SELECTED HONORS AND RECOGNITION
Marcelle Abela's films have received international recognition for directing, producing, documentary filmmaking, experimental cinema, and original score, with screenings and awards across Europe, North America, Russia, Asia, and Oceania.
Punch's Journey (2026)
A moving animated drama about kindness, belonging, and the transformative power of compassion.
Rita's Song (2026)
A music short celebrating self-discovery, resilience, and the freedom to embrace one's true identity.
Reviews available.
Whispers From the Core (2025)
An experimental meditation on loss, memory, and the long shadow of nuclear catastrophe.
America's Woman (2024)
A feature documentary exploring the life and legacy of the mysterious woman whose influence helped shape the American story.
Review available.
Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes (2022)
A documentary tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of the Ukrainian people.
Review available
Mikha'El (2021)
A documentary exploring spirituality, faith, and the lesser-known extraordinary appearances of the Archangel Mikha'El.
European Space Agency (2018-2020)
Five short documentaries: Earth's Beauty, Kesil, L'Amour de Dieu, Lux et Tenebrae, Pillars of Creation.
Materre, Aurora, Red Glory, Pillars of Creation (2020)
Four short documentaries showing the beauty of the Earth, the starry skies, and space from the Hubble and the International Space Station.
Terni Film Festival (2019)
Short documentary: Aurora.
Materre, Aurora (2018)
Two short documentaries about space from the Hubble and the International Space Station.
Pillars of Creation, Aurora (2018)
Two short documentaries about the beauty of the cosmos and space.
Prospe(c)tiva Exibart (2018)
Four short documentaries: Aurora, Lux et Tenebrae, Pillars of Creation, Red Glory.
MUSIC
The Water Song (2023/2026)
Orchestral arrangement of Irene Wawatie Jerome's composition and featuring the Algonquin Singers. Featured alongside works by Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Björk, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Feist, Billie Eilish, Massive Attack, and Midnight Oil.
Fantasy (2020/2023)
Neoclassical fantasy for piano and orchestra, featuring Marcelle Abela (piano).
A moving animated drama about kindness, belonging, and the transformative power of compassion.
- Best Original Score - Cinematic European Film Festival, Romania (World premiere).
- Best Short Film / Best Director - 7th Roshani International Film Festival.
- Best Short Film - Mei International Film Festival.
- Merit Award (Original Score) / Award of Recognition (AI Film) - Accolade Global Film Competition.
- Nominee (AI & Society Award) - AI Film Festival Tirana. Screened twice during the festival.
Rita's Song (2026)
A music short celebrating self-discovery, resilience, and the freedom to embrace one's true identity.
Reviews available.
- Certificate for Significant Cultural Contribution (with Michael A. Levine) - Awarded following the film's inclusion in Ukraine's front-line "Cinema in Schools" Program.
- Grand Prize Music Video (with Michael A. Levine) - Golden State Film Festival (Hollywood premiere at TCL Chinese Theaters).
- Finalist (with Michael A. Levine) - Woman, Life, Freedom Festival (jury led by Atiq Rahimi).
Whispers From the Core (2025)
An experimental meditation on loss, memory, and the long shadow of nuclear catastrophe.
- Official Selection - Culver City Film Festival (American premiere at Kirk Douglas Theater).
- Best Experimental International Short - Mei International Film Festival.
- Finalist - 68th Rochester International Film Festival.
- Merit Award with Special Mention (Original Score) - IndieFest Film Awards.
- Official Selection - Festival l'Europe Autour de l'Europe, Paris.
- Official Selection - International Peace Symposium, Castel Gandolfo, Rome.
America's Woman (2024)
A feature documentary exploring the life and legacy of the mysterious woman whose influence helped shape the American story.
Review available.
- Best International Documentary Feature - Golden State Film Festival (Hollywood premiere at TCL Chinese Theaters).
- Best Political Film - Festival Napoleon sur les Champs-Elysees, Paris, in partnership with the City of Paris (French premiere).
- Best Documentary Feature / Best Director - Golden Lion International Film Festival.
