Àlex Lora Cercós (the director of this year’s Official Selection, The Masterpiece), is the winner of 6 New York Emmys® and 12 other times nominee, finalist for the Oscars®-Student Academy Awards, Goya® Spanish Academy Award Nominee, and winner of two Gaudi® Catalan Academy Awards after being nominated on four occasions

Àlex is a Spanish filmmaker based in New York City who has screened twice at Sundance Film Festival as Official Selection. His work has received over 100 awards, being officially selected in some of the most internationally-acclaimed film festivals. Alex has also participated at Berlinale's Talent Campus, Guadalajara Doculab, Dok.Incubator, Screenwriting CineQuaNon lab, Sources lab, and IFP independent Week. He has taught film at several prestigious universities and received his MFA in Media Arts Production at City College of New York as a Fulbright scholar, mentored by Antonio Tibaldi and Chantal Akerman.

He has taught film at several prestigious universities and received his MFA in Media Arts Production at City College of New York as a Fulbright scholar, mentored by Antonio Tibaldi and Chantal Akerman.

Find out more about THE MASTERPIECE

THE MASTERPIECE won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It was also winner of Special Recognition at the 2024 Aspen Shortsfest, Best Live Action Short at the 2024 Raindance Film Festival, and Best Screenplay at the 2024 Medina Film Festival.

Our 2023 Silver and Audience Award-winner was WE WERE MEANT TO from The USA and director Tari Wariebi.

Tari is a first generation Liberian-Nigerian filmmaker and has been a WeScreenplay Finalist and quarterfinalist at the Slamdance Screenplay Competition. Most recently, Tari directed the pilot for WarnerMedia entitled REMEMBER starring Bernard David Jones, which was picked up by Berlanti Productions. Currently, Tari is working on a remake of the film PERFECT STRANGERS, written by and starring Issa Rae, produced by Spyglass Media.

Visit the WE WERE MEANT TO Website

The 24fps International Short Film Festival attracts a wide variety of young artists from around the world. 24fps Official Selections have also played the Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, TIFF, Clermont Ferrand, Hong Kong, Palm Springs, Berlin and BFI London Film Festivals, to name a few.

Our diverse, acclaimed short film programming includes narrative dramatic, narrative comedy, documentary, animation, experimental, and musical short films.

The Paramount theatre was built in 1930 at the height of the Great Depression by local grocer H. O. Wooten. It was originally part of the Paramount Publix theatre chain and has seen thousands of movies grace its grand screen.

It was closed in 1977 due to disrepair, but was reopened in 1987 when an anonymous donor purchased the facility and paid for its renovation.

The Paramount is now a performing arts facility, home to the Paramount Film Series, ballet, opera, concerts, musical theater, countless local organizations, and the 24fps International Short Film Festival

The facility features state-of-the-art digital projection and sound, making it one of the most well-equipped theatres in the Southwestern United States. The facility is on the National Register of Historic Places.