Bitter Brownies2024-01-25T17:22:19+00:00

27 Awards for Best international Short Film

10 Awards for Best Director
10 Awards for Best Actor
6 Awards for Best Short Screenplay
5 Awards for Best Original Score
4 Awards for Best Cinematography
3 Awards for Best Actress

BITTER BROWNIES

Produced, Directed and Shot by

James Carman

Based on the play

“Just Desserts”

written by

David MacGregor

Adapted to the screen by

David MacGregor and James Carman

Co-Producer

Estelle Su

Starring

Ellen Ko as Joyce
Bill Kozy as Kris
Russell Jordan as Evan
Elle Powell as Becky

Editor / Props / Post Supervisor

Arnie Schlissel

Production Coordinator

Louise Mabel

Music

James Carman
Russ Smith

Bitter Brownies Synopsis

In this dark comedy, a devious thief pilfers lunches from the break room.  Staff employees are out for blood. Can they unmask the perpetrator? Where will the snack bandit strike next?!!!

About James Carman

James Carman

James Carman is an accomplished filmmaker and cinematographer. His feature length documentary, ‘The Hidden Hand; Alien Contact and the Government Cover-up’, won 5 awards and is distributed internationally.

James has shot many feature films that have been screened in festivals worldwide: (Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto.) Five features he shot were shown at the MoMA retrospective of Bruce LaBruce.

He shot 10 films about sexual criminals for Shu Lea Cheang’s 3x3x3. They were the centerpiece of the Taiwan Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale. James just finished co-directing a feature length love story, ‘Set Me Free’ and his new short, Bitter Brownies, has won 28 prizes for Best International Short Film. He completed a sci-fi graphic novel, HyperParanøid, with illustrator Jaf Farkas. Robert Crumb wrote the foreword.

Read more
James Carman

All International Awards

Rome International Movie Awards:
Best Comedy Short

8 & Halfilm Awards, Rome:
Best Narrative Short

A to Z Cinema:
Best US Short Film

Abu Dhabi Global Festival:
Best Arthouse Short FIlm
Best Dark Comedy

Amo Kia International Film Festival, Singapore:
Best International Short Film
Best Actress: Ellen Ko
Best Actor: William Kozy

A to Z Cinema:
Best US Short FIlm

Auckland Global Film Festival, NZ
Best International Short Film

Bharatha Desam International Film Festival, India:
Best International Short Film

Bhutan Independent Film Festival:
Best International Short Film
Best Director: James Carman
BEST SHORT SCRIPT SCREENPLAY

Cambodia Film Awards:
Best International Short Film
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman

Care Awards, Italy:
Best Comedy Short

Chokkie International Film Festival, India:
Best International Short Film
Best Director: James Carman
Best Producer: James Carman
Best Supporting Actor: William Kozy

Daegu International Film Festival:
Best International Short Film
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman

Dubai Miracle International Film Festival:
BEST SHORT SCRIPT SCREENPLAY
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM

Independent Film Festival of Doha:
Best International Short Film
Best Writer: David MacGregor
Best Director: James Carman
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Supporting Actor: William Kozy

Indo – Malaysia Film Festival:
Best International Short Film
Best Director: James Carman
Best Producer: James Carman
Best Editor: Arnie Schlissel
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman
Best Poster: Nick Danzi

INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARD OF DUBAI:
Best International Short FIlm

IFFS, Singapore:
Best International Short Film
Best Poster: Nick Danzi
Best Director: James Carman
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman
Best Short Short Script

East of Arabia FF:
Best International Short FIlm
Best US Short FIlm
Best Actress: Ellen Ko
Best Actor: William Kozy

GOLD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, India:
Best International Short Film
Best US Short FIlm
Best Actress: Ellen Ko
Best Short Short Script
Best Supporting Actor: William Kozy

Golden Muscat International Film Festival:
Best International Short Film
Best Supporting Actor: William Kozy
Best Short Short Script
Best Poster: Nick Danzi

Golden Leaf Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Actress: Ellen Ko

