Where It All Began: The 1st Annual Hollywood Series Nominations 2017

Where It All Began: The 1st Annual Hollywood Series Nominations

How a singular 2017 slate—co-launched as the Asia Web Awards—created a global bridge for digital auteurs.

By Editorial Staff

HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE REVIEW

Archival Dispatch ------------------------- LOS ANGELES — Launching an inaugural awards platform is never a simple act of publication; it is an act of architecture. When the 1st Annual Hollywood Series unveiled its premier nomination slate in late 2017, it did not merely list titles. Operating simultaneously on the international stage under its alternative moniker, the Asia Web Awards, the festival executed a crucial structural launch: it validated short-form digital storytelling as an independent, high-craft cinematic medium.

The Road to the 10th Anniversary

As we look back at this foundational moment, we do so with a clear cinematic purpose. Hollywood Premiere Review is revisiting these archival roots as our team actively prepares for a landmark industry milestone: the upcoming 10th Annual Hollywood Series 2026 special event.

To fully appreciate the massive global scale, technological leaps, and industry influence of the upcoming 2026 anniversary edition, we must first look back at the original spark that ignited this movement. Tracking the evolution of these long-standing franchises allows us to see how yesterday's experimental digital formats became today's mainstream cinematic standard.

In 2017, the global entertainment ecosystem was navigating a profound mutation. Independent creators were aggressively migrating away from primitive, low-fidelity video clips and stepping into highly sophisticated, serialized independent cinema. By establishing this specific red-carpet nexus, the festival served as a dual-hemisphere launchpad. It bridged the competitive studio systems of the West with the rapidly accelerating digital footprints of Asia, Europe, and Australia. For the first time, independent episodic directors were given the same structural prestige—complete with technical craft categories—traditionally reserved for legacy feature films.

The Technical Vanguard

The inaugural ballot immediately established that technical precision was no longer exclusive to studio-backed features. The race for Best Special / Visual Effects turned into an early arena for sci-fi world-building, anchored by heavily discussed projects like A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend and Mission Backup Earth.

Simultaneously, the Best Production Design and Best Costume Design lineups read like a masterclass in indie resourcefulness, spotlighting the immersive, atmospheric textures of Donjon Legacy, Drifter: Lonesome Highway, and Spessart Shorts. These titles proved to industry scouts that localized digital crews were achieving uncompromising, theatrical-grade aesthetics on highly restrictive indie budgets.

Icons on the Digital Circuit

While the festival focused intensely on discovering tomorrow’s auteurs, the Best Guest Star category underscored the growing institutional respect for web-based formats. The category featured a striking crossover of cultural and cinematic figures:

• David Prowse — The legendary physical presence behind Star Wars' Darth Vader, lending immense genre gravity to Mission Backup Earth.
  

• Judy Chu — The historic U.S. Representative, appearing in the critically acclaimed historical profile Aviatrix: The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story.
  

• Jangho Lee & Jason Lee — Veteran industry stalwarts bringing sharp, foundational credibility to Welcome To ChungjangRo and Sunday Midnight Meetup.
  

The Legacy Framework

The main competitive arena—Best Web Series of All Genres—stood as a testament to the global scale of the launch. Highly celebrated series like Germany's Wishlist, Australia's Starting From Now, and India's A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend collided on the ballot. This cross-cultural friction proved exactly what the festival set out to demonstrate: excellent storytelling is entirely borderless.

By dedicating space to early, experimental VR360 and Drone Cinematography (Kiss, Exvolver), the 2017 inaugural class did not just review the contemporary market—it accurately predicted where the technology of modern cinema was headed.

THE INAUGURAL BALLOT: THE OFFICIAL 2017 NOMINEES

The Grand Prizes

• Best Web Series of All Genres: A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend; Adultish Volume 3; Amazing Grace; Arthur; Che Peruano; Challenger; Darren Has A Breakdown; Hidden; Hyperconnexion; Melodrama; No Pink Cowboys; Number Of Silence; Orazio's Clan; Starting From Now (Season 5); Survival - The Series; The Okusawa Cafe; Two Refugees and A Blonde; Wishlist; World Of Wolfram; Zyara (Season 2)
  

• Best Web Film & Shorts: Addison Lane; Building No. 13; Cycle; Evolution; Healing Music; I Do; Lonely Holidays; The Guy Came On Horseback; The Lazy Barber; The Track
  

Direction & Narrative Craft

• Best Director: Adultish Volume 3; ANA; Arthur; Challenger; Hyperconnexion; No Pink Cowboys; Number Of Silence; Starting From Now (Season 5); Survival - The Series; Wishlist
  

