CineSpace is a collaboration between NASA and Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) that offers filmmakers around the world a chance to share their works inspired by, and using, actual NASA imagery through “CineSpace,” a short film competition. Winners are announced and screened along with all finalists at the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival which is held in November. Our 2018 Call for Works will open soon!

Congratulations to our 2017 Cinespace Winners and Finalists!

FIRST PLACE

Christian Stangl, Lunar

Austria, 7:20 minutes

In a process that took 18 months, this animated collage brings together thousands of original NASA photographs. Using different techniques, the artists bring the stills to life in a celebration of peaceful exploration.

SECOND PLACE

Pedro de Filippis, Nadir

Hungary, 9:17 minutes

In an observatory in Budapest, a 55-year-old astrophysicist plans to go to the moon. In his small dome, the micro-universe turns into macro, giving life to his plans.

THIRD PLACE

Shannan Leigh Reeve & Chelese Belmont, The Invisible Border

California, USA, 9:35 minutes

In the not so distant future, renown scientist and inexperienced astronaut Dr. Annie Tennant has beaten the odds and successfully returned home from an unprecedented solo space mission. During her first exclusive interview, the crucial importance of her journey and its emotional impact on her views of humanity are revealed.

SPECIAL CATEGORY WINNERS

Film Best Depicting the Benefits of Space to Humanity:

Alex Moreno, Apizaco

Mexico, 7:36 minutes

Without high-tech and with limited resources, a group of teenage girls from Apizaco, a small rural town in Mexico, learned math, science, and robotics together with the passion and dedication of their middle school teacher, and managed to win the top prizes at NASA's Mars Trekker Global Teen Summit.

Film Best Depicting the Spirit of Future Space Exploration:

Jamie Drew, This New Sea

United Kingdom, 3:11 minutes

The case for space exploration as something essential to the human spirit, made passionately by the explorers themselves. A documentary straight from NASA's archives.

Jonathan Gracee, Eight-ball

Australia, 2:53 minutes

A routine night of bar pool turns into a tour of the cosmos.

Jacob Carlsson, The Great Portals of Cyberspace: Doomsday

Sweden/France, 3:23 minutes

An alien space ship in the form of a giant phone attacks earth, replicates and takes over people’s minds. The alien phones become portals to the cyberspace, through which they gain powers, enough to take over the entire universe.

David Regos, I'm Here Now Somehow

Germany, 10:00 minutes

Aziz Dyab spent his teenage years growing up amidst the bombings and violence of the war in Syria. With no electricity at night, Aziz started taking an interest in space, watching the stars and constellations. He longed for a better, peaceful life. When he decided to escape, he used his knowledge of the stars to help navigate his way out of trouble.

Patrick Morgan, Miss Baker's Ride

UK, 6:45 minutes

After a decade of launching monkeys into space, NASA had yet to return any alive and had fallen behind the Soviet Union in the race for space travel. This film is inspired by the true story of Miss Baker and Able, the first primates ever to return home safely from space.

Bill Sebastian, Planet, California

USA, 10:00 minutes

A husband buys his wife a planet for their anniversary. Five years later, they are surprised to find the national space agency at their door.

Jesse Vogelaar, The Space Between Us

Australia, 8:10 minutes

A jaded astronaut is left drifting alone in space. His only point of contact is a sarcastic helpline technician who has very little power to help him.

Daniela Clementi, To the Sky

Chile, 9:58 minutes

Elizabeth has Alzheimer's Disease, and she is progressively losing her memory. To the Sky is a recommendation film/letter sent to the Sky, because she is ready to go there.

Vincent Wilson, Transmitter Receiver

Canada, 8:59 minutes

In order to escape the monotony and boredom of the end of the school year, a young boy fabricates a transceiver-receiver to communicate with strangers in the sky.

FIRST PLACE

Sébastien Tulard, 1950DA

Paris, France

SECOND PLACE

Jon Bougher, Kohl Threlkeld, Music of the Spheres

Washington DC, United States

THIRD PLACE

Loïc Magar, Roman Veiga, Voyager

France

Film Best Depicting Benefits to Humanity from the International Space Station

Harriett Maire, Ferris Bradley, Lani’s Space

New Zealand

Film Best Depicting Spirit of Future Exploration of Space

Ryan J Thompson, Exploration

United Kingdom

FINALIST

Ian Lewis, New Moon Night

United States

FINALIST

Kuesti Fraun, Living on an Island

Germany

FINALIST

Wil Prada, Izel

United States

FINALIST

Melissa Balan, Life on Mars: Leila Zucker

United States

FINALIST

Daniel Cantagallo, The Divine Countdown

United States

FINALIST

Joe Carter, Blackburn

United States

FINALIST

Matthew Nefdt, Atmos

South Africa

FINALIST

Duncan Elms, The Traveler

United States

FINALIST

Mickael Le Goff, Robot Koch – Eclipse

Germany

FINALIST

Bipin Ragu, Voyager

India

FINALIST

Isaac Zambra, Sidereal

Mexico

FINALIST

Guy Spiller, My Room at the Center of the Universe

South Africa

FIRST PLACE

Mary Magsamen and Stephen Hillerbrand, Higher Ground

Houston, TX

SECOND PLACE

Fernando Dueñas Peña, Mission Avante

Bogota Colombia

THIRD PLACE

Alexandre B. Lampron, Le Voyage

Laval, Quebec

Film Best Depicting Benefits to Humanity from the International Space Station

Wayne Slaten, Red Pearl

League City, TX

Film Best Depicting Spirit of Future Exploration of Space

Benjamin Eck, Home

Sherman Oaks, CA

Finalist

Lisset Mendoza, A Little Journey

Anaheim, CA

Finalist

Lee Arter, As We Set Sail

Los Angeles, CA

Finalist

Amia Yokoyama, Come Closer

Los Angeles, CA

Finalist

Elijah Alvarado, End of the Sky

Iowa

Finalist

Victoria Taylor-Gore, General Astronomy

Amarillo, TX

Finalist

Andrei Severny, Gravitation: Variation in Time and Space

New York, NY

Finalist

Guy Shahaf, Guiding Light

Yehud, Israel

Finalist

Courtney Robinson, Is It Possible To Define Inspiration?

Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Finalist

Sander van den Berg, Outer Space

Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland

Finalist

Trent Jaklitsch, Supersymmetry

Brooklyn, NY

Finalist

Daniel Land and Paul Frieling, Voyagers

Detroit, Michigan