The winners have been announced for Exeter Phoenix’s Two Short Nights Film Festival 2013. There were only five award categories and almost 60 short films screened in two days.

The Best Film in Screening award went to Host Familie directed by Tom Austin. The film, about a German undergraduate who lodges with an English family, was the first short to be commissioned by Exeter Phoenix Digital on the proviso that it achieved matched fundraising through crowdfunding. Tom Austin said, “I’m surprised and grateful. Exeter Phoenix has been really supportive. I’m thankful to everyone who helped make the film.”

Best Short Film Commission went to director Carrie Hill for Old, Grey and Fast. Her documentary film tells the story of the ex-professional cyclist Colin Lewis who lives in Devon and at the age of 71 is still riding competitively.

The 48 Hour Film Challenge saw a host of teams write, shoot and edit films in only two days. Team Get Me Rex Krammer won the Best 48 Hour Film award for GSOH, a film directed by Nick Gordon, which explored the challenges of internet dating.

Exeter Phoenix Digital and Film Programmer Claire Horrocks said, “This year’s 48 Hour Film Challenge has definitely seen the strongest line-up of films we have ever had.”

Competition for the International Open Award was high but ultimately Iceberg, a film about a female 22-year-old Chinese drummer, was chosen from a plethora of possible worthy winners.

The final, and much sought after, award was the Audience Choice. Voted for by the public this year’s winner was The Grendel Toots directed by Liam O’Hara and Will Shutt.

The physical awards presented to the winners brought their own theatricality. They were created by the imaginative designer Ben Huggins who made special moulds and then created the awards out of ice. Festival sponsors Colourburn, a creative film and marketing agency, were behind the production of these special awards and their co-founder Damo Cross was on hand to present them. He said, “There is such a diverse content in the films at this year’s festival and there really is a lot of amazing local talent. We are really glad to be involved.”