• Best Screenplay: ANA; Che Peruano; Evolution; Ex-Model; Hyperconnexion; Lucifer; Orazio's Clan; Survival - The Series; The Lazy Barber; The Okusawa Cafe
  

Performance Categories

• Best Actor: Brandon Scott Hughes (Adultish); Joe Estevez (Addison Lane); Ettore Nicoletti (Arthur); Facundo Aquinos (Che Peruano); Matthew Houston (Darren Has A Breakdown); Minhwan Choi (Hot and Sweet); Anthony Straeger (Mission Backup Earth); Daniel Dasent (Nerd Brigade); Jackson Tozer (No Pink Cowboys); Osamah Sami (Two Refugees and A Blonde)
  

• Best Actress: Victoria Cheri Bennett (Adultish); Xin Wang (Ex-Model); Yuna Seo (Hot and Sweet); Nathalie Schmidt (I Do); Fabiana Weiner (No Pink Cowboys); Alice Carvalho (SEPTO); Rosie Lourde (Starting From Now); Rain Fuller (Two Refugees and A Blonde); Lucie Tournant (Weakness); Vita Tepel (Wishlist)
  

• Best Supporting Actor: Lucas Gonzalez (About The New); Will Adolphy (Darren Has A Breakdown); Drew Diveley (Drifter: Lonesome Highway); Christian Leadley (Here We Wait); Sanghoon Oh (Lucifer); Pedro Queiroga (SEPTO); Kenneth Drenen (Sunday Midnight Meetup); Stefano Dragone (Survival - The Series); Marco Pancrazi (The Ushers); Niklas Löffler (Wishlist)
  

• Best Supporting Actress: Judith Moya (About The New); Jennifer Eiffert (Drifter: Lonesome Highway); Olivia Baptista (Here We Wait); Hyejin Seo (Hot and Sweet); Morgan Yamada (Mental Case); Sandra Tauro (Number Of Silence); Lisa Lem (Sunday Midnight Meetup); Giulia Melis (Survival - The Series); Jun Ichikawa (The Ushers); Manuela Stüßer (Wishlist)
  

• Best Ensemble Cast: Adultish Volume 3; Claire and Michel; Danger Pay; Empty Space; En Voiture Simone; Here We Wait; Sunday Midnight Meetup; That Reminds Me...; Trick or Treat: I LOVE America!; Welcome To ChungjangRo
  

• Best Rising Star: Nimisha Mehta (A.I.SHA); Marta Berganzo (About The New); Hana Yuka Sano (Addison Lane); Grace Truman (Amazing Grace); Clemy Clarke (Hollywood); Afton Rentz (Mental Case); Aly Zhang (MWFP: 2046); Priscilla Vilela (SEPTO); Lu Yi (Winter); Maike Juttendonk (World Of Wolfram)
  

• Best Guest Star: Judy Chu (Aviatrix); David Prowse (Mission Backup Earth); Jangho Lee (Welcome To ChungjangRo); Jason Lee (Sunday Midnight Meetup); Phillip Betz (Wishlist)
  

Cinematic & Technical Craft

• Best Cinematography: Arthur; Challenger; Hidden; Kiss; Melodrama; Rogue Operations; Spessart Shorts; Winter; Wishlist; Zyara (Season 2)
  

• Best Editing: ANA; Aviatrix; Ex-Model; Lonely Holidays; Magnify Melbourne (Season 3); Misconnection; Number Of Silence; Orazio's Clan; Starting From Now (Season 5); Yukata Cowboy (Season 1)
  

• Best Special / Visual Effects: A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend; Donjon Legacy; Hyperconnexion; Mission Backup Earth; Spessart Shorts; Wave Zero; World Of Wolfram
  

• Best Production Design: Donjon Legacy; Drifter: Lonesome Highway; Empty Space; Hyperconnexion; Lucifer; Mission Backup Earth; Spessart Shorts; The Okusawa Cafe; Winter; World Of Wolfram
  

• Best Costume Design: Challenger; Drifter: Lonesome Highway; Donjon Legacy; Empty Space; Ex-Model; Here We Wait; Hollywood; Orazio's Clan; Spessart Shorts; Yukata Cowboy (Season 1)
  

• Best Music: Challenger; Exvolver; Healing Music; Hidden; Hot and Sweet; Wave Zero; Winter
  

