Storyboard Films Awards: From a Viewer’s Choice Win to an Anthem Awards Finalist
Storyboard Films won the Twin Cities Film Fest Viewer’s Choice award for our first long-form documentary, and we’re now a 2026 Anthem Awards finalist in two categories. We don’t chase awards, but these two mattered. And right now, you can help with one of them.
Why we don’t submit to many awards
We’re a small team. Our time goes to the people we make films for, so awards haven’t been a big part of how we do outreach.
We did get our start with one, though.
Where we started: Viewer’s Choice at the Twin Cities Film Fest
Our founder and creative director, Jeff Brandt, made Not Done Loving. It’s a 20-minute documentary about Toni Poletes, co-owner of Ostlund’s Marine Garage in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. Toni was fighting Stage 4 breast cancer.
The film is also about her town. Neighbors rallied around her and raised money for her medical bills with a community fundraising calendar. Marine on St. Croix showed up, and Jeff filmed it.
The film premiered at the Marine on St. Croix Library Auditorium in December 2014, and the St. Paul Pioneer Press covered it. It later won the Viewer’s Choice award at the Twin Cities Film Fest.
Toni passed away in July 2015. The film is still a testament to her spirit and to the people who stood by her.
Not Done Living launched Storyboard Films. Most of our work looks different now: one- to six-minute films that inspire giving for nonprofits or build deeper connections for businesses. The goal is the same, though. Find the real person, and let the story happen.
Watch Not Done Loving here.
2026: Anthem Awards finalist for Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
The Anthem Awards honor social impact work that amplifies the voices sparking global change. Our film for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities 2026 Big Gala is a finalist in two categories under Education, Art & Culture:
Donor & Volunteer Engagement
Fundraising Appeal
2026 Mission Moment: A Story Across Generations follows Luke and Brian, a mentor and mentee. Their bond runs from shooting hoops in local parks to shooting street photography at sunrise in Kenya. It spans decades, generations, and continents. It shows what happens when young people learn they’re worth showing up for.
Princess Kisob, VP of Programs and a former Little Sister, put it best: “Mentorship connection. It’s exactly what we need right now.”
Why the Anthem Awards fit how we make films
Here’s how the Anthem Awards describe themselves:
The Anthem Awards recognizes impactful brands, nonprofits, and individuals who are setting the standard for good worldwide. We benchmark the impact of initiatives, content, and programs across causes: Belonging & Inclusion; Education, Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate.
Our film sits in Education, Art & Culture. It’s about mentorship, and it’s told by the two people living it.
That’s how we work. We only feature real people sharing their stories in their own words. No actors. No scripts. No narrator telling you what to feel.
Luke and Brian aren’t playing mentor and mentee. They are mentor and mentee. When Luke talks about Kenya, that’s Luke talking. We set up the camera, ask good questions, and then get out of the way.
That’s why this nomination feels aligned. The film is a finalist for a story we didn’t write. We just helped two people tell it.
It’s the same approach we took with Toni and her neighbors in 2014. The tools are better, and the principle hasn’t changed. The most powerful thing on screen is a real person saying what’s true for them.
Vote for the film through October 29
Community Voice voting is open through October 29. It takes a minute.
Watch the full film and cast your vote here.
Want a film like this for your nonprofit or business? Tell us who you want people to meet, and we’ll start there.