- Eight awards including Best Documentary Feature, Best Director, Best Producer, Best Original Score, Best Editor, and Best Cinematography - Mei International Film Festival.
- Best Original Score (with David Ternyik) - Tracks Music Awards.
Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes (2022)
A documentary tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of the Ukrainian people.
Review available
- Best Documentary - Busan New Wave Short Film Festival.
- Best Documentary - Ealing Film Festival.
- Best Director / Best Documentary Short - Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards.
- Music from the film played at the Moab Music Festival (2023).
Mikha'El (2021)
A documentary exploring spirituality, faith, and the lesser-known extraordinary appearances of the Archangel Mikha'El.
- Best Director - L'Age D'Or International Arthouse Film Festival.
- Best Documentary Director - Great Message International Film Festival.
- Best European Documentary Award - Brittany International Film Festival.
- Best Original Score (with Peter Cavallo) - Tracks Music Awards.
European Space Agency (2018-2020)
Five short documentaries: Earth's Beauty, Kesil, L'Amour de Dieu, Lux et Tenebrae, Pillars of Creation.
- Accepted into the Official Archives of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Materre, Aurora, Red Glory, Pillars of Creation (2020)
Four short documentaries showing the beauty of the Earth, the starry skies, and space from the Hubble and the International Space Station.
- Gold Prize - 1st Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival (awards given by Roscosmos).
- Cinema Night Screening at the Hall of Rocket and Space Technology, Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics founded by Yuri Gagarin.
- Featured in Russian Space: The Main Magazine About Space.(Roscosmos journal).
- Featured in Russia's Wikipedia.
Terni Film Festival (2019)
Short documentary: Aurora.
- Screened right after George Melies's Le Voyage dans la Lune - 15th Popoli e Religioni, Citiplex Politeama, Terni, Italy.
Materre, Aurora (2018)
Two short documentaries about space from the Hubble and the International Space Station.
- 1st Prize (Materre) - 1st China International Contest of Popular Science Works, Beijing.
- 2nd Prize (Aurora) - 1st China International Contest of Popular Science Works, Beijing.
- Featured Exhibition Screenings at the China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing.
Pillars of Creation, Aurora (2018)
Two short documentaries about the beauty of the cosmos and space.
- Cinemonde Invited Film Screening Series - Soiree #63, New York City.
- Sole filmmaker in history of the series to exhibit two films.
- Q&A / Interview by Jerome Rudes.
Prospe(c)tiva Exibart (2018)
Four short documentaries: Aurora, Lux et Tenebrae, Pillars of Creation, Red Glory.
- Curated Exhibition Screening, 157-minute Loop Program - Prospe(c)tiva: Cultura, Creativita, Comunicazione, Avellino, Italy (supported by Regione Campania).
MUSIC
The Water Song (2023/2026)
Orchestral arrangement of Irene Wawatie Jerome's composition and featuring the Algonquin Singers. Featured alongside works by Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Björk, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Feist, Billie Eilish, Massive Attack, and Midnight Oil.
- Curated Exhibition, Into the Time Horizon: 101 Songs for the Environment - Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada, USA (February 21-November 29, 2026). Largest exhibition ever mounted by the museum.
Fantasy (2020/2023)
Neoclassical fantasy for piano and orchestra, featuring Marcelle Abela (piano).
- Scholarly Repertory Inclusion compiled by Dr. Allan B. Ho - Emeritus Professor of Musicology, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (2023).
FULL AWARDS HISTORY
The complete awards and festival recognition history of Marcelle Abela's films and music.
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
- 7th Roshani International Film Festival | Best Short Film/Best Director (Punch's Journey): winner - 2 awards.
- 9th Golden State Film Festival | Grand Prize Music Video (Rita's Song): winner (with Michael A. Levine).
- 17th IndieFest Film Awards | Award of Recognition (Rita's Song): winner (with Michael A. Levine).
- Accolade Global Film Competition | Merit Award (Original Score) & Award of Recognition (AI Film) (Punch's Journey): winner - 2 awards.
- Best Shorts Competition | Award of Recognition - Experimental Film (Whispers From the Core): winner.