Genre Classifications

• Best Drama: ANA; Amazing Grace; Che Peruano; Hollywood; Melodrama; SEPTO; Starting From Now (Season 5); The Okusawa Cafe; Ugly Foot; Weakness
  

• Best Comedy: About The New; Darren Has A Breakdown; Donjon Legacy; Ex-Model; Nerd Brigade; Orazio's Clan; Sunday Midnight Meetup; The Lazy Barber; Two Refugees and A Blonde; World Of Wolfram
  

• Best Dramedy: Adultish Volume 3; Claire and Michel; Empty Space; Hot and Sweet; Maurice; No Pink Cowboys; That Reminds Me...; Welcome To ChungjangRo
  

• Best Action: A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend; Addison Lane; Challenger; Drifter: Lonesome Highway; I Am Not The Devil; Mental Case; Rogue Operations; Wishlist
  

• Best Science Fiction & Suspense Thriller: A.I.SHA; Arthur; Before Time; Donjon Legacy; Evolution; Here We Wait; Hidden; Hyperconnexion; Lucifer; Mission Backup Earth; MWFP: 2046; Number Of Silence; Survival - The Series; The Ushers; Wave Zero
  

• Best Documentary: 51 Street Utoro Family; Aviatrix: The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story; Claire and Michel; Magnify Melbourne; Overnight Fukuoka; Senbeno 2018 PyeongChang; Your Place or Minecraft?; Zyara (Season 2)
  

• Innovation (VR360 & Drone Cinema): 51 Street Utoro Family; Exvolver; Kiss (Drone)
  

• Best Pilot & Reality: Eyes Wide Open; I Am Not The Devil; Mental Case; Spessart Shorts; Senbeno 2018 PyeongChang
  

• Best Sketch Comedy: Claire and Michel; Danger Pay; En Voiture Simone; Misconnection; Trick or Treat: I LOVE America!; Yukata Cowboy (Season 1)
  

  

  Retrospective: The 1st Annual Hollywood Series and the Nominations That Defined It (AKA Asia Web Awards 2017)
  

