Twenty twenty-one was grim in many ways. But on the bright side, during the past 12 months we watched numerous films that advanced the art of mobile moviemaking. Selecting one as the Mobile Movie of the Year was challenging. That said, for the editors of MobileMovieMaking, “Assimilate” made the strongest case for bringing home the top honor. Directed by South African filmmaker Brionne Olsen, this three-minute drama exhibits first-rate acting, cinematography, and storytelling. More important, taking on one of the most discussed issues of our time, “Assimilate” manages to make the familiar new and memorable. Any further comment would ruin your viewing experience.

We also chose what we thought were the best productions in a variety of categories. These are:

• Documentary: “Bosnia, Where Europe Ends” directed by Nico Piro
• Drone: “Right Up our Alley” directed by Anthony Jaska;  Jay Christensen (pilot)
• Experimental: “Symphony of Spheres” directed by SJ van Breda
• Fantasy: “Pinwheel” directed by Rich Millard
• Music video: “To the Death” directed by Mark Krivoshein
• News feature: “The Pandemic Postman” by Cian McCormack
• Science fiction: “The Schwarzschild Radius” by Peter Majarich
• Solo filmmaking: “Lift” directed by Sanmegh Thokade

If you want to have your own say, we invite you to participate in the People’s Choice competition. Simply go to our finalist page and comment on one or more of the finalists.