Gulf Tiger Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Poster: Nick Danzi
Best Director: James Carman
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman

Indo Malaysia Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Poster: Nick Danzi
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Producer: James Carman

Indo-Singapore Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Director: James Carman
Best Actor: William Kozy
Best Actress: Ellen Ko

Jeju-Si International Film Festival, Korea:
Best US Short FIlm

Kim Ki-duk International Film Festival, South Korean:
Best International Short FIlm
Best US Short FIlm
Best Actor: William Kozy
Best Actress: Ellen Ko

KodaiKanal International Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm

Kollywood International Film Festival, India:
Best International Short FIlm

Kookai International Film Festival, India:
Best International Short FIlm

Korea International Short Film Festival:
Special Jury Award

Kurosawa Independent Film Festival; Japan:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Actor: William Kozy

LANGKAWI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Director: James Carman
Best Poster: Nick Danzi
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Editor: Arnie Schlissel
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman

Layalee International Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm

Lion City International Film Festival, India:
BEST SHORT SCRIPT SCREENPLAY
BEST DIRECTOR

Malaikandan International Film Festival:
Best US Short FIlm

MALAYSIA WORLD Achievement Film Festival:
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
BEST US SHORT FILM
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Manama International Film Festival Bahrain:
Best International Short Film
Best Director: James Carman
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman
Best Poster: Nick Danzi

Mongolia Independent Film Festival:
Best Director: James Carman
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Editor
Best Producer
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman

New Zealand Global Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm

Nazwa Indie FIm Festival, Oman:
Best International Short FIlm

Night of Comedy Shorts: Milan Italy
Honorable Mention

Penguin International Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Director: James Carman
Best Actor: William Kozy

Pilipinas Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Supporting Actor: William Kozy Russel jordan

Port Blair International Film Festival, ANDAMAN NICOBAR ISLAND, India:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Actress: Ellen Ko

Pyramid Indigo Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm

Qatar People’s Choice Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Concept
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Actor: William Kozy

Rainbow International Film Festival:
Best Short Screenplay
Best International Short FIlm
Best Director: James Carman
Best Cinematography: James Carman

Rohip International Film Festival, India:
Best US Short FIlm

Rome International Movie Awards:

Royal Oak International Film Festival:
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman
Best Supporting Actor: William Kozy

San Francisco Art House Film Festival:
Semi-Finalist

Santa Dev International Film Festival:
Best US Short FIlm

Santa Maria Music & Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm

Sashin International Film Festival, India:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Supporting Actor

SEEB INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL – OMAN:
Best International Short Film
Best Actor:
Best Actress:

Seoul Global Film Festival, Korea:
Special Jury Award

SFAAF, Chile:
Best Supporting Actress In A Short Film:
Best Supporting Actor In A Short Film: William Kozy

Sharjah Director’s Cut FF, United Arab Emirates:
Best US Short FIlm

SINGAPORE ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Actor:
Best Actress:

South Korea New Wave Film Awards:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Poster: Nick Danzi
Best Writer: David MacGregor

Tekka International Film Festival, Singapore:
Best International Short FIlm, Honorable Mention

Takkaru International Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Poster: Nick Danzi
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Supporting Actor: William Kozy
Best Short Screenplay

Trincomalee International Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Writer: David MacGregor
Best Director: James Carman
Best Supporting Actor

Vietnam Independent Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Poster: Nick Danzi

Whity International Film Festival:
Best Short Screenplay

*Yangon Indie Film Festival, Myanmar:
Best International Short FIlm
Best Poster: Nick Danzi
Best Cinematography: James Carman
Best Editor: Arnie Schlissel
Best Original Score: Russ Smith, James Carman

Zambia Independent Film Festival:
Best International Short FIlm, Honorable Mention

Tales of office insanity abound, but this one is  psychopathically sophisticated. 

Bitter Brownies is a hilarious exploration of the company lunchroom’s dark side. 

The song in the credits takes the humor to tastier heights. Wonderfully acted and directed. 

John Jones,
Singer and Songwriter, Sheer Cerebral Power and UFO Hawaii