Category	Title / Name
BEST SPECIAL / VISUAL EFFECT	A.I.Sha My Virtual Girlfriend Donjon Legacy  Hyperconnexion Mission Backup Earth Spessart Shorts Wave Zero World Of Wolfram
BEST MUSIC	Challenger  Exvolver Healing Music Hidden Hot and Sweet  Wave Zero Winter
BEST EDITING	ANA Aviatrix The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story  Ex-Model  Lonely Holidays  Magnify Melbourne - Season 3  Misconnection  Number Of Silence  Orazio's Clan  Starting From Now - Season 5  Yukata Cowboy - Season 1
BEST COSTUME DESIGN	Challenger  Drifter: Lonesome Highway  Donjon Legacy  Empty Space  Ex-Model  Here We Wait Hollywood  Orazio's Clan  Spessart Shorts Yukata Cowboy - Season 1
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN	Donjon Legacy  Drifter: Lonesome Highway  Empty Space  Hyperconnexion  Lucifer  Mission Backup Earth  Spessart Shorts  The Okusawa Cafe  Winter World Of Wolfram
BEST SCREENPLAY	ANA Che Peruano  Evolution  Ex-Model  Hyperconnexion  Lucifer  Orazio's Clan  Survival - The Series  The Lazy Barber  The Okusawa Cafe
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY	Arthur  Challenger  Hidden Kiss  Melodrama  Rogue Operations  Spessart Shorts Winter  Wishlist Zyara Season 2
BEST DIRECTOR	Adultish Volume 3 ANA Arthur  Challenger  Hyperconnexion No Pink Cowboys  Number Of Silence  Starting From Now - Season 5  Survival - The Series  Wishlist
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS	About The New - Judith Moya Drifter: Lonesome Highway - Jennifer Eiffert  Here We Wait - Olivia Baptista  Hot and Sweet - Hyejin Seo  Mental Case - Morgan Yamada  Number Of Silence - Sandra Tauro  Sunday Midnight Meetup - Lisa Lem Survival - The Series - Giulia Melis  The Ushers - Jun Ichikawa Wishlist - Manuela Stüßer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR	About The New - Lucas Gonzalez Darren Has A Breakdown - Will Adolphy Drifter: Lonesome Highway - Drew Diveley  Here We wait - Christian Leadley  Lucifer - Sanghoon Oh  SEPTO - Pedro Queiroga  Sunday Midnight Meetup - Kenneth Drenen  Survival - The Series - Stefano Dragone The Ushers - Marco Pancrazi  Wishlist - Niklas Löffler
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST	Adultish Volume 3 Claire and Michel  Danger Pay  Empty Space En Voiture Simone  Here We Wait  Sunday Midnight Meetup That Reminds Me... Trick or Treat: I LOVE America! Welcome To ChungjangRo
BEST RISING STAR	A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend - Nimisha Mehta  About The New - Marta Berganzo  Addison Lane - Hana Yuka Sano  Amazing Grace - Grace Truman  Hollywood - Clemy Clarke  Mental Case - Afton Rentz MWFP: 2046 - Aly Zhang  SEPTO - Priscilla Vilela  Winter - Lu Yi World Of Wolfram - Maike Juttendonk
BEST ACTRESS	Adultish - Victoria Cheri Bennett Ex-Model - Xin Wang  Hot and Sweet - Yuna Seo  I Do - Nathalie Schmidt  No Pink Cowboys - Fabiana Weiner  SEPTO - Alice Carvalho Staring From Now Season 5 - Rosie Lourde Two Refugees and A Blonde - Rain Fuller Weakness - Lucie Tournant Wishlist - Vita Tepel
BEST ACTOR	Adultish Volume3 - Brandon Scott Hughes Addison Lane - Joe Estevez  Arthur - Ettore Nicoletti Che Peruano - Facundo Aquinos Darren Has A Breakdown - Matthew Houston Hot and Sweet - Minhwan Choi Mission Backup Earth - Anthony Straeger  Nerd Brigade - Daniel Dasent No Pink Cowboys - Jackson Tozer  Two Refugees and A Blonde - Osamah Sami
BEST DOCUMENTARY	51 Street Utoro Family  Aviatrix The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story    Claire and Michel  Magnify Melbourne  Overnight Fukuoka Senbeno, 2018 PyeongChang Your Place or Minecraft?  Zyara Season 2
BEST ACTION	A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend  Addison Lane Challenger Drifter: Lonesome Highway  I Am Not The Devil Mental Case  Rogue Operations  Wishlist
BEST SUSPENSE THRILLER	A.I.Sha My Virtual Girlfriend Arthur  Evolution  Hidden Lucifer  Number Of Silence  Survival - The Series The Ushers - A Dark Tale of a Bright Night
BEST SCIENCE FICTION	A.I.SHA My Virtual Girlfriend  Before Time  Donjon Legacy Here We Wait Hyperconnexion  Mission Backup Earth  MWFP: 2046  Wave Zero
BEST VR360 BEST DRONE	51 Street Utoro Family Exvolver Kiss (Drone)
BEST REALITY BEST PILOT	Eyes Wide Open I Am Not The Devil Mental Case  Spessart Shorts Senbeno, 2018 PyeongChang
BEST SKETCH COMEDY	Claire and Michel  Danger Pay  En Voiture Simone  Misconnection  Trick or Treat: I LOVE Amercia!  Yukata Cowboy Season 1
BEST COMEDY	About The New   Darren Has A Breakdown Donjon Legacy  Ex-Model Nerd Brigade  Orazio's Clan Sunday Midnight Meetup The Lazy Barber  Two Refugees and A Blonde  World Of Wolfram
BEST DRAMEDY	Adultish Volume 3  Claire and Michel  Empty Space  Hot and Sweet  Maurice  No Pink Cowboys  That Reminds Me... Welcome To ChungjangRo
BEST DRAMA	ANA Amazing Grace  Che Peruano Hollywood  Melodrama  SEPTO  Starting From Now Season 5 The Okusawa Cafe Ugly Foot Weakness
BEST WEB SERIES OF ALL GENRES	A.I.Sha My Virtual Girlfriend Adultish Volume3 Amazing Grace  Arthur  Che Peruano  Challenger  Darren Has A Breakdown Hidden  Hyperconnexion  Melodrama  No Pink Cowboys  Number Of Silence  Orazio's Clan  Starting From Now Season 5 Survival - The Series  The Okusawa Cafe Two Refugees and A Blonde Wishlist World Of Wolfram  Zyara Season 2
BEST GUEST STAR	Aviatrix The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story - Judy Chu Mission Backup Earth - David Prowse  Welcome To ChungjangRo - Jangho Lee Sunday Midnight Meetup - Jason Lee Wishlist - Phillip Betz

BEST WEB FILM SHORTS

Addison Lane Building No. 13  Cycle  Evolution Healing Music  I Do Lonely Holidays  The Guy Came On Horseback The Lazy Barber The Track

Congratulations!!!!