- Cinematic European Film Festival | Best Original Score (Punch's Journey): winner.
- Mei International Film Festival | Best Short Film (Punch's Journey): winner.
- Athens International Art Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Animation (Punch's Journey): winner.
- Athens International Art Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Music Video (Running): winner (with Michael A. Levine).
- AI Film Festival Tirana | AI & Society Award (Punch's Journey): nominated.
- 10th Orion International Film Festival | Experimental Film (Whispers From the Core): finalist.
- Woman, Life, Freedom Festival | Animation (Rita's Song): finalist (with Michael A. Levine).
2025
- 8th Golden State Film Festival | Best International Documentary Feature Film (America's Woman): winner.
- 68th Rochester International Film Festival | Experimental Short (Whispers From the Core): finalist.
- Authentic Global Film Awards | Certificate of Merit - Documentary Feature (America's Woman): winner.
- Athens International Art Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Experimental Film (Whispers From the Core): winner.
- East Village New York Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Experimental Film (Whispers From the Core): winner.
- Festival Napoleon sur les Champs-Elysees | Best Political Film (America's Woman): winner.
- Folkestone Film Festival | Experimental Film (Whispers From the Core): nominated.
- Mei International Film Festival | Best International Experimental Short (Whispers From the Core): winner.
- Piano B Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Documentary (America's Woman): winner.
- Realtime International Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Documentary (America's Woman): winner.
- The IndieFest Film Awards | Award of Merit Special Mention - Original Score / Award of Recognition - Experimental Film (Whispers From the Core): winner - 2 awards.
- West Lothian Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Documentary (America's Woman): winner.
2024
- Accolade Global Film Competition | Award of Merit - Direction (America's Woman): winner.
- Athens International Arthouse Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Documentary (America's Woman): winner.
- Black Cat International Film Festival | Cinema for Humanity Special Mention - Documentary (America's Woman): winner.
- Cinematic European Film Festival | Special Award - Documentary (America's Woman): winner.
- Golden Lion International Film Festival | Best Director/Best Documentary Feature (America's Woman): winner - 2 awards.
- Impact Docs Awards | Awards of Merit Special Mention - Documentary Feature/Original Score (America's Woman): winner - 2 awards.
- Mei International Film Festival | Best Doc Feature/Best Director/Best Producer/Best Narrators/Best Director of Photography/Best Editing/Best Original Film Score (America's Woman): winner - 8 awards.
- Tracks Movie Awards | Best Original Score (America's Woman): winner.
- Global Music Awards | Bronze Medal - Original Score/Soundtrack (America's Woman): winner.
- Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards | Cinematic Alchemist Award - Film work over the past three years: winner.
- Golden Lion Annual Awards | Best Documentary Feature/Best Direction (America's Woman): nominated.
- International Motion Picture Awards | Best Documentary Feature (America's Woman): nominated.
- Milwaukee Independent Film Awards | Best Documentary Film (America's Woman): nominated.
- 9th Near Nazareth Film Festival | Feature Documentary (America's Woman): finalist.
- Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards | Documentary Feature (America's Woman): finalist.
2023
- 4th Pigeon D'Or Awards | Director (Ukraine's Soul): honorary awardee.
- 3rd Pigeon D'Or Awards | Original Film Score (Mikha'El): honorary awardee.
- Festival del Cinema di Cefalu | Special Jury Prize (Ukraine's Soul): nominated.
2022
- Busan New Wave Short Film Festival | Best Documentary (Ukraine's Soul): winner.
- Ealing Film Festival | Best Documentary (Ukraine's Soul): winner.
- Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards | Best Documentary Short/Best Director (Ukraine's Soul): winner - 2 awards.
- Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards | Outstanding Achievement Award - Original Soundtrack (Ukraine's Soul): winner.
- Megaflix Film Awards | Platinum Award - Best Poster (Ukraine's Soul): winner.
- Onyko Films Awards | Best Soundtrack (Ukraine's Soul): winner.
- Athens International Arthouse Film Festival | Special Mention - Documentary (Ukraine's Soul): winner.
