Benjamin Ross' TorteBluma won the best offestival Award and John Mitchell's Goodnight Bill won the audience award for live actionshort at the 2005 Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, whichended at the weekend.

Dawn Khoo wonthe documentary prize for her Singaporean entry Search For Her, Josh Staub won the top animation prizeas well as the Future Filmmaker Award for The Mantis Parable, and Diego Postigo's Spanish title LaChina won the PanavisionGrand Jury Award.

Stevo Changcollected the Alexis Award For Best Emerging Student Filmmaker for Fields OfMudan.

Joshua Leonard'sThe Youth In Us wonbest live action under 15 minutes and Taika Cohen's Tama Tu from New Zealand took the title for bestlive action over 15 minutes.

Returning to theaudience awards, Stacy Sherman's God Sleeps In Rwanda took documentary honours and PeterLepeniotis' Canadian entry Surly Squirrel won the animation prize.

"The talentwe've come to expect at the ShortFest has been eclipsed this year by filmmakerswho have reached far beyond any festival circuit standard and dipped intoterritories uncharted, unexpected and delightfully unusual," director ofprogramming Kathleen McInnis said.

The 11th annual eventscreened 324 short films in competition and organisers reported an 15%attendance surge from last year's figure of 15,000.