal shelter. Directed by the producer and co-writer of the 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams.

BEST TRANSPERSONAL DOCUMENTARY

The People Who Suspend (2019)

• Director: Lukas Larson
• Run Time/Country: 97 min, USA
• Synopsis: Director Lukas Larson set out to understand the people who practice body suspension, but what began as a study of other people, ended with the camera pointed at himself as he faced the end of life as he knew it. The People Who Suspend covers everything from the ancient history of this strange ritual to the diverse ways it is practiced in the modern era. This is the first feature documentary specifically focused on the practice of suspension and the people who suspend. 

BEST VISIONARY SHORT

Embers of the Sun (2019)

• Director: Zareh Tjeknavorian
• Run Time/Country: 12 min, Armenia
• Synopsis: This impressionistic short film evokes the otherworldly beauty of Armenia’s prehistoric monuments and their sacred landscapes. The monoliths and rock art of the highlands are vestiges of the mysterious Bronze Age peoples that hunted and worshipped in this remote volcanic realm some 4 thousand years ago.

BEST PSYCHEDELIC/TRANSPERSONAL SHORT

Loss of Reality (2019)

• Director: Martin Holper
• Run Time/Country: 27 min, Germany
• Synopsis: Momo is a young man who would rather take drugs and fool around with his girlfriend than work at his parent’s shop. His irresponsible behavior towards himself starts soon to affect his family and friends.

BEST HORROR SHORT

Stuk (2019)

• Director: Nadira Murray
• Run Time/Country: 8 min, UK
• Synopsis: Troubled teen Angela enters the toilet to refresh herself. She feels odd. She hears a sudden gunshot and screams – “the night club is under attack.” Angela fears for her life; or is her mind playing tricks?

BEST PSYCHEDELIC ANIMATION

La Vuelta de la Polilla (2019)

• Director: Brian C. O’Malley and Daniel A. Peneng
• Run Time/Country: 6 min, USA
• Synopsis: A young shaman in search of the eternal light discovers a moth who holds the secret of transcendence. The shaman goes on a quest to join the moth and its flock, discovering ultimate reality.

BEST PSY-TRANCE INSTRUMENTAL

Awakening (2020)

• Composer: Ava Lynch
• Run Time/Country: 4 min, USA
• Synopsis: An instrumental voyage of Transcendence.

BEST PSY-ROCK SONG

End of Confusion (2020)

• Composer: Second Coming
• Run Time/Country: 4 min, USA
• Synopsis: From the album “Fall of Babylon,” this music video is about coming to grips with the Earth’s crisis and finding hope.

The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival explores the altered states of consciousness and psychedelia created by film, music, art and other forms of media. Showcasing independent feature films, shorts, music videos and documentaries, and panels with distinguished guests, the festival pushes the boundaries of psychedelic and noetic realities to give audiences a unique and visceral experience.

[Based on a press release.]