- International Sound and Film Music Festival | Best Original Score (Ukraine's Soul): nominated.
- Korea International Short Film Festival | Best Documentary (Ukraine's Soul): nominated.
2021
- Brittany International Film Festival | European Best Documentary Award (Mikha'El): winner.
- L'Age D'Or International Arthouse Film Festival | Best Director (Mikha'El): winner.
- L'Age D'Or Arthouse Film Festival | Outstanding Achievement Awards - Best Documentary/Best Film Score (Mikha'El): winner - 2 awards.
- Great Message International Film Festival | Best Documentary Director (Mikha'El): winner.
- New York Movie Awards | Honorable Mention - Feature Documentary (Mikha'El): winner.
- Sanctuary International Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Feature Documentary (Mikha'El): winner.
- Global Music Awards | Bronze Medal - Original Score/Soundtrack (Mikha'El): winner.
- Impact Docs Awards | Award of Recognition - Original Score (Mikha'El): winner.
- Tracks Music Awards | Best Original Score (Mikha'El): winner.
- International Sound and Film Music Festival | Best Original Score (Mikha'El): nominated.
- Paris Art and Movie Awards | Best Composer (Mikha'El): nominated.
- Pigeon D'Or Awards | Best Director (Mikha'El): nominated.
2020
- Tsiolkovsky Space Film Festival | Gold Prize - Best Short Documentaries (Red Glory, Pillars of Creation, Materre, Aurora): winner.
- Long Story Shorts International Film Festival | Best Experimental Film (Creation): winner.
- Global Shorts Awards Cannes | Best Travel Film (Red Glory): winner.
2019
- Festival International de Courts-Metrage d'Auteurs et Narratif | Prix Hommage/Best Narrative Short (Creation): winner - 2 awards.
- European International Film Festival | Best Documentary/Best Editing (Red Glory, Creation): winners respectively.
- Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes | Best New Media - Short Documentary (Red Glory): winner.
- Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards | Best Documentary Short (Red Glory, Creation): winner, nominated respectively.
- Genre Celebration Film Festival | Best VFX (Creation): nominated.
- #LabMeCrazy Science Film Festival | Best Internet Film (Red Glory): nominated
- Strasburg International Film Festival | Best New Visions (Red Glory): nominated.
- Top Indie Film Awards | Best Original Concept/Best Editing (Creation): nominated.
- Top Indie Film Awards | Best Documentary Short (Materre): nominated.
2018
- China International Contest of Popular Science Works | 1st Prize & 2nd Prize (Materre, Aurora): winners respectively.
- Great Message International Film Festival | Best Multimedia Film (Pillars of Creation): winner.
- Independent Shorts Awards | Bronze Award - Best Editing (Red Glory): winner.
- Top Indie Film Awards | Best Documentary Short/Best Music (Lux et Tenebrae): winner, nominated respectively.
- Queen Palm International Film Festival | Best Editing (Red Glory): nominated.
- Top Indie Film Awards | Best Original Concept (Pillars of Creation): nominated.
- Top Indie Film Awards | Best Doc Short (Aurora, Divine Beauty, Earth's Beauty, Kesil, L'Amour de Dieu, Pillars of Creation, Red Glory): nominated.
- Top Indie Film Awards | Best Editing (Earth's Beauty, Kesil, Red Glory): nominated.
- Top Indie Film Awards | Best Director/Best FX (Aurora, Lux et Tenebrae): nominated.
- Independent Shorts Awards | Best Female Director (Divine Beauty): nominated.
OTHER MUSIC AWARDS
2026
2023
2022
2021
- Global Music Awards | Bronze Medal - Composition (America 250 Commemorative EP): winner.
2023
- Tracks Music Awards | Best Music (Seeking the Mesosphere): winner.
- The Artists Forum Music Competition | World Music - Composition (Seeking the Mesosphere): finalist.
2022
- Global Music Awards | Silver Medal - Composition (Poème): winner.
2021
- Tracks Music Awards | Best Music (Deep Winter): winner.
- 10th People's Film Festival | Honorable Mention - Composition (Explorations): winner.