Many things in life can be precisely measured. For example, we can with certainty determine that tallest building or the fastest car. Art isn’t like that. Like beauty, film excellence is in the eye of the beholder. It is inevitably subjective and can be controversial. With that in mind, the beholders at MobileMovieMaking Magazine have selected Kevin Issa’s “The Other Side” as the Mobile Movie of the Year.

The film—about a man who claims to have had an encounter with extraterrestrials—was shot in two days for the Boston’s 48 Hour Film Project, where it took the top prize. A blend of sci fi, documentary, and comedy, Issa’s short has astonishing production values, which include the use of drone footage and in-camera special effects. In an interview about making the movie, the director talks about his approach to devising a compelling story (this involved spending time in a shower), and editing on his smartphone (while a crew member drove him to the submission drop-off point, arriving one minute before the deadline).

Other Notable Mobile Movies

The People’s Choice Award went to “The Meeting” directed by Clara Congera and Sigfrido Giammona . A story of love, loss, and imagination, the film is remarkable for its emotional performances and stunning Sicilian locations.

Four films received Honorable Mention: “Blue Moon,” a single-location thriller directed by New Zealand filmmaker Stefan Harris; “Click Bait,” an Internet horror film directed by UK  filmmaker Ryan Phillips; “Gasoline Breakup,” a public service announcement in the form of a music video directed by Canadians Franke & Billiam James; and “Jane Digby,” a biographical documentary  directed by South African filmmaker SJ van Breda.

All 12 finalists contributed to the development of mobile moviemaking around the world. We believe that you’ll enjoy viewing each of them.

The award-winning filmmakers honored here frequently acknowledge the importance of  state-of-the-art software and gear that is now available to mobile moviemakers. Among the most frequently mentioned resources  are Adobe Premiere Pro editing software, Artlist music licensing, DJI drones, DJI Osmo Mobile stabilizers, FiLMiC Pro camera app, Moondog Labs lenses, RODE microphones,  Zhiyun stabilizers, and—of course—the iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy, and the GoPro.

We want to give credit to the following festivals that showcase mobile movies: Cinephone  (Spain), Dublin Smartphone Film Festival (Ireland), International Mobile Film Festival (US), FiLMiC Fest (US), iPhone Film Festival (Netherlands), Mobile Innovation Network and Association (New Zealand),  Mobile Motion Film Festival (Switzerland), New York City Drone Film Festival (US), Original iPhone Film Festival (US),  Smartfone Flick Fest (Australia), Super 9 Mobile Film Fest (Portugal), and Toronto Smartphone Film Festival (Canada).